  Sacred Dance On the long journey of my dance career, I have traveled the world, studied, and been inspired by sacred dances from almost every continent. Over the years I have come to see myself as a cultural ambassador through the preservation of ethnic dance traditions. It has been a beautiful and enriching journey, and has given me the tools for creating something unique and personal. My most recent studies with Inbal Ethnic Dance Theater in Israel have especially inspired and expanded my movement vocabulary and understanding of dance as sacred narrative and a form of worship.I believe that all dances are sacred, and can be used for personal and collective healing. I am especially interested in bringing dance into temples and places of spiritual worship, where it traditionally played a prominent role. In my work as a dance teacher, I focus on creating a sacred space for my students, allowing them the place for both transformation and communal celebration.  Jewish Sacred Dance/Dance Midrash Sacred dance was an integral part of Temple worship in ancient Israel, and has always been an important part of Jewish life. Through Israel's extended exile many of these ancient and sacred dance traditions have been lost and forgotten. Dance Midrash opens a pathway to rediscover and recreate sacred Jewish dance traditions, bringing dance back into religious worship. It is also a path that can help to deepen one's understandings of biblical stories, Jewish rituals, prayers, and holidays through non-verbal communication.Classes in Jewish Sacred Dance/Dance Midrash allow students the opportunity for creating personal sacred dances using biblical text and prayers. The class will introduce students to movement vocabulary borrowed from numerous ethnic traditions including Israel, the Middle-East, the Silk Road, and beyond. Classes will also focus on how to use dance as a vehicle for personal and collective healing/tikkun olam. Students are encouraged to bring creativity, Jewish stories or midrashim (legends), and props to class.  “Miriam's Well” is an interfaith performance piece that draws from the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish traditions. Interweaving dance, music, and sacred texts, “Miriam's Well” binds these three traditions to reveal their interconnectedness. This piece focuses on three representative female figures—Miriam, Maryam, and Mary. These three mothers share their experiences of receiving revelations at the well, a place of deep knowledge and faith. The work draws on the traditional expressive arts and rituals, contemporary theater and dance technique, emotionally engaging the audience in a rich image of a shared heritage. “Miriam's Well” will feature new choreography by Miriam Peretz, original compositions by Rachel Valfer, “Ya Elah” Vocal Ensemble and “Eliyahu & Qadim,” Mystical Music of the Near East. The title “Miriam's Well” is inspired by a biblical myth (midrash) that describes a well that followed the ancient Israelites throughout their forty years of wandering in the desert. This abundant source of water was in Miriam's merit, and is said to have dried up upon her passing. The legend says that the well is now located in the Lake Kinneret, of northern Israel/Palestine, and is said to be found in the middle of the lake only on the full moon. By drinking from it, one may be cured of physical or spiritual illness. Both in Jerusalem and Nazareth there are “Mary's Well's” held sacred to both Christian's and Muslim's. The well is symbolic of the depths of our souls, and just as all three women reach deep to find their truths it is revealed that they all connect to the one source. Water is the source of life, a human necessity and it's abundance a blessing in every tradition. The scarcity of water in the Middle-East has become a serious crisis, potentially even more dangerous than the religious and territorial conflicts. The very basic need to share water binds the people of the Middle-East together, since without peace the well will soon run dry. Artistic Inspiration During the decade that I lived in Israel/Palestine, I came to see the effect of the powerful distrust and animosities that were poisoning the well, the universal source from which all three of the religious traditions are drawn. The inspiration for this piece comes from a deep sorrow that has grown in my heart from witnessing the breakdown of relations amongst the people based on their religious differences. My hope is that this piece will illuminate the common ground of these three traditions, offering a pathway for healing.Artists Involved Director, Choreographer, Miriam PeretzDancers/Choreographic Collaborators: Miriam Peretz, Sharlyn Sawyer, director of Afsaneh Art & Culture SocietyCarla de Sola, Wan-Chao Chang, Hannah Romanowsky, Jessica Ezra Patri, Aliah Najmabadi, Hilal Sala Musicians: Ya Elah (Jewish Women's Vocalist Ensemble) emerged from Jewish Spirituality and now travels through multiple faiths, inspiring compassion between diverse cultures through settings of sacred and original texts. This ensemble of vocalists and instrumentalists performs the original compositions of artistic director Bon Singer. www.yaelah.comEliyahu & Qadim (music ensemble) specializes in music inspired by the ancient mystical music of the Near East. Since first forming in 2006 the group has quickly built a following throughout the Bay Area and beyond brining together Indian, Iranian, Jewish, Moroccan, and Syrian musicians to celebrate the common musical and spiritual heritage of the now troubled regions ancient cultures. www.eliyahusills.com Storyteller: Manar Azriek from Israel/Palestine will be weaving the stories of the women together through traditional and interpretive stories, poetry, and sacred text.View the Miriam's Well page  |