Dances of Universal Peace by Celeste Dickson (printed December 1997 in Aquarius magazine) Toward the One; the perfection of Love, Harmony and Beauty. Thus begins the invocation of the Atlanta Dances of Universal Peace (DUP). Also referred to as Sufi Dancing, DUP is a form of moving meditation open to all that heightens awareness through looking deeply into the eyes of another, while alternately dancing alone or with a partner. No special dance ability is needed to participate; the steps and simple chants are taught anew each time. Dance leader Akbar Manolson says: "My vision is to develop the Dances to be a real force for goodwill and inspiration for the Atlanta spiritual community, and to welcome people of all backgrounds and ways of life into our circles." I first encountered the Dances when I was living in New Orleans (and attended Dances led by Amina Horton). One dance, accompanied by a harmonium, stands out in my mind. The dance circle was made up of two intertwined circles, each going in opposite directions. Traveling around the circle from one partner to another, I greeted each person with an extended handclasp; first right, then left. With each greeting, a different name for God was invoked (Kwan Yin, Allah, Shakti, Ram) while seeing them as that Deity. After moving to Atlanta, I was welcomed into the dance circle here. My experience of the Dances deepened; I was able to see the Divine in others (that part seemed easy), and for the first time I began to get a glimmer of the Divine in me. That was much harder to accept. What attracts and holds me to DUP is that it is a path of relating, as opposed to solitary meditation. I find that connecting with other people feeds my soul in a very different way than my alone time; sort of rounding out my spiritual diet. This has pitfalls. Other people mirror aspects of yourself that you cannot see alone; can you see your own eyes without a mirror? I'm not sure which is harder to see: the places where I am stuck, or the places where I am brilliant. In a dance circle, you touch and are touched by other people, both literally and figuratively. Recently Akbar Manolson, who has led the Dances for 22 years, gave a reading from the DUP Code of Ethics and Relatedness. To paraphrase: "The Dances of Universal Peace invite us to enter expanded states of feeling, while joined in a circle, facing each other and moving together. As such, the Dances revolutionize traditional spiritual practice. Sitting meditation requires very little interpersonal contact; the Dances involve personal contact and evoke feelings of love, joy, compassion and communion, as well as opportunity for interpersonal healing. We invite you to enjoy the Dances in all their simplicity, profundity, freedom and depth of feeling. We invite you to honor your feeling and to help us re-establish the meaning of healthy, honest contact in modern life." The dances reflect our lives and our relationships in general. Sometimes you dance with a partner, sometimes you dance alone, sometimes you are advancing to a new partner. Each of these provides an opportunity to witness how you experience letting go, approaching, aloneness, seeing another and being seen. These feeling states can then funnel up and expand into qualities of transcendence, equanimity and joy. Akbar Manolson explains that the dances are unique in that they awaken your spiritual connection to your own tradition. It's hard to describe how this works. Akbar says it's best to come and do it. The dances use music, sacred phrases and mantras from many traditions. Some dances are contemplative and deepening; some are playful and humorous. The Dances of Universal Peace is a place to join in community and heart centered practice. If this calls to you, please join us.

This page was last updated on: June 9, 2004

Honoring the Divine in each other...