I am thrilled, moved, proud, wowed. The Apprenticeship and first big open Long Dance was an extra-ordinary event, I think, for all concerned. Not all easy. Challenging. Tough. Demanding. And at the same time, people, myself included, exceeded my wildest expectations. What can happen when you absolutely decide to do something. What can happen when you do that with others, when our will aligns.

For us and our apprentices to work together, to host our guests, to make this event real, was a beautiful step into co-creative community. Mark Boylan, one of our pathfinder Movement Medicine teachers, did  (and does) amazing work helping create the foundations of self-organizing community work teams to hold all aspects of the Long Dance through the days and nights. Every apprentice offered hours of service time, whether it was as a first aider, cleaning the loos, giving hugs, taking care of the physical space, looking after the musicians, etc so that everyone else could let go and be taken care of.

Roland and Susanne worked for months to realise this dream with countless details.

Ya’Acov had a wild dream. When others said “people need more sleep” or “people can’t/won’t raise that sort of money” he wouldn’t have it. But kept being clear that everyone is free, but that he was upholding a high level of faith in what us human beings can do. Yes even us western, modern sort of human beings.  I take my hat off to you Mr Darling Khan and to everyone who was willing to shelve their disbelief and go with it.

For me, with my long standing longing for a space where song and dance and party and prayer and the strength, courage and tenderness meet, it was and is a dream answered. The heart bursting moment on Monday when it felt like 170 people had a simultaneous ecstatic heart flowering fire burst together in the dance was a glory beyond any clubbing experience I have ever had, even on the best you no what’s of the old days. This was pure human ecstasy, brought about by skill, devotion, patience, long dancing, human kindness, many heart melts and healings, much tears and laughter, and I felt the divine smiling on us, in us and through us.

Thank you to everyone who supported this event, in any way,

And I wish all of us good summers, beautiful holy days re-connecting with the land, with the beauty of life, following our dreams, and making love visible through our work and our play, as we each play our part in meeting the challenges of this time,

As Lynn twist says “ you don’t have a big part to play, you don’t have a small part, you have YOUR part”

Wishing you Love, Joy, Strength, and Grace, and to know that you are not alone,

Susannah