Get Down for the Globe - Monday Magazine

From: http://www.mondaymag.com/articles/entry/get-down-for-the-globe/arts/
Earthdance returns

For Jason Guille, the connection between dance and peace is almost a scientific one. “You put 100 people together on a dance floor, you can get this groove going where your heart opens up and you’ll touch a person’s shoulder when you wouldn’t have a couple of minutes ago or you maintain eye contact a bit more,” he explains. “I think that that is why, in the polarity of human expression, on one extreme you have confrontation and at the other extreme you have communion. If you put 300,000 together on this planet, it’s likely there’s either war or a party—and that’s not a fluke.”

Guille is someone who is working to get those 300,000 people together in harmony as part of Earthdance. Started in 1996, the international event now sees people coming together in over 300 locations around the world to dance, connect and pray for peace. Victoria’s event, which takes place in Beacon Hill Park, will have performances from folks like Adham Shaikh, Masala and KarmetiK::Bhutan, lots of kid’s activities (this year’s theme, chosen by Earthdance International, is “Blessing the Children”), a massive outdoor yoga class and a wide range of circusy performers—and, of course, the prayer for peace.

“Every city around the world plays a piece of music at the exact same moment in time—which for us is 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon—and we share dance and bare feet in grass and culminate in a global prayer for peace, which basically is the same piece of music played by every DJ at every event worldwide expressing our commitment to a world in harmony,” says Guille.

Last year was the first time Victoria hosted an Earthdance event—and the first time Guille participated in one. He says it was a transformative experience.

“We had a spiral dance, which I led, and we had 500 people holding hands in that dance,” says Guille. “We spiraled in and then spiraled and had these two opposing concentric circles. Knowing that a million people are doing that right now is amazing. It was really magic.”

To take part in this year’s magic, head down to Beacon Hill Park’s Cameron Bandshell on Saturday, September 26 between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Visit earthdancevictoria.ca for more info.