Aaargh and shiver me timbers! It’s been a whole summer since I’ve written to you! And during this season you can see that I had a powerful encounter with Captain Hook! As you may remember, it is part of my family tradition to create video productions with my grandnieces/nephews during our summer stay in Michigan together. This year brought forth the story of Peter Pan! What an amazing adventure to enter this story with 7 of my family little ones from 3-13 years old. Not only that, but seven of our adults also jumped in as pirates, plus a brother as videographer and sister as co-director. Woohoo!
The gift of Peter Pan as the emblem of the child within us who remains forever young is such a beautiful image. Creating with my kids is an amazing opportunity to allow the child in me to come out in full creative force! And to tell you the truth, that creative spark is what guides me in all my dancing adventures … and leads me deep into prayer as well as into playful and joyous community.
I hope you, too, have had a chance to enter some revelry in the sweet gifts of summer! I’ll save a few stories for future newsletters … but for now, please take a look at some of the adventures I have planned for the coming year … it would be so good to share some dancing time with you!
For a treat, I invite you to enter into the adventures of Peter Pan. The whole production is 45 minutes … but if you’d just like to see a few high-points, here is your list:
5:00 Tink & Peter Pan
12:20 Kids Flying
16:00 Pirates Entrance
24:30 I Won’t Grow Up
29:30 Capture of Kids
34:28 Captain Hook’s Song!
SpiritPlay Class in Seattle!
SpiritPlay has become a staple of Seattle’s InterPlay offerings! Now in our 23rd year, we have developed a wonderful community of faith and foolishness. This monthly LIVE series is for those grounded in Christianity who so long for the spontaneity of InterPlay to help us navigate the wild and whacky, sometimes rocky, humble and holy journey of our lives. We’ll be diving into the lectionary, exploring sacred stories, dancing through the cycle of seasons, singing our souls and improvising in prayer. Calling all angels – let’s dance, play and pray!
8 Sessions meeting the second Tuesday (mostly) of every month – 9:30 – 11:45 am.
Begins October 10th!
The Love of Thousands: Book, Album and Prayer Cycle Launch
October 16th, 10-11am PST
Exciting news! Here at Abbey of the Arts we have a new Book, CD and Prayer Cycle to celebrate! It is always such a rich process to commission and assemble songs to help enflesh the material in Christine Paintner’s publications! The themes of Angels, Saints and Ancestors are also quite poignant and potent as we move into the fall. As producer, I am overseeing the finishing touches on the audio files and CD artwork right now! I am so jazzed to share this new album of 21 songs by 17 different artists! Come join Christine and a number of our artists to celebrate our newest release!
Also, stay tuned for the Birthing the Holy DVD premiering in December! Can’t wait to share some of my latest prayer dances that honor Mary and the Sacred Feminine with you!
Awakening the Creative Spirit Returns!
April 21-26th, 2024
St. Andrew’s Retreat House, Pacific Northwest
with Kayce Hughlett & Betsey Beckman
This LIVE experiential retreat is one of our signature courses at Abbey of the Arts! Do you have a calling to explore and deepen the skills to bring the arts to your soul-care ministry? This program gives you an immersion in various art-forms that build upon one another to help you explore and integrate the arts in your life and profession.
It is such an honor to lead this program with my friend and colleague, Kayce Hughlett. We love to support you in diving in, laughing, crying, exploring, releasing, growing and witnessing. We love to coach, coax, teach, and help you discover and listen to the creative spirit in you!
New book by InterPlay co-founder,
Cynthia Winton-Henry!
One of my most treasured teachers in the world of dance, art, and soul is Cynthia Winton-Henry! I have spent decades dancing with her in InterPlay settings and being guided by her genius of bodywisdom. Just as Cynthia was getting ready to launch this book, I ended up offering my proof-reading/editing skills to support her in this awesome publication and work of art!
Celebrating InterPlay Seattle 30 years!
Speaking of InterPlay, it’s now been 30 years since we’ve been building creative community through InterPlay in Seattle. What an amazing and luscious time it’s been! Our home community in this region has fostered so much joy in my life, and so we wanted to celebrate with a slide show honoring the gifts of these 30 years. I was able to bring my video editing skills to this project … here’s a retrospective to give you a taste of this love! I send you off with a dash of play, and a bit of pixie dust to help you learn to breathe, dance, and sing in ways that make your heart soar!
Love and blessings,
