EARTH WIND FIRE WATER
The scent of warm cedar and pine lingers over the ampitheater of the Idyllwild Arts Academy as the earth holds us in the arms of the spirit world. Tonight, Dancing Earth, an Indigenous, contemporary dance ensemble, originated by choreographer and spiritual visionary, Rulan Tangen, enchants a Southern California audience.
Shawl Dancer
Mixing modern dance with ancient and native rituals, Rulan Tangen seeks to bring a new world vision, one which embraces the elements and traditions of indgenous tribes from around the world.
"Through arts," she says in her vision statment, "We promote awareness and communication as cultural exchange with both Indigenous communities and global audiences. With passionate and committed artistic exploration, we revitalize issues of environmental, social, cultural, spiritual, historical, educational, and philosophical relevance. We believe in dance as an expression that can illuminate issues of cultural, historical, philosophical, mythic, and spiritual relevance."
Rooted on the grassy terraced knoll, we sit, enraptured, when a Maori percussionist enters stage left, lifts a small, bone horn and begins to call the dancers on stage. A Native American girl swirls her elaborately decorated, fringed shawl and dances, purposefully, to the repetitive beat. Soon, a half dozen loin-clothed and tattooed dancers step on to the stage twisting their necks and heads in perfect bird form. We have entered the world of the Maori bird dance. An honor to the extinct god Moa, perhaps?
For the next two hours, dancers take us on a symbolic life journey through sight and sound. Several are visiting the U.S. for the first time from "The Land of the Long White Cloud," New Zealand, and speak their native language, Maoritanga. Others are from tribes in Canada, Arizona, California, New York, and Mexico. All say they are here to give something back to the earth and humanity by sharing their performances and life choices.
Rulan Tangen
Dancer, Kalani Queyop
Dancer, Jessica Marisol Allen
Regina Aguilera, my yoga teacher in Julian, California lead me to the festival. She was introduced to Rulan and her core dancers through her holistic work with the Native Wellness Institute, and was invited to perform with the ensemble. The dance troop, along with practicing their routines and making costumes, enjoyed the week-long Native American celebration at the Academy which included several cultural lectures and workshops.
"And to sleep and dream," said Tangen, "It is the place where creativity comes."
As if it were a Hollywood backdrop, the last rays of a setting sun stream golden light through tall cedar trees as Thunder & Fire dances are performed. No one moves; no one speaks. We watch in wonder as primal dances take us from ancient passages of renewal and sexuality to the yellow-shirted rap-dancers who combine modern music and movement with old traditions.
As our planet warms and warps its way toward destruction, and we find loss everywhere we look, Dancing Earth left me with a profound sense of hope for an earth spinning in harmony.