Conducted in the company of a number of other dancers in a circle,[3][4] the participatory dances are facilitated by a dance leader who plays a percussive or stringed instrument, usually guitar or drum as dance accompaniment. Each dance has a chant which is sung as the dance is performed.[4] The chants are often sacred phrases put to traditional or contemporary melodies, and include a wide range of languages including Arabic, Aramaic, English, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Persian, and Sanskrit.[3] The promoters of the dances claim that these forms embody the understanding that the truth at the heart of all religions is the same truth, and that peace can be promoted through an experience of this unity.[5]
The DUP emphasis is on participation regardless of ability, and dances are almost never performed before an audience. Dancers of all levels of ability dance together, and each dance is usually taught afresh at each gathering. The practice of the dance is purported to develop the participants' spiritual awareness, awareness of their own body, and awareness of the presence of others. Dances are choreographed with movements, steps, and gestures that encourage the dancer to explore the deeper mystical meaning of the dance.[6]
History
The Dances of Universal Peace were first formulated in the late 1960s by Samuel L. Lewis (SAM = Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti, 1896–1971) and were then conducted in California.[7] The original dances were strongly influenced by Samuel Lewis' spiritual relationships with Ruth St. Denis, a modern dance pioneer, and Hazrat Inayat Khan, a Sufi master. The influence on the dances of Sufi practices such as Sema and The Whirling Dervishes are apparent, although Samuel Lewis was also a Rinzai Zen master and drew on the teachings of the major religious and spiritual traditions, including native.[3]
Dances were originally performed at camps and meetings with a distinctly new age and alternative feel but have increasingly come to be offered in diverse places of worship, schools, colleges, prisons, hospices, residential homes for those with special needs, and holistic health centers.[8] The Dances have since developed into a global movement.[4] The Network for the Dances of Universal Peace has members in 28 countries.[9]
Criticism
The Catholic Church has criticized its priests for doctrinal diversity, including participating in and promoting the Dances of Universal Peace.[10] Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) dismissed Matthew Fox from the Dominican Order for his activities which include promotion of the Dances of Universal Peace. Since that time Fox went on to become a vocal critic of Ratzinger and his policies.[11]
Universal Sufism — Part of a series of articles on Universal Sufism Figures … Wikipedia
Universal Worship Service — The Universal Worship Service was created by Inayat Khan as a prayer service honoring the religious traditions of the world as equal sources of spirituality.The service is officiated by the clergy of Universal Sufism who are called Cherags and… … Wikipedia
List of dances — This is the main list of dances. It is a non categorized, index list of specific dances. There may also be listed dances which could either be considered a specific dance or a family of related dances, depending on your perspective. For example… … Wikipedia
Samuel L. Lewis — on the cover of a book of a series of lectures made by him in 1970 Samuel Lewis (October 18, 1896–January 15, 1971) was an American mystic and dance teacher who founded the Dances of Universal Peace movement. He was also known under his Sufi name … Wikipedia
folk dance — folk dancer. folk dancing. 1. a dance that originated among, and has been transmitted through, the common people. Cf. court dance. 2. a piece of music for such a dance. [1905 10] * * * Dance that has developed without a choreographer and that… … Universalium
List of new religious movements — A new religious movement is a religious community or ethical, spiritual, or philosophical group of modern origin, which has a peripheral place within the dominant religious culture. NRMs may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider… … Wikipedia
Ceremonial dance — is a major category or classification of dance forms or dance styles, where the purpose is ceremonial or ritualistic. This compares to other major dance categories based on purpose: Classical Indian dance Competitive dance Erotic dance… … Wikipedia
Dance in mythology and religion — Dance is present in mythology and religion globally. Dance has certainly been an important part of ceremony, rituals, celebrations and entertainment since before the birth of the earliest human civilizations. Archeology delivers traces of dance… … Wikipedia
Quranic religions — Qur anic religions are religions that believe in and follow the teachings of the Qur an (and believe in it as a divinely inspired revelation) including Muslims but also those which are not considered Islamic by the majority of Muslims. Qur anic… … Wikipedia
List of religions and spiritual traditions — The following is a list of religions and spiritual traditions, however it excludes modern religions, which can be found in list of new religious movements.Abrahamic religions A group of monotheistic traditions sometimes grouped with one another… … Wikipedia
18+© Academic, 2000-2024