Table of Contents
Dedication; How to use Leader of the Dance; The origins of the Dances of Universal Peace – the wonderful story of the life of Murshid SAM Lewis and those illustrious people who inspired him; Part One: The path to becoming a leader of the Dances of Universal Peace – choosing to become a dances leader, the essential requirements. Ongoing training retreats under senior mentors, how to develop your teaching, organising and presentation skills, how to develop your musical skills, the steps to becoming recognised as a dances leader and how to become a member of the International Network of the Dances of Universal Peace, how to gather your collection of dances and resources, walk the journey to becoming a leader, what it means to be a leader; Part Two: Promoting and planning a dances session – How to attract dancers, how to create a flyer and other promotional material, how to choose a suitable venue, how to plan your schedule for dances sessions, how to decide on fees, how to plan a program for each dances session, how to choose and balance a cycle of dances, how to choose inspiring readings and meditations, how to use the planning templates, how to practice for the dances session; Part Three: Setting up for a dances session – a checklist of materials and equipment, tips for setting up the venue; Part Four: Presenting a dances session – How to establish a unified circle, how to welcome the participants, how to manage health matters, how to choose and attune to a session theme, how to lead a dance – your general presentation, how to organise your musicians, about the structure of the circle and general movements of the dances, how to establish circles for non-partner dances, how to establish circles for partner dances, how to teach your group to relate to their partners, about circling, turning and spinning, how to teach line of direction, how to sway together in the circle, how to lead processions, spirals, line dances and free dances, how to lead big groups and how to lead outdoors, how to take successful still and video images; Part Five: How to lead specific dances in your session – how to prepare for each dance, dance the dance! How to transition from one dance to the next, about the rest break, how to conclude the dance session, enjoy sharing refreshments, share the blessings out in the world; Appendices – templates for: a flyer, for choosing a cycle of dances on a theme, for creating a balanced set of dances, for keeping logistics under control, for an individual dance session plan; Quote and image credits; Bibliography and resources; About the author and the story behind Leader of the Dance; Acknowledgements
