Tennessee

The first dance of the year took place in March, in the arbor where Jeanne was given the original vision in September of 1996…in Tennessee at the Center for Peace. Ushering in the beginning of spring, with hoarfrost on the ground, this was one of the most powerful dances yet. With nine dancers and more than twenty five on the crew, the dance was brought to a new level, exemplified through the dancers’ journeys and the helpers, who were singing, playing rattles and dancing outside the arbor. At several points in the dance, various people saw hundreds of ancestral spirits dancing on the hillsides. And as the dance was coming to a completion, a huge shaft of brilliant white light came down the dance pole into the earth and lifted the dance to another level. It was a graduation.

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Israel

It was in Israel that we were reminded of something from the Course in Miracles speaks: “There are no levels to miracles.”  In other words no one is bigger than another. And during the two dances in May we had plenty to occur in the land of the Prophets. The first dance of 21 dancers and more than 30 helpers, began with a hard torrential rain that fell for over 2 hours, (unheard of in this area of the world), ending at the hour the dance was to begin. To start the sweat lodge and dance fires after this sudden downpour almost seemed an impossibility, yet, with little effort and much care from the Firekeepers, the fire almost seemed to start itself. In fact, the fire for both Israeli dances was so dramatic and powerful that one of our Firekeepers couldn’t contain the energy and had to have her feet buried in the ground to keep her from “frying her circuits” as we say.

It was in the first dance that a healing began that carried on into the German dance to follow. At 10:00 AM of the second day of the first dance, a siren sounding throughout Israel, signifying Holocaust Memorial Day. At this time all Israelis everywhere, stand quietly for two minutes. And so, to honor this tradition, all at the dance stood quietly. This included four Germans who had flown in from Germany to specifically dance at the side of the 21 dancers. On conclusion of the siren’s sound, Jeanne asked the Germans, already in the arbor, to step forward – a scary thing for them. Then she asked who of the Jews would be willing to dance side by side with the Germans. All stepped forward. It was a touching moment. And at that instant, some 100 storks flew in over the arbor, in two circles spiraling upward…Storks from one circle crossed into the other circle…creating a perfect metaphor of the “For the One” Dance. Given the timing it was a bonafide miracle…a sign of new birth and hope.

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Germany

In Germany we had 25 dancers, and more than 30 on the crew – pretty good for the first “For the One” Dance in Germany. The last dance in Germany was a SunMoon dance back in 1995. It was a traumatic experience for many because a lot of dark Holocaust energy came up. For some of these dancers to come to this new dance took courage.

And with the help of the mayor (burgermeister) of the surrounding villages, the local community and government got involved and supported the dance with both people and supplies. This was the first dance to be supported in such a way by a local government.

Just as in Israel, several Jews came from Israel to dance or serve in this dance. This, too, took a great deal of courage on their part. Something was to be continued here that began in the Israeli dances, but few of us knew what it was and to what degree. We soon found out.

All the circumstances present prepared the groundwork for one of the most amazing healings that any of us have ever experienced. It happened in this way. John saw an ancient Spirit Being standing at the Dance Pole. He was as tall as the pole, and was very very old. His face was so wrinkled that one could hardly make out any features except for the eyes, which were a light crystal blue and deep as the universe. This Being said, “Watch this, I have a miracle for you!”…

At that moment, one of the German dancers, coming from the Dance Pole, fell to the ground. Because of the circumstances, Sammye and Jeanne went to help her. Jeanne motioned for one of the Jewish dancers to come out and be with her. As the Jew came over and lay on the ground next to the German, both women began weeping. The German woman had carried the shame of her father working for Hitler. The Israeli Jew had carried the horror of the Holocaust. Both found release in the arms of the other. It was the most powerful moments any of us can remember, because it was clear that something in the psyche of the larger consciousness was being healed at the same time. Immediately afterwards, the most brilliant rainbow we’ve ever seen appeared less than 100 meters from the arbor…another sign of hope and new beginnings.

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Ireland

On this emerald isle of beautiful Ireland, the “For the One” Dance took place in early July, in the middle of a field at Rathe House, not far from Dublin. The spot for the arbor was found through a sign that both Jeanne and John recognized immediately…an arrow sticking up out of the ground, almost vertically. It was a black graphite arrow with a beautiful, multicolored painted end. A “beautiful painted arrow.” Amazing. For us, it was a clear sign from our dear friend Joseph Rael, Beautiful Painted Arrow. This spot is where the dance arbor was to be built.

The location of the arbor was confirmed the next morning, when Jeanne and John went to bless this new arbor site and four horses showed up…each a color of the primary directions…a tan/yellow for the East, a white horse for the South, a black horse for the West, and a chestnut/red for the North. What are the odds? As we began to bless this land, the white and black horses stepped forward, touched our hands and then pressed their noses together directly over the center where the arrow was and where the Dance Pole would go. We sang, and in so doing, felt and knew the ancestors of that land were singing with us.

When it was time for the dance to begin, having never been to Ireland before, eighteen dancers showed up…9 men, 9 women…a first. And then on top of this, eighteen helpers showed up…again, 9 men, 9 women…another first. We stepped back and looked at this carefully. In the Hebrew teachings, 18 means “Life.” In the Irish tradition, there is something they call the 9-fold path. Such a balance as what was experienced here had not happened until now. Again, we became fully aware that something was occurring, in this case, coming into balance, in the psyche of the larger consciousness that was beyond our comprehension.

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Norway

It was in Norway that an overall transition in the running of the worldwide “For the One” Dances took place. There are many people behind the scenes who make the dances possible all over the world, and it was here that Anne Klanderud, with the help of Josko Sabic from Croatia, stepped forward to take over all organizational details, including the building of the arbor, all with the help and guidance of Margarita DiVita, International Coordinator for the dances…freeing both Jeanne and John up to focus on other aspects of the dance. Up to this point, much of this work had been done by John and Jeanne themselves, in order to get the dance started and in place.

The dance itself took place in late July, high in the Norwegian mountains on land of a young couple who caretake an environment that sustains wolves and bear and nurtures the ancestors of so long ago. Norway is the northernmost place that we do the dance, thus-far, the North being the place of the ancestors. And so they came and were seen by several of us…in the fire, at the pole, in the clouds, in the wind. Their presence was palpable.

When we first arrived, a double rainbow appeared. Not the first time, and always a sign of the presence of love…a good omen. We knew we had been “invited” by the ancient ones, and this was a welcoming sign.

Upon our arrival, much rain had just occurred and so the soil was wet! wet! wet! We had to build beds of birch branches for all the dancers, including a place for the drum to sit and the Chiefs to stand…so as not to create sinkholes of mud as we moved to the rhythm of the drum.

With the fourteen dancers and some twenty crew members from around the world, this dance brought the wisdom of the ancestors into the collective consciousness in a viable and tangible way. As the dancers danced, the land and the people themselves were being healed of old wounds…new ways being created and prepared.

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North Carolina

Dancing the “For the One” Dance in North Carolina is always a milestone as this is where the first of these dances took place. And for this one, this year, to take place on the dates of September 9-11 was not consciously decided. It just happened. And, as many agree, there are no coincidences or accidents. For the dance to occur on these dates brought with it a responsibility that required a certain courage and strength from both dancers and helpers. And the fact that this dance also occurred shortly after Hurricane Katrina, also brought with it a certain energy that many experienced as heavy…even sticky.

And so, with 21 dancers, plus roughly 50 helpers, this dance took place with an intensity and knowing that the rest of the world was being profoundly affected by the love through which these few dedicated souls were giving of themselves.

There were some curious happenings that occurred. The fire, which seems to have intensified and become aggressively vocal since Israel, caused some items to burn or burst inexplicably into flames at times when there was no obvious reason, given proximity and opportunity …examples: can of sage, several yards away, catching fire; a feather fan in the center of the arbor, starting to smoke…testimony to the power of the energy coming through the sacred fire itself. At the end of the dance when a rose quartz heart, that had lived throughout the dance in a bowl of water situated between the pole and fire, is about to be buried into the center of the fire pit…the earth literally opened up by itself to receive the heart, as if the earth had been waiting for this moment.

Near the end of the dance a bald eagle circled over the arbor and, for a period of a couple of minutes, seemed to hang in the air motionless. “It’s a Spirit bird,” said our friend David. “Hanging motionless like that is a sure sign.” John saw ancestors standing on the roof applauding the dancers…saying they and we will never be the same again, because of the dancers’ dance. We were reminded that each action we take has an impact for seven generations. Even small changes now will have a big impact over time. That’s how these dances are changing the world.

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“For the One” YOUTH Dance North Carolina

In October, thirteen children danced this first of the youth dances, ranging in age from 7 years to 15 years. This is significant since thirteen is the “gematria” for the word “Ehad” in Hebrew. Ehad means “one.”

Most of these young ones had experienced severe abuse, physically and/or sexually, and many had been seriously neglected. Most lived in group homes and had no family or had been taken away from their families. It was a great step in courage for them to come into an experience where their lives had the possibility of changing at the most fundamental level. Hard as it was for some, there were profound healings that took place, and continue to take place. Tracey Turner, and her husband, David Keyser are the spearheads in this effort through their own work with troubled children and teens…and both are to be applauded for their courage to step out to help facilitate this whole effort.

Word of the “For the One” Youth Dance is spreading like wildfire, and already we have our first full dance, for ages 13-21, coming up in March (24-26) in Graham, North Carolina. The next one is being scheduled in October in South Africa. Youth represent the hope of the world. Perhaps this dance can help those who have forgotten, to remember.

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Brazil

This was the first “For the One” Dance in Brazil. To do the dance in a country whose essence exudes balance is an interesting experience. With all the internal ups and downs that seem to accompany political presence in any country, still there is something deeper here, something that transcends levels of strife and struggle. There is a peace here, an underlying element of balance that became obvious upon arrival. And it is this that is one of the primary and most powerful gifts that Brazil has to offer the world. In the “For the One” Dance, the nine dancers and some twenty five helpers brought this gift into the larger consciousness in a tangible way.

The dance itself took place in the mountainous countryside not far from Sao Paolo. It was immediately after placing the dancers in the arbor that the sky opened and it poured down rain for several hours, stopping during the dancers’ sweat lodge. It was then that we remembered that it was “Aqmaq” on the Mayan calendar, the day of Forgiveness and Reconciliation. The rain seemed to prepare the dance grounds, as it so often does, making possible all that would transpire in the dance.

It was on the second day of the dance that something mysterious happened. Jeanne had a painful episode that was scary for those who were aware of what was happening. During the dance, an internal discomfort began that caused Jeanne to suddenly double up in pain, having to leave the dance arbor. John sent Sammy Jo (head MoonMother) after her as he took over the dance. Jeanne was laid flat on her back, outside the arbor unseen behind the drummers. A gentle rain began. Sammye began to apply her wisdom and experience with her native medicine, pressing warm stones from the fire against Jeanne’s body. These “old ones” (stone people) take the pain away. It was apparent, however, that Jeanne was gone. Her eyes were blank and staring off into space. She was in the light, looking at a round portal. She said later that she could have easily gone through it, that it would have been natural and easy. In other words, Jeanne could have died. It was John and Sammye’s love that brought her back.

One of the helpers who was looking on, said “I’ve seen this happen one other time. I saw it happen with my mother. She died and was given the chance to be reborn into the same body, with the same memories. Jeanne has just been reborn.”

As Jeanne went into this “episode,” it began raining. The sun was still shining. As soon as she came back into this reality, the rain stopped. It didn’t rain again.

Why did this happen? We’re not sure other than to say that in Brazil there is something that welcomes and encourages new life, new birth, and the memory that there is no separation…It is evident in the indigenous pipe of the natives there. This pipe stays fully joined at all times, just as Jeanne’s People’s Pipe stays joined at all times…representing “the time of separation being over”… the very message of the dance.

Jeanne later came back into the arbor to do the peace pipe ceremony. In these dances, of all the pipe ceremonies that have been done up to this point, this one may have been the most powerful. Maybe it’s because of what happened to her. Perhaps she did actually get reborn. Whatever the reason, the pipe ceremony and Jeanne’s words left some of the dancers and helpers in tears. It was that moving.

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South Africa

Two dances took place in South Africa, one on November 25-27 and the other December 2-4. Just when it is thought that no one dance can be more powerful than another, it happens. And yes, each does seem to build on the other. What happened in Brazil, and all those before, seemed to prepare the way for some extraordinary experiences to take place in South Africa.

It began with a request to include the fire of an African medicine wheel with the two primary fires of the dance…the Sweat Lodge fire and East Gate fire of the Dance Arbor. It is the first time that there have been three such fires burning throughout a dance, each with a designated FireKeeper. Since the experiences in Israel and Germany, the fire has raised to a new level. All who keep the fire have felt it. Not only are the teachings of the ancient wisdom becoming more easily accessible through the fire, the clear guidance the fire now gives throughout the dance seems to facilitate more quickly and thoroughly the process of the dance itself.

To have had thirteen dancers appear at both dances is significant. Again, this number carries the vibration of “one,” which seems to be happening more and more as we do the “For the One” Dance. And this number 13 keeps appearing in other ways (well beyond coincidence!). For instance, when the crew went to pick up ceremonial cups for the closing water ceremony, the craftsman had 14. Jeanne said, “We’ll take them all.” But when he brought them out, there were only thirteen. In the second dance, there was a repeat of this story with the Lesotho potter who made the earthenware goblets. We ordered 20. He only delivered 13. The rest were broken in transit. Very interesting how 13s keep showing up over and over!

In the second dance, the 13 dancers were made up of 10 men and 3 women. The women included a beautiful 16-year old whose joyful dance was an inspiration to everyone. This is the first time that we’ve had more men than women in a dance. Maybe they are making it possible for more men around the world to open their hearts. These men worked very hard. They allowed themselves to shout, scream and cry, clearing their own pain and baggage as well as that of so many before them. We were proud of them. It takes a lot of courage for men to do this.

To have had Sangomas, the traditional clairvoyant naturopathic healers dancing both dances, drumming and eldering the dances, is particularly significant. This is the first time that Sangomas have made a full commitment to the dance. It is clear that a bridge is being built between the ancestors of this and other cultures. In doing so, the dance is moving to a new level.

To have been greeted by the thunder beings immediately after placing the dancers in the arbor with a rain as hard as most had ever seen, a rain mixed with hail…was an amazing blessing, cleaning up the energy and preparing the grounds for what was to come.

Dancers dance for all of us. And during both of these dances, it was obvious at times that the energy of the dance moved across South Africa and around the planet, as if the entire world was being lifted to a new, higher level of vibration – a different dimensional space, like an ascension.

At the close of the second dance, a rainbow appeared over the south side of the arbor. And the following day, a double rainbow crossed from the Sangoma Valley over the ridge and touched down in the center of the Dance Arbor. It was a glorious blessing and confirmation that something powerful had happened on this sacred land.

Surveillance Aircraft: As a side note, two surveillance aircraft flew over the dance arbor as the dance began. It is not particularly uncommon for this to happen to us. The dances must generate an energy that can be measured. If that is not the case, why the interest?

To do the work that Jeanne and John do, requires financial support at levels that will allow them to bring experiences like the “For the One” Dance into various parts of the world. More and more, this is including areas of the world that are at war and in deep conflict. It includes countries whose economies are poor yet who may be in desperate need of tools to help them resolve and transcend their present situation. Financial support includes the “For the One” Youth Dances that, in the words of a South African Sangoma Elder, brings hope for the youth not only of Africa but of the world.

Those on the International Crew give of themselves tirelessly, willingly, and unconditionally. They use their own resources, in most cases, to go from country to country. As the dance grows, however, it becomes more of a challenge for these brave souls to financially support themselves while traveling to do this sacred work. Therefore, people such as yourself are being asked to invest in this experience of bringing this healing dance to the world through your donation. The money gets used to not only support in the travel expenses, but in the building and maintaining of dance arbors, in the sponsoring of dancers, and in many other ways that bring healing to our planet.

When one gives, the gift returns to the giver a thousand fold in blessings.

Patty Coleman is the International Director of Fundraising. You may contact her through the address of fortheonedance@aol.com or send a donation to: “For the One”, c/o Patty Coleman, 4 Veranda Trail, Asheville, NC, 28803, USA. You may also go onto our Donation Page  and make a donation through PayPal, using your own bank or credit card information.

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