We share with you Archives - Fachverband Meditation des Tanzes

Meditation des Tanzes in Lettland

Apr 21, 2023 | We share with you

In mid-February, on two consecutive days, the Kalna skola

a dance meditation training takes place. The course was led by Sister Diana OP and Assistant Professor of the Department of Dance Education Guna Ezermale. In addition to participants from Catholic and Lutheran Madona parishes.

participated in the courses a Japanese girl who is currently studying in Ventspils and in her free time she studies Latvian folk dances because she wants to participate in the song and dance festival.

Impressions from some of the participants:

Marite:

It was very nice to meet after a long break, enjoy the dance and the shared experience. Also to hear the testimonies of the challenges in prayer and dance. This time, one movement in particular appealed to me in ” Dance of Silence.” Now I realized that the third position is like Jesus’ nailed feet on the cross, that I too must lean on my pain to breathe and change.

Sophie:

The dance meditation reached me in a roundabout way. First, it was about me getting into meditation. I got involved because all the circumstances fit together very well,

At that time, I set the goal of getting in touch with my body. Now I long for the special mood and atmosphere Sister Diana is able to create when we dance and pray. Sometimes it seems that the dance is too difficult, but then the music comes, we join hands and the dance happens.

Danute:

Sometimes it happens – the music starts and I think that I can’t remember anything, that I can only spin in circles, but – what a miracle!

When other dancers join in, we get a rhythmic movement and even a dance pattern! This shows the strength of the community, the harmony, the unspoken but existing support.

Sandra:

For me, meditation of dance means allowing God’s presence and not worrying about mistakes. Being able to walk through the awareness of my weakness and allow the group to help me. It is a great gift in dance to realize that you are accepted. Dance meditation is like a prayerful, straight path through the heart to God, bypassing the mind that tries to control and bring into tension. A great way to learn to trust And yet it’s a very different way to draw closer to God, to be in prayer, and to free yourself from everyday problems. I feel transported to another world, a little closer to the kingdom of heaven!

(from magazine “Kapt kalna” March 2023, Inese Elsina, translated by Sr.Diana)

The Roots of Sacred Dance

Feb 5, 2023 | We share with you

Brant Bambery in conversation with Friedel Kloke Eibl

In Findhorn regularly hosts an online Centrepiece with Brant Bambery. Friedel Kloke Eibl was invited to share her memories in conversation with him and to talk about Meditation des Tanzes.

“The Centrepiece Special Session” – “The Roots of Sacred Dance” Part 2 – The continuation of the memories.
A chance to be with Friedel and hear about “The Roots of Sacred Dance” and what it means to her after many years of experience in this field. Also a continuation from her talk on The Centrepiece “Roots of Sacred Dance”

We are happy to bring this to your attention, you can listen to the talk on Youtube at the following link:

The Centrepiece – Roots of sacred Dance – P2 – Continuing the Memories

Dance Trip to Latvia

Nov 1, 2022 | We share with you

RIGA – a very special trip

A small, very fine group travelled to Riga for a week at the end of August. Sister Diana Cermane had invited and prepared a highly varied and all-round fulfilling programme for us.

Each day began with a breakfast lovingly prepared by the Latvian dancers and an attunement created by Friedel and Saskia.

Then it was time to explore Riga and Latvia. Nature, culture and concerts, tangible history and current politics, but especially dancing and celebrating together with Diana’s groups left a deep impression and lasting memories.

A big THANK YOU to Sister Diana and everyone who made this special experience possible.

Angela van der Kamp

Impressions of the trip (pictures)

Feedback from some Latvian dancers

Inta:

The most beautiful experience was meeting Friedel. I was welcomed like a long-lost friend, like a daughter coming home. When I danced with the German group, I immediately felt a mutual openness and connection. The dance connects us, we are together here and now. And it doesn’t matter where we come from or what language we speak. An absolutely selfless giving, where each of us shared the most important thing – ourselves – with deep, sincere joy.

Ruta:

I had a wonderful feeling – like meeting friends for the first time. From the first moment you feel so connected and close to all of them, as if they were your closest relatives or old friends. The feeling of closeness, even to the point of tears, was even stronger when dancing together.

I have never felt so happy, elated and joyful as during our week of dancing together.

My highest moment of happiness – our dance together with Friedel in the White Hall of the Rundāle Palace.

Anda M.:

My most beautiful experience with the German guests was singing and dancing together on Thursday evening to the sounds of the Kokle.

Aija:

They were personally inspiring, enriching and characterised by mutual friendship

Diana S.:

I loved that we all shared the love of dancing!!! We were not separated by nationality, language or different outlooks on life!!! We were united by our respect for music and dance choreographers! The harmonious dance of Friedel and Saskia together touched us very much! And the special soulmate with Barbara!!!

Andra:

: I was particularly impressed by the fantastic collaboration between Friedel and Saskia, both as mother and daughter, and Friedel’s fascinating wisdom, warmth and at the same time good and sparkling humour, and Saskia as a wonderful successor! It is a wonderful collaboration when everyone knows their place and there is a feeling of respect and love.

Laila:

Meeting Friedel and Saskia – a lasting treasure! How is it possible that Friedel can dance with words and Saskia can move like a bird in the sky?

Dancing resurrection

Apr 16, 2022 | We share with you

On Palm Sunday weekend, a wonderful group of dancers, with a few exceptions trained at the Institute, met at the Religious Education Centre in Heilsbronn for the workshop “Dancing Resurrection”. Friedel and Saskia took us on a journey through the history of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem with hallelujahs and songs of praise through the dark valley of the painful and suffering events of Holy Week to the resurrection on Easter.

Again and again we experienced this movement, this journey through the depths towards the rejoicing of Easter. Also present was the theme of the garden in the sense of Blaise Pascal: “In a garden the world was lost – in a garden it was redeemed”. Very important to Friedel was and is always our own reference to the themes. I myself experienced how the past two pandemic years and also the war have changed my attitude, my relationship to crises and what influence the images have with which we nourish our souls.

That is why the focus during these days was especially on the spring-like, uplifting and the “Auferstehungsleichte”. Empowered in body and soul and with confidence, we took what we had experienced powerfully in the community out into the world on Sunday afternoon – with the words of Silja Walter in our hearts: “Dancing means resurrection”.

Marianne Baumann

Excerpt from an article in the festive magazine “Dir zur Feier” – italian / english

Dec 13, 2021 | We share with you

Estratto da un articolo della rivista festiva “Dir zur Feier” sull’80° compleanno di Friedel, da Valentina Plano, Genova – italiano / inglese

Ho conosciuto Friedel Kloke a Findhorn nel 2008 in occasione del Festival Internazionale di danza e a quel tempo non sapevo ancora che avrei continuato a danzare con lei senza spostarmi dall’Italia perché pochi anni fa con la collaborazione di Cornelia Betz è stato creato un corso di formazione proprio in Italia e in particolare a Genova dove vivo.

Coincidenza? Sincronicità direi. Quando il nostro percorso evolutivo richiede una particolare svolta, l’Universo cospira per realizzarlo!

Sono stati anni intensi e molto belli. Dal 2013 al 2017 Friedel è venuta a Genova per 4 volte e ci ha insegnato i sui grandi cicli: “Pace”, “Engelwirken – L’Agire degli Angeli” e “Traumlied – Il sogno di Olaf”.

Danzando le sue speciali coreografie si partecipa di una gestualità simbolica che diventa una via di accesso alla nostra parte più intima. La musica molto coinvolgente sostiene l’emozione che si crea muovendosi lungo schemi che sembrano evocare una geometria sacra di potente guarigione.

Nella formazione con Cornelia Betz ho imparato a conoscere ad affinare il mio modo di eseguire una danza cercando la purezza del gesto che nelle danze di Friedel è molto vicino alla danza classica. Sono sempre stata attratta dalla danza classica fin da bambina ma vivendo in provincia negli anni ’60 ho potuto frequentare solo la prima classe e l’anelito di questa passione era rimasto frustrato in me.

Moltissime coreografie di Friedel sono ricche di gestualità che può essere eseguita sulla musica anche indipendentemente dai passi di danza e tali gesti ricchi di significato simbolico, permettono di esprimere con il corpo la nostra preghiera, evidenziando bellezza ed armonia che nutrendo il corpo, arrivano alla nostra anima.

Nel maggio 2018 abbiamo fatto insieme a Friedel, un viaggio in Sicilia. Alloggiavamo in un convento nel mezzo del centro storico di Palermo e iniziavamo le giornate in cerchio nel chiostro. Durante l’attunement il cielo azzurro che si apriva sopra di noi contribuiva ad aprire anche i nostri cuori.

Sempre a Palermo nel parco davanti alla Cattedrale, abbiamo incontrato un gruppo di musicisti di strada. Ascoltando una tarantella Friedel si è avvicinata con passi di danza e all’improvviso tutto il gruppo danzava!

Più tardi Cornelia ha invitato gli stessi musicisti ad allietare la nostra serata nel chiostro Normanno – la musica popolare siciliana era molto coinvolgente e ci ha fatto danzare.

Prima dell’interruzione del Covid-19 il nostro gruppo si riuniva settimanalmente nella sala Lutero di Genova condividendo con chiunque volesse partecipare, i meravigliosi mandala che emergono dalle sue coreografie.

Nell’ultimo periodo, per rispettare il distanziamento, ho ideato un progetto “la meditazione del gesto” che prevede di utilizzare sulla musica stando fermi sul posto, la ricca gestualità della danze di Friedel come meditazione, anche separatamente dai passi di danza.

Io penso che il benessere psico-fisico ottenuto con la danza, mantenga alto l’umore consentendo di vivere meglio il quotidiano, in attesa di un nuovo incontro nel cerchio e la gioia di danzare.

Voglio concludere con una frase di Albert Einstein:

Esseri umani, piante o polvere cosmica:

tutti danziamo su una melodia misteriosa intonata nello spazio da un musicista invisibile.

Valentina Plano, Genova

Traduzione inglese in PDF / English translation as PDF

Impressions – Anniversary 25 years FV

Sep 20, 2021 | We share with you

Cornelia Weber, Richterswil, Switzerland

In a miraculous way the thoughts of the ´Concealed Words´ , already cited in the announcement, for me became truth: … Joy is an attribute of the soul and happiness activates the energy of a person. The mental charisma has an impact on the material realm and thus leads to awesome results…

In form and content the event was designed and interfused by the qualities of goodness, sincerity and loveliness which can not be done by human will. That this could become true is a testimony of the creative power of the women in charge oft he necessary preparations (Heidi, Daniela, Ulla, Barbara und Marianne).

For me as a participant it was not easy to make my choice out of the comprehensive offering.

A particular pleasure for me were the folk dances. Plenty of memories arose from the very first time with Friedel in the Demian Institute in the Netherlands.

Alfred`s speech `The Power oft he centre` turned out to be a magic moment! When an artist recognizes the artist in another person and values her highly for her oeuvre……/..when he is able to unfold the common ground and the differences between the artistic expression of dance and graphic representation…… Everybody who has witnessed this knows what I am talking about. Yes Friedel, I totally agree: just this lecture is worth the effort to become eighty years old.

We have been a fairly mixed group of 80-90 participants. There were younger and elder people from at least 4 nations. Nevertheless, again and again it was possible to experience oneself as a member of a harmonic entity within dance.

Furthermore the presentation of the new Website of the Fachverband by the project team was very interesting (Jeaneth, Mariëlle, Annemarie, Claudia, Ulrike) which faced up to the tremendous challenge going along with a new design. It is true: Only together we can manage to meet the demands of such a task. Goed dat er nu ook een Nederlandse en Engelse editie is!

What finally remains to be done is to gratefully congratulate on this enriching, inspiring event with such an excellent organization.