Through storytelling and dance, Synchronicity & the Sacred Space probes the strange landscape where scientific thought encounters the unknown, and human perception and reality are fluid partners in an enigmatic dance.
I received a phone call last week from my good friend, Rita requesting some volunteer help to set up for a Dance event to be held Sunday night at Roaring Fork HS. I coordinated with Fran of Aspen Dance Connection to schedule our work time Sunday morning. Initially, I balked at giving up my normal Sunday morning Spiritual fellowship but decided that sometimes it’s a good idea to change up our routines. Myself, two Alumni, and two Jaywalker Lodge clients arrived at the High School to begin our “stage crew” work. At this point, I wasn’t quite sure what type of dance event it was and quickly became more confused as we begin the set-up and the event format began to unfold. There were slides being projected showing an icy kayak adventure and what appeared to be a mad scientist, along with several dancers stretching and warming up. We didn’t ask a lot of questions, although I had a few as to the show’s content and how the travel adventure and modern dance would be united. After a couple of hours of work Fran thanked us and invited us to come back and view the performance as her guest. We said we would check our schedules and to please put us on the list and we would “try” to show up for the event.
I have a standing Sunday night Alumni commitment and had already agreed to see a play later that afternoon and imagined I would have no energy or desire for another ” cultural ” event that evening. Well, as it turns out, My alumni friend Steve and myself found ourselves in the audience of The Weber Dance company of Boston and explorer, Jon Turk’s collaborative show. Wow, were we in for a unforeseen journey ! Somehow, Johns incredible Arctic adventure and spiritual awakening told through both modern dance movement and spoken word connected with us and our imagination to become our own adventure and experience. The performance is based on Jon Turk’s non-fiction book ” The Ravens Gift” which recounts his kayak journey in the Siberian Arctic and his world-view changing encounter with a 100-year-old shaman woman.
Steve and I continued our discussion and interpretation of the magical performance, and how our personal journeys through recovery have changed our perceptions of how we view what is sacred and spiritual in our worlds.
World renowned scientist and adventurer, Jon Turk, will be making a presentation this Friday night, March 14th at the 3rd Street center in Carbondale and hosting a workshop on Saturday. For more information please visit : Davi Nikent.
With Gratitude,
Mark Kloster
Alumni Coordinator
