Shannon Sahaja
Communal Play:
The Improv ARTS
This class is a vehicle for embodying presence and playfulness.
A safe place to revel in your inner child's creative genius! An improvisational playground for collaborating in community through movement, theater, and humor.
We work as an ensemble in silly and theatrical ways to co-create an alive response to our togetherness.
Participants will be guided through simple scores, and games that create connection, promote positivity and develop awareness training.
"True play is revolutionary. While tradition conserves and preserves, play turns over a new leaf, turns things upside down, stands things on their heads. We’re urged to play around and not follow the rules, to take risks, to be spontaneous, open-ended, experimental and inventive. Play is accessible to everyone."~from James Carse's 'Finite and Infinite Games"
**Testimonials**
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"In her Being Danced classes, Shannon does a fabulous job creating a safe and fun space for participants to play, relax, dance, sing, express themselves, and heal. Rather than just letting people dance on their own, Shannon leads playful dance improvisations and games much of the time. She knows when to lead playfully or seriously, when to let others lead, and when and how to defuse a potentially awkward situation that is forming in the group. She is kind to everyone, without judgment." ~Cassandra Duggan, LCSW
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" Shannon will free your spirit and open your creative channels."
~Michael Kersten
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"Each Being Danced session is different given the tenor of Shannon's facilitation, the tempo of the gathered players, and the 'third body' wisdom that emerges moment to moment.
All experiences of Being Danced contain some magic."
~Susan McKearnan
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"Shannon provides an inspiring, safe, and joyful container for play, in which she accepts and encourages creative ideas from all participants. The Live music that supports the group is brilliantly inspired and varied." ~Zorg Ztocouc
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~Shannon you always tapped in to my creativity and inspired me. Playing all the different games and movement exercises with you were some of the best times of my whole life.
I also appreciate how you roll with the flow and yet can be a great leader and teacher. That’s a unique combination.
Being able to lead without stifling or dominating but instead stimulate and inspire, that’s what I want out of a teacher/leader.
And Baby, you got it goin on!
You are a blessing to the world and I love you for sharing and nurturing your gifts and for inspiring others, including me.
~Joe Costella
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What stood out for me at Being Danced is the communal feeling that arose from participating in the exercises and games offered. There was a surprising and delightful creative expression evoked from the participants. I left with a feeling of deep relaxation as well as a sense of new and now easily-accessed creative potentials.
~Shawn King
"The landscapes created were always rich and stimulating. Individual creativity and group synergy constantly weaving and dissolving patterns. The platform offered void of judgements and pretenses allowed us to tap into our own unique creativity and style and soar higher and higher till we fell into deep silence."
~Shanti Ragnoli
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"Deliciously decentralized, collaborative, individualistic, yet playfully structured with purpose. It's a lot of fun simply moving around in a room with a small group of fantastic humans."
~Abram Clark
"So many of my wants and needs were met today in the best Being Danced I have been to. Shannon is masterful with creating a container that is safe and judgment free, where we can all express ourselves however it comes out of us. We danced, giggled, played, smiled, meditated, co-created and shared ourselves in this amazing art space with beautiful souls and ended with few moments of sound healing."
~Laura Schneider
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"Being Danced is full embodied fun, the venue is exceptional, and Shannon is delightfully masterful!" ~Yakov
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"A place to ignite and celebrate the play inherent in all of us." ~ Kevin Elfman
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"A magical secret playground that we co-create." ~Ellie Cyrce
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"Being Danced is one of the places, if not The place I feel most at home. Sound, movement, touch, silence, creativity!" ~Cydney Grogan
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WE HAVE COME
By Jewel Mathieson
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"We have come to be danced not the pretty dance not the pretty pretty, pick me, pick me dance but the claw our way back into the belly of the sacred, sensual animal dance the unhinged, unplugged, cat is out of its box dance the holding the precious moment in the palms of our hands and feet dance We have come to be danced not the jiffy booby, shake your booty for him dance but the wring the sadness from our skin dance the blow the chip off our shoulder dance the slap the apology from our posture dance We have come to be danced not the monkey see, monkey do dance one, two dance like you one two three, dance like me dance but the grave robber, tomb stalker tearing scabs & scars open dance the rub the rhythm raw against our souls dance WE have come to be danced not the nice invisible, self conscious shuffle but the matted hair flying, voodoo mama shaman shakin’ ancient bones dance the strip us from our casings, return our wings sharpen our claws & tongues dance the shed dead cells and slip into the luminous skin of love dance We have come to be danced not the hold our breath and wallow in the shallow end of the floor dance but the meeting of the trinity: the body, breath & beat dance the shout hallelujah from the top of our thighs dance the mother may I? yes you may take 10 giant leaps dance the Olly Olly Oxen Free Free Free dance the everyone can come to our heaven dance We have come to be danced where the kingdom’s collide in the cathedral of flesh to burn back into the light to unravel, to play, to fly, to pray to root in skin sanctuary We have come to be danced."
