Mabon, Perfect Timing! 

As the Wheel of the Year turns and we come to an end of this cycle, 

so starts my ChIMe year. 

This year includes an internship, which I will be doing at the Barron Center in Portland, Maine. The Barron Center is a state run hospital nursing home. This provides me with the opportunity to share 'Divine Time' and hold space for the spiritual aspects of the residents at the Barron Center.

Be on the look out for more posts, including a few stories about my beginning at the Barron Center so far this year.

Blessed Be!

Excitement with History into the Future

Hi all,

Excitement with History into the Future.

Over the years, dance classes became plentiful as many people took to the dance floor and became dance teachers. This was a great and exciting growth spurt for all of us in the ballroom dance profession and for the hobby and competitive dancers as well.

With growth in any business comes the 'watering down' effect. With ballroom dance, it meant more dance teachers, more studio spaces, more venues, with no monumental growth in the number of hobby and competitive dancers. So what happens is 'one does what one has to do' to make ends meet to fill the classes with people, halls with dancers, etc. Prices sometimes stabilize or get lower - which can be a good thing - but remember ~ you get what you pay for~! And often spaces are used for multiple purposes, leaving the floors not so great for our use as ballroom dancers. But, we gotta do what we gotta do!

In my last business endeavor, pulse LLC, there was a gleaming hope that it would be the best ballroom studio and the best dance floor in the area. And it could have been, but with the dip in the economy along with business focus and education planning not providing itself in timely manner.... so, as you all know, I moved on... simultaneously getting accepted in to a two year educational program. (if you want to know more about that - just ask! LOL)

Trying to rebuild my dance business while going back to school became a great challenge, but not one that I disliked! Challenge make change, and change is good!

I am sending you this email with a peek into a new project that I am happy to be part of during it's development. This new endeavor provides the opportunity for me to do what I do best and naturally - teach dance.

I am able to reflect on my years in Baltimore/WashDC as a young dancer making my way into the world of quality education and becoming a respectable professional. This accomplishment lead to a recruitment to Boston. I look back at the methods I used while in Boston, claiming championship titles with Gail and in those early years, my journeys to Maine. Once in Maine, as a resident, I started building a successful teaching syllabus that many still speak of from those years of Gotta Dance (the first Gotta Dance). For the past few years, my ability to teach classes on cruise ships as well as the opportunity to teach workshops and master classes around the country have been a wonderful experience and excursion in looking at all the 'stuff' I've acquired getting people to dance comfortably, competently and with crazy fun! For me, this is a natural way of disseminating my knowledge in dance. And I look for the opportunity to give classes and teach at a high level - now in Maine - because that's what I do, that's what I love, and that's what you deserve! Let's get back to basics and demand the quality in dance classes again.

So, that brings me to the email I am copying to you. I am happy to be able to ride the waves of youthful energy. (no pun intended even though I just got back from a dance cruise)


Hello All,

I am writing to you on this Sunday (March 11, 2012) to introduce you to a revitalized concept in the Maine partner dance world.  This idea comes from my deep respect for the  evaluative process Martial Artists go through under the tutelage of a true Master.  This will be a skill based progression method where students will be responsible for mastering steps as well as techniques both independently and with a partner.  If you appreciate this concept, I welcome you to Black Belt Ballroom, THE Partner Dance Studio.  With my 17 years of experience and Laurence's 34 years, we will help you navigate this process as your Master teachers.  For the business part, I will be operating the studio and employing Laurence to teach for me.  All comments, questions, and concerns can be addressed directly to me.  The new/old space is a 60' x 30' beautifully maintained wood floor that was once used by Laurence.  The address is 168 Elm Street  South Portland, ME at the Elm Street Methodist Church Hall in the back.  Laurence and I are both teaching PRIVATE lessons until the start of the first class series that will go from mid-April until the last week in May (the one before Memorial Day).  There will be more information to follow in the coming days and weeks.  If you would like to book private lessons, please contact me at blackbeltballroom@gmail.com with Private Lessons in the subject line.  

As this has been pieced through my personal email list and is in no way meant as an exclusive list, could you please forward this to all the dancers you know.  If you get this as a forward and want to be added on the Black Belt Ballroom email list, please send an email with Subscribe in the the subject line.  I look forward to you support in this new venture.

Sincerely,
~Justin Stebbins

As this email has come from my email list (Laurence) please reply to blackbeltballroom@gmail.com

More details from me (Laurence) as I transition web sites and all that stuff.

Church? Me? Are You Kidding?

Join me on Feb 19^th, 2012 for my first Interfaith Service. I’m a virgin when it comes to leading a service, unlike leading the tango! And much like my first ballroom dance show, I am nervous. But as my dance coach said to me more than 30 years ago, ‘If you’re not nervous, don’t get on the stage’.  

I am nervously respectful to those who come to hear us guide you through the experience of our ‘Winter’s Shadow’ service. I am part of a team – Nanci Adair, Kathleen Paylor and Liza Russell are my teammates.

Come visit and join us in this simple yet full bodied service.
(About 55 minutes – including snacks!)

(Are these pictures a curious tease?)

What you won’t find: A pulpit, a lecture, a sermon, a choir and organist.

What you will find:
A place of winter, an experience of spirit with art, a gift from the Divine and juice and cookies after the service.

Now this word service is a crazy word.

Fear not what you may expect, for we are not presenting the expected!

No Bones About It!

Location:
Portland New Church
302 Stevens Ave, Portland Maine

Some Of These Tears

Some of these tears
that I cry are for me.
Be it sorrow or joy
the tears let me be.

Some of these tears
that I cry are for you.ja
To feel such a love
from a heart that's so true.
                                              

Some of these tears
that I cry are for All.
In praying, these tears
will bring peace by their call.








I know that the tears
that I cry will be shared.
And honored with love
for Love is Declared.


Laurence Miller, Feb2012

Blessed Are The Trees.

'In the height of our technological barbarism,

monks must be as tress which exist silently in the dark,

and by their viral presence, purify the air.'

~Thomas Merton

The Candle on my desk is burning slowly and steadily. So steadily that the flame does not flicker at all. At times, it  looks like a photo of a candle flame as it has no moment at all. Yet, it is hot, bright and alive.

As I sit in practice of Lectio Divina, I try to be the candle, so still, hot with silence, bright with spirit and alive with All. As Thomas Merton writes, 'In the height of technological barbarism,' I see how we tend to live a life dependent on activities and resources based on our use of technology. We often place value on the importance of our technological inventions and judge other ways - non technology - as less value. By not using and accessing these technical opportunities, we waste time. And time wasted by not using the technologies we have created is an ill-use of life/time.

While 3 tree stand strong, rooted in the ground, and reach towards the sky, we witness 'just' 3 trees purifying the air we breathe into billions and billions of molecules of oxygen - our breath for life. These 3 tree stand tall, without condition, save for the rain to feed and nourish their roots, to do nothing more than purify the air. Without this amazing natural technology, we would be breathless and struggle for life.

While 3 monks stand strong, rooted in their contemplation, and reach their arms towards the sky, we witness 'just' 3 monks thinking billions and billions of prayers, for the life we live, without condition, without even knowing us, without needing any repairs or reason from us to purify our world. Without this amazing spiritual technology, we would be hopeless and struggle for life.

Thomas Merton writes '...by their vital presence, they purify the air'. Their presence is something that we forget to see. Their presence is something we forget to feel. Their presence is something we forget to cherish. Those 3 trees, the forests, the greenery around us in each day, we sometimes don't see, but it is there providing the purity for each day we live. And it is vital.

Just one monk, sitting in silence, thinking, praying, blessing our very life - we don't see, we can't see, unlike the trees. But the presence from the silence of one monk's prayer, just one thought for hope, for peace, for love, and for life can be felt. It is what purifies life's energy flow that we all share universally. The balance we sometimes feel we don't have, would be further off balance, the peace we don't see in world affairs would be more hateful, the love we don't sense we have, would be further from our hearts without one monk's prayer.

Blessed are the silent, quiet binds the noise.

If each day, we took one minute, to think about one monk's prayer, or one minute, to look at one tree in it's unspoken release of purified air, we could find the small quiet moments of our heart's joy, soul's passion and life's goals may come to us... easier, quietly, and without condition.

Blessed Are The Trees.

the simple gift

And the Brother sang…

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.

'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say,

'Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not to only think of "me",
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real.

The Earth is our mother and the fullness thereof,
Her streets, her slums, as well as stars above.
Salvation is here where we laugh, where we cry,
Where we seek and love, where we live and die.

When true liberty is found,
By fear and by hate we will no more be bound.
In love and in light we will find our new birth
And in peace and freedom, redeem the Earth.

'tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be fair
'tis a gift to wake and breathe the morning air
and each day we walk on the path that we choose
'tis a gift we pray we never shall lose

He came at the end of lunch on Sunday morning as we concluded our weekend at the Notre Dame Spiritual Center. He stood before us, slim, frail in slacks and a sweater draped over his slightly hunched frame. And with a tender smile on his face, be proceeded to give us the history of the Shaker Village that was once the 300 acre property that the Brothers purchased in 1930. The song Simple Gifts was composed on this spiritual land lot. The special energy of the land continues to draw one into its reverent past. It presented to me the hope that the solitude of this land and the feeling of Earth Spirit will continue to be for years to come. And I hoped and prayed that this land’s spirit would someday cover the globe giving peace to all the lands we inhabit.

The Brother faced us at our lunch tables. With a simple smile, so easy for him to display, he started to sing. His voice was sweet and honest. His voice was pure but with age. The Brother's gestures were small. Simple. He closed his eyes, sang from his heart, turn – turn and bow like the song says. His body shined his joy and belief in the lyrics. It was simple. It was a gift. To witness such an honest man singing his love for spirit. It was a simple gift that could not fit into any Christmas stocking or be placed under any Christmas Tree. This gift of song from the heart was too big! – yet small enough to get to my heart and move my spirit. Tears soon flowed as the emotion built up inside. My throat squeezed shut to stop me from noisily crying. An occasional gasp for breath reminded me I had to breathe.

At the end of his joyful and freely given blessing of a song, he walked away. Our applause slowed his exit for a humble bow to us. To me, he seemed to just want to share a song and a little information about the place we stayed for our weekend retreat and our studies. I don’t think he realized how moved we would get by his simple gift. He was unconditionally singing his Truth. His expression of gratitude for our applause was humble. And he walked out of the meal room on his way back to do whatever his next mission for the day would be. I believe he walks a path with the Divine. And the Divine will walk with him where ever his life’s journey takes him.
He is blessed. And I feel blessed to be witness to this Simple Gift.

                                              Cemetery Lane - Notre Dame Spiritual Center
                                                   
                                                 

Holiday Greetings from My Soul to your Sole - from my laurencedance blog

Hello Everyone,

Well, this year is a first for me! It is the first Holiday Season in my 37 years of teaching dance that I have not had a holiday party. And I miss this opportunity more than I thought. I thought I would enjoy this down time, which is not the case. I thought I would be relieved that I had time to focus on my studies, but the distractions of not having a dance party overwhelmed my idle time. So I chalk this moment as a place to stop, listen to the music, and dance on with plans for the future of my studio work.

This year presented lots of change and learning for me. And with all the clichés that can be stated like ‘Every dark cloud has a silver lining’ and ‘Wipe the slate clean’ that have been offered by many of you, I thank you. I appreciate all the words of wisdom, sincere wishes, thoughts to how to rid the past and the general positive pushes for growth that many of you have given me during this change and learning experience.

What I take from this change is the actual ‘learning’ that has and is taking place while I rebuild the business from ground up. From the ground up is the perfect place for me at this time. While it may seem like it’s easier to take things already existing and re-piece a plan together, in my case, there are very few pieces, if any, to pick from. Therefore I look at this as an opportunity to build as opposed to re-build.

Building what is ‘true’ to me in dance is a great segue in the choreography of my dance business. With the last adventure (which was supposed to enlarge Gotta Dance 2) took on roles and plans that, needless to say, were not able to successfully grow with the growth compound available at the time. The struggle to ‘keep on truckin’ became a focus, but a focus not on dance, but on the venue’s survival.

It’s the classes, students, dance parties, and joy of movement that fuels my dancing feet and heart. The honesty and awareness that I was working far too much and too hard on a product that was not producing the mirage of classes and events to promote social dancing and dance education in our community was where the music stopped. And stopped it did, fast and abrupt. Instead of gliding to a beautiful line at the end of a waltz routine, the music just stopped.
And as Martha Stewart says ‘It’s a good thing.”

Now I will be taking the time to choreograph a new dance business, one I will be proud of, one with opportunities to learn the dance traditions of the past as well as experience some new ways to express movement from your head to your toes and deep into and from your heart.

I want to be known as a dance teacher, not a venue owner, not a wedding coordinator, but a dance teacher - a dance teacher that fosters new growth in the minds and hearts of young dancers and one who reminds those experienced dancers of their past lives in dance that has taken them on a journey of great memories with more memories to come.

And that brings me to a Fairy Tale Happy Ending where everyone gets to dance – hard and loud!

So I am taking this opportunity to send you a Holiday Greeting, full of dancing energy, holiday music vibrations and gratitude for your continued support in my life as a dance teacher.

With the Love of Dance & Respect for your Love of Dance and Music,

Laurence!