My first dance in Europe was with a beautiful dancer from Moscow named Masha. It was a long dance through a guided warm-up, bypassing the directions to switch partners, and traveling through the whole huge new space - a massive gymnasium with relatively soft floors. Three partitions mark three separate areas where classes take place during the day. But on that first morning with Masha, the entire space was open and filled with 240 dancers from around the world…

Wednesday Aug 7, 2006:
And so much more came after that lovely beginning. The moments here are filled with learning. My body aches in that worked, moved, and satiated dance-ache. I become more agile and softer with each day and use my tiredness to inform my dance. Each day begins with an invigorating intensive class with Rick Nodine. His direction is so specific and his body articulation is like moving poetry. I am completely inspired by this man. In the afternoons four different classes are offered. Then there is the evening jam which extends into the wee hours of the night for those die-hard dancers who get into the soft endless groove and just cannot bear to leave that luscious space. Fruit and chocolate are always available and the lunch and dinner are festivals unto their own. I am working in exchange for partial scholarship. I wear my bright blue Freiburg apron proudly and scurry around collecting trash and organizing the compost. It feels great to help. Another man who helps is a very tall, lanky, Finish man. He has great blue eyes and a mane full of golden blonde dreadlocks. His name is Petri and we always find each other in those ultra-relaxed late, late, late night hours.

My dances have been long and intentional. One night I spent hours laughing, falling, dancing and making poetry with Judit from Hungary. We met years ago at Earthdance. She is going to live there as a volunteer this fall, so it is like she is going home for me. Our connection has been strong and supportive here.

I often think about the workshop Keith Hennessey gave at Earthdance. The main focus and intention was to somehow bring our full humanity into the dance studio – not to leave anything outside, or even to understand the impossibility of leaving anything outside. I realize that my path along this wonderful road of Contact Improvisation has lead to the place where I try to bring my full humanity into the dance. No matter who I dance with I try to love them. Sometimes this is easier than other times. However the gates open so quickly with human contact, it never ceases to amaze me. Throughout the Freiburg Festival I continued to bring my whole self, mostly my love and joy into all my dances: my tour de force, late night marathon with Isabelle from France, my jumpy giggly child’s play with Lelani from Chile, The fresh focused creativity with Adrianne from Germany; more Love and Joy in the silent jam with Ester from Germany, or sharing a night filled with red wine and stories of truth celebrated together with my new friend Juha from Finland. They are all dances and they all fill me with gratitude.