25th Annual Leader's Gathering - Traveling to Racine, WI

Dear Friends,

Whew what a fun and full month August has been!  In addition to regular classes and programs your Atlanta InterPlay leaders have been traveling together and playing!

AI Leaders Playing in the wind by Lake Michiga

We had the opportunity to go to Racine, WI for an annual leader's gathering - this year InterPlay is celebrating 25 years! The trip out was an adventure as our plane was 2 hours late so we missed our ride, caught a later bus and whew...we made it!

Looking through the DeKoven Walkway to Lake Michigan
(photo by Christine Gautreaux)

The setting was gorgeous.  We stayed at The DeKoven Center on Lake Michigan.  The beauty that surrounded us was divine. Their gardens are maintained by volunteer master gardeners who are true artists.  It was a joy to walk around and see what had been co-created!

Our days started with morning meditation with our InterPlay Atlanta friend and leader, Kaira Jewel.  

(photo by Christine Gautreaux)

 Mother Earth was magnificent as the sun rose over the Lake with diamonds sparkling on the water and Dragon Flies dancing in and around us!

Just a tiny slice of the remarkable gardens
(photo by Christine Gautreaux)

We enjoyed 3 1/2 full days of  InterPlay!  We played with old forms, new forms, social justice issues, Waking up White, diversity, The InterPlay Way,  The Life Practice Program, IP and spirituality, Performance and so much more!  Jennifer led her famous chair "dance" that had previously only been seen in ATL!

We had the chance to meet friends and InterPlay leaders from around the country that we had previously only met online through different classes and programs we participate in like the InterPlay Entrepreneurs group.  We also saw long-time friends and InterPlayers some of who y'all have met in the last couple of years here in ATL including Cynthia & Phil (the co-founders), Sheila and so many more!

InterPlay Entrepreneurs together in person!

Ruth & I also had the chance to participate and be celebrated in the National celebration of new leaders - squeeeee! 

To say that it was a rich and full experience feels like an understatement!  Learning new ideas, practicing old to bring them back to our community to share.  We are looking forward to our 1st Atlanta Untensive October 16th - 18th where I'm sure a few of the things we played with will be present!

 The beautiful view on the way home!
(photo by Christine Gautreaux)

In peace and play,

Christine 

A Taste of Free InterPlay: InterPlay Atlanta goes to the Clarkston Community Market

by Ruth Schowalter, Certified InterPlay Leader and InterPlay Art & Soul Creativity Coach

A TASTE OF INTERPLAY.  InterPlay Atlanta is bringing 30 minutes of free InterPlay to the Clarkston Community Market on the first Saturday of every month. This August Saturday was hot and attendance was sparse, but we still played around with walking, running, and stopping, and dancing on behalf of someone who brings us grace and on behalf of our communities. It was especially fun to have two children, Gabrielle and Isiah, join us. They gave a new meaning to running, especially on such a hot day! (Photo by Aja)

In June 2015, InterPlay Atlanta began a connection with a special community in the metro Atlanta area! We went to the Clarkston Community Market in Clarkston, Georgia, one of America’s most diverse communities, comprised of both long-time Americans and newly arriving refugees to offer a “taste” of InterPlay for free!

CLARKSTON COMMUNITY MARKET, JUNE 2015. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

CONTACT DANCING. In June 2015, we finished the first taste of InterPlay at the Clarkston Community Market with a contact dance during which we separated from our partners and found new partners. This InterPlay form is wonderful for connecting in surprising ways with people you've just met or people you are familiar with. (photo by Tony Martin)

COLLABORATORS. As the organizer for this free taste of InterPlay at the Clarkston Community Center Market, I am happy to collaborate with Jennifer Denning, who brings such a wealth of experience to any of the communities she visits as an InterPlay facilitator. Here, my husband, Tony Martin, captured us doing an Irish jig together in the "contact dance." (photo by Tony Martin)

Rained out on July 4^th, InterPlay Atlanta returned to Clarkston Community Market the first Saturday of August and invites everyone to join us the first Saturday of each month through November 2015.  

 

ORGANIZER OF THE CLARKSTON COMMUNITY MARKET.

Aliyah Frazier (right), Healthy Living Director at the Clarkston Community Center, greets everyone entering the market with such a gracious smile. At her table, filled with flyers, are also fresh produce to buy from the community center's gardens. InterPlay Atlanta is so fortunate to be invited to be a part of this diverse community. Thank you Aliyah! (photo by Tony Martin)

So plan on playing outdoors with us among the vendors and market goers from 1:00 to 1:30 pm on September 5^th  (Time may vary from month to month, so be sure to check at the Facebook InterPlay Atlanta events page). All ages are welcome to participate with us in movement, voice, story, and stillness and then to peruse and buy arts and crafts and prepared and locally-grown, nutritious foods from the vendors.

SAMOSA QUEEN. Yum Yum! The Samosa Queen was at both the June and August Clarkston Community Market, selling both vegetarian and meat samosas, recipes from Somali! (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

KRUSH BY JAI. Jai holds Isiah, who participated in InterPlay with us along with his brother Gabrielle. They hang out in the dinosaur tent behind their mother while she sells the soft scented shea butter that she makes in the mixer that you can see there on her table. I purchased some patchouli scented shea butter that I'm enjoying very much. Gabrielle, when asked during an InterPlay exercise who brought him peace and grace, answered that his brother Isiah did because he shares. Intergenerational InterPlay is awesome. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

I am so happy to organize this wonderful opportunity to play with Clarkston Community members while engaging a moving, roving diverse audience. I'm grateful  to have Jennifer Denning co-facilitate with me. How exciting that InterPlay Atlanta is one of several activities at the Clarkston Community Market, including drumming, zumba and Tai Chi.

Let’s see what we will discover together at the Clarkston Community Market in the upcoming months. It is so exciting to be bringing the fun of InterPlay to the Clarkston Community Center! It’s market is open from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm on the Activity Field, 3701 College Avenue, Clarkston, Georgia 30021