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