Accessing the Stories within You: Workshop with Masankho Banda

MASANKHO KAMSISI BANDA. Facilitating the storytelling workshop, "Accessing the Stories within You." (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

by Ruth Schowalter, certified InterPlay leader

We slipped our shoes off at the door of the Rising Phoenix T’ai Chi studio located in the Little Five Points Community Center and joined Masankho Kamsisi Banda, international storyteller and InterPlayer from Malawi. After a centering meditative activity, we shared our names and began by telling a one-minute story about “walking” with the group of six participants that had gathered for the evening storytelling workshop.

Masankho prefaced this one-minute storytelling activity with the question: “Where do our stories hang out and how do we tell them?”

To my surprise as we went around the circle telling our one-minute walking stories, I discovered that I have gathered numerous stories about my walking experiences over the course of my 57 years. This realization thrilled me! It is possible that storytelling can come in categories of simple unpretentious words! Consider the following words: toothbrush, cake, mosquito, and sidewalk. What stories organize around those words for you? Is it possible to tell a one-minute story about each one of those words? I think the answer might be “YES”! This is the beauty of InterPlay’s incremental steps and Masankho’s calm peaceful facilitation of them.

On this warm rainy Friday night in November, InterPlay Atlanta was privileged to offer a workshop to our metro Atlanta area folks to learn how to access the stories that are already with us and how to share them in dynamic and fun ways. Masankho, who learned the arts of storytelling and drumming from his village elders in the African country of Malawi, blends his cultural learning together with Interplay providing powerful learning tools for both the emerging and accomplished storyteller. (For more information about Masankho go here: http://www.ucandanc.org/masankho_biography)

After doing some “noticings” about our one-minute stories, we warmed up using  InterPlay forms accompanied by what I can only describe as “poetic” instructions. As a lifelong writing teacher who has struggled with ways to get students to be more specific by paying attention to their senses, I experienced a master teacher ease us into observation. Masankho asked us to notice the colors, the shapes, and the textures as we moved about the room. With excitement, I experienced the “embodiment” of details as I stretched my arms out and swung them and stepped about the room looking and seeing. It was almost as if the colors were brighter and the shapes more defined! And that was just the warm up!

Going deeper into the warm-up, as we continued to move, Masankho called out letters of the alphabet and asked us to give him words beginning with that letter. Moving and creating together, a symphony of voices filled the room in response to “T,” “M,” and “W.” Being a voice in a community of voices allows you to listen, to speak out and to layer on top of other voices.  Yes! It was challenging, fun, and satisfying.

Masankho offered us poetic phrases to repeat. Some were poetic phrases composed with alliteration; others were of ordinary things but compellingly visual, and still others were just really fun to say! He then asked us to complete sentences for him. Imagine such fun word play while still engaging yourself in stepping about the room, looking or not looking, listening to others, responding when you are ready!

InterPlayers around the world will gasp at the “sneaky deep” and elegant play we did to access our stories within. Masankho partnered us, with one person being “Partner A” and the other being “Partner B.” Then we did the InterPlay exercise, “Walk Stop Run” while he played the drum. When he stopped playing, we told whatever story came up from our running, stopping, and walking. Movement for me triggered a memory from the early 1980’s at a syrup sopping festival in Loachapoka, Alabama.

 

FIND MY STORY. TELL MY STORY. SOMEONE WILL LISTEN. We finished our evening with an affirming three-sentence song about being storytellers. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

The progression of Masankho’s movement and storytelling workshop led us to a “Hand to Hand” dance with a new partner and a word given to us by Masankho, which we released with a “wheee” before beginning our “dance.” The “wheee” is permission to let the word go, be present, or a launching pad for something else.
After this activity, we sat down and noticed what are experiences were. Masankho acknowledged what we said, and offered: “Physical proximity and touch are fertile grounds for stories.”

Before leaving, we had the opportunity to do a “DT3,” an InterPlay form, which the storyteller moves first, then talks in three successive intervals while a partner witnesses. Masankho encouraged us to “move, and move, and move, without thinking” and to allow words to emerge from our movement. This experience allowed some of us to relinquish “linearity” to our stories.

There is so much more to the rich experience of this storytelling workshop with Masankho. I have just given you a “taste” here with this blog post written hastily on a Saturday morning.  (It is still raining by the way.) I hope Masankho will forgive me if I have misportrayed anything about last night’s workshop by giving this broad view. It is “my story” of my first meeting with Masankho. I look forward to future ones! He led us in this short song before we dispersed out into the rainy night skies over Georgia:

Find my story

Tell my story

Someone will listen

Acknowledgments:

Thank you Jennifer Denning for contacting Masankho Kamsisi Banda and engaging him in the workshops and performances this weekend. And, as always, many thanks to Phil Porter and Cynthia Winton-Henry, co-founders of this amazing improvisational system of InterPlay. Also a shout out to Sheila K. Collins, Ginny Goings and Tom Henderson, who also gave storytelling workshops for InterPlay Atlanta.

THANK YOU MASANKHO! Here I am (left) with Masankho and Jennifer! Feeling a lot of gratitude for all that InterPlay has brought to my life. I am beginning to "grow" the storyteller in me and it feels good! I know someone will listen. (photo by Tony Martin)

Creative Comunication Class Begins at the Clarkston Community Center

CREATIVE COMMUNICATION CLASS. InterPlay Atlanta is bringing the gift of InterPlay to the Clarkston Youth Initiative in the form of a Creative Communication class. Here eight teenagers, who elected to be a part of this after school program, participate in the "I Could Talk About" InterPlay warm up as an incremental step toward developing story telling skills. (photo by Andrea Waterstone, Art and Education Director at the Clarkston Community Center.)

By Ruth Schowalter, Certified InterPlay Leader

Since June, InterPlayAtlanta has been visiting one of the most diverse cities in the United States—Clarkston, Georgia, on Saturdays once a month, bringing 30 minutes InterPlay’s improvisational community building tools to its market, where members of its refugee community and long time residents sell home made products and locally grown produce in the midst of festive activities (read these blogs, here and here ).

In October, as a result of funding raised in April 2015 on the national “Give InterPlay Day,” (Thank you everyone!) and the developing relationship with the Clarkston Community Center (CCC), InterPlay Atlanta was able to accept Andrea Waterstone’s invitation to participate in the Clarkston Youth Initiative.

 

SWINGING AT THE CCC. Part of creative communication comes from using our bodies. Embodying the language, the idea, the message you want to communicate is so important since nonverbal communication is such a large part of how we deliver our ideas. (photo by Andrea Waterstone, Art and Education Director at the Clarkston Community Center.)

Andrea, the Art and Education Director at the CCC, built the Clarkston Youth Initiative, which is a nine-week after school program for teenagers who voluntarily elect to attend courses three afternoons a week from Monday to Wednesday, 3:00 to 6:00 PM. In addition to the InterPlay course developed by me, “Creative Communication,” participants take a variety of other courses: computer technology, bicycle maintenance and safety, art and yoga, and gardening.

WALK STOP RUN. Art and Education Director at the CCC Andrea Waterstone joins the Creative Communication InterPlay class for the activity, "Walk Stop Run." This InterPlay form offers participants individual choices while still being a part of the wider class  community. Any time during this activity, a person can choose to move and how fast they move or still while observing others move. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

What might a nine-week InterPlay course entitle “Creative Communication” look like?  Here is a partial description I crafted to explain what we would be doing:

Creative Comunication: Playing Around with What You Have to Say

In this class, you will have fun playing around with expressing what you have to say or not say while working in pairs, small or large groups, or alone. Using the improvisational system of InterPlay, you are invited to speak without preparation and to make things up. In addition to expanding your story telling abilities, you will learn other ways to communicate using movement, voice, and stillness. Whether you are shy or outgoing, you can learn how to succeed at getting your message across more effectively and enjoy the process!

BABBLING. Another incremental step towards telling longer stories, is the InterPlay form, "Babbling." Here the teenage participants take turns talking about a topic for 30 seconds while the other "witnesses" or just listens. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

I’m so excited to be exploring the possibilities of “creative communication” with these teenagers from countries such as Bhutan, Nepal, Haiti, and Thailand. After meeting with the on two consecutive Monday evenings, I have already seen a shift in attendance. Enrollment in the Clarkston Youth Initiative went down from eight participants to four. The teenagers have the challenge of transporting themselves from the Clarkston high school to the Clarkston Community Center by themselves. Some are walking. It is no easy task to continue taking classes after being in school all day. The teenagers, who are showing up, want to learn and expand their skills. I’m experiencing them as very special young people with focused energy! What a privilege to engage them in the fun and sneaky deep activities of InterPlay!

In the upcoming weeks, I will be sharing photos of our “Creative Communication” class and what we are learning as we play together.

Atlanta Dreaming: InterPlay Atlanta's First Untensive

by Ruth Schowalter, Certified InterPlay Leader

InterPlay Atlanta Untensive 2015, Atlanta Dreaming. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

The weekend from Friday, October 16th to Sunday, October 18th, 2015 was dreamy for those who participated in InterPlay Atlanta's first "untensive."  Led by Atlanta certified InterPlay leaders, Jennifer Denning, Christine Gautreaux, and Ruth Schowalter (me), we explored many aspects of dreams through movement, voice, storytelling, and stillness.

We explored the dreams we have at night, expanding them with music, dance and companionship. We played around with our life-long dreams from the time we were five through the present time. As we deepened in our play on the second day of our "untensive," one participant announced that she was "InterPlay Drunk." Others expressed a profound understanding of what occurs during an "untensive" or continuous "play" over one weekend. We have a saying in InterPlay: "To understand InterPlay, you have to do InterPlay."

We also examined goals or dreams we have for our future and embodied them through movement, taking incremental steps and leaps--and celebrating our achievements when we imagined we got "there." Oh we whooped and hollered and cheered. We leaped and jumped and clapped our hands. 

Incremental Steps and Leaps, Atlanta Dreaming 2015. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

Part of playing around with our dreams included drawing and envisioning our dreams in lines and shapes. The drawings then inspired story telling and getting support for our dreams and then concluded with a "Walk. Stop. Run." with our drawings. 

Envisioning and Shaping our Dreams Through Drawing. Then Walk, Stop, Run. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

After a Friday evening and an all day Saturday at the First Christian Church in Decatur, we moved Atlanta Dreaming to Little Five Points Community Center on Sunday. Meeting from 9:30 to 12:30, we built an altar with participants bringing items and images they wanted to honor considering their dreams.

Then we warmed up before conducting a "bodyspirit" hour, during which everyone had an opportunity to choose InterPlay forms to express whatever was on his/her mind or bodyspirit. We concluded our time together with some stillness and one hand dances (solo, pairs, whole group).

If you would like to see more about our Atlanta Dreaming 2015, here is a three-minute video:

Stay tuned for Atlanta's next "untensive." We will do this again and hope you will join us!

Thank you Lesly Fredman, InterPlay Atlanta’s Spirit Awardee 2015!

LESLY FREDMAN, InterPlay Atlanta Spirit Awardee (2015)

Interview by Ruth Schowalter, Certified InterPlay Leader

On Saturday afternoon, October 24th, 2015, Atlanta InterPlay is excited to honor Lesly Fredman the “Spirit of InterPlay Award” for the creative gifts of art, play, connection, and heart that she brings to multiple communities in the Atlanta area.

Those of us living in the metro-Atlanta area are so fortunate to have Lesly Fredman in our lives. She is joyous, deeply intuitive, vastly talented, and really smart! Actor, director, dancer, writer, editor, improvisation teacher, InterPlayer, and creativity coach, Lesly playfully engages with people in her multiple Atlanta communities, meeting each person where they are with a big resounding, “YES.”

A Bouquet of Dancing Flowers for Peace. Lesly is the Russian Sunflower (second from the right)

And she cross pollinates--bringing her Dancing Flowers For Peace and improv students to Atlanta InterPlay and InterPlayers to her improv classes and Dancing Flowers’ warmups. Present and loving, Lesly’s laughter and keen mischievous playfulness inspires us all and serves to connect us in ways that are deep, fun, and meaningful. 

A week before celebrating Lesly with the InterPlay Spirit Award, I met with her for this interview so you readers could experience some of her exceptionally fun spirit. Enjoy!

Tell me your thoughts on creativity. I believe that the creative spirit is the best part of our nature. I call upon mine constantly as guide, playmate, benefactor, partner. My desire to coach arose from my adventures as a producer/director, teacher and performer, but it originated in a fierce pledge I had made to myself long ago: that I would never turn away from my commitment to using every skill and talent I possesses for as long as I live. 

Proud as I am to tell the story of my mother singing in nightclubs in New York with her sister, I remember the regret with which my mom spoke of not studying opera when she had the opportunity. My father, who wrote eloquent letters to the editor and memorable postcards, inexplicably turned down a job as a sports writer for a newspaper. Maybe my mother wouldn’t have been an opera star or my father a Pulitzer Prize winner, but they still might have known the thrill of the ride, the joy of answering the call. 

And that is the heart of my coaching: to honor the creator inside those I work with, play with — to assist, challenge, support, and champion them, all the way to the thriving point. (This answer came from Lesly’s introduction on her website.)

Talk to me about some of the reasons you are an InterPlayer. InterPlay can be exhilarating. It allows us to be graceful and gracious and mischievous. And it’s about movement from the outside that stirs us inside and expands our reach physically, mentally and spiritually.

InterPlay Atlanta, Second Saturday. (Lesly is center second row in red pants)

What inspires you?   Art in any form that takes my breath away. The annual announcement of the MacArthur fellowship awards. Being in conversations with other people's imaginations. Saxophone players. Nature at its most spectacular.

Favorite activities. Sister trips. Sharing absurdity and laughter (lots of it!!) with my partner Matt. Adventures with my friend Jesse. Reading. Making up characters and taking them out to restaurants.

Four objects you can’t live without. Books. Lipstick (for decoration). My Toyota (until I can get a transporter). Screened in porches.

Books on you’re reading now. Alexander McCall Smith’s Le Popo Agency,

Something about everything.

What does this InterPlay Spirit Award mean to you? I feel very honored to be recognized for being playful! I love that over the years I have had the good fortune to welcome more and more playmates into my life.  And I am thrilled that creative play is being valued as an essential ingredient for well-beingness!

FLOWER GIRL. Lesly playfully embodied being the Flower Girl at her friend's wedding this past summer.

Thank you Lesly!

InterPlay Atlanta is excited about celebrating Lesly with this spirit award on the first International Day of InterPlay Celebration and FUNdraiser. Lesly, along with other exceptional people across the United States and around the world, will be acknowledged for their creativity, leadership and the way their life reflects the spirit of InterPlay. Yay Lesly! We hope you will come to applaud her contributions to us all who have been impacted by her considerable gifts.

Here are the details:

1:00 to 3:30 P.M.

The Social Hall at
Decatur First Christian Church
601 West Ponce de Leon
Decatur, Georgia 30030

Ample parking is available. From the church parking lot, enter the first door you come to, which will be indicated with an InterPlay sign. The Social Hall is at the end of a long hallway on the left.

PLAYING WITH CHANGE: Fall Equinox InterPlay Twice in One Day

written by Ruth Schowalter, certified InterPlay leader and Art & Soul Creativity

PLAYING WITH BALANCE. I invited participants to play with balancing the light and dark in their lives by connecting with one another, leaning, counter-balancing, and intersecting. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

InterPlay offers ways to celebrate occasions and mark time! On Friday, September 25th, I was so happy to facilitate InterPlay twice--"Spirit Play" at the Shambhala Meditation Center and then "InterPlay Lift" at the Decatur First Christian Church! For both of these InterPlay sessions, I decided to "play" with the theme of the FALL EQUINOX.

Taking place on September 21st, we left summer behind and began fall, signaled by the shortening amounts of light each day and growing proportions of darkness. At the beginning of of both equinoxes (spring and fall), we get the experience of living with "equal" parts of day and night...at least until the hours of darkness increase (fall) or decrease (spring).

Marking this seasonal change gives us all the opportunity to dive deeper into our lives. Facilitating "Spirit Play" with poet Debra Hiers in Jennifer Denning's absence, I had the pleasure of meditating about the theme "change."

CHANGE. These fading purple petunias greeted me as I walked up to the Shambhala Meditation Center here in Decatur, Georgia, on September 25, 2015. Their leggy abundant growth was a reminder that the end of summer was here. (photo by Ruth Schowalter) 

You will change
says the stars to the sun,
Says the night to the stars.
-excerpt from "Change," by Kathleen Jessie Raine
We began "Spirit Play" with meditation seated on supportive blue cushions in the spacious gathering room at the meditation center. We could hear the light rain tapping on the roof above us. Soft light filtered in around us through the trees outside the windows.  

Following our meditation, we did some "tellings" or "babblings" about pumpkins, apples, falling leaves and more. We stretched our bodies in our InterPlay warm up mirroring the trees and reaching branches outside our meditation room. Playing with the form, "Walk, Stop, Run," we experienced "change" in our bodies and our choices to move in community with one another.

After reading the poem, "Change" by Kathleen Jessie Raine, we reflected on "change" by making shapes and holding them until we found we wanted to "change" our shape into another different shape. Movement and stillness is such a relaxing meditative InterPlay form. Participants were then invited to write their own poems on "change" and share them with the group.

REFLECTING ON CHANGE. On the right, poet Debra Hiers reflects on the poem written and read by Joyce Kinnard (left)about her reflections on change after playing around with movement and stillness. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

Before "Spirit Play" came to an end, we gathered for a "selfie." Even though we had few participants, the quality of play and reflection was very rich. I hope you readers will join us for a future "Spirit Play" session.

SPIRIT PLAY SELFIE. Relaxed after playing with change. (photo by Ruth Schowalter

In the evening, I arrived early at the Decatur First Christian Church for my "InterPlay Lift" class. The rain was light--almost a mist--but enough to discourage people living in the metro Atlanta area from going out into interstate traffic. Right after arriving at the church, I received a text from someone stuck in traffic because of a roadway accident. Earlier, I had received another text from a regular participant who was coming down with the sniffles. FALL was definitely in the air!

POWERFUL FUN. Changing seasons...light fall rain, fall sniffles, fall travels and new arrival. Attendance was low for this "InterPlay Lift." (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

For this evening InterPlay class, "InterPlay Lift," I wanted to play with the BALANCE between "light" and "dark" and how we experience those two qualities in our lives. Lighting candles at the beginning of our play time together, we told stories, moved, experimented with our voices and found stillness. 

PLAYING WITH STORY. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

We witnessed one another's stoires. We whispered to one another the kind of balance we desired to manifest in our lives and danced on each others behalf. We relaxed. We rested. We got the big view of the Fall Equinox from "play."

That's InterPlay Atlanta with Ruth Schowalter! What will PLAY will you find in your life today?  How are you marking the change in our life as the fall season begins? What balance do you want in your life?

COMMUNICYCLE AND INTERPLAY at the CCC

COMMUNICYCLE and INTERPLAY ATLANTA. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

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

InterPlay Atlanta certified leaders, Ruth Schowalter and Jennifer Denning, are dedicated to bringing a free "taste" of InterPlay to the Clarkston Community Center (CCC) the first Saturday of every month from June to November, when the Clarkston Community Market vendors gather bringing organic and nutritiously prepared foods and artisan wares. 

One of the most diverse neighborhoods in the United States, the Clarkston community is comprised of long-time Americans and newly arrived refugees. What a surprise Jennifer and I had on Saturday, September 5th, when we arrived and discovered the market had been cancelled because of expected inclement weather!

CANCELLED CLARKSTON COMMUNITY MARKET! (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

Yet! There was a lot of activity going on one side of the space where market tents and tables are usually set up. What was it? Who was there?

COMMUNICYCLE WORKSHOP. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

COMMUNICYCLE!
Communicycle is a CCC program that welcomes community members to use tools and supplies in their bicycle repair shop. People who need bikes can make small donations and also earn a bike through work in the shop.

Instead of leaving, I asked Justin Okello, one of the Clarkston Community Center employees working at the Communicycle shop if the children there would like to InterPlay with Jennifer, her daughter Elise, and me. Justin, who was familiar with me from previous months of bringing InterPlay to the market, smiled and said that the children would be receiving their bikes and safety tips and then might play with us after that!

KEEP CALM AND BIKE IN. The sign on the bike expresses an aspect of safety. I was soon to discover, however, the Communicycle program did not have funds at this time to issue the children bike helmets with their bikes. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

For close to 30 minutes, we had so much fun engaging with youths from Congo and Rwanda and other African countries, who had just received their bikes. Jennifer facilitated a fun imaginative InterPlay warmup after which I led an energetic following-leading session.

WARMUP WITH JENNIFER DENNING. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

The Georgia sun and humid air caused us to burst out in beaded sweat, so we finished in the shade at the picnic tables with this photo.

POST INTERPLAY AT THE CCC. (photo by Communicycle participant)

 Who knows what the future holds for InterPlay Atlanta at the Clarkston Community Market? Who will we play withus next month in October? Stay tuned!

For now, it would be awesome to get bicycle helmets for these boys who just got their bikes. Helmets and money can be brought to the Clarkston Community Center at 3701 College Avenue, Clarkston, Gerogia, 30021. Write checks to Clarkston Community Center. Please make a note that it is for "Communicycle." On your envelopes, please address it to:

Clarkston Community Center 

Attn: Justin Okello/Communicycle 

3701 College Avenue Clarkston, GA 30021

MORE TO LIFE: Inviting InterPlay into a group as a way to team build

ONE HAND DANCE. (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

Ruth Schowalter, certified InterPlay leader and InterPlay Art & Soul Creativity Coach

On the last Sunday in August, I had the privilege of facilitating two hours of InterPlay for a group of people from the organization, "More to Life," who are developing team building skills for a weekend they will be offering to the public in Atlanta this October. 

Contacted by Kerri Shannon, a More to Life training supervisor, I met with her one morning before the InterPlay Sunday session to discuss her goals for "play" with her group. She had experienced a Second Saturday in Atlanta recently and felt that the InterPlay activities would add a fun element to what they were doing in their preparations for being on a team and providing service.

Kerri offered me her intentions in rich words and phrases such as:

• connection
• team purpose/individual purpose
• playing while being in our own intention
• authenticity
• playing and taking it into our own lives
• out of the head

Wow! These were really enticing goals for me to develop a lesson plan for our Sunday afternoon! We decided together that we would have the team do a "DT3" (an InterPlay form during which participants first move and then talk three times) and speak in a made up language (an activity that allows exformation and discovery without "verbalizing" one's thoughts). 

How inspiring it was to consult with a person like Kerri who felt excited about the possibilities that InterPlay held for her group! And playing with a group of people ready to experience whatever activities were offered them was rewarding beyond words. The photos speak of their engaged and celebratory experience!

WALK, STOP, RUN.  After warming up, we took "Walk, Stop, Run" outside. Notice that online team members were participating too, as one of their teammates carried their presence on the computer. Adding the lean was received with joy, including online teammates! (photo by Kerri Shannon)

BABBLING. After returning indoors from "Walk, Run, Stop," everyone delighted in "Babbling" with one another without worry of developing a logical developed story. Easy focus--wheee--went over very well. Make note that the online participant is being engaged in babbling (left of the photo). (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

LEADING AND FOLLOWING.  Since the principles of leading and following are pretty important in team practices, I thought these More to Life folks would enjoy playing around with the InterPlay concept of ecstatic following and discovering "blending." We then expanded the following and leading form with variations of fast and slow, close and far, and large and small. (top photo by Kerri Shannon, bottom photo by Ruth Schowalter)

ONE BIG ONE HAND DANCE TO CONCLUDE. As our two hours of play came to an end, I thought the perfect way to bring the team together was a group one hand dance. When I asked if they would be more comfortable in two groups of five, they expressed their desire to be all together! (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

Today, just before I posted this blog, I had a follow up conversation with Kerri because we both wanted to process what the InterPlay experience meant for her group and how the forms I facilitated helped her achieve the goals she had set. Using the word "phenomenal," Kerri was more than pleased with the sneaky deep ways that InterPlay allows people to connect and integrate meaningfully with one another and within themselves. Hurray!

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