Thank you, thank you...

I WANT TO DEEPLY THANK ALL WHO HAVE COME TO PARTICIPATE IN 'POSTCARDS FROM THE EDUCATION REVOLUTION' AND THOSE WHO HAVE KINDLY TOLERATED MY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTARY ON EDUCATION. This is my life's work, thank you for being a part of it!

So now that I'm home...
I'm not stopping.

As if the list at the bottom of the last post was not enough, I decided to take on two conferences/retreats before I begin my graduate school residency.

The first was the Florida African Dance Festival. WOW.
WOW.
This was one of the most BEAUTIFUL events I've ever participated in. Seriously. It makes my eyes moist to just think about it. The dancing, the drumming, the teaching, the learning. THE COMMUNITY. I thought I knew SO MUCH about community before this event. I was fooling myself! The people who participated in this festival, and those who put it on, are part of a huge network of dancers, drummers and aficionados of African Dance- and MAN do they ALL LOVE ONE ANOTHER. There was SO MUCH LOVE at this festival! Three main styles of dance were taught: Sabar (Senegal), Bougarabou (Senegal) and Djembe (Guinea). The Festival consisted of two VERY FULL days of dance and drum workshops, a performance and some parties. Vendors selling drums, outfits, jewelry, awesome t-shirts (like: "Sorry I Stole Your Drummer", and "Just Play for My Solo," and "Real Men MARRY African Dancers" !) set up booths during the workshop days. All told, there were 10 dance workshops (5 each day) with 5 master instructors (each taught once a day). AND YES: some people really did take EVERY workshop. AMAZING. Veronica and I took only 5 (well, I took 4.5: halfway through the last workshop on the last day I felt too tired to dance well, and could only dance sloppily. I said THAT'S IT! After all, it was disrespectful to the teacher to dance so sloppily.) and we were WRECKED- so tired we could barely speak. Days later, I'm struggling to remember all the moves and the different dances- time to get BACK IN PRACTICE!!!

The next big thing is the Hoop Path Retreat in Carrboro, NC. I'm staying the night in St Pete to drive a myself and a carload of HoolaMonsters up to NC tomorrow for 4 glorious days and nights of HOOPLOVE!

MORE SOON... THEN GRAD SCHOOL AT NAROPA!!!! AHH!!!