About the Dances of Universal Peace
The Dances of Universal Peace were first formulated by Samuel L. Lewis, a Sufi Murshid (teacher) and Rinzai Zen Master, who also studied deeply in the mystical traditions of Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity. The very first dance took place on 16 March, 1968 in San Francisco, California. The original dances were strongly influenced by Samuel Lewis' spiritual relationships with Ruth St. Denis, a modern dance pioneer, and Hazrat Inayat Khan, a Sufi master.
The Dances are part of the timeless tradition of Sacred Dance. The Dances of Universal Peace draw sacred phrases, scripture, and poetry from the world's spiritual traditions and blend them in song, with live music, and evocative movement.
The Dances are a transformative spiritual practice, invoking an embodied sense of unity, presence, and compassion. They touch the spiritual essence within ourselves. Offered in an atmosphere of safety, authenticity and mindfulness, the Dances evoke a unified experience of movement, sound, breath and sacred phrase.
Dances of Universal Peace North America
Dances of Universal Peace North America (DUPNA) promotes the Dances of Universal Peace and Spiritual Walks, by providing support, resources, and networking opportunities to dance communities throughout the North American region.
Dances of Universal Peace International
Since their creation, the Dances have since spread throughout the world, touching more than a half million people in North and South America, eastern and western Europe, Russia and the Baltic countries, India, the Middle East, Africa, Pakistan, Australia, and New Zealand. As a result, Dances of Universal Peace International was founded in 1982 to support the living legacy of the Dances of Universal Peace and Walking Concentrations worldwide.