The North American Newsletter

The North American Newsletter was born from a vision of having a recurring way to share stories, photos and articles about the vibrancy of the Dances in North America across the whole continent (not forgetting Hawaii). From a simple beginning, the newsletter has grown to include a theme, quotes, a Song and Video of the Month, poetry, and events listings, as well as articles about circles or Dance related activities from around the region.

Thanks to the DUPNA Board's newsletter committee and other newsletter contributors.

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North American Newsletter Archives

 

Winter 2023 Newsletter

Quarterly Concentration - Zoom Recording Available, Celebrating Murshid SAM's Urs in the ethers 1/15/24, Crowdfunding Success to bring Bernie Heideman to Puerto Morelos, Mexico Camp "One More Time"!, Honoring New Mentors-in-Training in NA, DUP International Logo Policy Updated

Fall 2023 Newsletter

Sharings from The Parliament of the World's Religions 2023 in Chicago, DUPNA Board & Staff News, Sharing Photos from Summer Camps: Mendocino, Lava Hot Springs, Wilderness, and Paonia, Upcoming Dance Retreat & Camp Calendar, Selected Events, Honoring a New NA Mentor-in-Training

Spring 2023 Email Newsletter

Dancing in Nature; An Open Letter to Our Retiring President; Quarterly Concentration; Featured Video: E Malama; Featured Song: Allah; Gratitude for Donations - Circles/Events; Upcoming Events Calendar link; Call for Original Holiday Card Art.

Winter 2022-23 Email Newsletter

Conversation with Bernie Heideman; Celebration of Murhsid SAM's Vision; Quarterly Concentration; Welcomes & Farewells; Seeking Next Gen PoWR Team; Featured Song: Steady On the Path; Featured Video: We Are Singing a New World Into Existence; Featured Video: Montreal Peace Dance; Gratitude for Donations - Circles/Events; Upcoming Events.

Fall 2022 Email Newsletter

Fall Quarterly Concentration; Thank you, Jane Sky!; A Personal Parliament Experience; Register now for PoWR & Submit Proposals; Featured Song 1: Ishq Allah Ma'bud Lillah; Featured Song 2: Simple Gifts; Featured DUP Video: Grace Kyrie; Gratitude for Donations-Circles/Events; Gratitude for Recurring Donations; Upcoming Event Links for DUPNA/DUPIN; Call for POWR Videos & Photos; Call for DUP Youth Videos & Photos.

Summer 2022 Email Newsletter

Summer Quarterly Concentration; Returning; POWR 2023 - Groups forming to register; Featured Song; Featured Dance Videos; Featured Video; Gratitude for Donations from Circles/Events; Call for Original Holiday Card Art; Upcoming Events.

Spring 2022 Email Newsletter

Spring Quarterly Concentration; Thich Nhat Hanh; Seeking to Welcome New Board Members; Oneness Project Gratitude; Featured Song: Children's Vows; Featured Video: The Great Bell Chant; Gratitude for Donations from Circles & Events; Newly Certified Leaders; Upcoming Events.

Winter 2021 Email Newsletter

Conversation with Kabir Stuart McKinnon; A Gift from Universal Mind; Celebration of Murshid SAM's 51st Urs; Quarterly Concentration; Welcoming New Board Members; Convening 'Next Gen' Councils; Featured Song: Mariam Zikr; Featured Video: Go In Peace; Honoring Ruth St. Denis; Gratitude for Donations - Circles/Events; Upcoming Events.

Fall 2021 Email Newsletter

Fall Quarterly Concentration: Living In Grace & Joy; Music and the Dances: Conversation with Ginger Nuria Lee; Circling Up In Squares; Virtual Parliament of the World's Religions; Featured Song: Deep Peace; Video: Mir Miru Mir; Gratitude for Donations - Circles & Events - Recurring Donations; Newly Certified Leaders; Call for POWR 2015 & 2018 Videos & Photos; Call for DUP Youth Videos & Photos.

Summer 2021 Email Newsletter

Summer Quarterly Concentration: Creating a New Story; Ithaca Dance Gathering; Remembering Murshida Khadija Goforth; Featured Song with Video: Only a Heart; Featured Video: 30 Years of Ithaca Camps; Newly Certified Dance Leaders; Gratitude for Donations; Call for Original Holiday Card Art; Register for the October Virtual Parliament of the World's Religions.

Spring 2021 Email Newsletter

Quarterly Concentration: May we plant seeds that will beautify and nourish the world and ourselves; Peace Pilgrim; Introducing new board member, Adam Wolter; Into the Life & MInd of Samuel Lewis; Poetry: Rest In Natural Great Peace; Looking For Board Members; Call for Holiday Card Art; Featured Song: Peace Pilgrim (Eng. version); 2 Featured Videos: Peregrino de la Paz (Peace Pilgrim DUP in Span.) & The Remover of Difficulties; Gratitude for Donations from Circles & Events; Newly Certified Dance Leaders.

Winter 2020 Email Newsletter

Winter Quarterly Concentration; Spiritual Activism in Greece with Astarte; Letter to Younger Generation & Future Generations; Celebrating Murshid Sam - Zoom event on 1/17/21; Sharing DUP in Mexico; DUPNA open to adding board members; Featured Song; Featured Video; Gratitude.

Autumn 2020 Email Newsletter

Fall Quarterly Concentration; conversation with Grace D Marie; Our Earth; Report on 9/13/2020 Blessed Zoom Event; Adding Board Members; Poem: October Morning; Featured Song: Madre Tierra, Madre Vida; Featured Video: Grace Kyrie; Gratitude for Donations; Gratitude to Oneness Project; Poem: For Papatuanuku - Mother Earth; Newly Certified Dance Leaders.

Summer 2020 Email Newsletter

Quarterly Concentration: Racial Justice & Healing; The DUP in the Virtual World; Summer 2020 Zoom on DUP & Pandemic planned; Reflections from Online DUP Participants; Featured Song: Love, Serve & Remember; Featured Video: Virtual Celebration of Canyonlands Dance Camp; Gratitude for Donations from Circles & Events; Upcoming Events


Spring 2020 Email Newsletter

Spring Quarterly Concentration - Enlightened Leadership; Letter from Pir Zia Inayat-Khan; 50th Anniversary of Earth; Wilderness Camp History & Reflections; Spiritual Activism; Response to Coronavirus; Call for Original Holiday Card Art; Featured Song; Featured DUP Videos; Recent Dance Leader Certifications; Gratitude for Donations form Circles & Events

Winter 2019 Email Newsletter

Remembering Linda Gibson; Murshida Mariam Baker; Zoom videoconferences scheduled; Exploring Privilege; Quarterly Concentrations; Expressing Gratitude for Holiday Card Volunteers & Donations; DUP Events Calendar; Newly Certified Leaders; Featured Song; Featured Video

Autumn 2019 Email Newsletter

Remembering Malika Endres, Mystic Dance Caravan, Spiritual Activism, Interruptions in Dance Circles, Dances for Autumn...Gratitude & Oneness! Featured Song: Send Us the Peace; featured Video: Om Namah Shivaya Namaste

Summer 2019 Email Newsletter

Welcome new DUPNA Regional Administrator; Greetings from Hayat; Dance Leaders as International Pen Pals; Maui Sufi Camp: founder Dechen Groode's story and love letter to campers, camp's participants' reflections; Featured song: Ho Ike Mai; Video: Complete Circle; Newly certified dance leaders; Gratitude for donations; Dances with attunement to Beauty; Upcoming events.

Spring 2019 Email Newsletter

Reflections and Gratitude from Jen Friedman, the Beyond Initiative, Creating a Culture of Consent, Dances at the Society of Shamanic Practice Convention.  Featured song:  En Lak' Ech, Featured Video: I Am Willing

Winter 2018 Email Newsletter

Interview with Tansen Philip O'Donohoe, Reflections on the Parliament of World Religions, Report on the 50th Anniversary of the Dances, Featured song: Nayaz, Featured video: Nayaz

Autumn 2018 Email Newsletter

Parliament of World Religions in Toronto, Reflections with Tasnim Hermila Fernanadez, Leaning into Dance, Clearing the Elephants from the Room, Clarifying Differences between DUPNA and DUPIN, Featured  song: My House Shall be a House of Prayer for all People, Featured video: 50th Anniversary Dances

Summer 2018 Email Newsletter

Mystic Dance Caravan, Sharing Dances with College Students, Dancing Peacock Paradise, Annotated Timeline of the Walks and Dances, 50th Anniversary Celebration, Featured song: Dervish Cycle, Featured video: Dance to Glory.

Spring 2018 Email Newsletter

Leading Dances in Guatamala, Leading Dances with Children, Leading Dances with the Hearing Impaired, Upcoming 50th Anniversary Celebration, Featured Song: Madre Lago Featured Video: Invitation to the Dance

Winter 2017 Email Newsletter

The Sacred Manuscript of Nature (by Darvesha), Reflections of a Dance leader, Dancing in Times Square, Featured Song: Light A Candle, Featured Video: E Malama

Autumn 2017 Email Newsletter

Dancing in Multifaith, Reflections on Murshid SAM's Dargah Blessings, Walks of the Centers, Song of the Month: Benediction Dance Video of the month: May all Beings in All Worlds Be Happy

Summer 2017 Email Newsletter

New Peace in Action Toolkit, Mandala Peace Project, Dances at New York Dance Parade, Walks of the Elements, Song of the Month: Three Gifts, Video of the Month: Bar'Chu

April, 2017 Email Newsletter

It's the Walk of the New Age. Introducing our new Peace in Action Toolkit; "Outreach: Confessions of a DUP Missionary" by Munajat Marti Dimock; Prayer for our Earth from Pope Francis; Song of the Month: "For the Beauty of the Earth;" and Video of the Month: "Greening with Life"

February, 2017 Email Newsletter

...a celebration of taking action through walking meditation including Peace Dancers' reflections on the Women's Marches around the US; Dance videos at Lincoln Memorial and National Cathedral; Re-visioning English as a language of Peace and Prayer; Song of the Month: "Singing a New World into Existence"; Video: "How Beautiful this Moment"

December, 2016 Email Newsletter: Meditation on the Element of Water

...a celebration of the element of water including Peace Dancers' reflections on Standing Rock and Mni Wiconi; Walking Meditations of Murshid SAM; Holiday Card is on its way and thank you holiday card volunteers; Song of the month: "With my Feet Upon the Earth;" and Video of the Month: "I am Willing"

October, 2016 Email Newsletter

...a celebration of Murshid Moineddin Jablonski including Reflections on Moineddin; Thank you and Farewell to Rahmana Elizabeth Sayre, retiring DUPNA board president; Video of the Month: "Awakening the Heart"

August, 2016 Email Newsletter: Murshid of Love: Hazrat Inayat Khan

...a celebration of the life and legacy of Hazrat Inayat Khan; an article: "Murshid of Love" by Jane Sky; Song of the month: "Thy Light is in All Forms"; and Video of the Month: "Murshid as I Remember Him"

June, 2016 Email Newsletter: Joe Miller: A Man Connected to the Divine

...a celebration of the life and legacy of Joe Miller; an article: "A Man Connected to the Divine" by Jane Sky; Song of the month: "Songs to Live By: A Concert with Joe and Guin Miller"; and Videos of the Month: "Celebrating Joe Miller" and "Falling Awake."

March, 2016 Email Newsletter: Dancing with the Divine

...a celebration of the life and legacy of Ruth St. Denis; an article: "Dancing with the Divine" by Angela Gayan Galik; website resource: "Parliament of the World Religions Teleconference Recording;" Song of the month: Unbroken Flows the Rhythm; and Videos of the Month: Ruth St. Denis in East Indian Nautch Dance and part 1 in a part 5 series of Ruth St. Denis by Frank Lombardo.

January, 2016 Email Newsletter: Sing a Song of Glory

...a celebration of the life and legacy of Murshid SAM: an article "Sing a Song of Glory" by Jane Sky; "Memories of Murshid SAM" website resource; an update on progress for SAM's dargah at Lama Foundation and a link to audio recordings of Murshid SAM's teachings. Song of the month: Kalama; and Video of the Month: Sunseed.

Nov., 2015 Email Newsletter: Parliament of World's Religions

...reflections from attendees of "The 2015 Parliament of the World's Religions;" video of "Cultivating the Inner Life," Pir Shabda's presentation; photos and videos of Dances that were led; "Website Wisdom Farewell" from retiring DUPNA board member Shivadam.

September, 2015 Email Newsletter: The Elements

September's newsletter theme was "The Elements" and featured an article about the first ever Rainbow Retreat at Khankah SAM in San Francisco which was held in June 2015.

July, 2015 Email Newsletter: Healing.pdf

...article on Perry Wali Pike's "Gospel Zikr Story"; report from June Telecon on Leading Dances in Unique and Unusual Venues; Website Wisdom featuring favorite online resources at the NA website; Haiku and Dances on Healing; gratitude for donations; newly certified leaders and Song of the Month: Gospel Zikr; Video: "I am One" Dances of Universal Peace at the National Cathedral.

May, 2015 Email Newsletter: Ecstasy.pdf

featured articles on "Seeds of Love: The Birth of a New Dance Circle;" Teleconference: A Connection and Learning Opportunity; Website Wisdom: Resources for Leaders and Organizers; Haiku and Dances on Ecstasy; gratitude for donations; and Song of the Month: Chidananda Rupa; Video: Drink with the Beloved.

March, 2015 Email Newsletter: Heart of Winter.pdf

featured articles on Leading the Dances in San Quentin Prison; Volunteers: The Heartbeat of the Network; Upcoming Telecon on Introducing the Dances to New Populations; Haiku and Dances on The Heart of Winter; gratitude for donations; Song/Video of the Month: May All Beings in All Worlds Be Happy.

January, 2015 Email Newsletter: New Beginnings.pdf
featured articles: "Sufis to the Desert: Dances at Burning Man"; Meditation on al-Khaliq; Jan.15 Celebration: Murshid SAM's Urs; Parliament of World Religions; Website Wisdom; Haiku and Dances on New Beginnings; Thank you to our Holiday Card volunteers; gratitude for donations; Song of the Month: Jaya Shiva Shankara; Video: For the Beauty of the Earth.

Oct., 2014 Email Newsletter: Death And Transformation.pdf

featured articles: "How Dance Circles help us Cultivate Courage and Compassion in the Face of Change;" "Death and Transformation to Higher Ground;" Website Wisdom with Shivadam; Haiku and Dances on Death and Transformation; gratitude for donations; Song of the Month: Pieces of Cloud; Video: Lightning Zikr aka Retreat Zikr.

September, 2014 Email Newsletter: Illumination.pdf

featured articles on "Leading Dances with People Dealing with Mental Health Conditions;" Website Wisdom with Shivadam; A Request for Holiday Card Volunteers; Poems and Dances on Illumination; Song of the Month: Nembutsu Dance; Video: Murshid SAM Dargah Blessing at Lama Foundation.

July, 2014 Email Newsletter: Surrender.pdf

featured articles: "On Surrender" written by Shivadam Adam Burke; "Celebrating 30 years of Dancing in Seattle;" and Dances and Haiku on Surrender; gratitude for donations; Song of the Month: Zikr of Surrender; Video: The Delirium of the Senses.

June, 2014 Email Newsletter: Tending the Garden.pdf

featured articles on Building Beloved Community at the Canyonlands Dance Camp; Cultivating Heaven on Earth through sustainable living; Sowing Seeds for the Future with the Sufi Youth Jam, and a Call for Volunteers to help coordinate the 2014 DUPNA holiday card; Song of the Month: Om Tare; Video: My Lord is a Rock.

May, 2014 Email Newsletter: Joy.pdf

featured "How the Dances have Changed my Life" written from the perspective of a new dancer; a report on the Sufi Youth Jam, and Akhlak Allah, the practice of experiencing the presence of God as discussed by Murshid Wali Ali Meyer; Song of the Month: Ecstatic Zikr; Video: The Kalama.

April, 2014 Email Newsletter: Healing.pdf

featured articles on the Physiological Benefits of the Dances, Origin of the dance: Ancestors, Sky People, and a Farewell and Gratitude to Yamuna Devi on her retirement from the DUPNA Office Administrator position; Song of the Month: Medicine Buddha; Video: Only a Heart with Wings Can Fly.

March, 2014 Email Newsletter: Mindfulness.pdf

featured articles on the New Membership Fee Structure for DUPNA, the Urs of Hazrat Inayat Khan, the Sufi Youth Jam, and "Open Hearts, Open Hands" Dance Training article by Radha Paula Neilson; Song of the Month: Peaceful Steps; Video: May the Blessings of God.

February, 2014 Email Newsletter: Devotion.pdf

featured articles on Learning to Play for the Dances as a guitar player, drummer, and melodic instrument musician; DUPNA Now on Twitter; and Taking the Dances into the world; Song of the Month: Walk to the Well; Video: Dhal Jalali Wal Ikram.

January, 2014 Email Newsletter: New Beginnings.pdf

featured articles on the history and celebration of the Urs of Murshid SAM and Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan; the Sufi Youth Jam hosted by the SRI Youth Council in Colorado in April 2014; Song of the Month: We are the Rising Sun; Video: For the Beauty of the Earth.

December, 2013 Email Newsletter: Stillness.pdf

featured articles about the Leaders Guild Fee changes for Dance leaders; "Changing the World Through the Dances" as published in the Elephant Journal by author Karen Moon; and farewell letter from Sky Majida on her resignation as Volunteer Coordinator for DUPNA. Song of the Month: 0th Commandment; Video: Silence and Light.

November, 2013 Email Newsletter: Gratitude.pdf

featured an article about DanceSpotting: a new modality for healing; an update on the survey for young adult leaders/dancers seeking input on a gathering in 2015; and an attunement to Ash-Shakur. Song of the Month: Allah Ya Shakur: Zikr of Gratitude; Video: Spirit of Peace: Mir, Miru, Mir.

October, 2013 Email Newsletter: Harvest/Gathering In.pdf

featured an article about leadership team, Peaceful Sisters in Northern Michigan; a survey for young adult leaders/dancers seeking input on a gathering in 2015; and an update about those affected by floods in Colorado. Song of the Month: Ya Quddus, Ya Jami; Video: Kyrie Eleison.

   

(Click on the links above to open .pdf files of archived Newsletters.)

 

Newsletter Resources

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Videos

North American Press Archives

Visit the DUP International Leaders Guild Newsletter archives: https://www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org/intnew/enewsletterhome.shtm


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