A Hello and A FarewellIt was early March 2020, I was preparing to attend my first Earthdance Board of Directors meeting, the yearly board retreat, and the reality of the pandemic arrived on our doorsteps. Along with all the unknowns of the pandemic, several long term and key staff had just left (Earthdance was nearly empty), our programming was at a halt, yet we still had a large facility and mortgage to manage, and Black Lives Matter and Me Too Movements were inviting a new level of reflection and accountability both individually and organizationally…long breath out… Indeed, an interesting time to join the board.
It’s truly been an extraordinary time at Earthdance and in the world. As I finish my 3 year board term, it’s impossible to sum up my experience in the various roles I played. As I reflect, I see the faces of all the people who were with me in it, I sense all the complexity that unfolded, and I appreciate all the learning this time brought me, and the organization. Earthdance, from my lens, is one of the main “temples'” to the practice of Contact Improvisation as well as other forms of somatic inquiry. It is a unique container that invites an in-depth and immersive experience of exploration into art forms within a communal context and environment (both in the space itself and the retreat frame). More than the typical 501c3 non-profit arts organization, it’s a living, learning cultural and relational – body/mind/spirit– experience. I know I’m not alone in the long line of residents, staff, board members, work exchangers and other volunteers, to know and feel the sweet complexity of being in a relationship with such a place and community.
For me, being of service in this way was/is a path and opportunity to give back to the forms and community I have grown so much in (CI and the somatic world), as well as to the place that has been, and continues to be, a container that curates profound and impactful experiences for me and so many others. It has been a great responsibility, privilege, and honor to serve Earthdance and Earthdancers.
As I bow out of my board tenure, I’d like to say to those of us who take roles of leadership now and in the future, may you continue to learn from the past, and grow into the unfolding present and future. Trust resilience, and lean into curiosity. Build bridges of hope with good communication, and use the principles of your practice and art form to guide you.
I would be remiss not to also share my appreciation and acknowledgement of the long long line of people who supported Earthdance in similar (and other) ways through the last 36+ years, as well as to the original stewards of the land, to the flora and fauna, and to the Earth that invites and holds our Dance.
In Community and with the Melting Snow,
Meta Bobbe P.s. Though I’ll be off the Board of Directors, I plan to stay active in the Jam organization team (CICo) for now and I look forward to seeing and meeting you in the studio and kitchen soon! |
