"Grieving is a soul-cleansing way to reclaim and to recover our spirit. When we do not grieve, we stay in an unhealthy place and lose who we are." - Sobonfu Somé

Dear Community,

After having taken nearly 3 months off from our last gathering, we are excited to come back together in a meaningful way.

We have reflected on what would be the most supportive way to gather in response to the devastating events that have occurred in Palestine/Israel since October 7th, and we feel the need to create a space where we can move through grief together as a community.

Omar Aena, Nessa Norich and Rabbi Zach Fredman are teaming up to create a Somatic Grief Ritual in Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley. Together we are preparing a safe & brave container to allow the truth of our embodied experiences to come to the surface and be transmuted in a healthy and transformative way.

We recognize that these events have a history that goes far beyond the 7th and has affected so many people. We intend for this space is meant to welcome all - from those who are most impacted to those who are unsure of their place.

As facilitators of the event we feel it’s important to share that our stance is for a ceasefire and a release of captives on both sides. We are in favor of a peaceful solution to the crisis and against revenge of any kind.

We hope to see you there.

Location:
The Kiva @ Marbletown Multi-Arts
3588 Main St
Stoneridge, NY

MaMA (Marbletown Multi-Arts) is a unique and beautiful community center located in the heart of Stone Ridge with ample indoor and outdoor space, perfect for a variety of events such as private parties, health/wellness/spirituality classes, and workshops, weddings, and/or receptions, live musical events, dance parties and more.

Tickets:
$25 in advance/$30 Day Of
No refunds will be issued.
10% of all proceeds will go to the Manna-hatta fund: a 501c3 registered nonprofit serving the health, social service, and cultural needs of Native Americans residing in New York City. The remainder of the proceeds will be going to organizations working in urgent relief efforts in Gaza + long-term peace solutions in Israel/Palestine.

If you would like to volunteer in exchange for a ticket, e-mail dancelabbk@gmail.com.

Bios:

Nessa Norich is a queer Ashkenazi interdisciplinary creator and intuitive coach working across performance, film and social practice. The foundations of Nessa's art practice is in collaborative creation, community building, and bold self-expression. Through her work, she subverts social norms, sources ancestral wisdom, and designs containers for audiences to remain engaged and vulnerable through trying times. With her Jewish feminist art collective, she has produced a number of performance workshops, that guide women to reimagine and re-engage with their ancestral myths through a feminist lens, and find power in performance. Nessa applies her 20 years of training and professional practice in physical theater, dance and improvisation, to support other creators from age 8-80 as a creative coach, ritual facilitator and educator. Much of Nessa's social practice has used somatic research to encounter and process ancestral trauma. She comes to this work informed by her intersectional identity as a queer, non-binary person, and as a grandchild of holocaust survivors, who grew up steeped in a rich Jewish cultural heritage. Please visit www.wellofwills.com to see her social practice work, and www.nessanorich.com for her artistic projects.

Omar Aena is a World Music DJ, community organizer and event producer based in NYC. He is the founder of Dance Lab, a Brooklyn-based collective that explores dance as a form of somatic therapy.

He has hosted many events around the world including the Dance Beyond Campout - an annual mini-festival that takes place in June in the Berkshire mountains in Massachusetts.

He is also the creator of 'LILA' - a series of documentaries, events and group trips around the world exploring the roots of Ecstatic Dance and traditional cultures that integrate art & spirituality.

As a DJ he creates dynamic mixes weaving traditional world music with electronic sounds, with a particular focus on songs from his middle-eastern heritage. You can listen to his DJ mixes here: soundcloud.com/omaraena

Rabbi Zach Fredman ran a west village synagogue for ten years, translating ancient wisdom to modern audiences. Now it’s time to open the circle. Composer, Oud player, and band leader for the Epichorus. Maker of strawberry-rhubarb pie, mobiles, healing, joy, and ceremony.