Creating Space Harmony by the Ottawa River

In late September 2017, DMTAC collaborated with the Sacred Dance Guild to present Space Harmony: Portal to the Sacred in Ottawa, Ontario.

The weekend-long workshop, deftly combined dance/movement therapy, sacred dance, expressive arts and Laban to explore meaningful and therapeutic connection to one another and to the world around us.

We were thrilled to have Marylee Hardenbergh, BC-DMT, CMA, LICSW, facilitate the event. Marylee has practiced dance therapy for more than 40 years in the United States and is a former student of Irmgard Bartenieff. She is also an award-winning choreographer of international site-specific dances, and the co-founder and artistic director of Global Water Dances.

Our weekend culminated in a group, site-specific dance (a “movement choir”) at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal’s lower locks. Our intentions were to honour our connection to one another, to our communities, to water as a precious resource, and to the unceded Algonquin territory upon which we danced. It was a beautiful experience!

Many thanks to Wendy Morrell, President of the Sacred Dance Guild, to Ottawa-based dance therapists, Mary Moncrieff and Megan Dillenbeck, and to everyone else who planned, organized and made this weekend possible. We look forward to more collaborations in the future.

Thank you also to Barbara Brown for sharing her lovely photos with us.