We are the Sky
/The sky.
Feels like that is something that comes up, over and over in this practice of Dog Dance -- the sky.
The Sky Inside
and
It’s like the Sky
and
We are The Sky
Margaret said this last one on Sunday, before we began dancing — “We are the sky,” she said, “all of us.”
I love the feeling I get when I hear that because it brings me back to remembering that REALLY and TRULY — we are connected to each other.
We live, breath, and dance under the same sky, all the time.
Which brings me to YAASPA and the money we are raising for them, because even though on a certain level we might feel separate from the young people doing this work — we really aren’t.
Even if you don’t live in Colorado or even in the United States, and even if you thought, wait a minute, this is a dance newsletter, not a fundraising newsletter, and even if you are struggling right now financially, as so many of us are, even if you’re super busy, stop for just a sec, and notice:
Your breath.
Your body.
The Sky.
Your body breathing in the sky. The bodies of the young people at YAASPA who are working so hard, breathing in that same sky.
Dancing.
All of us.
Dancing.
I’m excited to tell you that Nancy Cranbourne (Jazz Dance Diva of well, THE WORLD, and also of One Big Yes Productions) has partnered with me so that we can raise even more money for these guys.
So all the money she is collecting in her own dance classes for organizations creating uplift and change in our communities, she's adding that to our pot of collective giving for YAASPA.
THANK YOU NANCY!
If any of you would like to partner in that way so we can pool our time, resources, and money, let me know. I think it would be kinda great if we said to the Executive Director at YAASPA, Janiece Mackey, this is from the DANCERS. Not only the Dog Dancers, but all the dancers.
Email me if you're also collecting funds from your classes, performances, events, to give to the people who are doing good work, and we could all give together, if you'd like :).
Speaking of, had a great phone conversation with Ms. Mackey on Monday. She is holding and acting on the values I look for when choosing a place for us to give: slow growing, sustainable, equitable, kind, strategic, change making. This is Ms. Mackey to the core, and the vision she brings to this organization.
K, math and money:
So far, we've raised $1,270.78.
Let’s work toward getting to — eeks, $2,000! — by August 31st.
That's $729.22 left to go.
Which is about:
30 of you giving $25.
15 of you giving $50.
7 of you giving $100.
Can we?
Get there?
Dancing under the same sky?
You can donate here, and I hope you do. You know why? Because it will be helpful, and this is a group that wants to help. And also -- because it feels really good to do something, especially right now.
I can’t tell you the number of people I’ve talked to who've said “I don’t know what to do.” Here’s something you can do, right now.
Donate here.
And also, YAASPA is celebrating their 10 year anniversary this year -- let's be part of that celebration.
And after you donate, do a little dance, outside with the sky.
"Call out to the whole divine night for what you love. What you stand for. Earn your name. Be kind, and wild, and disciplined, and absolutely generous."
--Dr. Martin Shaw
xo
joanna