International Peace Program

To begin Earthdance’s main livestream, several organizations and universities have collaborated on a program including music and panelists from around the world. We are deeply grateful for the efforts of these collaborators:

• The International Institute for Peace Through Tourism
• Tourism Council of Bhutan
• George Mason University – Center for World Religions, Diplomacy & Conflict Resolution
• Hamilton College
• Toda Peace Institute

This program will also be carried on the Peacefestivals.org website where you can find additional information about the day’s program, and on how we work together to create a culture of peace, through music and dance events.

From Bhutan – Prayers for Peace, Happiness and Health

Our day begins with prayers for peace, happiness and health from the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, led by His Holiness Trulku Jigme Choeda, the head of central Monasteries Bodies, from the central monastic hall in Thimphu, Bhutan – a country where progress is measured not by gross national product, but by Gross National Happiness.

The monks will lead us in traditional Buddhist chants to begin our virtual Global Dance Party for Peace.

International Webinar on World Peace Through Music, Dance and Dialogue

This special webinar recorded on September 17 explores why peace is important and considers how we achieve peace through music – which has been the mission of Earthdance for 24 years.

Dance, music, ritual and art – these human experiences exist at the core of all that is beautiful in this world. Today that world that needs great healing – more love, more compassion, more understanding, more reasoning together towards societies more just, more fair, less violent, and more peaceful.

Engaged in moving society forward, our panelists will consider the critical importance of the mind. The profoundly intellectual task of building peace in a complicated world of conflict must involve greater integration among our senses, our experiences of the body, and our emotions. The power of artistic expression lies in how it helps every child and adult re-frame their minds for positive thinking, towards healing and building a better world.

True change makers deeply integrate truth and beauty. The arts form an intimate relationship among our senses that inspires shifts in perspective – towards compassion, kindness, care for others – and also shifts towards social justice, climate restoration, conflict resolution and peace-building. Arts increase our ability to take on the good, the right and the just actions needed in this world in need of peace and positive change.

This session will explore artistic means and human interaction. It will explore ways in which each person who dances becomes inspired through the arts, and in turn becomes critical agents of positive change, ambassadors of the good and the right for a world that desperately needs more vision and more kindness.

Dr. Louis D’amore (USA)

Louis D’Amore is the Founder and President of the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT). He has been instrumental in promoting the travel and tourism industry as the world’s first “Global Peace Industry” since the founding of IIPT in 1986.

In 1992, following the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development (Rio Summit), he developed the world’s first Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Sustainable Tourism for the Canadian tourism industry. He also conducted the world’s first international study on Codes of Conduct and best practices in Sustainable Tourism for the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

Dr. D’amore has recorded opening remarks for this panel which you may view here.

Dr. Marc Gopin (USA)

Marc Gopin is the James H. Laue Professor of Religion, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, and the Director of the Center on Religion, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Gopin has lectured on conflict resolution and trained thousands of people worldwide in peacemaking strategies for complex conflicts in which religion and culture play a role. He conducts research on values dilemmas as they apply to international problems of globalization, clash of cultures, development, social justice and conflict.

Dr. Lisa Schirch

Dr. Schirch is Senior Research Fellow for the Toda Peace Institute where she directs the Institute’s “Social Media, Technology and Peacebuilding” programme to commission policy briefs and case studies on the impact of social media on conflict dynamics, to encourage civil society to participate in a “Digital Neighborhood Watch” programme that brings the skills of conflict resolution to social media, and in organising a 2020 Global Summit on Peacebuilding.

Schirch is also a Senior Fellow with the Alliance for Peacebuilding and Visiting Scholar at George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. She holds a PhD in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University. She taught in the graduate programme on peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University for 23 years.As a practitioner, Schirch has facilitated and participated in the design of national peace processes in Fiji and Afghanistan and written extensively about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Nicholas R. Sherwood

Nicholas R. Sherwood (Nick) is a PhD student in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution (George Mason University). He holds an MA in Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights (University of Alabama at Birmingham) and BAs in Psychology and Political Science (Christopher Newport University). Nick serves as the Lab Manager for CRDC‘s Wellbeing & Peacebuilding Lab and as a Research & Practice Fellow at the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation. He is also on the Board of Directors for The Parachute People.

Nick’s research examines the psychology of peace and conflict, including the wellbeing of peace practitioners (e.g., humanitarian aid workers, grassroots activists) and resilience in marginalized communities (e.g., Syrian refugees with disabilities, Black women living with HIV). His most recent publication is Surviving and Thriving during COVID-19, a handbook designed to help readers locate and mobilize psychological resilience to cope and deal with the many lifestyle changes brought about from the COVID pandemic. Nick has conducted wellbeing trainings and workshops around the world, often collaborating with music industry professionals and artists in the US. As a former actor, director, and musician, Nick believes the arts have tremendous power to deepen peace processes and contribute to individual wellbeing.

These performances are created by musician and storyteller Ismail Butera.

It is a recitation with musical accompaniment that explains how the universe and humanity are one. As the celestial bodies interact in harmony with one another, humans should seek this harmonic interaction among themselves as it is their natural destiny and reason for being.

Please click here to learn more about the inspirations for this music.

Ismail Butera, saz
Natalia Perlaza, percussion

Papua New Guinea

This segment features performances from the Papua New Guinea Music Foundation.

Global Peace Building

Featuring the thoughts and voices of children throughout the world.

Vision 2020 – Prayer for Peace

A peace meditation/performance begins this segment, building towards the synchronized Earthdance Prayer for Peace which unites us all, around the world at 4 pm San Francisco time (midnight London), produced by Divasonic (Lynda Arnold) with visuals by Michael Strauss. After that, the Prayer for Peace livestream continues with Solar Theory, followed by many more performances and ending with an international Glow Tribe Dance Party on Zoom. Register now to dance with us!

GLOBAL PEACE MEDITATION

Midnight London, UK
4 PM California

Divasonic

Lynda Arnold, founder of Sonic Devas Divine Feminine Sound Meditation Experience, is a Sound Meditation Facilitator, Vocalist & Multi-Instrumentalist, Composer and seasoned Performer on a life long mission to build healthy communities through the power of sound and music. She offers sound healing workshops, private sound baths, singing for wellness sessions at some of the top meditation and yoga studios in Los Angeles and beyond. Lynda has appeared and collaborated at Earthdance, Chopra Foundation, Bhakti Fest, Alex Grey’s Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, Mindvalley LA Live, LA Yoga Expo, DisclosureFest, SXSW, Lightning in a Bottle Festival, UNICEF Events, Burning Man and Lucidity Festival among others. Her intention is to provide a gateway for people to reduce stress, transform consciousness and heal through sound and meditation. She received a Certificate in ‘Sound, Voice and Music Healing’ at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco in 2010, has multiple music degrees and over 25 years of music education and performing experience.

As a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer and music producer, she has spent years collaborating with other artists and bands and touring in support of her releases as Divasonic. Her sound has varied through her 25 year, fiercely DIY career, touching on every electronic music genre accompanied by her transcendent, angelic flute and soulful vocal deliveries. Recent performance, production and sound healing projects include: Recording and performing with KSHMR, DJ Sol Rising, Desert Dwellers, Lucent Dossier’s ‘Human Initiation Project’, Visual Reality, Solar Theory with Torkom Ji & Michael Strauss, and directing an all woman ensemble of sound meditation facilitators and musicians called Sonic Devas. In addition, Lynda is continuing to release music under her artist name and music company, Divasonic.

Lynda is also a seasoned music and audio production educator and writer. She has taught at Pyramind Training Music & Audio Production School in San Francisco and Ex’pression College for the Digital Arts (Now SAE) in Emeryville. Lynda was a contributing writer for a Pyramind School textbook published by Alfred called ‘Music Theory, Songwriting and the Piano’ in 2013 and wrote over 80 tutorials and product reviews for popular online site Ask.Audio. Lynda teaches sound Meditation and therapy courses at Panacea Holistic Institute in Long Beach, CA and the Soul of Yoga Institute in Encinintas, CA. In 2020 she launched the Divasonic Music Academy and her first online program, Devotional Voice with more coaching and online programs to follow.

Website: divasonic.com

Michael Strauss

MICHAEL STRAUSS (aka D-PROGRAMMERS) is a live visual artist, event producer, and technical wizard crafting immersive environments and multi-dimensional visual projections for over 13 years. Michael’s psychedelic animation, video mixing, and projection mapping have enhanced countless shows and brought life to the stages of nearly every venue on the west coast. His work has been seen on the main stages of festivals such as Lightning in a Bottle, Sonic Bloom, Symbiosis, Lucidity, Serenity Gathering, The Untz, Electric Daisy Carnival, and Nocturnal Wonderland.

Collaborations include next-level stage productions with performance acts like Lucent Dossier Experience, Desert Dwellers: Beyond, and Kalya Scintilla’s Evokation. Official music music videos include projects for David Starfire, Shaman’s Dream, Luvamp Project, and many others. Most recently Michael was chosen to remix the visionary art of Alex and Allyson Grey as the official VJ for the Bicycle Day 75th Anniversary tour with Shpongle.

Michael is now expanding his work into 360 projection domes, virtual reality, and augmented art. As a founder of Visual Reality, the premiere community gathering for transformational VR in Los Angeles, Michael continues to explore new forms of expression. Michael’s work is the true embodiment of modern-day magic, using technology and creativity to transform reality.

Solar Theory

The two universes of Torkom Ji and Divasonic collide to form Solar Theory, their collaborative electronic performance and production project. Torkom and Lynda weave deeply mystical and spiritual compositions. Lynda’s vocal and instrumental musings about the universe and evolving consciousness, stories of our journey through time, space and love through connection to source, float over Torkom’s signature 432Hz electronic grooves and soundscapes.

Solar Theory is unifying the space between sound meditation and live performance through a diversity of form and expression. Their live experience is a download, designed purely to assist one to transcend the limitations of the ego and physical self for something greater that has always been inside. It’s an evolution of sound born out of their sound healing and past production work, and serves as a giant leap in the future of forward thinking music based on universal principles. Their live experience is further enhanced by the visual wizardry of Michael Strauss, creating a mind melding audio-visual experience designed to blow minds and expand hearts.

Their past sound meditation offerings ‘Language of Light’ and ‘Equilibrium’ are ambient listening experiences designed for deep meditation, healing, inner exploration and relaxation.  Their sound healing collaboration centers around creating a safe and grounded space to dive deep within the mind and spirit. The purpose of creating space for internal sound journeying is to resolve and release tensions, receive answers, and cultivate a deeply restful state of integrated awareness.  The Language of Light sessions often incorporate vocal meditation exercises like toning, chanting and breath work to help participants drop into the experience and connect more intimately with themselves.  It is a journey of deep listening. They have shared this experience at dozens of events, festivals and yoga studios.

Website: solartheorymusic.com

Eostar and Mathias

Cornflower

Cornflower’s sound emerges from the moment connecting you to your Soul. His voice calls us deeper into Presence utilizing modern mantra-like lyrics upon a landscape of vocal loops, he builds layers and dimensions of harmony and groove like a sonic tapestry into an anthemic chant to set your body ablaze in movement and prayer.

With influences ranging from Phish to Michael Jackson and Al Jarreau to Björk, Cornflower’s music is a mix of experimental vocal soul, world-funk, jam & electronica layered over a delicate balance of structure and improvisation.

Cornflower has shared stages with the likes of Michael Franti & Spearhead, Bobby McFerrin, Victor Wooten, Jeff Pevar, Ayla Nereo, Mike Love, DJ Drez, Indubious, Jai-Jagdeesh, Fanna-Fi-Allah, Jaime Janover, Yoga with Janet Stone, scientist and author Nassim Haramein, and best-selling authors Gary Zukav, Linda Francis, Neale Donald Walsch, Gregg Braden, James Twyman, and Dr. Joe Dispenza.

After his debut album “Journey Into Sound” in 2009, his newest releases “Explorations, Vol. 1”, “You Are The Medicine feat. Indubious” & “Monks on Main Street” are his most potent material to date.

Website: cornflowermusic.com

Gaudi

Glow Tribe Visionary Dance Party with Radiohiro

REGISTER NOW TO DANCE WITH US ON ZOOM

This special Earthdance edition of the Glow Tribe Dance Party features the music of Radiohiro (Matt Fusello) as our own DJ Feral (our Tech Director) moves to the producer’s chair.

Radiohiro, a lifelong music producer and DJ, has been rewriting the sounds of London’s “Asian Underground” movement since 2002. His sound can be best described as bass induced electronic music with lush Hindustani, Punjabi, Middle Eastern and Bollywood mixtures seamlessly worked in.

A trained drummer since the age of 4, Radiohiro was exposed to East Indian music through his Jazz training, while listening to John McLaughlin’s ‘Shakti’ records featuring Master Violinist L. Shankar and the masters of Indian percussion, including Zakir Hussain. After that, he was sold on the deep integrity and rhythmic complexities of East Indian Hindustani music forms and looked for ways to expose this style to a Western audience.

As a ‘world music’ events producer and sound lead, he has worked and/or recorded several major Indian Hindustani Classical gurus.

Radiohiro has also worked with great music masters including Quincy Jones, Bob Ezrin (producer The Wall). He has also scored, curated and contributed music for several films, including John Mcnaughton’s “Normal Life” starring Ashley Judd, and Ajay Naidu’s independent film  “Ashes” co-starring Iron Man and Star Trek’s Faran Tahir.

Radiohiro was also the drummer for the founders of the Trip Hop movement, Tranquility Bass (Astralwerks/EMI/MoWax/MTVamp), and has been performing his own music at the Burningman festival for the past 22 years.

Three full length releases include:  Radiohiro: ‘110/220’, Radiohiro: ‘Shruti Boombox’, and Radiohiro & MC Zulu – ‘Anarchy In  Your Neighborhood’ can all be found for sale across all digital music outlets.

Senjo (Johannesburg, South Africa)

It wouldn’t be Earthdance without a closing electronic DJ set! Through the magic of our virtual co-manifestival, we are able to bring you this special performance from South Africa.

Senjo (Natalia Roux) took to the stage in 2011 bringing Jozi crowds a differentiating, energetic yet dark sound with her Techno sets.  She was soon signed to Teknotribe Records and has been a proud member of the family since early 2012.

Senjo has been invited to play at some of South Africa’s most renowned festivals including Twilight, Earthdance, Tswaing Crater Gathering, Revolution NYE, Moksha, Fenomena Phestival, ONE, T.H.O, MCQP, Fu-Cha Gatherings as well as the world renowned international music festival, Mozamboogy.

Senjo’s love for underground electronic music was massively fuelled by the 90’s rave scene including inspiration from artists like The Prodigy, Leftfield, Faithless, Basement Jaxx and Crystal Waters to name but a few.

For Senjo the essence of being is captured in those moments of sharing her love for music with a crowd that responds with the same passion.

She is proud and humbled to have opened the stage for top-class artists like Victor Ruiz and Gaga. She has also had the honour of sharing the stage with Julian Jeweil, Cosmic Boys, Joseph Capriati, D-Nox, Perfect Stranger, Luigi Madonna, Kalil, Nick Grater and many more incredible international and local artists.