By Susan Strasburger

At 18, I had decided "it's too late now to be a dancer," since I had declined Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and decided to go to Yale University instead. (You can't say no to Yale, can you?!)

Although I found a way to dance and perform there, when I went to New York City at 21, I said once again "it's too late now to be a dancer." I took classes, but always left feeling depressed.

Five weeks ago, Soul Sanctuary Dance, Berkeley’s Sunday midday community freestyle dance since 2003, eliminated its admission fee and become all volunteer produced, inspired by a number of thriving local "gift economy" organizations. After 5 weeks in the new format, we're thriving.

by Phil Porter

I was lucky to have found my way into modern dance classes at Macalester College (in St. Paul), Indiana University and the University of California at Berkeley. While concentrating primarily on studying other things, I also got some really good dance training, which ultimately had as much of an effect on my life as some of my “majors.”

Outersect is one of those bands that consists of a guy and a laptop, with some didgeridoo on the side... Played almost all his own music from what I understand, and filled the room with a nice fluid aesthetic throughout the night... Some surprising flavors thrown in, and all-in-all nice soundtrack to boogie, yet smooth enough for some contact... Sounds of today!

Posted to sfbarefootboogie yahoo group by: "bluesky_openroad" bluesky_openroad@hotmail.com bluesky_openroad
Mon Sep 22, 2008 1:22 pm (PDT)

As a Boogie dancer of many years, I thought telling all you of a small event
which happened to me last Thursday night. I was coming home through
Golden Gate Park at 5:30 PM on my motorcycle – no passing and a
beautiful view, at 25 miles per hour or under and all single lane
driving. How safe can it get on these roads! At one of the
intersections I stopped for a stop sign, leaning forward over my tank

Ellen Watson, world-renown movement teacher and global change catalyst, developed the Movement Arts Program at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, where she teaches a range of ecstatic dance, massage, yoga and moving meditation practice. Now though her nonprofit MovingVentures School (MVS), Ellen offers training and retreats at inspiring locations around the world, with a focus on community service.