For this month’s newsletter, the editor of the newsletter, Christos Galanis, takes a moment to share some significant news for our global CI community:

Here in the Hilltowns at Earthdance we’re having our first warm days of pre-spring, as the patchwork of flowing waters, mud, and leftover islands of ice and snow inform us that we’re on the threshold of both endings and beginnings. The bitter cold days that are surely still to come remind us that we remain firmly in the arms of Grandmother Winter, where all things here in the north go to die, or at least sleep deeply. And yet, the lengthening days and basking in the return of sun-drenched afternoons also remind us of the quickening of life to come, when all things new shall arise once more. So it should come as no surprise that - as above, so below - here at Earthdance we are both saddened by the news of a significant ending in our global community, while at the same time very excited to officially launch a new programming initiative whose seeds are so deeply and intimately connected to that particular ending itself.

For those who have not heard yet, Steve Paxton passed away this past February 20th at the age of 85. Considered the initiator of the thread of movement exploration and experimentation which would come to be known as Contact Improvisation, it would be impossible to fully grasp or describe the impact of Steve’s life on this organization we call Earthdance. Those earliest explorations and performances in NYC in 1972 gave birth to almost forty-two years now of the continuous evolution, development, and dissemination of this dance form which Steve consciously chose to never patent or gate-keep behind certifications and professionalized credentials. As the oldest CI-based intentional community in the world going back to 1986, Earthdance’s very existence and purpose is intimately derived from Steve’s original visions. Like everything, we have also evolved, diverged, and expanded more or less over the years. But in this month’s newsletter, let us take a few moments - and perhaps a dance or two - to honor, recognize, and offer praise and gratitude to this extraordinary life which is now complete. 

Thank-you Steve, for all the dances, and all the ways your imagination and generosity have nourished countless people around the world.

Steve Paxton

January 21, 1939 – February 20, 2024

If you wish to take a few more moments to watch some of the earliest footage of the birth and evolution of CI and see Steve Paxton and other early founders dancing together, here are parts one and two of the short documentary Fall After Newton:

FALL AFTER NEWTON:

Part One:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k768K_OTePM

Part Two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iGtJSxNUpI

Score Newsletter Schedule Change
For this month’s newsletter we’ve shifted the release of the Score to coincide with the month to come, rather than the month that is ending, which was the pattern for the last couple years. Consequently, we’ve skipped February’s newsletter and are starting fresh in these early days of March.

***These are Independent Events. Earthdance assumes no responsibilities for the activities of these programs as a renter of its facilities.***

Updates from the Garden by Neal Wecker

It may be too early to say, “spring has arrived;” it’s not too early to see how the power of the increasing daylight weakens the snow’s chilly hold! With each day, the sun’s potency calls to sleeping buds, waiting blossoms and the warming soil. Likewise, it’s retuning grandeur stirs in us an innocent longing to feel again the nourishing return of outdoor warmth. As much as we too gardeners long to relax in the warmth and promise of early spring, we know that the longer, subsequent warm days mean, “time to act”! 

During the dead-of-winter, planning of next year’s garden means hours in the warmth of hope and faith. Seeds are ordered and arriving. Tools evaluated and now stand ready. Even with our dear Earthdance garden still covered with snow, it is time to orient towards the promise and physicality of spring! Soon it will be time to work last year’s onsite-made compost into her soil and support her enduring health and abundance! 

Beginning last spring, we have composted 2.5 tons of wet kitchen waste in our newly built, multi-bin composting system. Summer jam alone produced 1000 lbs of wet food waste, all of which was diligently mixed with local straw, turned timely twice and allowed to alchemize and cure. It stands ready now to be our main source of soil fertility. Due to last year’s devotion to composting, we will be working this season with no less than 4 cubic yards of homemade, PH neutral, nutrient rich, soil conditioning garden ready compost. 

In the upcoming season, we will be making renewed and forward-facing steps to facilitate an Earthdance Food Culture and Sustainability program and policy. With our organically managed garden, dutifully inspired to contradict the present unsustainable, fossil fuel dependent larger food system, we hope to invoke it’s value and potential as a “closed loop” food culture (a cycle of compost to garden, to kitchen to compost, to compost to garden).

Stories Of Earthdance’s Early Days

Back in November, two of Earthdance’s original founders, Stephen Yoshen and Penny Schultz, shared some sweet stories about the early days of Earthdance during an evening of storytelling. Enjoy the video here!

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