The Khaita Dance School will start a three-year training program to prepare new Khaita instructors and experts. The aim of the program is to create an important ‘bridge’ through Khaita that will help us to communicate the values and the message of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu outside the Dzogchen Community. Khaita is a very effective way to do this. The training program aims to give participants some basic tools to convey Khaita’s message to the general public but also potentially into specific areas and contexts such as schools as well as into residential homes for the elderly etc. Dance is a fantastic tool to keep people moving and feeling young and it can also be therapeutic. Many studies show that it is an excellent tool for preventing ageing and slowing down the development of certain neurological disorders.
The training program will last for three years, with three courses per year. Basically, the training will cover three areas: a) training awareness through movement and sound b) learning process: developing the skills to become instructors but also to organize and promote events, coordinate projects etc. c) studying and promoting cultural aspects.
The program plans to develop more experts and instructors: to do so, in addition to the three weekly courses, there will be workshops on specific topics. For example, the first course at Merigar West, Tuscany, Italy, in July will host a workshop on voice&dance unisono training with Camilla Dell’Agnola: it will be about singing together, singing while dancing and it will be open to everybody interested, not only those who will be following the training. Later we’ll focus on communication and public speaking and a university professor will teach us some aspects from the methodology of dance research. Of course, in a single weekend it is not possible to reach a deep knowledge of these fields: the goal is to open our minds, have an experience and create a base from which to develop.
The first year of the Educational Program will be dedicated to building a basic knowledge of Khaita. At the end of it participants will be able to lead Khaita sessions in an informal way.
The second and third years will be dedicated to developing teaching and organizational skills. At the end of the third year, those who would like to become instructors, will take an exam and undergo supervision with the Khaita Committee.
The training program for 2021 has already planned three weeks of courses. The first will be at Merigar West, Italy, July 26 – August 2.
The second week-course will happen at Dzamling Gar, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain in November 2021, and the third one at Phendenling, Czech Republic, during spring 2022.
Originally, only on-site participation was envisaged, as this is the best way for Khaita dance to express its full potential. Now, due to complicated circumstances and the uncertainty of the moment, online participation is allowed, although it is clear that this is not the best way.
This project is realized in collaboration with the Atiyoga Foundation.
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