Prima Spira

There is no denying it, at times we must face our shadow...and the shadows of the world. Viewing this darkness does not always have to be deigned evil, it can help us grow and learn so that we may become that much brighter and whole within ourselves. Acknowledging the range of different aspects of light and dark within our beings allows for an integration that breathes harmony and truth. This is Prima Spira, the first breath of this understanding. Prima Spira is a play that has been written and directed by my roommate, Rebecca Antsis, as an Independent Study.  The study is named Women's Nature, Ritual and Experimental Theater, and this production is an apt reflection of its title. I have always thought a lot of Rebecca, but through this play I have seen how Prescott College has supported her freedom to express what can only be described as pure genius. Sometimes dark, often achingly beautiful, Prima Spira is an exploration in theater courting mythical ritual. There is no dialogue, though there is impassioned use of the human voice in non-lingual patterns. Using powerful music to echo the energy of lore, the play sets a stage for a culmination of different dance styles interlacing to create an incredible tale. The dancing incorporates aspects of butoh, bellydance, classical, and flamenco as well as touch-flow improvisation. Having such a spectrum of styles allows for a space to really root in with rituals of ancient and modern flow, creating a transformation in all who are involved.

I have never taken a dance or theater class at Prescott College, but it has been an amazing experience getting to be involved with an artistic production of this caliber. It just goes to show you don't have to be majoring in the Arts to be involved artistically here. Through this play I have connected to a way of expression and a community that has inspired me to the core.

This brings me to my favorite part of the whole production: the coming together of strong women in the community in order to explore ritual and dance together. The play involves thirteen women (a sacred number in ancient ritual) who span from childhood to silver hair, reflecting the many archetypes of female beings. It has been inspiring seeing the growth of the actresses and director through the exploration of these archetypes. These archetypes include the Dark Mother, the shadow of life, Kali, who dances creation and destruction, Salome, the femme fatale, La Llorona, the woman driven to insanity, as well as archetypes that reflect the innocent child, the primordial female being and many many more. Through acknowledging these different archetypes that are in all of us, the women in the production have been able to share wisdom, experience and vibes to grow and create something that is intrinsically powerful.

As Rebecca has often said, you must sweat your prayers. Prescott College has given life and support to a work of art that does just that.

Dance, when you're broken open. 

Dance, if you've torn the bandage off.
Dance in the middle of the fighting.
Dance in your blood.
Dance, when you're perfectly free.

~Rumi

-Brittany "Davi" Davis, 12.15.2011

Here is a pic of the flyer. Cheers!

Truly I am inspired.

Wild horse herds, coal mines on the horizon, a people filled with strength protecting the natural existence of the earth. Long miles of non-industrialized land and flocks of sheep. The Navajo Reservation is overflowing with magic, sacred ritual and beautiful resistance. Resistance of a government set on taking sacred lands to be made into a digging ground for Peabody Coal. See, the Navajo Reservation is the most abundant resource of coal land left in North America.  Even though the Navajo people have already been forced into reservations, the "worth" of the land has risen in the eyes of the greedy in power since it was found to be such a large coal deposit. So of course, now the Navajo have to struggle once more against relocation set about by those who don't know the real worth of the earth.

Out of this, though, rises those who would help protect the people and land of this area called Black Mesa in northern Arizona. I was honored to be among them. I was invited to participate in the Black Mesa Health Clinic and provide free service work to the Navajo people resisting relocation. The clinic consisted of herbalists and bodyworkers who held the intention of providing in whatever way they could, and never in any way overstepping the cultural beauty of this struggling people. I was surprised to find that the woman who originally helped organize the clinic is a Prescott College graduate, Rowen Tumbleweed. Her time at Prescott College consisted of studying the cultural struggle of indigenous peoples holding out against relocation and the loss of land to the ever devouring industrial market. At only 27, Rowen has become a leader on the forefront of supporting the Navajo resistors, and she has partnered with an amazing Navajo woman, Mary Catherine Smith, to help bring much needed health care to the reservation. It was so inspiring to meet someone who had come from the culture and incredible drive of Prescott College to create harmony and responsible global citizens. It was inspiring hearing of how Prescott College could influence someone to become such a successful leader of a support organization that affects real change.

I was also able to work on my studies of Traditional Chinese Medicine while I was on the reservation. This semester I created an independent study focusing in on the philosophies and practices connected with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and I was able to practice and grow in these philosophies while providing care for the Navajo people. The massage I practiced most of the time was Shiatsu, a form of massage with its roots based in TCM that works both physically and energetically. Also, the herbal balancing that I learned from many of the herbalists respected the TCM philosophies.Getting hands on experience and actually feeling like I was affecting change was so rewarding.

The more I thought of it, the more I realized how lucky I am to be at Prescott. Through Prescott College I gained the massage therapy and herbalism skills to actively provide health care for many people during this clinic. Through Prescott College I made the connections that brought me to the reservation to be of service to people in need. Through Prescott College I have been given the freedom to create independent studies where I can get college credit for doing service work like this. Through Prescott College I continue to grow and be inspired not just by what people do while they are in school here, but also by what they do when they have their diploma.  

Truly I am inspired. This place is amazing.

~Brittany Davis, 11.28.2011

Oh, and How Prescott Provides

Barefooted political science bicyclists, fiddle playin’ rock climbers, ecoconscious punk farmers. No matter the different kinds of people you find at Prescott College, one thing connects them all: Prescott students love to be outside.

Oh, and how Prescott provides. Surrounded by National Forest with spectacular hikes, climbing, and views, Prescott is an outdoorsy student’s paradise. It’s a common thing to hike up round Thumb Butte, a beautiful towering rock monument that pinnacles over the town. Or hike through the Granite Dells, which are giant orange rock sculptures that meander around a lovely creek. Close by you find the Verde River, which literally looks green and echoes something out of an amazonian dream, winding round through many canyons and creating natural hot springs. Go south and you find fields of saguaro cacti, stretching into the Superstition Mountains which are wild and warm. Go north and you find the Red Rocks of Sedona, the green of the trees and the red of the rocks creating a spiraling breathtaking effect around the city that draws people from all over the country to experience its beauty. And if anything, Sedona is the red cherry on top of the gigantic incredible banana split of the Grand Canyon, which lies just a little farther north. Words can’t express the awe one experiences when looking down into the canyon, so I won’t try. The fact is, Arizona is epically lovely, and the places just described are only the tip of the iceberg. There is a reason why they say that the four corners region of the Southwest is magical, and that magic lies in the beauty of the nature that has remained in many places largely untouched by human development.

So students at Prescott College really know how to enjoy the natural wonders that abound in this region. Lots of places for a good bike ride, with lots of people to ride around with. Really cool bouldering and climbing spots. Oh, and the farm life. If you want to be outside and active in growing your own food and food for the community, why not join up with Karma Farms, one of the local community garden co-ops? Or the Splash community garden? There are so many people growing their own food round Prescott that there is more than ample opportunity to do the same for yourself. So whether it is beatin’ the path through the woods or getting dirty growing something yummy, you can bet you’ll find Prescott College students out in the sunshine.

Thumb Butte

~Brittany L. Davis, 10/17/2011