Gathering at the Threshold
Gathering at the Threshold
As the growing season comes to a close and the darkest part of the year begins, come into the woods to pause, move, remember, and celebrate the ancestors whose lives made ours possible.
Through music, traditional women’s dances, nature, and simple practices of intention and reflection, we’ll create a space to honor both where we come from and what we are becoming.
This celebration invites you to:
Mark the turning of the season
Savor the quiet and beauty of the woods
Move your body in ways that are restorative, joyful, and grounding
Remember and honor loved ones who have died
Connect meaningfully with others
Feel your place within the larger web of generations
Reflect on what you are carrying forward—and what you hope to leave for those who come after you
Traditional women’s dances have a remarkable capacity to hold the fullness of life. Sorrow and joy can live side by side. The dances give us a way to move with what cannot easily be spoken, while bringing the body back to a sense of wholeness, vitality, and connection.
Sunday, November 1, 3 - 6 PM
Led by Emily Jarrett Hughes
Music by Greg Herriges
Program will be within a walled picnic shelter with a large central fireplace.
Honoring the ancestors—and becoming one
This Gathering at the Threshold honors the vast web of people and lineages who came before us, as well as the process of becoming an ancestor ourselves.
Because you are already part of that story.
Through intention-setting, dancing, and the guidance of oracle cards, we’ll make space to explore:
The love, wisdom, guidance, and support we receive from our ancestors and lineages
Your experience of becoming a living link between the past and the future
The gifts, wisdom, and mastery you are developing as you move through life
The unique contribution you are making to your family, lineage, and community
Your hopes, dreams, and blessings for future generations
Whether you come carrying grief, gratitude, questions, celebration, or simply a desire to slow down, there is room for you here.
Give yourself a pause in nature. Let yourself be held by the trees, the turning season, the rhythm of the dances, and the company of others.
Remember the love and lineages that are the ground beneath you.
Listen for what wants to be carried forward.
Perhaps you can hear the ancestors rejoicing.
Come dance with us.
The Flow of the Celebration
3:00 - Preparation
An important informal time for connection, contributing to an ancestor altar, and sharing tea and light refreshments.
4:00 - Dance celebration of ancestors and ancestors-to-be (us!) with live music
Beginning in daylight and ending by firelight and candlelight.
All dances taught first, no experience necessary.
Dances will be interspersed with reflection and breaks.
More about the Ancestor Celebration
Who are “the ancestors?”
“The ancestors” are a rich, diverse system. Connecting with ancestral energy can mean connecting with your family lineage, your culture(s), the lineage of your work, or any dear person, animal, tree - any kind of being – who has moved on from this world. The focus of this celebration is to connect only with those ancestral energies that benefit and support us – which are often much deeper and wider than we imagine.
Welcome!
Welcome, especially if you are new to dancing. No experience is necessary to participate in these simple circle dances from the Balkans, Greece, and Asia Minor. Everything will be taught first and the group together helps the dances dance themselves. The dances are very gentle and many people report their aches and pains feel better after dancing. The movement does require the ability to walk at a moderately swift pace. Often we have some in our midst who have a health challenge requiring them to sit for some of the dances and this is still a rich experience for both those sitting and those dancing. All genders welcome.
Pay What You Can
To make this gathering as accessible as possible, register for all four sessions at one of the donation-based price points below. Choose the one that makes the most sense for your current financial situation.
Actual Cost
$40 - This amount supports Wisdom Dances and Eye of the Heart Center.
What Works
$30 - This amount reflects a discount for those who need it. Please do not use if you are able to pay more without issue.
Scholarship Support
$50 - This amount is for those who can afford to give above the basic cost as a way to cover those needing a discount.
About Emily Jarrett Hughes
Emily Jarrett Hughes is a mother, dancer, healer and wisdom teacher. She completed a two-year intensive training in women’s ritual dances with Laura Shannon. The weekly dance circle and seasonal celebrations she leads through Wisdom Dances are dedicated to joy, community, and connection to nature. She gets tremendous satisfaction witnessing how the dancing helps women cultivate their inner authority, a grounded sense of purpose, and ease amidst change.
Emily is also a qigong healer and loves to teach qigong to help others activate their own healing power. She is a Spring Forest Qigong Certified Instructor.
About Greg Herriges
Guitarist, bouzoukist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Greg Herriges creates an eclectic mix of original and traditional "whirled music," with a unique approach honed by his studies of Asian and other international styles. A virtuoso performer and award-winning composer, his music and writing have found international recognition. Greg Herriges is: a recipient of composer/performing artist fellowships and grants; a soundtrack artist; and author of seven (and counting) internationally published music books. He is a long time Wisdom Dances collaborator.
