Programs

LFAE Performances

The Ensemble communes with soul and spirit to create performances that tell archetypal stories, such as the Ugly Duckling, Persephone, or the Green Man. Our art exhibits create the sacred space for these original performances, which combine dance, vocal and instrumental music, acting, storytelling, and poetry, channeling powerful spiritual energy to transform, heal and enlighten our audiences. We create an exquisite script expressing the archetypal characters, but we’re also master improvisational performers,  and we incorporate the writings of the Healing Arts Intensive participants into our performance as well. Our music is sound healing for the audience.

LFAE’s performances are about 2 hours in length. There are two sections to LFAE’s performances, the Art Meditation, and the Performance Section. Performances may be attended via video conferencing.

Click here to check our calendar for information and registration for upcoming LFAE Shamanic Sound Healing Theater performances, or contact us at joan@lifeforceneweventscalendar.mystagingwebsite.com or 773-327-7224 

Art Meditation: the process (video conference version)

Art Meditation with Life Force Arts Ensemble is a chance to spend contemplative time with the art in our current exhibit. This is sacred, quiet time to allow the art’s spiritual power to create insights and transformation within us. As you are observing the art, Life Force Arts Ensemble will be creating live music that relates to the theme of tonight’s performance.

Guidelines for the Art Meditation  

  • We ask that people maintain an atmosphere of silent reflection during the active meditation. Please mute the microphone on your device
  • During the meditation feel free to:
    • look at any or all of the artwork on our online gallery
    • read the Exhibit Catalog on the LFAE website for the backstories on the art
    • have your eyes open or closed
    • do dance or movement
    • have paper, pens and drawing implements ready if you are inspired to do creative writing, poetry or artwork to record your impressions, memories, emotions, intuitions, etc.

Performance process

The performance is a combination of text, dance, and vocal and instrumental music as energy work. The energy comes through words, movement and sound. You can ask for any guidance or healing that you need in your life right now through this process. Feel free to interact with the performance in the way that you are moved to do. For example, you can watch and listen, or close your eyes and meditate. You can dance, move, or sing along.

We start with two Agreements. The first is with the people attending (in this case, by video conference) that we are here in a spirit of non-violence and mutual support for our own and each other’s healing. And the second Agreement is with Spirit and the spirit guides, that nothing will be released in this ceremony that cannot be processed in this ceremony.

Next, we have an Invocation of the energies and spiritual beings that we invite to attend this ceremony. These include the Main Spirit Guides that the ceremony is based on, as well as Guides that the HAI Participants have connected to regarding their Transformational Goals.

Following this is the Reading of the Main Text which may include poetry, storytelling and other literary forms. This reading is accompanied by performers interpreting the text through dance.

Next, the dancers and musicians do Channeled Dance & Music based on the Featured Artworks listed above. This allows the Guides that we have invoked to do energy work for healing the audience.

The last section is a Shamanic Journey Meditation that you are invited to participate in. We will be doing the traditional shamanic drum beat and vocalizing. You may wish to get into a comfortable position for meditation, such as lying down. You may find yourself interacting with Spirit Guides or Archetypes who come to you. You can ask for guidance or healing during this meditation.

After the Journey Meditation, you will have time to journal. You may wish to have a pen and paper available so you can write or draw what you receive in the meditation. There will be a time to share your impressions after journaling.

Performances

[Life Force Arts] Ensemble was amazing! Sonorous chanting moving over me like a balm! Healing and empowering. “

“Life Force Arts Ensemble’s performance is raw and vulnerable, and at the same time artful. The audience watches and listens to the performers express the energy of the moment; surrounded by witnesses, the performers are laid bare by the manifestation of Spirit. It’s the kind of vulnerability that might make some uncomfortable, which is exactly why it’s such a powerful thing to experience. Watch with your mind and you will feel unsettled. But the moment you open your heart to what’s happening before you, you may realize that what you are really seeing is a glimpse of what it means to be a spiritual being learning to be human. “

“I was impressed by the quality of the music (instruments and voices); your trio was breathtaking! Apollo Chapa was really charismatic when they read their poem. I felt Apollo’s dedication. I got involved in the process. LFAE’s performance was a great experience because all arts are involved. The way you show people how to look at a painting is fantastic. I remember the audience member who said she had never really looked at a work of art that way before. “

1. The Home, The Womb: Beaver Wisdom, Early Spring 4/23/22
2. Beaver Wisdom: The Heart of Winter 1/9/22
3. Selkie’s Choice 2/6/21
4. Mask of the Sun King 11/7/20
5. Isadora 8/11/20
6. Cygnet Soul 6/20/20
7. Rozhanitsa Brings The Sun 12/11/19
8. Bone Mother 10/30/19
9. The Goddess Dissents 9/25/19
10. Fire Rooster 8/31/19
9. Greenman 6/29/19
11. Communal Garden of Earth 5/4/19
12. Roots & Wings 3/23/19
13. Following Hidden Streams 2/20/19

13. The Gifts of Saturn 1/5/19
14. Lady of the Oceans 11/7/18
15. Rainbow Messengers 10/13/18
16. Desert Medicine 8/31/18
17. Psyche & Eros: The Wedding 6/8/18
18. Psyche’s Companions 5/12/18
19. Psyche Returns 3/23/18
20. Psyche & Eros Revealed 2/21/18
21. Guadalupe-Tonantzin 12/12/17
22. Snake, Fire, Spine & Passion 10/7/17
23. Snake Ritual 9/9/16