Last weekend I offered an InterPlay playshop in Ashland for the first time. Over a dozen people showed up, ages 14 to 82; we had fun and explored the "sneaky deep" quality of InterPlay. Based on the response, I've agreed to hold three more InterPlay playdates before the end of the year. There will be one per month, beginning next Sunday, October 4th at 2 PM.

We will meet for one hour and fifteen minutes. Then, for those who want to go deeper and play more, there will be an additional 45 minutes you can stay for.

Here is some additional context you may find helpful especially if inviting others:

At each InterPlay playdate, it is our hope that you 1) have fun, 2) connect with others, and 3) have a chance to play with your own information (some things that are on your mind or are up for you in your life).

InterPlay uses improvisational "forms" as our containers. The forms invite us to use our voices (sighing/toning/singing/sounds), our bodies, our words, contact with others, and stillness. The forms are what I facilitate us in. For instance, a few of the forms I introduced last week were called, Following and Leading, Babbling, and the Hand to Hand dance.

InterPlay is an incremental practice. We don't dive right in to simultaneous dancing and storytelling. Instead, we move at the speed of our body. We take note of our willingness and our resistance. The more we return to these InterPlay practices, the richer our experience. We come to trust the forms as containers for our content.

If you come on October 4th, you can count on doing a little storytelling, on moving your body, and on playing with others. We will also use our voices a bit and have a chance to be still. You will be in control of doing what feels comfortable to you, yet you may be surprised at what you are willing to try.

I look forward to playing here in Ashland and seeing where it may take us.


Yours in Peace and Play,
Dorothy

InterPlay is an international improvisational practice that uses movement, voice, storytelling, stillness, and contact to unlock the wisdom of the body. InterPlay is for introverts and extroverts, for non-dancers and dancers, for artists as well as those who don't consider themselves creative. Participants can expect to move their bodies, use their voices, and share mundane and meaningful stories in a fun and ease-filled environment.

Dorothy Finnigan is an InterPlay Leader and performs in WING IT!, the Oakland-based InterPlay performance ensemble. She has traveled the US and the world as a juggling teacher and street performer. She studied Religion and Ecology at Yale University before walking-out to pursue the way of play: her personal approach to changing the world while having fun.

InterPlay is happening in over 50 cities and on 5 continents. InterPlay playgroups, retreats, and Life Practice Programs are opportunities to have fun and connect with others. InterPlay is also applied in prisons and recovery centers, therapy practices, and hospice work. It is increasingly used in organizational development and community building, cross-cultural peace-making, and as a personal spiritual practice.