Stories...

The best of times and the worst of times on the road, shooting Dancing With Gaia:

Production Notes from the filmmaker -

"When I first started looking for funding for Dancing With Gaia, none of the grant agencies would even consider it. It was too religious, too spiritual, too much about sex, too everything! I am thrilled that now when I bring up Gaia or the Goddess, people usually know what that is and often want to see the movie.  Times have changed, and Gaia is making herself known.

The worst time of the production was when my taxi driver in the lonely mountains of Crete started saying he wanted a kiss and put his hand on my leg. I grabbed my things, jumped out of the taxi and ran. He didn't follow, so I got to get shots of the dank mouth of Eiletheya's cave, reputed birthplace of Zeus. I was glad I wasn't impregnated on my way to see the birthgiving Goddess.   Then it was a long and weary trudge down the mountain carrying my equipment.

One of the best times was being alone in the Temple of Mnaijdra on Malta. I had rented a moped and slung the camera across my back; it was perfect that when I arrived, no one else was there. I got to lie down on one of the huge carved stones inside the temple, with the warm sun pouring down on me. It was one of the most peaceful times of my life. The temples there are all built in the shape of the full bodied mother Goddess. Lying there really felt like I had gone back to rest inside her body."

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Responses to the film...

“Dancing with Gaia” is a magically transformative film, because merely watching it alters your perception of the physical body and energy field of the Goddess Earth.  So, the next time you are taking a walk or simply gazing across the landscape, you will find yourself effecting “mystical fusion” with the local Earthforms and making “deep contact” with the spirits of Place.  For those who wish to go a few steps farther in engaging “the Chthonic Mind” that is the Consciousness of the Earth, “Dancing with Gaia” provides a number of detailed but simple how-to’s that practically anyone can try.  As an added benefit, viewing the exquisite works of the Gaia-inspired artists featured in this film will energize your own will to start working on some of your own spiritually expressive projects.  – Janina Renée, author of “Playful Magic,” “By Candlelight,” and more.

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"Dancing With Gaia" invites us to sense and feel ourselves as part of her, of Gaia, and brings the feeling of wholeness and joy.  It is a very deep and touching experience.

 - Ruth Denison, Buddhist teacher

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I have watched the film and have read through the booklet and I am very impressed with the beautiful, deeply insightful and elegantly composed and edited results.

 - Joan Marler, editor of The Civilization of the Goddess (1991) by Marija Gimbutas and From the Realm of the Ancestors: An Anthology in Honor of Marija Gimbutas (1997)

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Just watched your film, Dancing with Gaia.  You are to be congratulated, very nicely put together, very moving, wonderful images, the music - I thought I recognized Marty's style.  I felt energy multiple times while watching it.  I liked the fact that there were many ideas about how to connect to the earth, very practical, which I like.  It will also be an excellent introduction to the beginning person wanting to learn how to connect the earth, and for people like myself who will enjoy the wonderful feeling of the film. 

 - Alex Champion, PhD, Geomancer

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What a wonderful work you have made with Dancing with Gaia!

I will be ordering some copies to send to my sisters and others. I have two sisters living in the USA, in LA and Boston and I know they will enjoy it very much.

 - Nuala Ahern, Irish Green Party; Member of European Parliament from 1994 - 2004

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A real Dancing With Gaia Moment.....an unsolicited note from Ruth, one of the people demonstrating Aikido in the film... (used with permission).

"Found your email from the gaiadancing website. Want to share an aikido story I think you'll appreciate.

Three weeks ago I went to San Diego for a three day aikido seminar with Patrick Cassidy. It was an awesome seminar and the whole thing was done to music! I had an experience training there with one man that was in the realm of magic, both of us connecting so harmoniously, in sync with the music, and just glowing. I've never had such an experience training like that. It was like dancing. Dancing with Gaia!
I found this quote from Cassidy Sensei in an online interview,

“When the rhythms of the music are in sync with your movements, you have the experience of something moving through you rather than something coming from you. That is the experience we are looking for that sense of being connected to something larger, coming into touch with a context that contains both uke and nage. The music is a catalyst for that."

So that was what I got, and now I'm a huge Cassidy fan! I also found a video of one of Cassidy's students taking a sandan test, set to music. Thought you might enjoy it. Here is the link below. Cassidy is the blond examinar in the video.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/aikido-performance-clip-sandan-test/2581504873

Looking forward to the premiere of Dancing With Gaia."

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