People Who Inspire Us: Anna Halprin

That's what I want dance to be about, something deeper, something more connected. It revealed the healing powers of arts. 

Muse for Life's Havalynn Rauber describing the life work of Anna Halprin

At Muse for Life, inspiration is most beautiful when shared. Therefore, we spend time meditating upon the people who inspire us, with the knowledge that doing so will help us create opportunities perfect for inspiring you. This week, we've spent time considering Havalyn's inspiration Anna Halprin. A professional dancer, choreographer, and pioneering expressive arts therapist, Halprin has cultivated an international reputation as an artist and healer who continues to work in 2011 even though she is over 90 years old!

While her longevity and determination to continue dancing are enough to inspire me, the nature of Halprin's programs are what produce the power to positively transform lives. Beginning with the San Francisco Dancer's Workshop of 1955, Halprin has been leading programs dedicated to dance's healing power and use as a medium for exploring social issues and developing strategies for confronting them in progressive and productive ways. As of 2011, Halprin continues to actively participate in the global community dance rituals "Circle the Earth" and "Planetary Dance: A Prayer for Peace." Individuals seeking formal training in Halprin's methods may attend the Tamalpa Institute, which Halprin founded with her daughter Daria in 1978. Watch CitizenFilm's snapshot profile of Halprin for more inspiration!

Meet Our Staff: Havalyn Rauber

Havalyn Rauber reminds me of a sprite, but not a delicate one who flies about sprinkling pixy dust. Instead, Havalyn's fairy-self would be dancing along twisting limbs in the depths of an old-growth forest--occasionally turning back flips and swinging from vines as though on a trapeze. In other words, she balances gentleness with strength, and it is this combination which allows her to work her magic as an instructor at Muse for Life, the Sandy Springs-based community inspiration center where she directs the dance program and is training to become an academic teacher for homeschooled students.

Unique Qualifications: Havalyn is a product of the homeschool system within which her father served as her instructor during elementary school. She continues to expresses delight at the freedom she had to experience hands-on, field-based learning and this is reflected in the work she does with students at Muse for Life and area schools within which she has choreographed productions and completed additional special projects.  Athletically and artistically, Havalyn traded in childhood dance classes for training in Shaolin Kung-Fu, an experience she continues to describe with admiration and joy. Havalyn resumed dance when she re-entered the conventional school system in middle school and she graduated college within Agnes Scott's inaugural cohort of dance majors.

Wise Words: "I do feel like dance is a language of mine & something I'm connected to, but I believe all the arts are deeply related." Havalyn Rauber

Muse for Life offers dance courses in jazz, modern, ballet, hip hop, improvisation, contact improvisation and Zumba. For details on pricing and scheduling, click here!

Meet Our Staff: Craig Canedy

Craig Canedy works his magic through conscious research and observation fueled by a sincere desire to bring about positive change. His training began as an elementary-aged child who learned guitar from his older brother's friends. However, Craig's attraction to music as a form of art, entertainment and meditation drove him toward the uncanny-yet-scientifically-based conclusion that everything is music, at least when one defines music as "energy interacting with space." His quest, to better understand the ways in which this revelation can be used to heal individuals and the world we share, inspired him to pursue a degree in music therapy and to open Muse for Life as a venue for his unique practice. Since its creation at the turn of the 21st century, Muse for Life has evolved into a multi-functional community inspiration center which offers music therapy and courses, dance therapy and courses, meditation, educational consultations, tutoring and professional education. The most recent program offered by Muse for Life is the Natural Connections Learning Academy, through which homeschool students reach great achievement & confidence while satisfying core academic requirements through unique nature-based experiential activities that incorporate music, dance, meditation & the arts.

Unique Qualifications: Craig holds a bachelor's degree in music composition from Sierra Nevada College and a master's degree in music therapy from Georgia College & State University. He is also a board certified music therapist and holds additional professional certifications in DIR/Floortime Instruction, Kundalini yoga and clinical hypnotherapy. In addition to his role as director of Muse for Life, Craig has developed his practice through employment with Georgia Regional Hospital Atlanta, Cumberland Academy of Georgia and the Lionheart School, where he specialized in working with children on the autism spectrum.

Wise Words: "Music is not something we learned or discovered. It is part of us." Craig Canedy

For details on Muse for Life's music programs, click here! For the latest updates on all programs, check out Muse for Life on Facebook and follow our Tweets.