Hun-gay-ry: Shamanistic Dance

Taken on an iPhone (a little blurry) - the Circle (Photo credits by PintsizedPioneer)

The workshop started a little late, and I, along with two Aussies, were the only non-Hungarian speaking attendants. I felt a little bad, the head woman had to translate portions for me, which I worry took away from her experience.

Either way, I think we all had a swinging time. Regrettably, I did not take photos since I was, well, immersed into the ritual.

The instructors played a mix of Native American, Serbian, and Mongolian chants, which were all accompanied with some basic circle dances. More often than not, there was throat singing as the vocals.

However, my favorite parts of the programs were the free drum dancing, where people had maracas and rattles to evoke their spirit guides, and the rainbow mandala creation, when everyone used string to connect with one another to show the interconnectedness of life and with the spirits. It was definitely a unique afternoon. There were people of all ages and backgrounds at the workshop. I love when the LGBTQ community comes together because it just demonstrates how diverse it is and how you cannot really categorise what it means to be (insert name here).

With that said, tomorrow should be good ...