Nala Walla will be back at the VBC again this year to offer presentations and workshops as part of this fabulous 10 day event of hands-on experience in creating a liveable, sustainable city. Other featured presenters and performers this year will include Starhawk, Art Ludwig, Kat Steele, Alpaca, and many, many more.

The Village Building Convergence 2008 (VBC8) is a 10-day event from Friday, May 23rd – Sunday, June 1, 2008 in which neighborhoods activate to build shared public places that they have envisioned, designed, funded, and will maintain for themselves. VBC8 will include hands-on education in permaculture design and construction, ecological building, and public art. All projects are built through collaboration, community conversations and commitment of a neighborhood to strengthen itself. Everyone is invited to attend evening events at a central location, to participate in workshops or listen to visionaries speak about various aspects of sustainable culture.

please go to the CityRepair website for more information, directions, and locations.

date/time: entire event -- may 23 - june 1, 2008
Nala's presentation -- sunday, may 25th, 7pm
bodyversity workshop with Nala -- monday, may 26th, 3-5pm

location: various locations around Portland, OR, t.b.a.

Nala will be offering an introduction to the Bodyversity as part of the sixteenth-annual Seattle Festival of Dance Improvisation. we will be infusing principles of permaculture and deep ecology into the body through presentations and bodybased games, creating community and a sense of empowerment in activism. the festival will include intensives led by the legendary Nancy Stark Smith of Contact Improvisation fame, and author of "Body and Earth" Andrea Olsen as well as a variety of classes, jams and performances.

more details to come.

for more information, go to www.danceartgroup.org/sfadi

date/time: july 27- august 3th 2008

location: Seattle, WA.

•SEEDS Festival invites a diverse group of artists, movement practitioners, architects, scientists, spiritual leaders, and activists to creatively research ecology and experiential arts. At SEEDS, we will explore how physicality, practice, and science-based inquiry inform one another, through collective experimentation. The festival, itself an ecosystem, will provide a rich nexus for dialogue, reflection, and action. download SEEDS flyer here.

•"DWELL" is an transdisciplinary collaboration which will involve a week-long construction of a Teahouse Dwelling by a group of dancers, led by dancer/activist NalaWalla and visionary architect and community-builder Mark Lakeman. The week will culminate in the performance of a sacred tea ceremony in our collectively built teahouse on the Earthdance Campus.

•A main purpose of DWELL is to shift preconceived notions of “work” away from chores and drudgery, towards a more wholistic understanding of the sacred nature of community-building, play, and ceremony. Likewise, we seek to debunk current views of dance as self-indulgent or irrelevant to real-world challenges like creating sustainable society. In this merger of conventionally separate disciplines, the mcving arts will demonstrate their practicality by facilitating a lasting physical impact upon the landscape, and architecture will take on a kinetic aspect, deeply rooted in place-based ceremony instead of the mere cold abstractions of straightedges and numbers.

•Both disciplines will explore a rediscovery of their roots in village life, where no lines between dance, song, storytelling, and the daily labors of shelter and sustenance were drawn. Also, by offering efficient understanding of body ergonomics to the building process, dancers' somatic expertise will extend beyond the confines of the studio or theater, and apply to the project in a pragmatic manner. Throughout the creative process of construction, we will recall the all-too-often forgotten connection between earth and dance, between art and activism.

related websites:
www.earthdance.net/SEEDSfest
www.cityrepair.org
www.communitecture.net

date/time: 9 august - 17 august 2008

location: Earthdance Retreat Center, Plainfield, MA.

Nala Walla will be back at the VBC again this year to offer presentations and workshops as part of this fabulous 10 day event of hands-on experience in creating a liveable, sustainable city. Other featured presenters and performers this year will include Starhawk, Art Ludwig, Kat Steele, Alpaca, and many, many more.

The Village Building Convergence 2008 (VBC8) is a 10-day event from Friday, May 23rd – Sunday, June 1, 2008 in which neighborhoods activate to build shared public places that they have envisioned, designed, funded, and will maintain for themselves. VBC8 will include hands-on education in permaculture design and construction, ecological building, and public art. All projects are built through collaboration, community conversations and commitment of a neighborhood to strengthen itself. Everyone is invited to attend evening events at a central location, to participate in workshops or listen to visionaries speak about various aspects of sustainable culture.

please go to the CityRepair website for more information, directions, and locations.

date/time: entire event -- may 23 - june 1, 2008

evening presentation -- sunday, may 25th, 7pm
@ Bossanova 722 E.Burnside St. Portland, OR

bodyversity workshop with Nala -- monday, may 26th, 2:30-4:30pm
@ Bossanova Ballroom 722 E. Burnside St. Portland, OR

please turn on your ears! we are pleased to announce the arrival of the official full-length album for the Harmonica Pocket Children's Show--educational performances by Bcollective Bees Keeth Apgar and Nala Walla. 16 musicians and 13 kids collaborated on this album under Keeth's direction. give a listen!

Ladybug One is an album that kids and grown-ups can listen to together, and was recorded off-grid at the Bcollective homestead's solar powered studios. get ready for some fun!

to order a copy of Ladybug one, please visit CDbaby

to sample some free mp3s from Ladybug One, click here

in collaboration with The Harmonica Pocket, the Bcollective is offering a participatory performances especially for kids, sponsored by The Library Friends College. expect to play along with music, dance and games, and get cozy at our local libraries all over Washington State, including King, Jefferson, Snohomish, Island and Clallam counties.

click here for a complete schedule of our children's performances and projects.

date/time: november 2007 - august 2008

locations: libraries, bookstores, and festivals all over the Northwest Region.

For their upcoming issue on Activism in the Arts, Contact Quarterly Magazine is publishing a feature article by Nala Walla entitled "The Embodied Activist: Where Permaculture Meets the Arts."

"Contact Quarterly: A Vehicle for Moving Ideas" is wonderful magazine, independently published by a dedicated group of dancers, artists and improvisors for over twenty years. Its commentaries are extremely relevant, placing moving artists squarely in the center of cultural, ethical and social change. Subscriptions help to support this important indie project. Go to www.contactquarterly.com

download as PDF

date/time: Summer 2008

location: Contact Quarterly Magazine

In THE BODYVERSITY, we will consider body-based practices as a University--a place where we come to deepen our understanding and seek Unity in our education. Since our body is our primary link to the Earth, a variety of mindbody disciplines will inspire our work. Simple games based in movement, sound and story will be used to create dialogue around the pivotal Earth activism of our time: "The Great Turning" of humanity towards a just and sustainable culture.

This weekend workshop will include a presentation on the fundamentals of permaculture design by Jenny Pell, morning yoga warmups with Michael Suzerris, somatic arts and discussion facilitated by Nala Walla, as well as optional ecstatic dance, hikes, beachwalks and feasting. Many of our explorations will be loosely based around the "Reconnecting Work" of Joanna Macy and other groundbreaking whole-systems theorists.

All events will take place in spectacular Fort Worden State Park, and are accessible to every-body, welcoming a spectrum of experience and physical ability levels. The only requirement is a spirit of openess and curiosity towards our ever-evolving community. Come participate in this affordable weekend full of ecology, dance, and nature!

SCHEDULE:
May 2/3/4
Fri: 7-9pm permaculture and bodyversity introduction
Sat: 10-11 am yoga • 11am-12pm lunch
• 12-4pm bodyversity and discussions
Sun: 8:30-9:45am yoga • 10-11:30 ecstatic dance (optional/$9)
• 12:30-4 bodyversity and discussions

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

NALA WALLA merges the expressive arts with deep ecology in service of community and sustainability. She is a founder of the Bcollective, an off-grid, arts-based permaculture project on Marrowstone Island, WA.
see www.bcollective.org
MICHAEL SUZERRIS is a practicing yogi and yoga therapist, and is founder and director of the Yoga Life studios in (Greenlake and Queen Anne) Seattle.
see www.yogalife.com
JENNY PELL is a permaculture teacher and founder of THE WILDER INSTITUTE, offering hands-on permaculture education in Port Townsend, regionally, and internationally.
see www.permaculturenow.com

date/time: weekend of may 2/3/4. begins 7pm friday and runs through 4pm sunday. see aboveschedule for specific offerings.

contribution: $75 for Olympic Peninsula Residents ($65 if deposit received by April 15th)
$150 for non-residents ($125 if deposit received by April 15th)
NO ONE TURNED AWAY - please contact us if you have special financial circumstances
NOTE: FRIDAY NIGHT INTRO is open to the public. Admission $10.

pre-registration recommended:
send $35 deposit along with name, address, email address and phone # to:
Madrona Mindbody Institute (MMI)
200 Battery Way, Bldg. 310
Port Townsend, WA 98368
360.344.4475
www.madronamindbody.com
please contact MMI with questions and suggestions for accomodations.

location: Madrona Mindbody Institute (MMI), Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, WA

so•ma•tic (soh•mah•tick) adj. Of or pertaining to the psycho-biological system [from Greek SOMA: "the living body in its wholeness."]

As the pace of techno-industrial society races along, the needs of our bodies are often overlooked, creating disconnection from our own flesh and from our communities. This class reaffirms both our basic rights and our innate capacities to feel our bodies deeply. Through a series of simple exercises and games, we will focus on the sensations of healing connection offered by partnering with breath, with gravity, with earth, and with other humans.

A deep exploration of fundamentals makes this class suitable for both first-timers seeking basic safety skills in contact dance, and experienced practitioners seeking to expand their practice, as well as anyone seeking to feel more "in their body."

Please bring comfortable clothing (no sharp buckles, clasps, zippers or spangles) and a willingness to experiment and play. A chance to test out your new skills after the final class on February 8th at the first FRIDAY NIGHT JAM at Madrona Mindbody Institute.

date/time: a six-class workshop series, friday evenings, 6-8:15pm
SPECIAL friday night jam after class February 8th, 8:30-10:30 with DJ Angelfire

cost: $18 per class. discount for MMI class card holders.
feb 8th jam- sliding scale $5-$15

location: Madrona Mindbody Institute (MMI), Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, WA
www.madronamindbody.com

the Bcollective bees Nala Walla, Maureen Freehill, and Keeth Apgar will be performing their Scarecrow and Mister Xylobones participatory dances and music for the Halloween Parade and Blaine Street Festivities. Be on the lookout for jangly bones, and weak-legged scarecrows dropping hay all over Water Street and come play with us!

date/time: 31 Octobrrrrrrrr, 2007, 4pm, free!

location: Water Street Halloween Parade, Port Townsend, WA

dancers Maureen Freehill and Nala Walla team up with Becca Brenner and Corinne Cappelletti of University of Utah Integrated Movement Studies will for a week in the woods at the BCollective, sharing resources and preparing material for performance works on the subject of Bodybased Activism. our research will explore topics including "the body as home," "the expressivity of health," and creation of a "wellness curriculum." there will be a public showing of our material on Thursday, October 11th. stay tuned for finished works to come!

special thanks to the University of Utah modern dance department for their generosity in funding this important work.

date/time: october 6-12, 2007
public showing, thursday october 11th, at the Zen Dome on Marrowstone Island, time TBA

location: The BCollective, Marrowstone Island, WA

Permaculture Activist Magazine will include a feature article written by Nala Walla in their November "Art of Permaculture" issue. The article demonstrates how committment to localism begins with our own bodies and shows why the bodybased arts must be included in our designs for new villages.

read article or download as PDF

date/time: jan 2007

location: Permaculture Activist Magazine

the culmination of a six day intensive training in Butoh Ritual Mexicano with Diego Pinon will be a Full Moon Ritual Performance. cast members will include such misty northwest luminaries as Sheri Brown, Maureen Freehill, Alan Sutherland and Nala Walla.

this show is one night only, so mark your calendars!

date/time: 26 september, 2007, 7:30pm, $15

location: Chapel Theater, Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Ave, Seattle, WA

nala will be offering a three-day Bodyversity intensive at Earthdance's beautiful Berkshire Hills setting in rural Massachusetts. we will be infusing principles of permaculture and deep ecology into the body through presentations and bodybased games, creating community and a sense of empowerment in activism. the festival will include intensives led by KJ Holmes (NYC) and Ishmael Houston Jones (NYC) as well as a variety of classes, jams and performances.

meals, sauna, and bodywork are all available onsite. beautiful cabin and camping accomodations can be arranged by contacting Earthdance directly.

for more information, go to www.earthdance.net

date/time: august 2nd- august 5th 2007

location: Earthdance, Plainfield Massachussetts

the bcollective is putting together a smorgasbord of talent to provide family-style activities, music, and performances for Finn River Farm's annual blueberry season. come play with acro-balancing, make a scarecrow, listen to music in the grass and fill up a bucketful of organic blueberries to take home. dates and times for specific musicians are listed below:

for tickets, directions & questions, go to www.finnriverfarm.com

july 15th
Main Act: Gretchen Yanover / cello / gretchenyanover.com
Opening Activities and Music: Keeth Apgar & Jon Ryser / guitar & sax / face painting

july 22nd
Main Act: Dwyer Family Band / old-tyme folk/grass / jackdwyer.com
Opening Activities and Music: harp music with Paula Lalish /
r ecycled origami paperbooks with Loran Scruggs

july 29th
Main Act: Victor Johnson / roots children's performer / victorjohnson.com
Opening Activities & Music: African Drumming & Music with Rob and crew / african-inspired body painting with Annie, Dava, Maureen and Nala

aug 5th
Main Act: George Rezendes with Dave Meis / local Port Townsend favorites
Opening Activities & Music: Rin / Vancouver politico-folkie wonderwoman /
Japanese Kirgami (paper cutting) with Thaddeus / paper making with Lisa Doray

aug 12th
Main Act: Charlie Spring / sweet & soulful family-style singalong / charliespring.com
Opening Activities & Music: Nanda / juggling, theatrix, and other circus antics / acrobalancing and yoga with Sweethome / juggling lessons with Joe the Juggler / opening music by Caveman Cyborg.

aug 19th
Main Act: Harmonica Pocket / kidpop, interactive games, theatre/ harmonicapocket.com
Opening Activities & Music: Native American flute & other indigenous instruments by Raven / Support native bees! Hands-on Bee and Insect Hotel Construction with Nala and Tosh

august 26th
Main Act: Sara Tone / a live experience in organic acousto-dub: deep beats and heart song
Opening Activities & Music: scarecrow making--bring clothes and fabric of all sizes to stuff (doll clothes, kids clothes, big people clothes, hats, scarves, bandannas)

september 2nd
Local Musician DayI! (U-Pick depending on crop availability)

date/time: every sunday july 15th-- august 2nd, 2007
u-pick blueberries 10 - 4pm
music & activities 11-2pm

location: Finn River Farm, Chimacum, WA

cost: $10 per carload ---pack 'em in! carpooling encouraged!
parking is limited, so reservations are strongly recommended!

Nala's Article, "The Yoga of Gardening: Expanding the Boundaries of the Body" was written for The Village Builder, City Repair's annual magazine. City Repair is an organization, originally based in Portland, OR, and now spreading to cities nationwide, with a mission of "Educating and inspiring people to build community by creatively transforming public space into neighborhood gathering places." For more information, please visit the City Repair Website.

download article as PDF

date/time: may 2007

location: City Repair's Village Builder Magazine

nala walla will be back at the VBC again this year to offer presentations and workshops as part of this fabulous 10 day event of hands-on experience in creating a liveable, sustainable city.

on friday, may 25th, nala is pleased to be part of a night of presentations on urban sustainability, which will include well -known mycophile Paul Stamets of Fungiperfecti as well as community-building games, music and a groove-a-thon. join us at 5pm for local, organic dinner, followed by presentations at 7pm, and jugband music to finish off the night!

***NOTE CHANGE***
on saturday afternoon, may 26th , nala will be teaching a free workshop at Awakenings Wellness Center in Southeast Portland.

please go to the CityRepair website for more information, directions, and locations.

date/time:
friday 25 may 7pm until---->>>>
saturday 26 may 2-5pm

location:
friday night@ Disjecta, 230 E. Burnside, Portland, OR
saturday afternoon@ Awakenings Wellness Center, 1016 SE 12th Avenue.

in conjunction with The Harmonica Pocket, the Bcollective will be offering a participatory performance for all ages in honor of the first annual Sustainable Living Festival, sponsored by Huxley College for the Environment and Built Green of Clallam County. expect to play along with music, dance and games, and spend the day at the festival!

please visit the Harmonica Pocket's Children's Project on the web for more information on our children's performances and projects.

date/time: mar 31st, 2007----festival begins at 10am---Bcollective show at 3:15pm

location: Peninsula College Campus, Port Angeles, WA

the Bcollective will be appearing, disappearing and reapprearing many times as Me, Myself and I at the Children's Festival of Art. we will offer participatory games, creative movement, roving-human PaintMe sculpture as well as a Harmonica Pocket performance and starfotos with the Queen of Art.

please visit the Harmonica Pocket's Website for more information on our children's performances and projects.

date/time: mar 11th 2007

location: Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, WA

as part of the Portland International Initiative for Leadership in Ecology, Culture, and Learning (PIIECL), Nala Walla will give an experiential presentation and workshop on the importance of transdisciplinarism and the bodybased arts to the sustainability, permaculture and community building movements. no experience necessary. just bring comfortable clothing and a playful, open spirit.

date/time: friday & saturday, february 9&10, 2007

friday: lecture/demonstration 7-9pm......free

saturday: workshop 12-4pm ...................fee: $20-$30

location: Student Rec Center, Portland State University, Portland, OR

spend the weekend in a hilltop yert learning a wholistic permaculture curriculum that stimulates the body and spirit as much as the brain. we will introduce fundamental permaculture principles, then utiliize arts various arts practices and games in order to integrate this knowledge. intellectual knowledge will be transformed into deep understanding and body wisdom. activities will run the gamut between yoga sessions, meal sharing, visual and lecture presentations, improvisational games and a slumber party saturday night. space is limited to 20 participants, so register early!!!

PLEASE NOTE: this will be a rustic gathering in a yert where we will all share responsibilities for cooking, cleaning, camping chores, etc. participants will bring food items from a preorganized list, and we will assemble the ingredients into delicious meals-dinner on saturday, breakfast and lunch on sunday. your participation in these tasks helps keep these workshops affordable to all, so thank you in advance for your cooperation!

accomodations will also be rustic. bring a sleeping bag and pad to get cozy in the yert, or bring a tent if you want more privacy. also, bring flashlight, warm layers and boots.

facilitators: Marisha Auerbach and Nala Walla

cost: sliding scale $100 to $60 or trade. please contact us to arrange.

date/time: january 27/28, 1pm saturday to 4pm sunday.

location: High Grove Yert, Oakville, WA (40 minutes south of Olympia)

the Bcollective and the Harmonica Pocket team up to provide an afternoon of interdisciplinary arts education for kids ages 5-10 years. A participatory performance—comprised of music, movement, theatre, story, games and songs—is much more than the sum of its parts. This type of performance encourages active participation in the Arts, rather than passive “watching.” The usual lines between performer and audience are creatively blurred, and kids are empowered to explore their artistic selves thereby establishing their own relationship to the arts, and to the world.

date/time: 10 january 2006, 1 - 3:15 pm

location: OPEPO School, Port Townsend, WA

Nala Walla will give a presentation and workshop on using the bodybased arts and transdisciplinary teaching to usher in the era of sustainability. this will be a experiential workshop, so wear comfortable clothing and be prepared to move, make sounds and have some fun.

date/time: saturday, dec 9, 2006

location:City University Extension Campus, Port Townsend, WA

please join us at dusk on thursday november 2nd for a day of the dead community ceremony, participatory performance, and procession through redmen's cemetery in port townsend, WA.

this event will include the extended Bcollective family of artists incorporating genre-crossing dance performances, live music by a "bones band," storytelling, and a participatory parade to honor the dead of all species and all eras.

PLEASE BRING WITH YOU: a biodegradable offering for the dead, photos and names of the dead, a flashlight, warm clothing, and a potluck dish to share at the after party.

this is a rain or shine event.

volunteers are being sought to assist with setup on the day of this event. please get in touch via the contact page to offer your support.

date/time: thursday, november 2, gather at dusk.

location: Redmen's Cemetery, Port Townsend, WA. click here for a map to the site.

cost: free -- donations are welcome to off-set costs of producing this event.

The Bcollective is happy to welcome our circus artist friends from the San Fransisco Bay area for the first and only Renegade Kitchen of the Season. The Carpetbag Brigade will bring their stiltwalking physical theater show "The Vanishing Point" to the Dragon's Nest as part of their NorthAmerican tour. Come early to get seats for the show, and stay late to enjoy Jerry's fabulous indian food feast and music around the fire.

date/time: tuesday, 26 sept, 2006. show begins at 6:30 SHARP!!!!!!

location: Dragon's Nest, 1620 S. Discovery Road, Port Townsend, WA

cost: $10 for the show, plus another $5-$10 if yer eatin'

as part of the Wilder Institute's two-week permaculture design certification course, Nala Walla will offer a bodybased method of learning the permaculture curriculum through game-playing. A short presentation will begin the evening, then we will transform this intellectual understanding into wholistic bodymind knowledge by using community-building games.

date/time: monday, 25 september, 2006

location: Ecovillage, Port Townsend, WA

this summer, the Bcollective will be working intensively on raising a small barn on the homestead. please come swing a hammer and join us for dips in the bay, cookouts and and music around the campfire.

date/time: august 1st thru october 15th 2006

location: Marrowstone Island, WA.

the Bcollective and the Harmonica Pocket team up to offer some good wholesome fun---music and dance that will entertain both kids AND their parents.

date/time: 24 september 2006

location: Sunfield Farm, 1903 Rhody Drive, Port Hadlock, WA

yoga twice a day, beachwalks, cooking over an open fire, naps in the grass, community building games. the BODYVERSITY curriculum synthesizes body-based art forms with principles of deep ecology in order to move beyond the rational, and facilitate a wholistic, wholebody understanding of permaculture.

more information

date/time: june 23-25, 7pm friday - 2pm sunday

location: Marrowstone Island, WA

cost: sliding scale $120-$60 (what is this?)

in this workshop, we will begin with the premise that our own body is our most direct link to the earth. beginning with a brief presentation to engage our sense of ethics and activism, we will explore various improvisational and body-based art games derived from such diverse techniques as yoga, contact improvisation, action theater, butoh and many others. through these physical practices, we initiate the process of learning permaculture principles directly through the body. this work is intended to restore the arts to their rightful place at the center of a healthy and sustainable community. no experience necessary--just bring a spirit of playfulness.

potluck immediately following workshop.

registration and scholarship info: 360.643.3747

date/time: fri, may 26, 4-7pm

location: Jackson Wellsprings, 2253 hwy 99, Ashland, OR

cost: $35 - $75

Nala Walla will be offering BODYVERSITY presentations and workshops at the 6th annual Village Building Convergence in Portland, OR, sponsored by the fabulous "wizards of wonder" at City Repair.

www.cityrepair.org/wiki.php/projects/vbc

date/time: sunday, 21 may, 8-10pm

and monday, 22 may, 1-2:30pm

location: DISJECTA, Portland, OR