The Long Dance
The Long Dance is a visioning ceremony in the mystical tradition of Joseph Rael, Beautiful Painted Arrow. Entering the ceremonial arbor at twilight, dancers move together under the stars, within the transformative power of darkness.
In metaphor, the Long Dance represents each participants ‘long journey of life’ that reconnects them to the origins of where they came from, as Joseph would say: “the place between the stars.”
Pre-dawn, when the dance is complete, dancers retire to their tents for dream time, an important aspect of this ceremony, as this begins the integration of the gifts this ceremony bestows upon each dancer. Once the dancers wake and rise to the new day, we enjoy a pot luck feast and sharing time around the arbor fire.
This ceremony offers a profound way to break free from self-imposed, familial, societal, and ancestral limitations held in both the conscious and subconscious mind. Through the night, dancers are infused with cosmic, divine source energy, that facilitates the release of old patterns, beliefs and perceptions, that hold us back and limit or block growth and evolution. Dancers are empowered in a variety of ways, discovering deep spiritual connections, guidance, inspiration and inner peace, self-acceptance, and their renewed purpose.
The Long Dance is both personal and collective. Each dancer’s work radiates outward, offering healing to all people and all of life.
The next Long Dance will be held in Searsport, Maine on October 10 & 11, 2026. Contact me for more information and to register. Thank you!
The Drum Dance
The Drum Dance came to Joseph Rael in a vision when he was a young man. It was first danced on his land in Colorado in 1987. The following year it was moved to Tom and Kristen Bissinger’s home and retreat center in Knauertown, Pennsylvania.
As with all of Grandfather Rael’s awakening dances, the Drum Dance is danced worldwide.
Upon his retirement, he charged his students around the world to carry on his teachings and his visioned dance ceremonies.
The main themes of The Drum are honoring, healing and transmuting generational and ancestral wounds; attunement to and strengthening of our Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine, assisting in activating and bringing into balance these intrinsic, divine aspects.
Participating in this ceremony, each dancer has the opportunity to assist in raising the consciousness of the planet.
In these challenging times of conflict and deep change, dancing opens the portals to peace and reconcilliation, personally, globally and cosmically. This quests opens the gates for us to plant seeds of peace, unity, love and well being not only for ourselves but for all people and all of life. As with all of Grandfather’s dances, it endows participants with the ability to break free of self-imposed limitations, concepts and perceptions, and opens wide to their true nature, their divine birthright.
The next Drum Dance will be held at Birdsong Peace Chamber, Knauertown, Pennsylvania, June 19 - 21, 2026.
Contact me for more information and to register. Thank you!
Dancer Testimonials
“Dancing the Drum Dance is pure magic in motion. It’s extraordinary how dancing connects you instantly to Spirit and brings your prayers to life. There I was dancing my prayers with my ancestors to heal our past, our present and our future. So powerful and so filled with love! Life transforming.”
“Wrapped in the safe, nurturing beat of the drum and all the support people, I experienced a profound connection to the past and future within the expanse of each moment that somehow brought me peace. I am totally in love with this dance.”
“During the weekend I was able to connect to myself in a way that felt profoundly healing, as if I had returned to a part of myself long. missing. Seeds were planted within me that weekend that continue to sprinbg forth from the sacred ground within. It fills my heart ot know that dancing is a way for me to be of service not only to myself and my ancestors, but to all of humanity.”
“In the Long Dance, I metabolize my past—this life, past lives, ancestral life. Through the dance I dig deeper into my ancestral soup, and a new person dances every time.”
“The Long Dance is alchemy that co-creates my future, and throughout the next year, I find and release the obstacles to fully showing up for my life, my mission, my whole human/spiritual self.”
“The chaos of the world calls for a quantum response. This ceremony is one I must dance annually to serve our world.”