Dances of Universal Peace

In Birmingham and Herefordshire


Special Events with Visiting Teachers

We are fortunate to have several visiting international leaders this year so here is a bit about them and the events they are doing.

Some of them don't come often so it's a great opportunity to experience their unique offerings.





Allaudin Ottinger

Allaudin was born in Kansas City, Missouri. A lifelong dedication to music, gathering people together and pursuit of the miraculous, led him to a study of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky. This in turn led him to find "Sufi Dancing" in the college town of Lawrence, Kansas circa 1976. In the 1980s Allaudin led hundreds of Dance and Sufi meetings in Kansas City, worked closely with the Sufi Order Center in Lawrence in sponsoring Pir Vilayat and many other traveling teachers, took teachings with Korean Zen Master Soen Sa Nim and had an intense personal encounter with Sheikh Muzaffer Effendi in Chicago.

In 1982 Allaudin along with Midwest dervish brothers and sisters, would begin the still continuing Ozark Sufi Camp, where thousands have learned about the path of Sufism, especially as practiced in the Sufi Ruhaniat International.

His career as a traveling musician was blossoming through all these years as he played drums in every kind of ensemble but especially the internationally recognized jazz and world music collective, BCR Band.

Three Sufi inspired CDs produced by Allaudin in the last few years include the Two Niles for Imam Bilal Hyde, his own well loved collection of Dances, Zikrs and Tavern Songs called, In The Everywhere and Always and most recently, the release of Saladin, the epic poem by Murshid Samuel Lewis, as read by Wali Ali. Current projects include working to make his Kansas City home and land a green oasis in the city.

Allaudin will be at Unicorn Dancing Spirit Camp Saturday 20 - Sunday 28 August 2016 and will also be leading a day of Dance in Birmingham on Sept 10th. You can see more information about events on the Calendar page





Narayan Eric Waldman

Narayan Eric Waldman is a Senior Mentor of the Dances of Universal Peace and a member of the Ruhaniat Society as well as founder of the Oneness Project. Narayan’s style ranges from the sublime to the outrageous, but is always effective and inspiring. He has been gifted with numerous beloved dances and zikrs (Lord Make Me an Instrument, Here I Am, Om Shanti, Shema Israel, Tey Tey Malkutakh, Amen Alleluia, Ek Ong Kar and Shekinah....to name just a few.) Narayan has facilitated many events throughout the US and the world including New Zealand, Australia, Alaska, Mexico, Guatemala, Italy, Israel, Thailand and Russia. He has helped the Dances spread by conducting Leader Trainings in equally far-flung places and with students ranging from neophytes to Mentors. His way of encouraging people to come into their own transmission of truth has helped a vast variety of styles to flourish. Having been a devotee of sacred song and dance since the 1960's and a leader of the Dances of Universal Peace for decades he considers himself a true disciple of the Dance. Engaging, humorous and charismatic, Narayan carries the joy of breathing, singing and dancing in praise of the Present. For a number of years now Narayan has been engaged in a conscious breathing experience called Mantrandala Breathing Meditation, a practice precipitated by the Zeroeth Commandment (Psalm 46:10 "Be stiil and know that I Am God", in the original Biblical Hebrew). Mantrandala Breathing is the silent and rhythmic breath invoking and evoking of numinous sounds temporally and spatially within a mandala. For more detail and examples go to http://www.narayandance.org/ and click on Breathe Narayan has always woven other experiential practices into Dance sessions and continues to do so.

Narayan will be at Sacred Arts Camp Saturday 27th May – 4th June 2016 and will also be leading a day of Dance in Birmingham on June 11th and in Todmorden, Yorkshire on June 12th see Narayan in Todmorden
You can see more information about events on the Calendar page





Matin Mize

Matin Mize is a Khalif in the Sufi Ruhaniat International, a Mentor Teacher of the Dances of Universal Peace, and a Master Drummer. He has studied Sufism and the Dances for the last 37 years, and has taught the Dances, Walks, Zikr, Sufi Practice and Musicianship in the US and the UK for many years.

Matin will be at Sacred Arts Camp Saturday 27th May – 4th June 2016 and will be leading an evening of Zikr in Birmingham on Wed May 11th

More information about these events will be posted on the Calendar page.