“NeoDance” is an expression of soul and spirit of Neolithic culture that once flourished in ancient Europe, particularly Croatia (Danilo-Hvar culture), and is described in books by A. P. Kezele, “The Return of the Goddess”, “The Soul of Old Europe”, “One Light, Many Souls” and “NeoDance – spiritual dance from Old Europe”.

This forgotten civilisation enjoyed peace and equality for millennia (8000-3500 BC) and lived in respect of all forms of life. We don’t know much about it. But we know for example that they worshipped female (Goddess) as well as male divine principle. We also know that one of the first and most important expressions of their spirituality was ritual movement - dance!

“NeoDance” (the word was coined from a combination of words “Neolithic” and “dance”, simultaneously projecting idea of something new - “neo”) is a practical way of expressing and understanding the universe, our deepest individuality and the divine principle, which surrounds us.

After he wrote the book “The Return of the Goddess”, Adrian presented on the basis of the book some practical ways of reviving the ancient Neolithic culture, from which a lot can be learned. One of these ways is ritual movement, i. e. dance.

From knowledge on distant past and various cultures that then flourished a new paradigm was born. On the basis of this paradigm our future can also be transformed.

New-old practices are emerging to remind us once again who we are and why we are here for.

The Meaning of Dance

In contemporary world dance has a double role. First role is entertainment. Most people don’t even think about dance in any other way than as an opportunity of pleasant free time activity. A minority practice dance as recreation. Aerobic activity of dance is alike sports, so the second role of dance can be resumed as healthy physical activity.

Well, in ancient times it was different. Dance was one of the first expressions of human creativity. Actually, movement, which is the basis of dancing, was seen as the principal feature of life. If something is alive, it moves. If there is no movement, there is no life.

Rhythm of movements, physical forms that change in a regular or a spontaneous, unpredictable way and then also the music that inevitably accompanied this movement became the first and principal expression of connection between the man and the universe. When they danced, people felt alive! Also, when they danced, people felt good! Rhythmic movements of the body create a certain state of consciousness that can be defined as ecstasy. Sometimes it is mild and resembles pleasure, and sometimes it is so strong that it overwhelms everything else and opens to the dancer new dimensions of reality.

In Neolithic era dance really represented one of the most important expressions of human spirituality. Dance was a technique for researching human consciousness and relating to the divine.

Later on, other views of the world were formed. Spirituality became hard and ascetic and religions forbade dancing as a too secular activity “of the flesh”. Dance only survived as a form of entertainment or perhaps art.

Yet, what was worth once, is also worth today. Although millennia have passed when the true meaning of dance was forgotten, it doesn’t meant that it was lost. The meaning of dance is primarily discovering and searching for one’s self and then discovering and searching for the divine. Dance is above all an expression of life and deep, true spirituality.




The Story about Goddess

Neolithic era was an era of peace and prosperity. In the area of ancient Europe, that covered a territory limited by present Czech Republic in the North, ran over the Balkans, to what is nowadays Greece and Turkey and all the way East to the Black Sea, a great and sophisticated civilisation flourished. Similar situation was in the Middle East and in present India.

Characteristics of this civilisation can be resumed by the following: equality of sexes, non-hierarchical social system, social equality (no casts or disparities in material possession), lack of military structure or any repressive structures, and finally, respect for female and male divine principle while prioritising the Great Mother – the Goddess that gives life.

The Goddess was alive among the peoples of Neolithic civilisations. They worshipped her by their way of living, their happiness, dancing, customs and rituals that made them happy and by which they celebrated presence of the divine in their everyday activities.

Well, some time around 5000 BC a major change occurred. Nomadic cattle breeding tribes began to descend from the North. Their way of life was primitive and harsh owing to climate change that had transformed rich and fertile lands of the Euro-African belt into steppes and deserts. Primitive tribes of the North brought with them a military way of living, domination of men over women, social hierarchy, slavery, warriors and kings and a male divinity that was in most cases authoritative, demanding and jealous.

In the course of the following few millennia, waves of northern conquerors destroyed the ancient culture. They showed no mercy in contact with people who worshiped the Goddess. Their contempt for women was demonstrated by an uncontrolled wrath directed at the female divine principle. The Goddess had to die.

The ancient Europe was the first to fall. Danilo Culture gradually moved over to the islands and became the Hvar culture. Yet, even there the so called Kurgan tribes got to it. In Middle East the Sumerian civilisation was established that for a period (around 1000 years) managed to keep the balance between the male and female divine principle that meant the balance between the old and the new way of life. Yet, the arrival of new warrior tribes from the North made the need for defence ever growing and the peaceful worshipers of the Goddess gradually retreated to make place for warriors who defended their homes. In India the Goddess died when the great river Sarasvati disappeared. Yet even there she somehow managed to survive until historical Vedic era and later on until our present time.

The Goddess survived the longest in full sense of this word in Crete and in a somewhat different form among the Etruscans. After that she vegetated in tribal rituals of the Celts, the Illyrians, the Slaves, the Germans and all other nations until she received the final blow by the bloodthirsty and aggressive medieval Christianity.

The death of the Goddess meant the end of ancient way of life. It meant the disappearance of equality and respect for balance. Humanity made many steps backwards and took on a path that possibly doesn’t lead to anything good. In this moment of history we are approaching the end of this path. We, the descendants of the conquerors and warriors of the North, now suffer the consequences of their ancient deeds. We face wars and danger of extinction. Disputes among nations have become unbearable and our way of life is estranged from natural principles. Subsequently we have to deal with numerous problems, destruction of natural resources and the nature itself, hunger, lack of freshwater and incurable diseases.

Is there hope? Can the present learn from the past and create a new future? Can the Goddess return?

Our answer is yes. The Goddess maybe disappeared from the face of the Earth and hid in the underground of human consciousness. Yet, she did not actually passed away. She is still here, among us. More precisely, she is within us. Through us she can return to the world and make it beautiful again.

There are ways of helping her return. However it sounds strange, we could for example make her return by dancing! We could dance her back to life! And then… we could do many other things, but since we have NeoDance, let us make our first step a dance step!




NeoDance workshops

Although unique, NeoDance indeed possesses some similarities with the existing dances or other physical activities. With a lot of critical distance and for the sake of orientation NeoDance could be described as a combination of yoga, tai-chi and spontaneous dancing. Interesting enough, for NeoDance no particular talents or capacities are necessary. Everyone can neo-dance, regardless of age, physical abilities or sensitivity for music.

NeoDance workshops will be held at three separate stages. The first stage is entitled “The Dance of the Nature”. At this stage basic elements of NeoDance are to be learned. Dancing of the nature is actually dancing that harmonises us with natural elements: Earth, Water, Sun and Wind. Among the basic elements we find the Transformation dance or Trans (abbreviation of “transformation”).

At the first workshop the participant will learn positions, movements and ways of dancing that constitute particular dances. Other exercises will also be mastered that enable for continuous dancing.

The second NeoDance stage is called “the Dance of Consciousness”. For this stage the first stage must be mastered and well practised. At the Dance of Consciousness we will learn how to express ourselves through movement and how to maintain ritual forms learned at the first stage. New elements will be added to these forms, such as “primal sounds” and natural rhythms that the participants themselves produce (with their hands, drums and other instruments). One of more important (and funnier) elements will be the search for one’s “dancing name”.

The third stage is entitled the “Dance of the Goddess” and represents the climax of use of ritual movement in creating an ecstasy and a direct experience of higher states of consciousness. Iz is a good idea to come on third stage with someone you can be close, and practice intimate dancing, as thise stage involves eroticism and sexuality.

All three stages of NeoDance can be mastered at weekend workshops. Beside workshops “cosmic celebrations” will also be organised at changes of natural cycles (beginning of seasons and the like).