MESA 2026 June 2-7
MESA 2027 (Dates TBA)
The MESA is a creative encounter fostering knowledge, presence, and belonging to the Earth through dance, ritual art, creative celebration, and ecological understanding. We begin by viewing “art” as a sacred act of generosity, honoring our human capacity to create and offer. We reclaim the sacred responsibility to share with the living world, our mother and our sustainer. We root our creative energies in relationship rather than isolation—relationships with ourselves, our shadows and archetypes, with each other, and the more-than-human world.
The MESA strives to revive the ancient understanding of "art" as a vital aspect of our responsibility to live beautifully within the web of creation. Could it be that the world requires our art to thrive?
To be an artist in this way is to embody generosity. Recognizing our interconnectedness with all beings inspires us to contribute authentically through our lives. This desire cultivates beauty in our actions. Art becomes the expression of our being—a heartfelt response from our deep inner world to the soul of the external world. It is a testament to our belief that if nature is good then so are we.
Nathan will facilitate this work from the traditions of Butoh and Ritual Dance.
Butoh, originating in post-WWII Japan, is an avant-garde dance form often described as the “dance of darkness,” yet it is a journey towards light. This introspective exploration unfolds as a transformative process that engages the archetypal shadows of body and mind, inviting embodiment, realization, transformation, and liberation in service of life itself. Like the natural cycle of a seed sprouting, flowering, and withering, Butoh embraces the fullness of creative impulse with courage and a love for life that is both unrestricted and expansive.
Ritual Dance honors creativity as a heartfelt offering to sustain life. Through sacred movement, ritual forms weave us into a deeper connection with our human nature, encouraging active participation in the living world.
The MESA is a facilitator-held, immersive process that asks for presence, maturity, and participation. It is not passive or consumptive; it is relational and experiential. Participants are invited to arrive with a willingness to tend their own process while contributing attentive lead to a shared field of respect, listening, and creative responsibility.
This offering may not be aligned for everyone, and discernment is part of the process.
This workshop requires camping on site and all participants will need to bring their own camping gear. Water, toilet and cooking facilities will be provided. But participant should be comfortable with living and camping in the outdoors.
Nathan is a seasoned dancer, creator, and facilitator of ritual life and art processes. With 25 years of experience studying, performing, and teaching Butoh and improvisational dance, he serves as steward of the MESA (Movement and Ecology Sanctuary for Art) in Southwest Colorado. The MESA is a sanctuary devoted to the recovery and cultivation of the spiritual heritage intrinsic to all humans, in service to the Holy.