About River & Root Ceremonies

I have always loved ritual: it provides us with a sense of our place in the larger spectrum of human and societal cycles, as well as marks the beats in the rhythms of our individual lives. I have always loved reading and writing as well - book reports were my favorite school assignments (yes, I've always been a bit of a language person). Growing up, the book 'I'm in Charge of Celebrations' was one of my favorites - it's all about a little girl who creates individual rituals for herself and the desert creatures around her.

When I first heard of this work of Celebrancy and the Institute, nearly ten years ago, I thought: oh, it’s all of the things I love about theater: a gestural vocabulary, an emphasis on language, thematic unity, a choreography of movement, a link to universal human life experiences, a beginning/middle/end, dedicated space for consideration of the meta-condition of being alive (to name but a few…) - plus, I get to write it from scratch every time! What a huge, exciting creative opportunity!

So - I come to this work from a theater background. Generally, I've worked mostly in technical production, backstage: what has been & remains most interesting to me in theater is being a part of a group of people all creating something new together, out of many different elements of varying complexity. Sometimes it's messy, and the quality of the results can fluctuate wildly, but the outlines of the journey from the first read-through to performance remain the same. A similar alchemy occurs with Celebrancy: all the elements travel through the crucible of the co-creative process, and that forges a unique experience for all present at the ceremony.

I would absolutely not be here without the love and support of my parents, partner, and friends. It's also vitally important to honor those teachers who encouraged me in this work along the way, in all the varying forms it's taken so far: R. Miles, V. Halloran, P. Cabiya, A. Wightman, D. Thomas, B. Beauman, G. Piggot, S. Ashurst, M. Mendez, L. Martin, and K. Kirkley. Thank you.