school of myth & movement arts

Since 2009

The essential task of any wise culture is to teach us how to relate to Nature — particularly our own human nature.

The School seeks to offer experiences of wise, ancestral culture that teach us to relate harmoniously to Nature and our own nature through the wisdom found in the arts, myth, festivity, and philosophy.

The experience of modernity means that many of us have lost our ancestral lands and cultures and we are trying to cope within a dominant culture that destroyed these wise ways and continues to destroy Nature and human nature.

In the face of this, the School works on two levels:

1 We offer healing work, through counter-cultural forms of holistic psychology. 2 We offer experiences in creative resurrection of ancestral ways of relating to Nature and human nature through festivity, myth and artistic expression.

Learning to live in harmony with Nature and with our own nature is an appropriate goal for our humanity. Coming into this harmony requires the help of wisdom cultures.

Our harmonizing with Nature and our own nature will draw forth new and ancient forms of education, healing, community, initiation and celebration that meet the needs of our times.

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Director Laura Melling

FORMAL TRAINING: Laura carries a Masters in Anthropology of Human Development from New York University, a Bachelors in Cultural Psychology and Human Development from Rutgers Honors College, a post-graduate degree in Isadora Duncan Studies, and post-graduate training in Myth and Movement.  She was privately mentored for ten years by renowned philosopher Bruce Wilshire. Laura is a trained and experienced Waldorf teacher and selected Waldorf teacher-trainer.  She has more than 15 years of training in Jungian psychology, Bioenergetic psychotherapy, the Body-soul Rhythms work of Marion Woodman and Bodydreaming somatic Jungian trauma therapy.  Laura trained with RJ Stewart and Anastacia Nutt in the pagan traditions of Europe. She was previously part of a Lakota ceremonial community and now follows a ceremonial path under the tutelage of Mohawk medicine woman Okhi Forest.

AWARDS/POSTS: Laura’s studies and creative work have received generous support from the National Arts Council of Ireland, New York University, Isadora Duncan International Institute, Rutgers University, the state of New Jersey, Boulder Arts Council, Boulder County Arts Alliance, Galway North Beach Poetry, and a generous anonymous patron. Laura has held teaching and artistic directing positions at National University of Ireland, Shining Mountain Waldorf School, Boulder Waldorf Kindergarten, NYC Botanical Garden, Galway Dance Centre, The Meadow Studio NY, Catholic Charities NYC, among others.  She has performed with the Isadora Duncan International Institute touring company in Europe and the US and directed her own company and solo work on stages in South America, Europe and the US.