The Bare Feet® Dance Tour in Bali, Indonesia
The first official Bare Feet™ Tour kicked off in early April on the incredible island of Bali, Indonesia. Along with seven participants, our Bare Feet™ Balinese adventure was truly the experience I have dreamed of for launching the Bare Feet™ Tours, an all-encompassing trip that immersed my fellow travelers in a cultural stew of music, dance, art, food, ceremony, nature, and of course, FUN!
Hosted at the magnificent and hospitable Floating Leaf Eco Retreat in Ketewel, Bali, our itinerary included traditional Balinese dance classes led by local village instructors. Our mornings were greeted with sun salutations through laughing yoga while the sounds of the rice field tractors reminded us of our exotic location. Performances in the palace of Ubud, the bustling cultural center whose popularity has grown since the release of Eat, Pray, Love, guided us in our dance exploration of the Balinese people with masks and gamelan orchestras and dancers whose precision and grace were flawless. A visit to a Balinese healer, Pak Man, opened our minds and our hearts to another life more spiritual and free, something that is always difficult to master when living in a chaotic city like New York. A visit with the monkeys in Ubud's Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary reminded us of how precious (and cheeky) nature can be. And with an overwhelming sense of spirituality that Bali encompasses, we were transformed and transported to another world - purified by the waters of the Tampak Siring holy spring.
To finish our dream-like adventure, we hiked to the top of Mount Batur, the active volcano on the northwest point of the island, to catch the sunrise over the clouds. A perfect farewell to an almost surreal trip, I want to thank all of the travelers who joined me on our first, ever Bare Feet™ Tour in Bali! Suksma, Bali and suksma Floating Leaf Eco Retreat - we look forward to having another Bare Feet™ Tour with you next year!
The Bare Feet™ Tour in Bali will be scheduled for another trip in spring 2015 - stay tuned for more details! And be sure to watch the Bare Feet™ Series SEASON FINALE on NYC Media this spring to see what dance adventures we had in Bali - tune in every Wednesday at 9:30pm on NYC Life (channel 22 or 25 in NY, NJ, CT) for weekly dance adventures around the world!