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Spirithaven Farm is located on a 130-acre parcel of land in the Blue
Ridge Mountains near Stuart, Virginia. While it is a work in progress,
it is the realization of a dream of its caretakers. Named for the ability
this land has to make one's Soul and Spirit feel "at Peace",
Spirithaven Farm is home to the Eutsler family and all of its resident
Life Forms both domesticated and indigenous.
Spirithaven is a working farm where several species of uncommon
livestock are raised. St. Croix sheep, Myotonic or "Tennessee Fainting"
goats, blue-egg-laying Ameruacana chickens and 
acrobatic
Breslauer Tumbler and Birmingham Roller pigeons call the farm home. Visitors
to Spirithaven will also see horses and peafowl roaming the property along
with their wilder neighbors including White-tailed deer, turkey, bobcats
and the occasional Black bear. Our pond is alive with catfish, bass and
bluegill, and our fields with fruit trees and ornamentals.
We believe this land is so special that we feel the need to share its
energy with like-minded folks at certain times during the year. To that
end we began to offer workshops and retreats that emphasize Arts and Music.
Our "Flagship" event is Darbukastani Independence Days, a three-day
festival revolving around Central Asian music and dance, drawing interested
people from around the country. We also host smaller local events featuring
Bluegrass, Folk and Celtic music and dance.
FUTURE PLANS
We are always looking to expand on our offerings of educational workshops
and events. Earth-skills and Holistic/Contemporary healing events are
in the works for the near future. A small performing arts center is on
the drawing board which will also house our vintage 80 year-old yurt from
Uzbekistan. It is also hoped that within a year or two we will be able
to offer Bed and Breakfast services on the farm in addition to the camping
facilities in existence at present.
We welcome inquiries about and suggestions for other events and/or services
we might provide.
EVENTS
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Dearest Friends and Fellow Citizens of Darbukastan, Thanks for visiting this site. Please be aware that we are updating the information at the present time and, while much of what you see here is accurate, there will be some changes regarding the details of the 2007 event. The same "feel" and Energy you experienced in DID'S past will be here in 2007- and then some! All we need is you to make it happen. Please contact us at tucherth@swva.net with questions. Thanks!! Sheque, Kay, Katie, Amber and Mama Jeanne
Citizens of Darbukastan and honored friends and neighbors from around the world. Be it known that The Ministry of Culture hereby issues you an invitation to join with us to celebrate the Fifth Anniversary of the establishment of our Artistic Alliance, the Dancing and Drumming Democracy of Darbukastan !! For three fun-filled days we will gather at Spirithaven Farm in Stuart, Virginia for a celebration of Music and Dance. We trust that you will be able to join with us for this momentous event that promises to be the best ever. We are pleased to announce the return of our ever-popular faculty. ~ ZAFIRA will lead our Divas of Dance in several new classes this year. ~ DENYS PROTEAU is back as conductor of The Darbukastani National Orchestra and will expand on his Instrumental Ensemble Workshops. These have been such a hit with participants and those of us who hae enjoyes the fruits of the Orchestra's labors at the Saturday night Hafla. ~ ONCA will lead a not-to be-missed workshop entitled "Fabulous Fan Fusion" Notorious for sassy fan-work, Onca will share with you some of the class and timeless attitude the fan can bring to your bellydance. Bring any folding fan you may have. Extras will be available for loan and sale at the seminar. ~ DAVEED KORUP who has led our percussion classes will, happily, be with us this year ater an absence of one year. Daveed is one of the founders of DID and it will be a great blessing to have him back. The details of his classes have yet to be finalized but we do know that, for the first time, Daveed will be teaching private lessons on a first-come, first-served basis. We suggest that you contact Daveed for details and to reserve your space in his classes. ~BILLY WOODS. Billy (a.k.a. SYLVANUS) is well known to those of you who play SCA and most likely even those of you who do not. If you've not been fortunate enough to float in the slipstream of Billy's high energy, you are in for a real treat! Billy will be leading us in Qi Gung classes each morning and in Drumming 101 later in the day. Those of you who are feeling disappointment at this moment because you feel this class might be beneath you BEWARE! Billy assures me that he has yet to complete this class himself! ~ JEN SPEIDEN and MANDARA will lead daily classes in Yoga and Pilates for Belly Dancers. In this calss, participants will explore the use of the abdomen, chest and pelvis through a series of static postures and dynamic flows. Using Pilates strengthening and stabilizing exercises as well as yoga-based asanas (postures) and breathwork, students will work to develop flexibility, strength and, most of all, an increased awareness of their bodies. We will focus on postures and flows that are especially beneficial to the belly dancer in conditioning and preparation for dance. This will incclude tools and techniques to help move safely and appropriately into back bends, level changes and floorwork. A yoga mat is recommended. ~ DONOVAN KOKOT will lead us through the history
of Saz from its remote beginnings through the evolution to the instrument
we know and love today. Donovan's love of saz will be apparent with
the exhaustive research he will present to us. ~ Being a progressive society we believe in equal rights but
also see the benefits of a little well-intentioned discrimination.
To that end we are delighted to inform the "fairer" of
our citizenry of the (Ladies-Only) GUEDRA being led by CARLA MONNICH
of TURKU. Carla will also offer individual zil classes on a first-come,
first served basis. Sign-up sheets will be available at check in.
Back Again For 2007 ~
~ The soon to be Worlde Reknowned HALIC TAVERNA! . By
popular demand, and making late-night DID a feast for the Hedonistic
Darbukastani, The Halic Taverna makes its second appearance at DID
in 2006. The Tavern will open late and close early (morning!) and
feature a mellow atmosphere where we can relax and continue the
vibe of the day while experiencing performances by our friends and
fellow citizens. We will have a sign-up sheet for folks who will
be kind enough to share their talents with us so please ask any
of the staff how to participate. ~ Dance Regalia Swap. Our citizens are encouraged to make suggestions as to the changes/additions they would like to see implemented in DID programming. We are listening! This year we will begin what is sure to become an annual tradition. Dancers and musicians may bring those items that they have in surplus or no longer use and trade those items with interested parties. Please note: This is not intended to be a commercial enterprise! There will be no charge for people bringing items to trade and small-scale sales will be allowed. We are not encouraging retail vendors as this is not the intent of this experiment. ~ Friday Afternoon Henna Party. Prior to the evening's festivities we will host a body-adornment workshop with several experienced henna artisans providing instruction in everything from henna preparation to application techniques. Indulge your creativity and wear it with pride! We discovered three new sources of henna powder in Turkiye this most recent trip and we will have these materials available for your use. Please feel free to bring your own supplies if you wish.
FAMILIAR FEATURES ~ ~ Morning Yoga ~ "Saturday Night Live" Hafla with members of BARAKA MUNDI. ~ The Grand Bazaar with the Wonders of the World brought to you by The Culture Shop and Touch The Earth. ~ Hot Water/Solar Showers ~ Swimming, Boating and Hiking.
The 2007 schedule will appear something like this:
There are restaurants available in town (5 miles to Spirithaven) and there are primitive cooking facilities (firepits) available for community use. You are also welcome to bring grills/propane stoves with you if you wish. PLEASE NOTE ! Participation is strictly limited to 100 registrants ! Register early for discounted tuition. Registration Fee for DID 2006 - $125.00 Adults (ages 16 and over), $75.00 Young Folks, Under 6 Free. Please remember all tuition goes toward paying our talented faculty and facility improvements. Our long-range plan includes a permanent performance area, under-roof and encloseable for the citizenry's comfort during inclement weather. We plan on constructing a temporary stage this year to aid in keeping our performers weatherproof. Please help us get a head start on this by registering early. Feel free to make your checks for payment of the registration fee to Spirithaven Farm. Thank You! For more Information please contact us at : Spirithaven Farm 88 Dobyns Church Rd Stuart, VA 24171 tucherth@swva.net
Watch our website for updates - www.touchtheearth.com access the Spirithaven page. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT DID 2007 IN JUNE!
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Darbukastani Independence Day 2007 Registration Form Thank You for expressing an interest in attending DID June 1nd, 2rd and 3th 2007. If you would kindly fill out this form and e-mail or fax it to us at your convenience we would greatly appreciate it. We apologize for being low-tech and not having a fancier form, but you may cut and paste the text below into an e-mail to us At times there seems to be a direct correlation between technological ignorance and happiness, at least for us at any rate. Name: Address: Daytime Phone: Evening Phone: Best Time To Call You: E-mail address: Expected Date of Arrival: (Early arrivals welcome but we’d like to know how early!) Will you be camping at Spirithaven?: Number in Party: Age: (if under 18 you must be accompanied by a parent or LEGAL guardian) Group Camping With: Preferred Camping Area: (This may be easy for "veterans", if this is your first DID please e-mail and we’ll fill you in!) Size of tent: Do you need Motel/B&B Information ?: Emergency Contact Information: Name: Address: Daytime Phone: Evening Phone: E-mail Address: Do you have any medical conditions we should be aware of?: Do you have any allergies we should be aware of?: Are you taking any prescription drugs?: Please Note: By registering for this event you are agreeing to
abide by the rules of Spirithaven Farm. These rules are far from
stringent but are based on the concept of common courtesy. We will
all be here mutually striving to create an atmosphere of Peace and
Harmony which is conducive to learning and sharing of ideas and
energies. We trust and expect that you will be responsible not only
for your own actions but for those of any you choose to bring with
you. If you bring children please do not "turn them loose"
and expect someone else to babysit for them. Unfortunately we cannot
allow pets as Spirithaven is a working farm with assorted critters
that might be adversely affected by their presence. Please e-mail
or phone with any particular questions or concerns.
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