Wilderness Dance Camp – July 1-6, 2027
5 Days of Music, Dance & Fellowship
at Camp N-Sid-Sen, Harrison, Idaho
Amina Silk and Arif Leininger
Amina Silk, an artist, cook, crafter and lover of life, Amina lives in a small city in Massachusetts with her husband Arif on their artsy permaculture, wildlife sanctuary. An ordained priestess in the order of Melchizedek, and a certified Kriya and Hatha yoga instructor, Amina is also a certified dance leader for the Dances of Universal Peace and a Ziraat Gardener. She is certified in permaculture under the guidance of Starhawk. A plant spirit practitioner, herbalist and forager, starting as a child with her Grandmother Ninin, she has worked alongside many amazing herbalists including Rosemary Gladstar, Susan Weed, and Pam Montgomery. She is a Healing Touch and Reiki practitioner under the supervision and guidance of John Gray.
Arif Leininger is a musician, gardener, qigong practitioner and healer. He plays guitar for the dances, and leads kirtan. He has practiced qigong since the mid 1990s working with Chunyi Lin, Ken Cohen and Robert Peng. He also has a long time interest in native medicinals. He and Amina assisted in the creation of a community garden and food coop.
Arif and Amina teamed up in 2007. They travel widely bringing the Dances of Universal Peace and had the incredible gift of working with Joanna Macy’s The Work That Reconnects. With Joanna’s blessing, they integrated her work with Dances of Universal Peace, which is called Dancing the Spiral.
Our Guest Leaders
for the 2027 Camp
“Forget yourself, get into the spirit of song, rise and fall on the waves of ecstasy, and express [your] pure being. Then you escape all differences, all divisions, all duality, all pain, all sorrow.”
~ Murshid Samuel Lewis
Bernie Heideman
Bernie is a long time favorite Dance Leader who doesn’t need much of an introduction. He always brings a sense of joy and abandon to the circle, as well as current spiritual explorations. Bernie leads several annual events in CO and Mexico and was one of the first leaders to develop a safe protocol for in person events.
In his own words: “I love vocal music and movement, and encourage each dance or song that I lead to invite and embrace the divine. I am always seeking to go further: to expand the container. I have been meditating for over 30 years and currently practice a form of Kriya Meditation. I am a certified dance leader and Mentor, and for the past many years have led dance retreats and been on the staff of dance camps around the world. Because dancing in beautiful outdoor settings is also a love of mine, I lead regular retreats in Utah’s Canyonlands and this year in Guatemala. I also hold many local events in an around Colorado. Besides the dances I create, I learn many wonderful dances and chants from the leaders I meet all over the world.”