Seven Sisters

The response from those in attendance at the Water Ceremony presented to the Lehigh Valley community on April 9, 2002, was pure enthusiasm mixed with gratitude. "The program was exquisite," one person commented. "It was a beautiful experience."

The Water Ceremony was sponsored by the Muhlenberg College Office of Multicultural Life and coordinated by Dr. Ethel Drayton-Craig. Future dates are under consideration to bring this beautifully crafted event to other communities across the planet.

Written and directed by Pana Columbus, Director of Circle of Stones Ritual Theatre, and inspired by the work of SoLea Leon, this event was dedicated to the transformation of the planet following the 911 tragedies. The Water Ceremony offers hope and a glimmer of the eternal love everpresent if we open ourselves up to it.

Tahya

Tahya was among members of the Lehigh Valley ensemble cast as one of the Seven Sisters, inspired by the Pleiades constellation with Allison Lam, Sahrin Holderman, Gloriel, Quitaya Lee, Agueda Ramirez and Pana Columbus. The production also featured Ben Iobst playing his collection of Tibetan singing bowls, gongs, metal chimes and tingsha. Sun Lee opened the ceremony with beautiful renderings on her violin, Asa Craig rang the opening bell, Liz Marsh offered the opening dialogue and Katina Columbus designed the costumes.

Pana is an accomplished writer, director and performer dedicated to the exploration of Ritual Performance. Having spent four years traveling through Hawaii, Egypt, Europe and southwestern U.S. exploring the power and grace of energetic transformation through ceremony, she has created a style of singing and dancing using an improvisational language of the heart.


** NOTE: One of the major inspirations behind this project is the work of Masaru Emoto, a creative and visionary Japanese researcher, who has published an important book with the findings of his worldwide research. For more information, please visit this related link: "The Message from Water" and Masaru Emoto's site.

Front row: Asa Craig, Dr. Ethel Drayton-Craig, Sahrin Holderman. Back: Pana Columbus, Agueda Ramirez, Allison Lam, Quitaya Lee, Tahya, Gloriel, and Liz Marsh. photo credit: Moe Jerant