Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Wild Dolphins & Mermaids Swim

Mermaid & Dolphin by Gabriella Lennep
Have you ever dreamed of being a mermaid and swimming with dolphins out in the deep blue sea? That lifelong dream can become a reality and lasting memory when you when you join our new wiki Wild Dolphins & Mermaids cruise. Departing Port Canaveral (Orland) Florida, we'll set sail for Freeport in the Bahamas where we'll spend a full day. While there, we'll take part in an Open Ocean Dolphin Swim booked through our Carnival Cruise ship. Excursion highlights include:

  • Enjoy a 20-minute boat ride through the beautiful canals of Grand Bahama Island or along the South Shore of the island (depending on weather).  
  • Arrive at Sanctuary Bay, where you will meet your dolphin trainer and listen to a brief orientation before heading out into the open ocean.  
  • Watch for dolphins jumping and playing in the boat’s wake as you ride out.  
  • Once the boat comes to a stop, you’ll enter the crystal clear water, approximately 20-25 feet deep, to swim with the beautiful Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins.  

This abbreviated cruise is all about the dolphins, and we will devote the bulk of our time to getting to know them. While on the ship we'll dive into the history and lore, the facts and fables of these beloved oceanic beauties. We'll even make an attempt to speak their language! Plus, we'll do our best to avail ourselves of as many of the ship's amenities as possible. After all, we're mermaids gone wild!

View the Wild Dolphins & Mermaids Swim site for full details.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Adult Day Camps, satisfying the need for play

Re-blogged from the Grownup Day Camps site


"Play brings joy. And it’s vital for problem solving, creativity and relationships." So says Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Associate Editor at PsychCentral.com. "... play is just as pivotal for adults as it is for kids ... Play can even facilitate deep connections between strangers and cultivate healing."

It is in this same spirit of nurturing and needful play that Siren School offers a variety of playful experiences, ranging in duration from an hour to several days.  Play sparks the imagination, fosters teamwork, and gets participants out of their heads. Though fantasy and history are often involved, activities are a far cry from the escapism associated with interests and pastimes that lead to addiction.

"We're not trying to escape reality. Rather, we're immersing ourselves in the reality of beauty, creativity, freedom and fellowship," says Siren School Headmistress Joy Devivre. "Cultural customs, age-old crafts, fantasy personas, dance, international foods, outdoor activities—they all come together to expand participants' scope of thought and to interest them in new, decidedly exciting pursuits. Our adult day camps, along with all our events, are designed to put a spring in your step and a smile on your face, to improve your mood and make you more pleasant to be around."

See this site's Theme Camps page for everything from a Run Away with the Circus day to a Grimm Scavenger Hunt, and Mermaid Bootless Camp.  To share a day of fun with friends for a special occasion, consider hosting aSiren Soiree. If you need a quick dose of magic on an ongoing basis, Fantasy Fitness offers theme-immersion dance classes. If you're desperate for a more intense experience or exotic getaway, visit our Intensives page or our Mythic Adventures holidays site.

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Tartakovsky and NPR both recommend Stuart Brown's explanation of play, which you can hear in his own words in his TED Talk Play is more than fun.

  

Monday, August 3, 2015

Folk Dance - the non-dancer's best friend

Re-blogged from Fantasy Fitness

Do you love to dance but don't exactly love having to stand up straight, point your toes, and wiggle your body in strange and impossible ways?  Fantasy Fitness' Gypsy Sojourn folk-style dance enables participants to move to the music without having to worry about perfect technique and form.

The majority of folk dance styles began as ways for people to get together and celebrate informally, not for professional performance. The moves are often boisterous, the apparel ample, and the opportunities to make noise and whoop it up, many. Nearly every culture has its own version of folk dance, frequently incorporating the clothing of its people to accent moves and gestures.

Like the colorful nomads of yore, our Gypsy genre traces its origins to India through Russia and on to Eastern Europe. We make use of percussive coin bracelets, anklets and tambourines, clapping and especially skirts. There is lots of skirt flipping and whishing which is just plain fun!

While you're welcome to wear boots when you dance, we advocate casting off your footwear and enjoying feeling the earth under your feet as you swirl and twirl in a wooded area or park as part of our fresh air Elementals program.

Being a social activity rooted in rich cultural traditions, a Gypsy Sojourn Dance Party is a natural addition to a Gypsy Jamboree Siren Soiree for a birthday party, bachelorette bash, or any girls' get-together. As with all Siren School experiences, participants have the unique opportunity to take a vacation from the ordinary and immerse themselves in their siren persona of choice for an hour, a half day, or multiple days.

Step into your skirt and gather around the campfire as we invoke our Bohemian sisters of days gone by.

If you're interested in obtaining certification in order to teach this happy-go-lucky dance form, join us on 17 October 2015 at 11:30am PST / 2:30pm EST for a 2-hour group videochat training session

Pre-requisites: 
Siren School 101 - 2 hour free group videochat
Salonniere training - 1 hour free group videochat
Fantasy Fitness Business Basics - 1 hour free group videochat

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Be a part of a party with purpose

Reblogged from Siren Soirees

Do you absolutely adore theme parties and love any excuse to throw them? Do you love seeing others light up when you entertain? Could you use a little mad money? Side employment as with Siren Soirees may be just the opportunity you've always dreamed of. We have oodles of genres from which to choose, along with detailed training to help you make your soiree extraordinary. Visit our Certification page to learn how you can be a part of parties with purpose.

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Birds of all feathers

Reblogged from the Siren School Salon site

The salons of yore were more than gatherings of gossipy gals from the leisure class. They were cauldrons of both education and entertainment where women, barred from higher learning, could expand their minds and try on new ideas as they hobnobbed with the great philosophers, social commentators and satirists of their day. Siren School salons encourage women to step out of their comfort zones and explore new terrain while surrounded by supportive like-minded women.

"I think what I enjoy most about the salons is how different from one another they all are. They don't just have names of their own, but complete personalities that make each salon distinct from the next," says Joy of the Tea Travellers Societea salon in Southern California. "While my salon uses tea as the tie that binds all of our events together, over in Georgia, Sanndi and the Bohemian Belles are off doing things that appeal to a free gypsy spirit. I love the variety! Especially because it enables us to delve into and appreciate other cultures and customs as well as ourselves, which is what Siren School is all about." 
Tea Traveller Carol says, "What I like most about these salons is that they pick up where the Red Hat Society left off. They encourage the upcoming generations to try new things and enjoy the company of women. Since each salon has a different theme or focus, you can find the perfect fit for you based on interests, not just geography; and you can participate in the events offered by more than one salon. After all, each of us has a variety of interests and each salon appeals to a different part of our personality."

Salon activities run the gamut from nature hikes to opera field trips, whodunit mystery tea parties to circus arts classes, with everything in between. Are you ready to spread your wings and find the siren within?

See our Regional Salons page to find an existing salon near you. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, consider starting up a salon of your own!