Keef Wesolowski Miles
MM Professional Teacher
Apprenticeship Leader
It’s mid- July 2026 - Summer Long Dance time again. One of my favourite places for me and my family to be. I have been to every single Summer Long Dance since its inception, many moons and trips around the sun ago, and Willow - my 9 year old daughter has been to every one since she first arrived in the womb. And here we go again. Good to be back at Hillyfield with a tribe of curious and courageous Movement Medicine Dancers. Several veterans of this ceremony are here- like David Mooney, Ben Yegar, Kaya Sertic and Anna Sierpowska - and many Apprentices from around the world, embarking on their first deep dive into this precious prayer. Excitement, anticipation and a healthy dose of trepidation is tangible in the air. A nest of swallows in The Barn full of eager fledglings is capturing hearts, minds, ears and eyes as we begin to prepare our prayers for the ceremony. We are cooking up intentions and raising vibrations - and money - for what matters to each and and all of us in this one precious life, and like these fledgling Swallows, there is a call to imaginal and actual flights - to lift up our dedications for the benefit of all beings everywhere.
Much to my delight, an unexpected reunion is awaiting me in the field of dreams. Marold Emmelkamp, a dear brother who I have danced deeply with - Initiated with, Apprenticed with, Professionally Trained with, dined, cried, laughed and Phoenixed with many times in our 20 years of friendship and peership is here. We were cohorts in AP1 and PT1. Both friends and peers, we call ourselves Freers, and freedom to be unapologetically who we are in each other's company is a defining ingredient in our long knowing, witnessing and dances of power-beside. Whilst we have kept in touch online through the years, this is the first time in a good while that we share a ceremonial space in the body.
We have both come to work, play, pray and dream into the next steps on the dance floor called life, especially in relation to Movement Medicine. As we sit together in the woods, near the stones and crystals of this sacred land, we catch up with each other’s life stories and dreams and reflect on the many years of our friendship. We touch on my repeated calling and resistance to working deeply with men in apprenticeship and discuss all the rational reasons, or excuses, not to go there. The reality of how narrow a demographic was being identified for deep work is plain to see, namely - men who choose to consciously evolve, men who choose embodiment practices to resource themselves, men who choose Movement Medicine specifically as their primary practice, Men who choose to go so deep into this pathway that they come to the threshold of Apprenticeship and, when given the choice between a mixed gender cohort and a Men only cohort, would choose to commit to a Men’s Movement Medicine Apprenticeship. But wait - that describes us, and many other brothers on the path. At least up to the point of the AP portal. As we discuss this, I begin to hear a strong voice. Where from? My higher self? Great Spirit? The Cosmic Choreographer? A mischievous elemental being lurking in the long grass? Who Knows? But it is strong and repeating like a full bodied incantation.
A portal is presenting itself to you and if you choose to step though you will be amazed how abundant and beautiful the landscape is on the other side. There is an ocean of love, support and protection available to you if you dare to dream and manifest this blessed vision.
Finally, I speak it out loud and I perceive tears welling up in Marold’s eyes; and mine. Our hearts open wider than before and become more deeply entwined. He holds my hands and sighs a deep sigh, like only Marold can, with a rumbling that makes the local elementals dance in the grass and laugh. “Let’s dream together!” he says. And we do.
Midway through the 72 hour ceremony, deep in the trance of the dance, whilst navigating multiple dimensions of relational awareness, the question of MEN and Movement Medicine appears in my mind behind my closed eyes. I open them momentarily as I feel a presence beside me. It is Marold and he simply smiles and whispers once more - “Let’s dream together, brother!” And we do. Deeply focused, we pray in all directions for guidance and alliance in the vision that is emergent in this moment. After an unknowable time we open our eyes together and the hairs on our necks, and the strands of our DNA dance alive - what a delightful sight. Around the tree in the centre of the marquee we realise we are surrounded by 2, 3, 6, 9 men! Wow. You couldn’t make it up. It becomes clear at this moment that we have what I call a no-choice choice opening up before us.
A little later, on a trip back to The Barn in my role as Practical Team Leader, my heart leaps and the dream takes flight - the fledgling Swallows are swooping around the barn and venturing into the wider world. The time has come to leave the nest and bless the world with unique beauty. And the rest they say is HIS-story or rather OURstory, but distinctly not HERstory. A dance around the PoeTREE of Great Mystery. A Soul Story becoming MANifest in the field of Movement Medicine dreaming - MovementMedicine4Men
LIVING THE DREAM
Keef and Marold’s Apprenticeship for Men is happening in 2027 in Belgium and Wales.
“Empower your dreams and embody the man you were born to be. This is a unique opportunity to engage with this intense and transformative programme with a strong circle of brothers. This will be the 16th Movement Medicine Apprenticeship, but the first time it has been offered for Men only. It follows the curriculum for all Movement Medicine Apprenticeships and adapts it to serve men in particular. Through Movement Medicine, ritual and ceremony we will explore masculine roles, challenges and evolutionary opportunities.
Our intention is to present many portals of possibility for each man to craft his own personal journey and have creative freedom and autonomy regarding the rhythm, pace and depth of his dance with this profoundly resourcing work.”
Alongside the Apprenticeship, through the portal we call movementmedicine4men.org we are also offering the first ever INITIATION for MEN - also in 2027- and will be embarking on a European Tour of weekend workshops entitled NEVER GIVE A SWORD TO A MAN WHO CAN’T DANCE. We will be visiting and teaching a range of workshops in Wales, England, Holland, Croatia, Czech, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, France and elsewhere. On top of that Keef is offering Whole Soul Embodied Mentoring for Men, which incorporates PHOENIX and weekly ManGroove Online: Embodied Heart Circles for Men.
We can’t wait to dance deeply with our growing community of dancing heart warriors. Deep bow to all our female allies, our friends, peers, students, families, ancestors and guides in all realms. And massive love, respect and gratitude to Susannah and Ya’Acov for your impeccable guidance and belief in us over the past couple of decades. LETS DANCE!
