Relational Context
Shante' Sojourn Zenith is an Earth Poet Edge Weaver approaching ritual through the nervous system, creative expression, and relating to wider ecological bodies of support. Her practice weaves together learnings from somatics, animism, constellations, poetics, clowning, grief ritual, and systems intelligence as well as the oracular guidance of ecological beings and deep time ancestors. Her people are Celtic, Norse, and Slavic. She lives in Mni Sota Makoce on the ancestral homelands of the Dakota people, where she learns from the Mississippi River, Turtles, Maitake Mushroom, and many other nature beings. Shante's experiences a sensitive body with chronic illness invite her to deepen her relationship with rest and nourishment.
SOMATIC
Three years of somatic personal practice during Embodiment Studies grad program at Goddard College. Two years of receiving Rosen Method Bodywork and other somatic modalities. Year long professional application course with Liz Koch of Core Awareness. Three years of studying with Dare Sohei and Larissa Kaul of Animist Arts with a focus on embodied expression, nervous system nourishing, and connecting to wider fields of support. Studying nervous system resourcing through workshops with Deb Dana, Sarah Peyton, Amber Elizabeth Gray, and Raja Selvam. Ten years of assisting and training in physical theatre and clowning, including intensives Phillipe Gaulier, Pierre Byland, Patsy Rodenberg, and the artists of Theatre de la Jeune Lune. Six years of conscious movement practice in various dance modalities.
SYSTEMIC
Nora Bateson’s Warm Data Host training for systemic perception and transcontextual mutual learning. Foundation year of systemic constellations training with Katherine Curran of Minnesota Center for Constellations. Systemic Constellations facilitation intensives with Sarah Peyton. Constellations workshops with Elena Veselago, Jan Jacob Stam, and Francesca Mason Boring. Animist Arts Practitioner cohort drawing on systemic approaches to animist practice. Study and process immersion with Bree Benjamin in a maturation model of uncoupling from dependency systems and into relationship with erotic life force. Four years as a dramaturg and consultant for artistic projects supporting emergent creative process.
ECO-POETIC
MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts with a focus on grief ritual and ecological imagination. Studying grief ritual with Azul Valerie Thome and Francis Weller, Earth Leadership Cohort studying the Work that Reconnects. Workshop intensives at Schumacher College with David Abram, Stephan Harding, Andreas Weber, Bayo Akomolafe, Martin Shaw, Colin Campbell, and Carolyn Hillyer. Nine month permaculture design certificate from Land by Land. Animist sessions with Sadee Whip, Portia Richardson, Dare Sohei, Larissa Kaul. Direct relationship with birch, the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, turtles, and maitake mushroom. Studies with Animist Arts. Her own creative and ritual practice connecting with land, ancestors, and animal body creating Long Body Prayers: An Animist Oracle.