Ever since I was a kid, I've always enjoyed the music of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. The tunes are so much a part of our modern life, we often don't think about their origin, but when we do, we realize the profound genius of this composer. There is something about his music that truly touches the heart, that makes the music classic.

And, everyone seems to do their own version of the Nutcracker. There have been numerous traditional balletic technique versions, and more recently versions with modern dance, ice skating, water ballet, and do-it-yourself.

I was passing by the carriage horse stable on Sedgwick Avenue the other day, and saw that they are doing an equine version of the Nutcracker. I thought to myself, "Life Force Ensemble has to do a Shamanic Nutcracker!"

Life Force Ensemble is the performance company I founded in 1988. Originally called Sentience Dance & Movement, it's always been about exploring the spiritual aspects of the art of dance and performance. As I developed the work more, I realized that it could be called a modern form of shamanism – an ancient form of connecting to the spirit realm for healing and guidance.

When Life Force Ensemble performs, it is improvisation (making it up as you go along) but it's deeper than that: it's channeling the energies of spirit. We tap into the energies, and let them move through us. The company currently is Linmayu Appavu, Justin Prim, and me as singers-dancers, and Barry Bennett and James Cornolo, musicians. The purpose of the performance is to move spiritual energies for the healing of the audience who is present, and in the larger sense, sending out the healing energies to all beings who need them. In other words, it's not just a performance, it's also a ritual.

In Shamanic Nutcracker, as in all our performances, we call in the energies of the spirit guides associated with the theme. We trust that the audience who comes that day are the people who most need and can benefit from the performance-ritual. The spirit guides of the audience members lead them to come to us for healing.

We will be working with the melodies of Tchaikovsky, and improvising with them in dance, vocalizing, and instrumental music. Which spirit guides will be with us for Shamanic Nutcracker? We are discovering which ones as we rehearse, and in the performance-ritual itself. We are studying the original story by E.T.A. Hoffman, "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," for possible spirit guides.

Please join us December 18!

Joan Forest Mage has been practicing shamanic healing since 1995, and teaches a year-long Shamanic Training Program. She is the founder and director of Life Force Arts Center.