SpiritFire strives to offer daytime workshops and affinity groups while continuing to create an event flow that allows for a variety of experiences without feeling hectic. As we confirm our 2024 presenters, we’ll edit this page to reflect the current roster. You’ll start to see our amazing presenters here as they are put into the schedule.
2024 Presenters:
Johnny De’Scoville (Haitian Dance/Rhythms)
We are so pleased to welcome back Johnny to the mountain this year. He is a seasoned teacher, lecturer, and performer of Haitian and related diasporic ceremonial traditions. Johnny has engaged in scholastic and independent study of various African, Caribbean, and Native cultures, with a special interest in religion, drumming and dance. From 1983 to present, Johnny has been an active ceremonial drummer, playing for Haitian Vodou Ceremonies and Cuban Lucumi and Kongo ceremonies in Haiti, New York, Florida, California and his home state of New Mexico. He has been leading classes and concerts with students at colleges in VT and MA and offering exciting workshops in dance and drumming at SpiritFire for too many years to count (seriously, we’ve lost count.) His style of teaching is a dynamic and powerful experience that is accessible to all, from seasoned musician/dancer to first-time explorers.
John Davis (Human Creativity and Caring for All Beings) – image to come soon!
John Davis is a wilderness explorer and wildlife advocate who has hiked, paddled, and bicycled through or past many of the wildest places in the country. He works half time as rewilding advocate for Adirondack Council in northern New York and half time as director of The Rewilding Institute, continentally. He also serves as volunteer land steward for Eddy Foundation lands in Split Rock Wildway, a wildlife corridor linking Lake Champlain with the Adirondack High Peaks. His book Big, Wild, and Connected: Scouting an Eastern Wildway from Florida to Quebec describes his 7600 mile trek through the proposed Atlantic/Appalachian Wildway. The film Born to Rewild depicts his 5000 mile trek along the proposed Rocky Mountain Wildway. More recently, John proudly wrote the foreword to The Way of Gaia, by Martin Bridge and Steve Trombulak. John has a special affinity for wide-ranging animals (which he considers himself to be!), and urges in his talks and writings that we welcome home the Pumas, Lynx, Wolves, Elk, Bison, Salmon, Eels, and other space-dependent animals that we have eradicated from much of the country.
Melissa Grogan (Embodiment of Sound and Silence)
Melissa Grogan is a Vocal Expert with over 20 years teaching experience. She resigned from Texas State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance in 2016 as an Associate Professor of Voice and Speech to begin a private practice. She recently completed a Masters in Counseling from Naropa University (May 2024) and is provisionally licensed professional counselor in Texas. Her training includes: Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework, Knight-Thompson Speechwork, Presence with Patsy Rodenburg, and Body-Mind Centering at the Body-Mind Centering Institute and with Bonnie Bainbridge-Cohen. She is currently pursuing a certificate as a Somatic Movement Educator and has certifications as a yoga and meditation facilitator. Additionally she taught voice and movement at the University of Texas at Austin and often coaches actors on stage, in film, and for animation and TV episodics. She is passionate about helping people connect to their Voice and sharing it in the world. She believes that when we connect authentically with one another we help the world be a bit brighter to live in.
Irene Glasse (All Levels Vinyasa Yoga)
Irene Glasse is a Mystic Witch and ERYT-200 based in Western Maryland. She is President of the Frederick Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans, organizing and offering Pagan events, rituals, classes and workshops to a large, vibrant community. She is cofounder of Blackfeather Mystery School and coauthor of ‘Blackfeather Mystery School: The Magpie Training.’ Irene also offers readings, healings, pastoral counseling services, magickal and ritual work, guided study, yoga classes and more both in person and remotely through her website, www.GlasseWitchCottage.com