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Autobiography
Susan Helene Kramer
I was born just after Christmas, 1946, during a blizzard in Baltimore,
Maryland USA, the first of 3 children to my individualistic parents, Jane
Frances Kaspar and Walter Roland Kramer. My childhood
was happy and adventurous in the lush and peaceful country setting of 'Fair Oaks on the Magothy', the northern-most plantation, as reported in
the "Baltimore Sun" newspaper. Long before my family lived at Fair
Oaks, native American Indians made their home on this
fertile peninsula of land between the two rivers of the larger Severn and our
winding Magothy. I can still hear the gong ringing
several hundred yards across the river at Girl Scout Camp Whipporwill
on summer evenings as my brother, sister, and I took our evening baths, bar of
soap in hand, at the gently lapping river's edge on the beach in front of our
home. In contrast, on frigid winter days we enjoyed ice skating in the little
cove to the west of our house where the river froze over more securely than
right out front facing the broad expanse.
My parents were great influences within this rich country setting. In her
youth, my mother wrote poetry, was editor-in-chief of her high school yearbook,
and loved singing, playing the piano, and after marriage, gardened and sewed
creatively, (of which I was one of the happy recipients in the clothes she
designed and made for my 'Tiny Tears' and 'Toni' dolls). She spent a lot of
time teaching me to sew, and then gave me material to create as I wished. Today
I carry on her tradition of creative sewing by making fabric dolls for my
growing number of grandchildren, gardening and bird watching. Several times a
day in my pre-school years she would read me the stories from my 'Little Golden
Books'; I learned to read by memorizing those stories. In later years she
enjoyed embroidery as a relaxation along with her career as an executive
secretary (business manager) with Henry W. Jenkins Funeral Home, the oldest
funeral home in the United States, which during my childhood was owned by my
father's uncle, Major General David Henry Jenkins, who along with his wife, my
Aunt May, (my paternal grandmother's sister), raised my father at 'Fair Oaks on
the Magothy'. As an adult, when I would give her a
water color painting, mother would write a poem to go with it. An example is a
painting of flames coming up through a piano key board; mother wrote
"Flames of soul make fingers toll."
After serving in WWII my father went to college and became an aerospace engineer and worked on the guidance system of the Explorer I; growing up he played the piano and violin, and at age 16 won the Maryland State Championship in long distance running. During WWII he served in the U.S. Navy as a radio engineer, and while stationed in the Panama Canal additionally served as ship-board lifeguard. He began taking me sailing when I was 2 years old, and I learned swimming, and over the years more advanced sailing and diving from him. My father designed and drew the blueprints, and with very little help, constructed our family home beginning when I was 6; I followed him with interest every step of the way, providing an invaluable resource for my own house design and construction work as an adult. But, especially, I'd like to mention a memory that fired my own imagination, and that is that before my brother, sister and I went to sleep at night my father told us a new story in the continuing adventures of 'Johnny Flitter-Footer', a character my father invented who always did something adventurous and fantastic.
And, I am grateful to both of my parents for driving me around to and from lessons and school activities over the years; waiting patiently while rehersals went over many times; I'll bet they were glad when I finally was old enough to drive.
Beginning in my middle teens I pursued a brief career in classical ballet,
followed by teaching academics through movement and rhythm; simultaneously
drawing, painting, and becoming an abstract color constructionist, house
designer and writer.
(The photo above from August,
1952, shows my parents, sister, brother and me.)
Childhood
My mother wrote about me in my baby book that at 12 months of age "does
lots of 'jabbering' especially with music,"
and at 15 months she noted "sang Rock a bye Baby." At four years of
age my aunt, May Powell Jenkins, sent me to dance lessons with Adelaide Molter in our community of Severna Park, Maryland, because
I was, more often than not, happily skipping and singing on the lawns or around
the house. Later that year, in July, 1952, I was selected to play the part of
an 'angel' leading first-communicants in a procession into St. John the
Evangelist Catholic Church. (In this photo
I am the 2nd angel from the right.) Looking back, these two events were
very early beginnings of my dance and spiritual interests.
My aunt and uncle, May Powell and Major General David Henry Jenkins, owned the plantation 'Fair Oaks on the Magothy' where I grew up. After their deaths when I was about 12 years old, the main house was rented to St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church as a temporary rectory. We had dinner with the 3 priests in residence occasionally, and one of the priests, Father Riepe, was instrumental in the ecumenical movement in the Catholic Church at that time. This exposure bore fruit in myself and my writings when at 30 I took an interest in the ecumenical movement and began studying world religions, and the philosophy and practice of yoga.
During elementary school years I took piano lessons and music theory from Patricia McKinsey, a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Music, and in my later teens I learned to play the autoharp, castanets, ankle bells, and percussion instruments, and still later, in my early 30s learned to play the harmonium (while chanting in Sanskrit). I am the vocalist (Shuchi) leading the Sanskrit responses on the audio tape "Integral Yoga Kirtan" led by Sri Swami Satchidananda.
All through childhood I was devotional; my mother sang in the church choir,
and as a preschooler I enjoyed singing the hymns while sitting, hidden at her
feet, in the choir box at Sunday morning mass. At age 7, I remember that the
first lesson in my midnight blue paper-covered 'Baltimore Catechism' was to
know, love, and serve God in this world. That message inspired my life; I took
it to heart. One of my earliest self-imposed spiritual practices was that
daily, from the age of 9, after going to bed at night, I said a rosary with the
intention that it be for the soul in purgatory who needed it the most. To me
this devotion sprang naturally from my family environment; two of my maternal
grandmother's sisters were nuns with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, a
first cousin on my father's side is a nun with Little Sisters of the Poor, and
a 2nd cousin is a priest. Though my roots are in the Catholic religion, as an
adult my heart has blossomed in love and respect for the many religions in
which mankind participates; my philosophy is that we are each one of the
parts; part of the One.
Events After Age 30
On the eve of my 30th birthday which happened to be the 30th of December, 1976, I wrote in my diary that I felt a change was going to happen the next day. At the time I was taking my first spiritual retreat, which was being conducted at La Casa de Maria in Santa Barbara, California, sponsored by the Integral Yoga Institute. During a talk by Amma Kidd on my 30th birthday I was inspired to devote my life to karma yoga, which is self-giving service to God through service to humanity.
As the mother of several children my life was already filled with family service; the new dedication was more a change of attitude to see others beyond my children as family, too. I felt joy in my new attitude of feeling part of our world family; I felt that warm fuzzy feeling of comfort that until that time I had just felt when in the company of my family and close friends, and this cozy feeling has stayed with me since.
After several years studying and practicing the aspects of yoga presented by the Integral Yoga Institute including meditation, I began writing comments from my personal insight and inspiration in the format of letters to those asking me questions. The first collection of letters made into 30 essays was written during the 3 month period between September 9th and Christmas, 1982. On December 22, 1982, with the blessing of Sri Swami Satchidananda, I took a formal vow (I had already informally done so on my 30th birthday) to serve God through service to humanity. After several years of dedicated service to the Integral Yoga Institute Sri Swami Satchidananda blessed my independent spiritual work in our conversation of July 20, 1987, the one year anniversary of the dedication of LOTUS - the Light of Truth Universal Shrine in Buckingham, Virginia.
(photo at right above is of me in the cloister hallway of Onze Lieve Vrouw (our loving mother) Cathedral in Maastricht, The Netherlands, taken February 10, 2001, by Stan Schaap - the floor pavers are over tombs of past dignitaries.)
In 1988 Coleman Publishing, which published the first 16 editions of A Course in Miracles, published 130 of my essays and poems under the title Relating from Light and Love which is now out of print, though, I have uploaded the main body of the work to God Speaks through the Holy Spirit.
On my 50th birthday in 1996, with joy, I began putting my spiritual writings
on the internet http://www.susankramer.com
and have been adding to them regularly. I also published a dance text to the
web that I had written in 1978 called Free to Move While Learning the 3Rs
in an expanded version under the new title Body-Mind Rhythmic Movement.
So far the Rhythmic Movement
Dance Series holds more than ten texts on dance for all ages and abilities,
and related articles on music and dance.
Now that my 5 children are adults, and I have retired from the work force, I
continue, more than ever, to write essays from questions asked by my web site
readers both on practical spirituality and dance. I especially love writing
texts and stories that benefit our youngest members of society. When an idea
comes to me, even if at the end of the day, I suddenly feel all the energy
needed to express my ideas and thoughts on paper. My thoughts flow easily, as I
have plenty of experiences to draw from in living deeply and fully for more
than half a century. In both writing on dance and our spiritual nature, the
articles come from a central idea, and then as peeling an onion, I mentally and
visually go step by step within, which opens a new vista of ideas; viewing and
digesting I continue this process. The format of essays often begins with an
inspired verse on the topic and concludes with a verse which summarizes the
body of thoughts; so, if short on time, just read the opening and closing
verses.
When I'm 64
Well here I am at that venerable age and
see myself mainly as a meditation teacher. I feel enthusiastic when writing meditations, I'm right in the midst of each one at the time of
writing. Here they are: http://meditation.bellaonline.com
My husband, Stan Schaap, and
I are also spiritual partners and enjoy discussing our points of view. We live
in a rich cultural atmosphere, surrounded by the beautiful and uplifting
architecture of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, nestled along
the many canals winding through and around this north-western European city.
Life here is built upon centuries of tradition and is home to a diversity of
people, both born here and an increasing population seeking political and
religious freedom. Stan's English language web site is "power to share—the
practical spirituality of unconditional love" http://www.powertoshare.com/index.html
and his Dutch language web site is "Wennen aan Zijn" http://www.hiernu.com/
Dance; Teaching; Research
The summers of 1963 and 1964 I was a scholarship student and Jacob's Pillow dancer at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and University of Dance, Lee, Massachusetts. I had received a scholarship to study at the Pillow upon the recommendation of Carol Lynn, my ballet teacher at the Peabody in Baltimore. Carol Lynn's career spanned half a century. She was associate director along with Ted Shawn of Jacob's Pillow University of Dance and Dance Festival from 1943 to 1960. It was Carol Lynn who persuaded Ted Shawn in the mid-1930s to arrange a course for women at Jacob's Pillow, which he insisted she manage alone. Ted Shawn was busy with his troupe of men dancers that he had formed in 1932. During her tenure at the Pillow she had charge of school activities and filmed the many artists performing, as well as "Les Sylphides" as performed by Ballet Theater; "Giselle" and "Coppelia" by Ballet Rambert. (This background on Carol Lynn is from the article 'Carol Lynn...', "The Sun" newspaper, Baltimore, Maryland, by Weldon Wallace, Tuesday, October 8, 1976.)
At the Pillow for the 2 summers I studied 60 semester units: Cecchetti ballet with Margaret Craske; modern ballet with Myra Kinch;
Spanish classical dance and Bharatanatyam classical
Hindu dance with Mateo
and Carola Goya; classical Spanish dance with
Roberto Ximenez and Manolo
Vargas; "The Elements of Performing" with Pauline
Koner; choreography with Nel
Roos; Dalcroze Eurhythmics in "Principles of Movement
and Rhythm," and theories of Francois Delsarte
in "Pantomime and Dramatic Dance" with Ted Shawn; Labanotation
with Ann
Hutchinson; "Stagecraft Workshop for Dance Production" with John
Christian; "Enrichment of Contemporary Creative Dance through use of
ethnic source materials" with La Meri.
In 1963 I operated the stage-left spotlight for 75 performances, and operated
the sound equipment for another 75 performances in 1964. I performed as a
Jacob's Pillow Dancer in Ted Shawn's "The Mountain Whipporill,"
from the poem by Stephen Vincent Benet,
(see photo below from "The Mountain Whipporill"; I am standing 2nd right from center in
photo below; photo credit John
Van Lund)
and in picture below, (
I am kneeling, 2nd woman from right) in a ballet choreographed and
staged by Nel Roos of The
Netherlands, music by Jess Meeker.
Below is the Ted Shawn Theater with Ted
Shawn standing 6th from left on back row. Susan Kramer standing at far right. The handwriting says:
"To Susan with love from "Papa" Shawn, Sept. 2, 1964"
Photo credit: John
Lindquist
From 1960 to 1966 I was a ballet student of Carol Lynn at the Peabody Preparatory Dance Department of the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Baltimore, Maryland. Additionally, during the 1961-62 school year I was a ballet student of Helene Breazeale at The Peabody.
During the 1960s and 1970s I worked with choreographers, including Lucas Hoving, performing with the Peabody ballet companies, and
in the ballet segments of operas at the Lyric Theater in Baltimore: Aida;
Carmen, Les Sylphides, The Magic Flute, A Midsummer
Night's Dream, Die Fledermaus amongst others, and in
Pas de Quatre (see
picture below; I am kneeling center front; photo credit: Annapolis Capitol
Newspaper) and The Nutcracker with the Annapolis Civic Ballet Company.
The ballets presented under Carol Lynn's direction by the Peabody ballet
companies during these years were filmed, reel to reel, and are achived in the Dance Collection of
the New York City Public Library for the Performing Arts. For part of my
Ballet-VI exam I performed as a solo Carol Lynn's "The Scarf Dance"
of Denis-Shawn (Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn) movements, to the 'Gold and
Silver Waltz' by Franz Lehar, which was also filmed and archived in the NYPL
Dance Collection.
My
favorite composer remains Ludwig Beethoven; favorite artists are Van Gogh and
Mondrian. My artwork exhibited on this web site was done while listening to
Beethoven or Chopin.
Many of my specialized skills were learned from masters, one-to-one, in dance, fine art, design and drafting, world religions and yoga, to highlight a few. I am retired from the work force, but I continue to study what interests me. (I wrote a paper on DNA in 1963, age 16, when deoxyribonucleic acid was not a household word.) As a child in the performing arts, I was permitted a flexible academic school schedule. I took college level courses at Jacob's Pillow University of Dance as a scholarship student concurrently with my last two years of high school.
In the fall of 1965 I was referred by Carol Lynn of the Peabody to teach as a dance specialist in after school arts programs in Clarksville, Atholton, and later, Cape St. Claire, Maryland, for children, teens, adults, and challenged students. (Click here for a more indepth description of my dance work.) This part-time teaching of rhythmic movement and ballet continued in Maryland and then after 1975 in California, until 1986. Additionally, I developed my notes on the practical application of movement and rhythm in teaching academics into lesson plans through the progress I saw while volunteering my efforts with small groups in my children's elementary school classrooms, including one school year teaching movement and rhythm every school day for 45 minutes to a kindergarten class, carefully recording how the students' body-mind skills, confidence, self-discipline, and attention span improved over the 9-month period. All the kindergartners succeeded in learning to skip, and many learned the more advanced polka movement. In 1986 I taught as a 'Dance Artist in Resident' under a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in Education, Project MARK—More Arts for Rural Kids, in Buckingham, Virginia.
I must thank Ted Shawn for inspiring me to incorporate rhythmic movement as a learning tool in academic education, as I was able to study with him during the summer of 1964. Ted Shawn is recognized as a founder of dance movement principles in academic education. He was also a Methodist minister, incorporating spiritual themes into his dances. Ted Shawn was awarded an honorary M.A. degree from Springfield College, Massachusetts.
So, beginning in 1964 I was exposed to dancing as an expression of Spirit, forging an early link to my spiritual writings beginning almost 20 years later.
And, I am grateful for the opportunity to study labanotation with Ann Hutchinson the summer of 1963. Labanotation, the notation of dance movement on paper, requires analysis and deep reflection on exactly how the body moves in space and time in levels, tempos, dynamics, rhythms, directions, and more.
Since childhood I've written my thoughts and reflections in the form of verse; I've noticed that the rhythms of movement and dance find a similar rhythmic format in language. Harmonious rhythms seem to be another tie-in between my dance and spiritual writings. I also write on social issues from a spiritual point of view.
Publications
Books
in Print:
Complete Book List http://www.susankramer.com/books.html
Sample, including:
Yoga for all Kids http://www.susankramer.com/yogaforallkids.html
Meditation for all Kids http://www.susankramer.com/meditationforallkids.html
Rhythms and Dances for School Age Kids http://www.susankramer.com/rhythmicdances.html
Rhythms and Dances for Toddlers and Preschoolers http://www.susankramer.com/preschoolers.html
Kinesthetic Math and Language Lessons http://www.susankramer.com/kinesthetic.html
Classical Ballet Beginning to Advanced http://www.susankramer.com/classicalballet.html
Fundamentele bewegingen
voor kinderen met dansjes, meditaties en yoga
(Dutch / Nederlands language) http://www.susankramer.com/meditatieyoga.html
Online:
More than 50 collections and one thousand articles on rhythmic dance,
ballet, kinesthetic education, music, philosophy, relationships, social issues,
meditation, yoga and practical spirituality for all ages and abilities.
Site Map http://www.susankramer.com/sitemap.html
Dance/kinesthetic texts: Rhythmic Movement Dance Series http://www.susankramer.com/dance.html
Classical Ballet Beginning to Advanced http://www.susankramer.com/ballet.html
Email susan@susankramer.com
Homepage http://www.susankramer.com
Editor:
Meditation
at BellaOnline.com
Updated March 4, 2006; July 2, 2007; February 15, 2011 "When I'm 64"
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