UPCOMING EVENTS
Join us to listen, learn and be entertained!
Please click on event for more details.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Each Wednesday from 9:00-10:10 AM in our Studio.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Yoga is offered Mondays from 10-11:10 AM and also on Wednesdays from 8:30-9:40 AM. The registration below is for Mondays.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Sound Bath with Laura Benson
Rest & Renew at our Sound Bath!
Support your nervous system, release anxiety and stress, and harmonize your body, mind and spirit on the 2nd Tuesday of every month! Laura Benson has a Masters in Intuition Medicine(R) and is a certified sound healer who will guide you through a gentle meditation before each sound bath session. Bring your own yoga mat & blanket and come ready to rest and renew! In the OCA Studio.
Sliding scale pricing $25-$35.
A sound bath is a whole-body, immersive listening experience. During a sound bath, participants often sit or lie down, and are surrounded by the mostly non-melodic soundscapes created by a range of instruments played by the sound bath facilitator. Hence, they are “bathed” in sound.
Sound therapy is a non-invasive healing modality that utilizes the physical and physiological interactions of sound on our bodies and nervous systems to produce therapeutic results. In a sound healing session, specific sonic frequencies are used to soothe the central nervous system, calm the breath, and quiet the mind by encouraging the brain to move into more relaxed states, down from beta (fight-or-flight) and into theta and alpha waves. This increases present-moment awareness and reduces stress and anxiety. Sound baths have been found to be effective in improving mood, cognitive function, and overall mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing.
Crystal bowl sound baths are particularly powerful in that each bowl is tuned to a specific frequency that corresponds with a different chakra, or energy center, of the body. Based on specific needs, a practitioner can focus on releasing tension or clearing out stuck energy in specific chakras by playing certain bowls or intervals.
While attending a sound bath, you may experience physical sensations brought out by the crystal sound bowls or gong, such as tingling in your limbs or scalp, slowing of your breathing, eye flutters, or small muscle spasms. Not to worry! These sensations often indicate the release of tension or emotional energy stored in the body’s energy systems.
7 Minutes Max - Literary Open Mic
7minutesMax - Literary open mic
Bring your original poems, prose or storytelling to our open mic night!
We'll pick 7 performers from the hat - come share your work
Read aloud or memorized - just keep it to 7 minutes or less
2nd Fridays of the month 7pm
Stories teach us about life, about ourselves & about each other. Help to create west county’s newest storytelling community. 7 Minutes Max is an evening of live stories, poems, or readings told in 7 minutes or less. Hilarious or sublime, poignant and personal tales told through the ancient oral tradition of storytelling, this evening will be sure to move, delight & intrigue you. This is an event for mature audiences & not intended for children. Interested storytellers will have a chance to throw their name in the hat to present their story. Remember, 7 minutes max! Notes allowed for readers.
$10 GA, $5 for OCA members. Pay at the door. Storytellers will be selected randomly from willing participants.
Pete Sawyer and the Left Hand Monkey Wrench Gang
Pete Sawyer & The Left Hand Monkey Wrench Gang return to the OCA Amphitheater on Saturday August 29th for two fat sets of all killer- no filler Grateful Dead classics, deep cuts and unexpected gems! Pete and The Gang have been taking the West Coast by storm in 2026 and you will be moved body and soul by their interplanetary exploration of the majestic Grateful Dead songbook.
Pete is bringing an absolutely amazing band!
The Gang:
Elliott Peck (Phil Lesh, Midnight North)
Mookie Siegel (Bob Weir, Phil Lesh)
Sean Nelson (Phil Lesh, Chuck Prophet)
Justin Purtill (JGB, Residente)
Matt Lazarus (Stu Allen, Joint Chiefs
Tickets are $25/$20 for OCA members. Online sales end 1 hour before showtime. Doors open at 3:30 PM. No outside food/beverage (water OK). Bring your own cushion, blanket or low-backed chair.
“Pete Sawyer & The Left Hand Monkey Wrench Gang is one of the most compelling recent entries into the world of Grateful Dead Tributes” — Nick Sestanovich, The Santa Cruz Sentinal
"From the first note to the final encore, audiences can expect a night of inspired musicianship, soulful improvisation, and a musical chemistry that only forms when top-tier artists share the stage. Drawing from the deep well of classic rock, psychedelia, and the storied traditions of the Grateful Dead and other influential pioneers, Pete Sawyer and The Left Hand Monkey Wrench Gang transport listeners on a sonic journey that pays tribute to the past while forging ahead into new musical territory.” — GratefulWeb.com
“My first visit to the Tabard Theatre was this past weekend to see Pete Sawyer & the Left-Hand Monkey Wrench Gang. The band's promise of "all killer, no filler" Grateful Dead music was an understatement. They are as good as any band of that genre that I have ever seen (DSO, Grateful Shred, JRAD, etc.).” Michael Palmini (relix.com)
Sound Bath with Laura Benson
Rest & Renew at our Sound Bath!
Support your nervous system, release anxiety and stress, and harmonize your body, mind and spirit on the 2nd Tuesday of every month! Laura Benson has a Masters in Intuition Medicine(R) and is a certified sound healer who will guide you through a gentle meditation before each sound bath session. Bring your own yoga mat & blanket and come ready to rest and renew! In the OCA Studio.
Sliding scale pricing $25-$35.
A sound bath is a whole-body, immersive listening experience. During a sound bath, participants often sit or lie down, and are surrounded by the mostly non-melodic soundscapes created by a range of instruments played by the sound bath facilitator. Hence, they are “bathed” in sound.
Sound therapy is a non-invasive healing modality that utilizes the physical and physiological interactions of sound on our bodies and nervous systems to produce therapeutic results. In a sound healing session, specific sonic frequencies are used to soothe the central nervous system, calm the breath, and quiet the mind by encouraging the brain to move into more relaxed states, down from beta (fight-or-flight) and into theta and alpha waves. This increases present-moment awareness and reduces stress and anxiety. Sound baths have been found to be effective in improving mood, cognitive function, and overall mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing.
Crystal bowl sound baths are particularly powerful in that each bowl is tuned to a specific frequency that corresponds with a different chakra, or energy center, of the body. Based on specific needs, a practitioner can focus on releasing tension or clearing out stuck energy in specific chakras by playing certain bowls or intervals.
While attending a sound bath, you may experience physical sensations brought out by the crystal sound bowls or gong, such as tingling in your limbs or scalp, slowing of your breathing, eye flutters, or small muscle spasms. Not to worry! These sensations often indicate the release of tension or emotional energy stored in the body’s energy systems.
Fall Into Funk: Dance Party with Ariel Marin and the James Earley Band
Join us for a fun night of your favorite funky tunes performed live by one of the Bay Area’s hottest bands!
Ariel Marin, James Earley and friends return for an evening of funky grooves, groovy funk and everything you need to get your dance on!
Tickets are $25, $10 for OCA members.
Limited seating. Doors open at 7 PM.
Myth & Archetype as seen through Poetry & Astrology
We invite all to a fascinating afternoon with Diana and Brian who will explore through the respective lenses of astrology and poetry, valuable insights offered by both myth and archetype, for better clarity and resilience in today’s tumultuous world.
This event features Author and Astrologer Diana Badger discussing her book "Dance of the Archetypes: How Astrology Informs our Lives and Connects Us to the Earth", and Author/Poet/Storyteller Brian R. Martens with his book, "Merlin’s Wing", Mythic Poems.
This event is free, all donations gratefully invited. Selected readings from each presenter, a storytelling with Brian, then Q&A, book sales & signing. Refreshments for sale. OCA’s facilities are accessible to people with disabilities.
Dance of the Archetypes by Diana Badger
Whether you’re new to astrology or already immersed in its symbolism, Dance of the Archetypes illuminates the zodiac in a refreshingly accessible way. With grounded wisdom, Diana connects planetary cycles to the Earth we depend on, our emotional lives, and our healing. This is a beautifully integrative guide for readers seeking relevance, connection, and purpose in rapidly changing times, brought to life by the author’s own striking photographs.
For the past 20 years, Diana Badger has woven together parallel careers as a counseling astrologer and a writer/editor, while pursuing an ongoing commitment to inner work and spiritual practice. Rooted in a reverence for the natural world and informed by multiple wisdom traditions, Diana’s work reflects a lifelong inquiry into the relationship between psyche, cosmos, and Earth. She currently devotes her time to her Earth Sky Journal podcast/writing, her astrology practice, tending of her garden, and adventures in local community.
Merlin’s Wing by Brian Martens
This collection of poems is concerned with the “Human Condition” : Awareness, Transformation, and Deep Intuition. His poetry resonates with yearning, humor and intelligence in which he expresses his love and admiration for the first people, the ancestors, animal, human and plant. He asks these voices to speak through him in symbols, rhythms and revelations to reveal the deep beauty, tragedy, and unknowable mystery that surrounds him.
Brian R. Martens is an abstract Artist, Poet, Author, Creativity Facilitator, International Speaker, Myth Maker, CA Poets in the Schools Instructor, Podcaster, and Storyteller. Brian weaves poetry, myth, and reflection into all his storytelling. His first book, Three Raven Gate, is a collection of haiku, the form he learned from his work with Angeles Arrien Ph.D., a cross-cultural anthropologist, over the course of seven years. Brian seeks to inspire and motivate people, with articles, podcasts, creativity workshops, and poetry to recognize their own deep creative spirit and to express that to the world.
Occidental Jazz Festival
Join us for the inaugural Occidental Jazz Festival! Enjoy indoor and outdoor stages and great contemporary Jazz music at Occidental Center for the Arts. Delight in the sounds of amazing music, the sights of our tranquil setting and the feeling of a warm and welcoming community.
Lineup:
Friday September 18th
7-930 PM Glass Brick Boulevard (indoors)
Saturday September 19th
1:00 - 2 :40 PM Paul Hanson, Michael Manring and Scott Amendola (outdoors)
2:00 - 3:40 PM Ken Cook Trio (indoors)
4:00 -4:40 PM Junior Jazz All-Stars (outdoors)
5:00 - 6:40PM Jaycie Grady 4Tet (outdoors)
7:00 - 9:00 PM Jose Neto and Netoband (indoors)
Choose your adventure! Separate tickets are available for Friday night, Saturday afternoon (1-6:40 PM) or Saturday day & night (1-9 PM). Discounts for OCA members.
Wine, beer, refreshments and food available on-site or in downtown Occidental (2 blocks away).
Kids 12 and under free. Free parking, no dogs allowed. Accessible to people with disabilities. Bring your own seat cushion or low-backed chair for the amphitheater.
Ticket prices:
Friday night Glass Brick Boulevard $35
Saturday afternoon only 1-6:40 PM $40
Saturday afternoon & evening (with Netoband) $70
Please note: To attend Friday and Saturday you will need to make two ticket purchases - one for each date.
Doors open at 6PM Friday September 18 and 12:00 PM Saturday September 19th.
About the musicians:
Jose Neto and Netoband
World-class guitarist José Neto and his band, the Netoband, have been performing together for over 25 years. For the last 18 years, Neto has also been touring internationally as Steve Winwood’s guitarist, collaborating on numerous songs and projects together. Neto’s life and diverse musical journey from Brazil to the United States and England was the subject of the award-winning documentary, The Man Behind the White Guitar, which was released to international film festivals in 2019.
The Netoband features Frank Martin – piano, Celso Alberti – drums, José Neto – guitar, Gary Brown – bass.
Glass Brick Boulevard
Created in 1991, Greg Johnson and Glass Brick Boulevard rose to acclaim in the Bay Area in the late ‘90s. Now reunited after a hiatus, they’re making soul-soothing music once again and inspiring audiences the world over. Led by their composer-pianist Johnson, the band draws on a diverse array of influences, including gospel, Beethoven, The Who, and Motown, to name just a few. Says Johnson, “If Beethoven came back as Seal, we'd be his band.” Glass Brick Boulevard is Greg Johnson on Piano, Paul Hanson on Bassoon, Rob Fordyce on Bass and Celso Alberti on Drums.
Ken Cook Trio
Ken Cook- Pianist, educator, composer
Californian native Ken Cook spent close to twenty-five years on the east coast free lancing, touring, recording and teaching. He has performed in Europe, Latin and South America and much of the Eastern United states with various groups including the great New Orleans singer Johnny Adams. Currently based in the SF Bay Area, he performs often with his Jazz trio and can be found backing many other west coast musicians. His music is a blend of Modern Jazz, Soul, Blues, Latin and Brazilian music. He has performed with Brazilian guitarist Ricardo Peixoto, Blues singer Terrie Odabi, cellist Mark Summer (Turtle Island String Quartet). He holds a Masters degree in Jazz Performance from the New England Conservatory in Boston and is an alum of The Berklee College of Music in Boston. He is an active clinician and educator and currently holds the Jazz piano chair in the Jazz Studies Department at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, CA.
The Ken Cook Trio includes Michael Pinkham on bass and Kendrick Freeman on drums.
Jaycie Grady 4Tet
The Jaycie Grady 4Tet is a San Francisco-based jazz ensemble led by drummer Jaycie (JC) Grady. Primarily playing contemporary jazz, their style is rooted in traditional jazz fundamentals but incorporates modern elements and diverse instrumentation, such as the violin. JC was featured recently in the San Francisco Women in Jazz event.
Hanson, Manring & Amendola
Bass virtuoso Michael Manring is joined by fellow master Scott Amendola and Paul Hanson on electric bassoon. Get ready for an ensemble like you've never heard before!
Paul Hanson has recorded and/or performed with Grammy winners Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Jon Batiste, Wayne Shorter and Taylor Eigsti. He has also recorded/ toured with Billy Cobham’s Crosswinds Ensemble, Peter Erskine, Billy Childs, Harmonica virtuoso Gregorie Maret, Billy Higgins, David Binney, Ray Charles, Charlie Hunter, Patrice Rushen, Alex Acuna, Dennis Chambers, Abraham Laboriel, Medeski Martin & Wood, Bob Weir’s RATDOG, T. Lavitz from Dixie Dregs, Jeff Coffin, Jeff Sipe, Jonas Hellborg, Afro/Cuban pianist Omar Sosa, Bob Moses, Kai Eckhardt, Peter Apfelbaum and the Hieroglyphics Ensemble, 60string bassist Ariane Cap in the group OoN, The Paul Dresher Ensemble, DAVKA, St. Joseph Ballet Company, The Klezmorim, as jazz soloist with the Oakland Eastbay Symphony Orchestra, as classical soloist with the Napa Symphony Orchestra (non-improvising) and many more.
Michael Manring is an acclaimed American fretless bass virtuoso renowned for revolutionizing solo bass playing through innovative techniques, alternate tunings, and his signature Zon Hyperbass. A protégé of Jaco Pastorius, Manring has released multiple solo albums, including Soliloquy and Small Moments, and was named 1994 Bassist of the Year by Bass Player Magazine.
For Scott Amendola, the drum kit isn’t so much an instrument as a musical portal. As an ambitious composer, savvy bandleader, electronics explorer, first-call accompanist and capaciously creative foil for some of the world’s most inventive musicians, Amendola applies his wide-ranging rhythmic virtuosity to a vast array of settings. His closest musical associates include guitarists Charlie Hunter, Nels Cline, and Jeff Parker, Hammond B-3 organist Wil Blades, violinist Jenny Scheinman, saxophonist Phillip Greenlief, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, bassists Trevor Dunn, and Todd Sickafoose, players who have each forged a singular path within and beyond the realm of jazz.
While rooted in the San Francisco Bay Area scene, Amendola has woven a dense and far-reaching web of bandstand relationships that tie him to influential artists in jazz, blues, rock and new music. A potent creative catalyst, the Berkeley-based drummer is the nexus for a disparate community of musicians stretching from Los Angeles and Seattle to Chicago and New York. Whatever the context, Amendola possesses a gift for twisting musical genres in unexpected directions.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, Amendola has forged deep ties across the country, and throughout the world. As an ambitious composer, savvy bandleader, electronics explorer, first-call accompanist, and capaciously creative foil for some of the world’s most inventive musicians, Amendola applies his wide-ranging rhythmic virtuosity to a vast array of settings.
Junior Jazz All-Stars
The Junior Jazz All Starts are an extraordinary group of young music enthusiasts. This amazing ensemble is assembled and directed by Greg Johnson of Glass Brick Boulevard, and mentored by Music Directors Casey Jones - Analy High School, Bennett Friedman - Santa Rosa Junior College, and Gary Jones - Marin School of the Arts. Coming from a variety of musical backgrounds, they forage a cool, contemporary jazz sound. For the inaugural Jazz Festival they’re putting their own stamp on a few familiar Glass Brick Boulevard compositions.
The Junior Jazz All Stars are Julian Nelson on guitar, Julia Busci on drums, Robbie Paterson on Keyboards, James Paterson on Bass, Choegyal Hergenrather on Soprano and Alto Sax, and Songsten Hergenrather on Tenor Sax.
Nina Gerber & Chris Webster in the Amphitheater
Nina Gerber and Chris Webster perform in the OCA Amphitheater.
Tickets are $35, $30 for OCA members. This show is expected to sell out, get tickets early!
Online sales end one hour before show starts (if not already sold out). Doors open at 2:30 PM. Bring your own seat cushion or low-backed chair. No outside food/drink (water OK). Waitlist will be available when show is sold out.
Bonnie Brooks- Seasons of the Soul Album Release Concert
Bonnie Brooks performs songs from her latest album “Seasons of the Soul” backed by a stellar band of musicians. Join us for an evening of soulful and inspiring music from this Sonoma County songstress!
Tickets are $25, $20 for OCA members. Doors open at 6:30 PM.
David Luning & Friends
David Luning returns to OCA with his talented friends. Don’t miss this intimate show with Sonoma County’s favorite singer songwriter!
Tickets are $35, discount for OCA members.
Sound Bath with Laura Benson
Rest & Renew at our Sound Bath!
Support your nervous system, release anxiety and stress, and harmonize your body, mind and spirit on the 2nd Tuesday of every month! Laura Benson has a Masters in Intuition Medicine(R) and is a certified sound healer who will guide you through a gentle meditation before each sound bath session. Bring your own yoga mat & blanket and come ready to rest and renew! In the OCA Studio.
Sliding scale pricing $25-$35.
A sound bath is a whole-body, immersive listening experience. During a sound bath, participants often sit or lie down, and are surrounded by the mostly non-melodic soundscapes created by a range of instruments played by the sound bath facilitator. Hence, they are “bathed” in sound.
Sound therapy is a non-invasive healing modality that utilizes the physical and physiological interactions of sound on our bodies and nervous systems to produce therapeutic results. In a sound healing session, specific sonic frequencies are used to soothe the central nervous system, calm the breath, and quiet the mind by encouraging the brain to move into more relaxed states, down from beta (fight-or-flight) and into theta and alpha waves. This increases present-moment awareness and reduces stress and anxiety. Sound baths have been found to be effective in improving mood, cognitive function, and overall mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing.
Crystal bowl sound baths are particularly powerful in that each bowl is tuned to a specific frequency that corresponds with a different chakra, or energy center, of the body. Based on specific needs, a practitioner can focus on releasing tension or clearing out stuck energy in specific chakras by playing certain bowls or intervals.
While attending a sound bath, you may experience physical sensations brought out by the crystal sound bowls or gong, such as tingling in your limbs or scalp, slowing of your breathing, eye flutters, or small muscle spasms. Not to worry! These sensations often indicate the release of tension or emotional energy stored in the body’s energy systems.
Tribute to Dr. Ralph Stanley with Nathan Stanley Band and Mission Blue
Nathan Stanley Band and Mission Blue honor the King of Mountain Soul
Join us for a musical tribute to the one and only Dr. Ralph Stanley!
Local bluegrass favorites Mission Blue open for the touring Nathan Stanley Band. Yes- Nathan is Ralph Stanley's grandson! Don't miss this incredible evening of unforgettable harmonies and picking from the legendary musical catalog of Ralph Stanley.
Tickets are $30 GA, $25 for OCA members. Online sales end at 6PM day of show or when sold out. This event will be held indoors. ADA seating available, please email info@occidentalcenterforthearts.org to arrange. Beer, wine, refreshments available. Art gallery open during intermission.
Legendary American bluegrass artist, Dr. Ralph Edmund Stanley, was internationally known for his unique, innovative style of singing and banjo playing. In 1976, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music from Lincoln Memorial University, spawning the popular title “Dr. Ralph Stanley.” He was inducted into the International Music Hall of Honor in 1992, and the Grand Ole Opry in 2000, the same year in which his work was featured in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? - for which he won a 2002 Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.
After considering retirement and even scheduling a farewell tour in 2014, Ralph Stanley later announced a welcome decision to continue gracing the country with his beloved, signature style of music.
On June 23, 2016, Dr. Ralph Stanley passed away while battling complications from skin cancer. He will forever be remembered in the hearts and minds of his family and fans, and his legend lives on through his music, which will inspire generations of artists to come.
Read more about Dr. Ralph Stanley here.
Nathan Stanley is the grandson of Bluegrass Music Icon Dr. Ralph Stanley and is no exception to the family tradition. Having garnered several charting singles in Inspirational Country Music and Southern Gospel Music, Nathan has come front and center as a music Evangelist.
Through decades of performing—spanning the U.S. and international tours—Nathan has achieved numerous milestones. In 2006, he performed for the Queen of England, and in 2011, his single “White Dove” (featuring Vince Gill) reached #1 on the Inspirational country music charts. That same year, his album “My Kind of Country” was named Classic Country Album of the Year by the National Traditional Country Music Association.
Read more about Nathan Stanley.
Mission Blue has quickly become one of Sonoma County's most beloved bluegrass bands, delivering their special brand of rhythm, instrumental craft, and harmony singing. A deep well of tradition informs Mission Blue’s sets – one can expect songs from the The Stanley Brothers, Larry Sparks, Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Mac Martin and Red Allen, as well as bluegrass innovators such as J.D. Crowe and The New South, Hot Rize, Southern Blend and The Johnson Mountain Boys. They also salt each set with reinterpretations of country hits, folk songs and ballads. Based in Sonoma County, their traditional 5-piece format features Dana Frankel on fiddle, AJ Frankel on guitar, Sam Reed on banjo, David Thiessen on mandolin, and Tom Sours on bass fiddle.
Sound Bath with Laura Benson
Rest & Renew at our Sound Bath!
Support your nervous system, release anxiety and stress, and harmonize your body, mind and spirit on the 2nd Tuesday of every month! Laura Benson has a Masters in Intuition Medicine(R) and is a certified sound healer who will guide you through a gentle meditation before each sound bath session. Bring your own yoga mat & blanket and come ready to rest and renew! In the OCA Studio.
Sliding scale pricing $25-$35.
A sound bath is a whole-body, immersive listening experience. During a sound bath, participants often sit or lie down, and are surrounded by the mostly non-melodic soundscapes created by a range of instruments played by the sound bath facilitator. Hence, they are “bathed” in sound.
Sound therapy is a non-invasive healing modality that utilizes the physical and physiological interactions of sound on our bodies and nervous systems to produce therapeutic results. In a sound healing session, specific sonic frequencies are used to soothe the central nervous system, calm the breath, and quiet the mind by encouraging the brain to move into more relaxed states, down from beta (fight-or-flight) and into theta and alpha waves. This increases present-moment awareness and reduces stress and anxiety. Sound baths have been found to be effective in improving mood, cognitive function, and overall mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing.
Crystal bowl sound baths are particularly powerful in that each bowl is tuned to a specific frequency that corresponds with a different chakra, or energy center, of the body. Based on specific needs, a practitioner can focus on releasing tension or clearing out stuck energy in specific chakras by playing certain bowls or intervals.
While attending a sound bath, you may experience physical sensations brought out by the crystal sound bowls or gong, such as tingling in your limbs or scalp, slowing of your breathing, eye flutters, or small muscle spasms. Not to worry! These sensations often indicate the release of tension or emotional energy stored in the body’s energy systems.
Sound Bath with Laura Benson
Rest & Renew at our Sound Bath!
Support your nervous system, release anxiety and stress, and harmonize your body, mind and spirit on the 2nd Tuesday of every month! Laura Benson has a Masters in Intuition Medicine(R) and is a certified sound healer who will guide you through a gentle meditation before each sound bath session. Bring your own yoga mat & blanket and come ready to rest and renew! In the OCA Studio.
Sliding scale pricing $25-$35.
A sound bath is a whole-body, immersive listening experience. During a sound bath, participants often sit or lie down, and are surrounded by the mostly non-melodic soundscapes created by a range of instruments played by the sound bath facilitator. Hence, they are “bathed” in sound.
Sound therapy is a non-invasive healing modality that utilizes the physical and physiological interactions of sound on our bodies and nervous systems to produce therapeutic results. In a sound healing session, specific sonic frequencies are used to soothe the central nervous system, calm the breath, and quiet the mind by encouraging the brain to move into more relaxed states, down from beta (fight-or-flight) and into theta and alpha waves. This increases present-moment awareness and reduces stress and anxiety. Sound baths have been found to be effective in improving mood, cognitive function, and overall mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing.
Crystal bowl sound baths are particularly powerful in that each bowl is tuned to a specific frequency that corresponds with a different chakra, or energy center, of the body. Based on specific needs, a practitioner can focus on releasing tension or clearing out stuck energy in specific chakras by playing certain bowls or intervals.
While attending a sound bath, you may experience physical sensations brought out by the crystal sound bowls or gong, such as tingling in your limbs or scalp, slowing of your breathing, eye flutters, or small muscle spasms. Not to worry! These sensations often indicate the release of tension or emotional energy stored in the body’s energy systems.
Lyrics Born
Lyrics Born - “Funkiest Rapper Alive”
Since releasing his first single “Send Them” in 1993, Lyrics Born has grown to become one of the most prolific and respected independent rappers in the Bay Area. We are beyond thrilled to host this performance in OCA’s intimate auditorium. Tickets will sell out quickly! OCA members will have first dibs on tickets starting in September.
Tickets are $35, $30 for OCA members. Public ticket sales start October 1.
About Lyrics Born:
Lyrics Born relocated to the United States from his birthplace of Toyko, Japan right around the time Hip Hop was exploding on the East Coast. From the moment he heard Sugar Hill Gang’s 1980 classic “Rapper’s Delight,” the Bay Area Hip Hop luminary knew he’d found his calling.
While many of his peers signed major label contracts, Lyrics Born was repeatedly turned down because — even though he was meeting similar metrics and analytics — he says major labels didn’t know how to market him, being a rapper of Japanese, Italian and Jewish heritage.
“It was almost a blessing because it forced me to go out and create my own label, Mobile Home Recordings, and get my own distribution deals,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons why I’ve been able to continue to do what I do, because I own my entire catalog and I’m able to live off of that.”
Twenty-five years later, LB has obliterated the stereotypes of what an MC is “supposed to” look like and captured the hearts of countless fans who gravitate to his distinctive voice. He’s now the only Asian-American MC to release 10 studios albums and the first to play major music festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza.
From his Quannum Projects debut with Latyrx (1997’s The Album), to 2003’s seminal solo album Later That Day, he’s consistently pushed the boundaries of his craft. His newest project, Quite A Life, is like the exclamation point on his milestone year.
“Ten albums is a lot for any artist, let alone an indie artist who colored outside the lines, so to speak,” LB says. “I'm just appreciative there was always somehow a path for me, no matter how impossible it seemed — either on paper or in practice.”
As the first Asian-American to release a greatest hits compilation, he’s pumped out multiple smash singles throughout his career. From “Callin’ Out” and “I Like It, I Love It” to “I Changed My Mind” and "Coulda Woulda Shoulda" his material has always retained a musically eclectic feel.
The self-proclaimed “funkiest rapper alive” carries on his tradition of weaving funk and soul into classic, boom-bap Hip Hop on Quite A Life. Without the influence of icons like James Brown, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and Zapp & Roger LB admits he wouldn’t be who he is today. Coupled with his love of rap pioneers such as KRS-One, Rakim and Snoop Dogg, LB’s music is the perfect Hip Hop and funk-flavored gumbo.
For live shows, LB often recruits a full band to “keep it all the way funky” for his audience. Coupled with wife/singer Joyo Velarde’s powerful voice, the unrelenting energy of his performances electrify every crowd.
World Music & Dance Festival
Save the date and join us for the Fifth Annual World Music & Dance Festival! Dozens of activities await you at our unique, immersive celebration of music and dance from around the world. Open to all ages, all experience levels.
Free instrument check
Musical Instrument Lending Library
Free Parking
Free for kids 12 and under
Scholarships available
Tickets go on sale in December 2026.
Don’t miss out - join our mailing list for announcements!
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Yoga is offered Mondays from 10-11:10 AM and also on Wednesdays from 8:30-9:40 AM. The registration below is for Mondays.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Jazz Festival Summer Party
Join us for a Summer party in support of our upcoming inaugural Jazz Festival! Hosted by musician Greg Johnson of Glass Brick Boulevard, this afternoon reception features hosted refreshments, great music, raffle and auction to support our event. Come down to OCA on Sunday, July 26 and spend a lovely afternoon with fellow jazz enthusiasts! Free event.
Tickets for the Jazz Festival Sept 18-19 are on sale now.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Each Wednesday from 9:00-10:10 AM in our Studio.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Yoga is offered Mondays from 10-11:10 AM and also on Wednesdays from 8:30-9:40 AM. The registration below is for Mondays.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Each Wednesday from 9:00-10:10 AM in our Studio.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Sound Bath with Laura Benson
Rest & Renew at our Sound Bath!
Support your nervous system, release anxiety and stress, and harmonize your body, mind and spirit on the 2nd Tuesday of every month! Laura Benson has a Masters in Intuition Medicine(R) and is a certified sound healer who will guide you through a gentle meditation before each sound bath session. Bring your own yoga mat & blanket and come ready to rest and renew! In the OCA Studio.
Sliding scale pricing $25-$35.
A sound bath is a whole-body, immersive listening experience. During a sound bath, participants often sit or lie down, and are surrounded by the mostly non-melodic soundscapes created by a range of instruments played by the sound bath facilitator. Hence, they are “bathed” in sound.
Sound therapy is a non-invasive healing modality that utilizes the physical and physiological interactions of sound on our bodies and nervous systems to produce therapeutic results. In a sound healing session, specific sonic frequencies are used to soothe the central nervous system, calm the breath, and quiet the mind by encouraging the brain to move into more relaxed states, down from beta (fight-or-flight) and into theta and alpha waves. This increases present-moment awareness and reduces stress and anxiety. Sound baths have been found to be effective in improving mood, cognitive function, and overall mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing.
Crystal bowl sound baths are particularly powerful in that each bowl is tuned to a specific frequency that corresponds with a different chakra, or energy center, of the body. Based on specific needs, a practitioner can focus on releasing tension or clearing out stuck energy in specific chakras by playing certain bowls or intervals.
While attending a sound bath, you may experience physical sensations brought out by the crystal sound bowls or gong, such as tingling in your limbs or scalp, slowing of your breathing, eye flutters, or small muscle spasms. Not to worry! These sensations often indicate the release of tension or emotional energy stored in the body’s energy systems.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Yoga is offered Mondays from 10-11:10 AM and also on Wednesdays from 8:30-9:40 AM. The registration below is for Mondays.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Each Wednesday from 9:00-10:10 AM in our Studio.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Yoga is offered Mondays from 10-11:10 AM and also on Wednesdays from 8:30-9:40 AM. The registration below is for Mondays.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Each Wednesday from 9:00-10:10 AM in our Studio.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Let’s Tap! Beginner - Advanced on Tuesdays
Welcome to the wonderful world of Tap!
These classes are for those who wish to discover tap dance and those who wish to continue exploring.
This class offering is weekly on Tuesdays in six-week sessions. Three levels are taught: Beginner from 10:15-11 AM, Intermediate from 11 AM - 12 Noon and Advanced from 12:30-1:30 PM. Summer Session starts Tuesday, June 30th and ends Tuesday, August 4th. Additional classes can be taken on the same day for $5/class (pay on site).
Classes are led by Starr Hergenrather and Gabe Copeland. A limited supply of tap shoes is available for use at the class. Please contact us ahead of time to ensure we have the right size for you.
The Summer Session will be led by Starr Hergenrather.
Participation fee is $120 for the series (six sessions), $90 for OCA members.
You can email us with any questions, or come to a class.
Tap Dance provides an avenue for developing coordination, balance, musicality, rhythm, and general love for movement. We will learn the basics (if a beginner) and beyond, through warm-ups, discover the language of tap dance, learn the Shim Sham, and routines that will launch you onto your own exploration of the dance form.
Tap is an extremely fun and rewarding form of dance. Tap Dance originated in the 19th century through a fusion of African and Irish dance styles, becoming a unique American art form in the melting pot of New York City. It developed through percussive footwork, initially on plantations and in urban cellars, and later gained widespread popularity through minstrel shows, vaudeville, and Hollywood musicals. Innovators like Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, the Nicholas Brothers, Eleanor Powell, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly to name just a few, who shaped its evolution, which continues today with new fusions in contemporary dance. May 26, Bojangle’s birthday, is National Tap Dance Day.
Starr Hergenrather has been teaching Theatre and Dance for over 54 years, dancing for 70 years, which is amazing since she is only 45 years old! She received her Theatre Arts and Teaching Credentials in 1971 from Denver, CO. Starr has taught theatre/creative dramatics/improvisation/dance to all ages and directed and produced theatre for many, many years. She and her family moved to Sebastopol in 1983. In 1987, she received her Dance credential and degree from SSU. Starr loves the theatre and dance and everything about them. She has performed on stage and in film throughout her teaching career. Before joining the staff at Analy in 2001 where she became the Theatre Arts Program Director and taught one dance class starting in 2010, when the high school lost its Dance instructor due to No Child Left Behind, she taught at Brookhaven School from 1990-2001 teaching a myriad of subjects, including Theatre and Dance, and Rincon Valley Junior High School from 1987-1997, as BJ Van Noy’s choreographer and asst. director of her Music Program. Starr’s tap mentor was a Vaudeville and later Broadway song and Dance man by the name of Jack Williams. Starr studied with Jack for almost 20 years., until his waning years.
Tap, which is a magical form of dance, btw, is Starr’s first dance love, next to swing, salsa, and partner dancing, and then just plain social, wild hippie dancing at concerts.
Starr also teaches Private Tap Lessons for any level dancer. Starr has a studio at her home.
Gabe Copeland (pictured with Mindy on flier above)
Gabe has been a dance educator for over 20 years. He has performed nationally and internationally as a featured member of the Los Angeles based touring company Rhapsody in Taps. Other credits include ABC’s Gong Show, China’s Dream television show, soloist in KIN Dance Company’s Down Around Brown Town and soloist on an international tour with Caution: Men At Work Tap! He has also performed in many Southern California Civic Light Opera productions such as Cole, Crazy For You, and Rodgers & Hart: A Celebration. Most recently, Gabe performed in the critically acclaimed Jazz Tap Jam! Show for the Lively Arts Foundation honoring Gregory Hines and had the privilege of performing a piece originally choreographed by the tap legend himself.
Mindy Copeland
As a dance educator since 1995, Mindy has also enjoyed a career in performance. As a member of the Los Angeles based touring company, Rhapsody in Taps, Mindy performed the choreography of Linda Sohl-Ellison, Gregory Hines, Fred Strickler, Sam Weber, Brenda Bufalino and Foster Johnson. She was a featured soloist in the international tour of Caution: Men At Work Tap! Mindy appeared in the short film, Tap Heat with choreography by Danny Daniels, and appeared in and choreographed for national and international television shows including the Jerry Lewis Telethon, China’s Dream Show, Spain’s Extremo Urbano, and ABC’s Gong Show. Other stage credits include, appearing with the legendary Chester Whitmore in A Tribute to Jeni Le Gon, and KIN Dance Company’s James Brown tribute show, Down Around Brown Town. Most recently, Mindy directed and performed in the critically acclaimed 2023 Jazz Tap Jam! Show for the Lively Arts Foundation.
The Copelands have shared the stage with tap legends Dianne Walker, Arthur Duncan, Fayard Nicholas and Bob Carroll and performed Begin the Beguine together in Swing Into Spring. They direct Tap Overload which has a collection of original tap dance film shorts on its YouTube channel and produced an original tap dance comedy show-Office Beat. The show received rave reviews and the official Hollywood Fringe Festival Award, Best of Physical theatre and Dance as well as the Robby Award for Best Choreography of LA Theatre in 2016.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Yoga is offered Mondays from 10-11:10 AM and also on Wednesdays from 8:30-9:40 AM. The registration below is for Mondays.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Kirtan with David Estes, Prajna Vieira and David Balakrishnan
Join us for an evening of joyous Kirtan!
David Estes, vocalist and musician, is rooted in traditional Sanskrit chants and mantras sung to original Indian raga melodies and explores the ecstatic and mystical moods of Bhakti in call and response chanting with the audience. David is joined by Prajna Vieira on harmonium and vocals and David Balakrishnan on violin.
An unforgettable evening of sound, energy and soul-soothing rhythms await you. Don’t miss this very rare North Bay appearance of this popular band!
Tickets are $25 GA, discount for OCA members. Doors open at 6 PM. Due to our cooler weather pattern, this event will be indoors.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Each Wednesday from 9:00-10:10 AM in our Studio.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Yoga is offered Mondays from 10-11:10 AM and also on Wednesdays from 8:30-9:40 AM. The registration below is for Mondays.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Barbara Higbie & Teresa Trull
Celebrate 44 years of collaboration and Pride Month with Barbara and Teresa!
Occidental Center for the Arts is thrilled to welcome back Barbara Higbie and Teresa Trull!
Combining gut emotion, technical brilliance and pure joie de vivre Trull and Higbie are a musical force to be reckoned with and thoroughly enjoyed.
Reunion performances of singer-songwriter Teresa Trull and pianist/singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Barbara Higbie, is a highly anticipated musical event. Their new duo CD Playtime captures the excitement and versatility that has endeared them to audiences since their 1983 release Unexpected. Critically acclaimed in publications such as People, Cashbox, Billboard, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe their vibrant fusion of energy and talent has earned them an enthusiastic and persistent following. Their collaborative joy is at once irresistible, irrefutable and engagingly quirky. Musically they range over a terrain that varies from blues and gospel to folk, rock , jazz and championship fiddle playing. They have shared stages with Tracy Chapman, k.d. Lang, Whoopie Goldberg, Nancy Griffith and Ferron among others. Combining gut emotion, technical brilliance and pure joie de vivre Trull and Higbie are a musical force to be reckoned with and thoroughly enjoyed.
Tickets are $35 GA, $30 for OCA Members. Doors open at 3:30 PM. Beer, wine and refreshments for sale. OCA is wheelchair accessible. This show will be indoors.
ZipLine Improv
ZipLine returns for an evening of wit, humor, drama, suspense and fun!
Tickets are $27, $20 for OCA members.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Each Wednesday from 9:00-10:10 AM in our Studio.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Yoga is offered Mondays from 10-11:10 AM and also on Wednesdays from 8:30-9:40 AM. The registration below is for Mondays.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Michael Capella Band
Occidental Center for the Arts presents Michael Capella Band, bringing that Sonoma County-Americana sound: original songs that feel instantly familiar, blending country, folk rock, and blues.
MCB brings a rich blend of Americana to the stage with soulful originals by award-winning songwriter Michael Capella. Their music spans country, folk rock, and blues—-thought-provoking songs with melodies so timeless you'll swear you've heard them before.
The band features five seasoned artists: Michael Capella (vocals, guitars), Layne Bowen (vocals, guitars), Linda Weber (vocals, percussion, flute), Kent Fossgreen (bass), and Dan Ransford (drums, percussion). Together, they deliver a warm, dynamic sound rooted in heartfelt storytelling and musicianship.
Tickets are $25 GA, discount for OCA members. Doors open at 2:30 PM. Bring your own seat cushion or low-backed chair for our amphitheater. ADA reserved seating available, please contact us to request. Wine, beer and refreshments for sale. No outside food/drink allowed except water. Well-behaved dogs welcome. Free parking.
7 Minutes Max - Literary Open Mic
7minutesMax - Literary open mic
Bring your original poems, prose or storytelling to our open mic night!
We'll pick 7 performers from the hat - come share your work
Read aloud or memorized - just keep it to 7 minutes or less
2nd Fridays of the month 7pm
Stories teach us about life, about ourselves & about each other. Help to create west county’s newest storytelling community. 7 Minutes Max is an evening of live stories, poems, or readings told in 7 minutes or less. Hilarious or sublime, poignant and personal tales told through the ancient oral tradition of storytelling, this evening will be sure to move, delight & intrigue you. This is an event for mature audiences & not intended for children. Interested storytellers will have a chance to throw their name in the hat to present their story. Remember, 7 minutes max! Notes allowed for readers.
$10 GA, $5 for OCA members. Pay at the door. Storytellers will be selected randomly from willing participants.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Each Wednesday from 9:00-10:10 AM in our Studio.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Sound Bath with guest practitioners Siren Sisters
Tonight’s Sound Bath is Sold Out! Don’t miss out, register early for the next Sound Bath!
Rest & Renew at our Sound Bath!
Support your nervous system, release anxiety and stress, and harmonize your body, mind and spirit on the 2nd Tuesday of every month!
June 9th's sound bath will be hosted by special guests Siren Sisters Sound.
Siren Sisters Sound is a sound healing duo created by Allyson Hallett and Allie Evans, rooted in a shared love for music, connection, and holistic healing. Through the use of crystal and metal singing bowls, chimes, flutes, drums, and vocal channeling, they create immersive sound experiences that promote deep relaxation, emotional release, and nervous system restoration. As certified sound healers and Reiki practitioners, they intentionally curate spaces that support grounding, reflection, and inner balance.
We hope you'll join for this unique experience in the OCA Studio. Laura Benson will be back in July for her usual monthly sound healing on the 14th.
Bring your own yoga mat & blanket and come ready to rest and renew! In the OCA Studio.
Sliding scale pricing $25-$35.
A sound bath is a whole-body, immersive listening experience. During a sound bath, participants often sit or lie down, and are surrounded by the mostly non-melodic soundscapes created by a range of instruments played by the sound bath facilitator. Hence, they are “bathed” in sound.
Sound therapy is a non-invasive healing modality that utilizes the physical and physiological interactions of sound on our bodies and nervous systems to produce therapeutic results. In a sound healing session, specific sonic frequencies are used to soothe the central nervous system, calm the breath, and quiet the mind by encouraging the brain to move into more relaxed states, down from beta (fight-or-flight) and into theta and alpha waves. This increases present-moment awareness and reduces stress and anxiety. Sound baths have been found to be effective in improving mood, cognitive function, and overall mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing.
Crystal bowl sound baths are particularly powerful in that each bowl is tuned to a specific frequency that corresponds with a different chakra, or energy center, of the body. Based on specific needs, a practitioner can focus on releasing tension or clearing out stuck energy in specific chakras by playing certain bowls or intervals.
While attending a sound bath, you may experience physical sensations brought out by the crystal sound bowls or gong, such as tingling in your limbs or scalp, slowing of your breathing, eye flutters, or small muscle spasms. Not to worry! These sensations often indicate the release of tension or emotional energy stored in the body’s energy systems.
Let’s Tap! Three levels each Tuesday
Welcome to the wonderful world of Tap!
This class offering is on Tuesdays. Three levels will be taught: Beginner from 10-11 AM, Intermediate from 11 AM - 12 Noon and Advanced from 12:30-1:30 PM. Session ends June 9. These classes are for those who wish to discover tap dance and those who wish to continue exploring.
Classes are led by Starr Hergenrather and Gabe Copeland. A limited supply of tap shoes is available for use at the class. Please contact us ahead of time to ensure we have the right size for you.
Participation fee is $25 per class for the series, $20 for OCA members
Series registration has ended but you can pay on site for individual classes. You can email us with any questions, or come to a class.
Tap Dance provides an avenue for developing coordination, balance, musicality, rhythm, and general love for movement. We will learn the basics (if a beginner) and beyond, through warm-ups, discover the language of tap dance, learn the Shim Sham, and routines that will launch you onto your own exploration of the dance form.
Tap is an extremely fun and rewarding form of dance. Tap Dance originated in the 19th century through a fusion of African and Irish dance styles, becoming a unique American art form in the melting pot of New York City. It developed through percussive footwork, initially on plantations and in urban cellars, and later gained widespread popularity through minstrel shows, vaudeville, and Hollywood musicals. Innovators like Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, the Nicholas Brothers, Eleanor Powell, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly to name just a few, who shaped its evolution, which continues today with new fusions in contemporary dance. May 26, Bojangle’s birthday, is National Tap Dance Day.
Starr Hergenrather has been teaching Theatre and Dance for over 54 years, dancing for 70 years, which is amazing since she is only 45 years old! She received her Theatre Arts and Teaching Credentials in 1971 from Denver, CO. Starr has taught theatre/creative dramatics/improvisation/dance to all ages and directed and produced theatre for many, many years. She and her family moved to Sebastopol in 1983. In 1987, she received her Dance credential and degree from SSU. Starr loves the theatre and dance and everything about them. She has performed on stage and in film throughout her teaching career. Before joining the staff at Analy in 2001 where she became the Theatre Arts Program Director and taught one dance class starting in 2010, when the high school lost its Dance instructor due to No Child Left Behind, she taught at Brookhaven School from 1990-2001 teaching a myriad of subjects, including Theatre and Dance, and Rincon Valley Junior High School from 1987-1997, as BJ Van Noy’s choreographer and asst. director of her Music Program. Starr’s tap mentor was a Vaudeville and later Broadway song and Dance man by the name of Jack Williams. Starr studied with Jack for almost 20 years., until his waning years.
Tap, which is a magical form of dance, btw, is Starr’s first dance love, next to swing, salsa, and partner dancing, and then just plain social, wild hippie dancing at concerts.
Starr also teaches Private Tap Lessons for any level dancer. Starr has a studio at her home.
Gabe Copeland (pictured with Mindy on flier above)
Gabe has been a dance educator for over 20 years. He has performed nationally and internationally as a featured member of the Los Angeles based touring company Rhapsody in Taps. Other credits include ABC’s Gong Show, China’s Dream television show, soloist in KIN Dance Company’s Down Around Brown Town and soloist on an international tour with Caution: Men At Work Tap! He has also performed in many Southern California Civic Light Opera productions such as Cole, Crazy For You, and Rodgers & Hart: A Celebration. Most recently, Gabe performed in the critically acclaimed Jazz Tap Jam! Show for the Lively Arts Foundation honoring Gregory Hines and had the privilege of performing a piece originally choreographed by the tap legend himself.
Mindy Copeland
As a dance educator since 1995, Mindy has also enjoyed a career in performance. As a member of the Los Angeles based touring company, Rhapsody in Taps, Mindy performed the choreography of Linda Sohl-Ellison, Gregory Hines, Fred Strickler, Sam Weber, Brenda Bufalino and Foster Johnson. She was a featured soloist in the international tour of Caution: Men At Work Tap! Mindy appeared in the short film, Tap Heat with choreography by Danny Daniels, and appeared in and choreographed for national and international television shows including the Jerry Lewis Telethon, China’s Dream Show, Spain’s Extremo Urbano, and ABC’s Gong Show. Other stage credits include, appearing with the legendary Chester Whitmore in A Tribute to Jeni Le Gon, and KIN Dance Company’s James Brown tribute show, Down Around Brown Town. Most recently, Mindy directed and performed in the critically acclaimed 2023 Jazz Tap Jam! Show for the Lively Arts Foundation.
The Copelands have shared the stage with tap legends Dianne Walker, Arthur Duncan, Fayard Nicholas and Bob Carroll and performed Begin the Beguine together in Swing Into Spring. They direct Tap Overload which has a collection of original tap dance film shorts on its YouTube channel and produced an original tap dance comedy show-Office Beat. The show received rave reviews and the official Hollywood Fringe Festival Award, Best of Physical theatre and Dance as well as the Robby Award for Best Choreography of LA Theatre in 2016.
Morning Yoga
Regenerative Ayurvedic Yoga with Tirza Dawn
Come, step onto your mat with an open heart and an open mind.
Invest in your self care and join us for morning yoga in the OCA studio. $20 per class, $15 for OCA members. Yoga is offered Mondays from 10-11:10 AM and also on Wednesdays from 8:30-9:40 AM. The registration below is for Mondays.
Pay at the door for a-la-carte sessions or use the links below to pay ahead for four weeks at a time.
Tirza Dawn Naramore is a yogi, mother, artist, ceremonialist and lover of life. She has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 30 years and offers yoga retreats and trainings that center on optimum health, self realization and self love. Her teachers are from many yoga and tantric traditions, but her primary lineages are Iyengar and Kali Ray.
Tirza is deeply devoted to community building and is honored to have created a number of community supported non profits including Mystic Family Circus and The AWAKEN Project, which serves families with children on the autism spectrum. Tirza is proud to be the mother of 3 wild teenagers, including her incredible son who is diagnosed with autism.
Tirza’s spirituality is one of many influences and teachings. Beginning with a Christian up-bringing and being raised on a Christian commune in her early childhood, she later expanded into more earth-based ways. While in her 20’s Tirza was adopted into the Native American Church, where she learned from her relatives a way of living the “Beauty Way.”
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tirza lived in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, directing the Mystic Family Circus, which was a performance group dedicated to cultural awareness and bridge building. She worked with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, Reclaiming, Contraband, CELLspace and other Bay Area art collectives and non profits to provide conscious entertainment and “prayerformances” for the betterment of humankind and the planet.
In 2012, Tirza helped to found the Buckeye Gathering, an ancestral skills gathering in Northern California which draws teachers and students of all ages to learn ancestral ways of tending the earth and survival skills.
Tirza Dawn was the founder of yoga programming and the Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Trainings at the dhyana Center of Ayurveda in Sebastopol, California, which operated a community center of healing and education from 2010 to 2020.
Merry Wives of Windsor
Curtain Call Theatre presents “Merry Wives of Windsor” in the OCA Amphitheater!
Directed by Amanda Claiborne and featuring local performers, this community theatre production in our outdoor setting will absolutely delight you!
The Merry Wives of Windsor is a farcial Shakespearean comedy where the aging knight Sir John Falstaff tries to seduce Mistress Page and Mistress Ford to steal their money, leading the women to pull elaborate pranks on him. Set in midde-class Windsor, this play features themes of jealousy, quick wit and marital tricks.
Tickets are $25, discount for OCA members. Doors open at 3:30 PM. Bring your own seat cushion or low-backed chair for our amphitheater. ADA seating available, please contact us to reserve. Beer, wine and refreshments for sale. No outside food or drink allowed except water. Free parking, well-behaved dogs welcome.
Merry Wives of Windsor
Curtain Call Theatre presents “Merry Wives of Windsor” in the OCA Amphitheater!
Directed by Amanda Claiborne and featuring local performers, this community theatre production in our outdoor setting will absolutely delight you!
The Merry Wives of Windsor is a farcial Shakespearean comedy where the aging knight Sir John Falstaff tries to seduce Mistress Page and Mistress Ford to steal their money, leading the women to pull elaborate pranks on him. Set in midde-class Windsor, this play features themes of jealousy, quick wit and marital tricks.
Tickets are $25, discount for OCA members. Doors open at 3:30 PM. Bring your own seat cushion or low-backed chair for our amphitheater. ADA seating available, please contact us to reserve. Beer, wine and refreshments for sale. No outside food or drink allowed except water. Free parking, well-behaved dogs welcome.
Artists Reception - Folk Art Unlimited Exhibit
Join us for a hosted reception with the artists of our Folk Art Unlimited exhibition! People’s Choice Award winner announced during the reception.
The Folk Art Unlimited exhibit runs from May 16-June 21, gallery open Sat/Sun 12-4 PM and during OCA events.