About DUP North America

The North American region of the Dances of Universal Peace (often abbreviated as DUPNA, or simply, NA) is one organized region within the worldwide family of regions and communities that foster the growth and expression of the Dances of Universal Peace. Although the global family “network” is every Dance circle, dancer, Dance leader, musician, and supporter of the Dances worldwide, regional organizations have been formed to support the grass-roots network.

The North American region includes the United States and Canada. It is a non-profit public-benefit corporation run by a volunteer Board and Office staff, drawn from the Dance community within North America. Its main purposes are to:

Connect people and provide information and ideas, using communication tools like web sites, e-newsletters, social media,, and periodic regional teleconferences;

Support leaders, local Dance circles and the growth of the Dances, via resources like Dance Write-Ups and our Dance Organizer Toolkit;

Support the work of the Guidance Council and Dances of Universal Peace International;
Steward the NA organization to allow it to fulfill its purposes, including staffing an office at a central location to answer questions and distribute information, maintain the membership database, manage finances and accounting, and support the work of the Board;
Carry out specific projects that involve providing outreach funds, coordinating volunteers and projects within the region, fund raising for future efforts and organizing regional events.

The DUPNA Board of Directors


Majida Myriah Pazereckas Roy (WA; BOD, President)	Jane Sky (MI; BOD, Vice-President Secretary)	Tajali Theresa Tolan (Treasurer, WI)	Astarte Sellars (BOD, B.C., Canada)


Charlotte Sabora Henson (MT; BOD)	Ted Mubdi Ryle (WA, BOD)	Jen Friedman (CO; Regional Administrator)

Goals for 2019:

--Continue to provide an informative quarterly newsletter, increase readership, and enlist more volunteers to be on the ‘newsletter team’.
--Update the website as needed, providing valuable resources to dance leaders and circles.
--Enlist volunteers to help with ‘special projects’
--Initiate and conduct 2 teleconferences
--Start the process of establishing a Youth/Young Adult council to focus on the Dances and Peace in Action
--Create a unique holiday card and continue to invite Dance circles in North America to assist in its mailing
--Enlist/maintain a volunteer(s) to monitor our Facebook Page
--Continue to encourage generosity toward DUPNA, including the Holiday card and other potential fundraising projects

Accomplishments for 2018:

--Organized and financed the presence of Dances of Universal Peace at the Parliament of the World’s Religions 2018 in Toronto, Canada, bringing the Dances to an international and interfaith gathering of 7,500 people.
--Continued to provide and enhance our online quarterly newsletter
--Continued to maintain and enhance the website for ease of use as well as improvement in the content displayed on the website from the database
--Created and mailed original Holiday Cards to members as a connection and fundraising project, assisted by Dance Circles mailing them
--Conducted a teleconference featuring Halima and Abraham Sussman, on January 15th, the Urs of Samuel Lewis, creator of the Dances of Universal Peace.
--Instituted new policies to create a database of contacts for dance circles that provide qualified people as contacts to help protect the integrity of the Dances.
--Added two full board members to the DUPNA Board

From left to right: Majida Myriah Pazereckas Roy (President, Board member) , Tajali Tolan (Treasurer, Board member), Jen Friedman (Regional Administrator), Hayat Bain (Coordinator, Parliament of the World’s Religions 2018), Jane Sky (Vice President and Secretary, Board member), Astarte Sellars (Board member), Charlotte Sabora Henson (Board member). Missing Board member ~ Ted Mubdi Ryle. (Taken at the Parliament of the World’s Religions 2018 Toronto)

Our Mission Statement:

Dances of Universal Peace, North America is a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation organized for charitable purposes, specifically to foster participation in the Dances of Universal Peace and Spiritual Walks in North America. [adopted by the Board in July, 2008]

In its broadest form and at its heart, the Dance network is a worldwide interlinked circle of hearts, as symbolized by our logo (a registered Service Mark). Dances of Universal Peace, North America is the central organization connecting the many Dance circles across North America as well as coordinating with other regions worldwide, and supporting the work of the Guidance Council and its support organization, Dances of Universal Peace International. DUPNA is also a non-profit 501(c)3 legal vehicle, handling tax deductible contributions from US residents.

Contact DUP North America