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Kathryn Holtkamp

@kathrynholtkamp

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𝕀𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕤, 𝕒𝕤 𝕞𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕘𝕚𝕟, 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕒 𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕘.
I ran away w/ @cirquedusoleil and I learn from those I meet along the way!
🌀🎶@desertsagecirclesongs

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It’s a rare thing to be a part of something so transcendent on stage. ✨

From the very first time I witnessed this stunning act by @victor_levoshuk , I was just in complete awe of his grace, strength, and control. It was and continues to be my personal favorite moment in the show. And I get so tickled with joy when I have the rare opportunity to join him on stage and sing for this incredible feat. It takes my breath away every single time. 🥹

I am a very lucky girl. 💖

Thank you for recording this beautiful moment here in Busan, @jujudesmarais1976 😘

#cirquesinger #kooza #livesinger taken in Busan 부산, South Korea by @kathrynholtkamp

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a year ago

Today I perform my 1,000th show in Kooza.

One thousand. It seems quite fitting that I end this show week on such a significant number.

Tomorrow, I travel to a place I have dreamed of going to my whole life: Italy. I am going there to deepen my love and practice of collaborative improvisational singing with a group of intense, passionate, beautiful humans. In many ways, I have absolutely no idea what to expect. But I know I will come back to Kooza being changed in some big way.

1,000 is a number of new beginnings. Fresh starts. A sign to lean in to all of the inner and spiritual work I’ve been doing. 🦋

I’m ready.

📸: @bernardletendre by @kathrynholtkamp

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a year ago

An improvised song of flight, inspired by the magnificent Black Kites I have been seeing soaring and hunting over Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour.

I’m now in Hong Kong for the next several weeks, and looking forward to improvising more out in nature like this.

My heart has been heavy for a long time, but singing like this grounds me and fills me with spirit in the most authentic way I have found for myself. This is my meditation. My prayer. My medicine. I’m so grateful. taken in Wan Chai Waterfront Promenade by @kathrynholtkamp

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a year ago

Another letting go. Another transition forward. With each little death springs forth new and precious life.

May I see with flowered eyes through the ash of suffering to always be reminded that things grow and things die and that’s just life. And how awe-fully beautiful it all is. 🌻 taken in Macedon Ranges, Victoria by @kathrynholtkamp

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13 days ago

A lot of folks think that to do this practice of community-created vocal improvisation, they need to already be free.

Free in their voice.

Free in their body.

Free in their artistic expression.

But the truth is, I wasn’t free when I came to this practice. This practice is what I needed to loosen the knotted ropes of oppression that I didn’t even know I was wearing. This practice showed me exactly where I was still not free. And so I saw the ropes, tugged at them, and, eventually, was able to begin to unbind myself from them.

Am I completely free from them?

No, not yet… there is still a tangled mess I am working through every day. But this practice of vocal improvisation helps me to continue untying the knots.

Would you like to see if/how improvisation can lead to your own personal liberation? Join the @desertsagecirclesongs Skool for today. Lifetime membership and access is free, and will always be free.

Link is in the bio!

The first step is up to you. ✨🎶🌀 by @kathrynholtkamp

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a month ago

Having a killer time in Brisbane doing solo shows for a little while! 💀😎 I love getting to strut my stuff in this dress and pretend I can do burlesque… 😜🤣

#kooza #cirquesinger #cirquedusoleil taken in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia by @kathrynholtkamp

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a month ago

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a month ago

Singing for the birds and the trees and the breeze through the leaves. 🪶🍃💖

I love to loop in the wild, but always looking for new friends to sing with. Will you come join me?

If you’re interested in starting your practice of community-created vocal improvisation, come join the @desertsagecirclesongs Skool! Studying with me is completely free. Link is in my bio.

Can’t wait to sing with you. 💖 taken in City Botanic Gardens by @kathrynholtkamp

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2 months ago

I honor and pay respect to the many teachers and friends who have guided me through this practice and also are deeply devoted to this music. 🙏🏼💖
@bobby.mcferrin , @davidworm5015 , @bassmanbd , @destaniwolfofficial , @tammibrownmusic , @rhiannonhawaii , @milesmillikan , @sdcirclesongs , @ashleymahermusic , @rejoyceman , @singforyourself2020 , @ronaldocrispim.arte , @musicchildrenfoundation_mcf , @zahara.is.me , @katesmithmusic and so many others. I thank you. I am eternally grateful for your voices and your care and wisdom. ❤️‍🩹

Now. Let’s sing. 🎶

Link to join the Desert Sage Circle Songs Skool is in my bio!

📸 credit: @bernardletendre taken in New Mexico, USA by @kathrynholtkamp

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2 months ago

Hey there, everyone! My name is Katy, and I am the dreamer and bearer of this crazy idea of Desert Sage Circle Songs. 🌀🎶💖

I am creating DSCS because I truly and deeply believe that singing in community is one of the most pure, joyful experiences we can have as human beings. I am currently on the road as a professional singer in Cirque du Soleil, but my heart is set on fire and truly comes alive when I engage in the practice of Community-Created Vocal Improvisation, colloquially known as Circle Singing. In my travels I have met and sung with multitudes of inspiring, passionate, magical singers. The act of creating spontaneous music with these beautiful souls is truly my greatest treasure.

For me, singing is a birthright, and singing in community is the purest way of communicating that bypasses the mind and speaks directly to a person’s essence, imparting a message unsullied by thoughts or words. My biggest dream is that human beings all over the world can come together and sing together as one. I also believe that every voice matters in this song of life, and without your voice, the song is incomplete.

This is my invitation to you to join the song.

You can join the Desert Sage Circle Songs community FOR FREE via Skool (Link in bio).

Have you practiced vocal improvisation before? Do you have questions? Let me know in the comments, and I can’t wait to see you in Skool! 🤗

📸: @bernardletendre by @kathrynholtkamp

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2 months ago

17 years ago to the day. I climbed Mt.Fuji. Alone. In the dark. Just to see the sun rise from the top of a sacred volcano. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was the first of many sacred pilgrimages I would take in my life. I took another one in Japan last year around the same time (early August).

I just realized that these moments of transformation have lined up and corresponded with each other throughout the years, over and over again. This recognition feels huge.

I remember climbing alone in the dark. I remember randomly meeting @mctippets on the trail. We had no idea that the other would be there that night climbing Fuji San. And I was wearing my Evita jacket, and she was Eva and I was Peron’s mistress together on tour just the year before.

I remember waiting at the top and watching the sunrise listening to @ericwhitacre ‘s piece “When David Heard.” It was my brother’s birthday. His name is David. @doghousemando

I remember weeping at the beauty of it. And how I thought such a feat wasn’t possible for me, as I had been crippled for so much of my childhood and my teenage years. I was so proud of myself.

Looking back at these photos, I see signs and numbers that I didn’t notice at the time. But the serendipity of the moment is now crystal clear to me. I stopped at the 8th station for a break and a photo with Malia. And just now, I noticed the number. 8. Infinity. And the station name, “Taishikan”, which can be translated to “house” or “mansion” of an “ambassador.” And just last year, I took a step into that role when I accompanied a group of Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors and their descendants) on a pilgrimage of their own to Los Alamos, my hometown and birthplace of the atomic bomb.

I had no idea that 16 years after this sunrise pilgrimage to Fuji San, I would be lead down a (perhaps) destined path to be in Hiroshima and Nagasaki last year for the 80th anniversary. But as I recognize these moments and their significance, I shake and weep with awe and terror. This was not a life I ever imagined for myself. But I am so goddamn grateful for all of it. I feel truly blessed, humbled, and above all thankful. Makes me want a hot dog real bad. 🤣🌭 taken in Mount Fuji by @kathrynholtkamp

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2 months ago

I’m still floating after returning from this adventure of a lifetime… 🌊💖🪸

I always regretted not getting certified in scuba diving when I lived on Maui, but I never gave up on the dream that I would make it happen one day. And the Great Barrier Reef was, for me, a bucket list place to experience. I went for broke and made both things happen on the same trip! 🤗 I got my PADI Open Water certification and did nine dives in 3 days (including one unguided dive and one night dive). It was one of the most challenging experiences of my life, and I loved every second of it. 💖

I am so grateful to @prodivecairns and the incredible staff that made this trip so magical and unforgettable. 🙏🏼 My instructor, @underwaterwithemma , is an absolute gem, and she took all of the underwater photos shared here. (With the exception of the giant mushroom-shaped coral shot, courtesy of @dr_ocean_ally 🙏🏼). The crew was incredible, and I loved diving and hanging out with @oliverscubadiving and @jcheradame 🤗

Made new friends, learned so many new skills, and I am officially hooked! 🪝I think I have a new obsession. by @kathrynholtkamp

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3 months ago