TCC on Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Editor’s Note: Read more about various communities on pages xx.

I have been thinking about what Sandy McAlister said in her January T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) teachers’ monthly practice about reaching more people and attracting a younger population to experience TCC. This is how our four Cape Cod teachers — Bruce Childs, Debby McLister, Richie Nocella and I — are actively working to create a vibrant and thriving TCC community on this small peninsula. We are not only teaching regular classes in the community, but we have found unique and creative ways to connect through in-person and virtual gatherings.

Our Sunday morning Zoom practice started during the first weeks of COVID. This draws participants from across Cape Cod, as well as New York, Florida, and Ireland.

We have also built an active calendar of in-person offerings across the Cape, including:

• Open practice every Monday afternoon at the Barnstable Adult Community Center

• Open practice every Wednesday morning at the Unitarian Church of Barnstable

• Sunday drop-in classes at the Osterville Library

• Various class levels at the Barnstable Adult Community Center

• We have large poster boards that we bring to our practices. Our brochure is distributed in our communities.

• We teachers have our own weekly professional development workshop. Each session focuses on a specific movement or principle, which is often recorded and reviewed by the group. This self-assessment ensures consistent teaching techniques. The review is supplemented by studying videos and materials from various teachers and Justin’s Photo Textbook. We also maintain a library of Zoom recordings with insights from Sister Antonia, Daniel Pienciak, Marie Dotts, and Ann Rutherford, used for ongoing personal development. (These are for our purpose only.)

• To foster connections, the local TCC community gathers for a casual coffee hour at local cafes every four to six weeks, an event that has really strengthened our bond.

• You may remember our TCC Cape Cod green t-shirts at Conference designed by Bruce.

I was fortunate to meet teacher Jessica Lewis at several of Sister Antonia’s retreats and am currently planning a 3-day retreat with her on Cape Cod in early October. I am also seeking new venues to expand TCC’s reach to a wider age range. We hope to share our ongoing strategies for building a strong TCC community.