Next month, the Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA will formally introduce Dunedin to its first International Center in the States. A grand opening for the new facility at 280 Locklie St. is scheduled for 3 p.m. Nov. 3.
More than 500 Taoist Tai Chi arts participants from 26 countries are expected to congregate at the center, dubbed International Center Florida, to train for a week while celebrating the ancient healing practice of Taoist Tai Chi.
The grand opening has also promised free Tai Chi classes and demonstrations, music, food and drinks, plus a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a colorful Chinese dragon performance.
“We are so excited that the Taoist Tai Chi Society chose Dunedin as their US headquarters,” said Dunedin Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski in a statement. “We are an inclusive city that embraces all cultures, and Taoist Tai Chi fits right in. They are a strong community partner and we congratulate them on their upcoming Grand Opening!”
The first International Center worldwide opened in Ontario, Canada, in 1984, making Dunedin home to the second. International Center Florida is a 14,000-square-foot practice hall designed to host training conferences and programs for the 42,000 Taoist Tai Chi arts participants across the globe. But the facility will host daily events for locals, too.
“We looked all over the country to find a place that offered our participants small-town charm and tranquility but also was close enough to an International Airport to make travel easy for our participants from all over the world. Dunedin was the perfect spot,” according to Pegoty Packman, president of the Taoist Tai Chi Society.
International Center Florida sits next to the newly updated Fenway Hotel, which the Taoist Tai Chi Society purchased in 2014. The society eventually partnered with Tampa-based Mainsail Lodging & Development to pull off the property’s major renovation.
Debuting later this month, the Fenway is set to offer wellness packages — developed by the society — to accommodate both travelers and residents who are interested in day, weekend and weeklong experiences of the Tai Chi arts.
“In the Taoist tradition, a person’s well-being depends on the harmony of body, mind and spirit,” said Sean Dennison, who serves as executive director for the Taoist Tai Chi Society. “Taoist training integrates all these aspects leading to transformation of the whole person. This can be done through a series of movements along with the other Taoist arts such as chanting, meditation, rituals and ceremonies.”
This article appears in Oct 11-18, 2018.