In 2016, Rebecca Dancyger founded Spirit Handpans at the age of 20. After discovering handpans while watching a busking video at 16, she dove right into the world of handpans and quickly began learning how to build them. Rebecca is the second woman in the world to ever craft a handpan, and she remains the youngest person to build and run a handpan business.
The handpan is a relative of the steel pan and is played with the hands, traditionally held on a person’s lap. Handpans are polyphones, meaning that the part you play is the part that is the resonating body as well. Crafted entirely out of various types of steel, these instruments are said to sound akin to harps or bells, but have a sound that is uniquely their own. Handpans are enjoyed by a diverse crowd of people with varying purposes, including personal meditation, sound healing, high-level musicianship, and world music. Rebecca builds her handpans through the process of hammering, pressing, and tension adjustment for tuning. The instruments are heated to manipulate the hardness of metal as well as the tension. Then the two halves of the handpan are glued together.
Rebecca’s studio is nestled into the basement of her home in her Swannanoa neighborhood. Upon arrival, visitors can take in the fruits of the garden and the comfort of the treeline. It is a unique space that hosts a blend of tools for metal, woodworking, and even ceramics. It is also a space for learning, recording, and other art forms. Rebecca holds handpan workshops and also specializes in retuning and repair work. Her studio is inclusive to queer people, people of color, and all religions and beliefs.
Hours: Open by appointment
