Conscious or Ecstatic dance is one of the oldest forms of healing practices. It is an invitation to sink in, to drop away all expectations and stories and to experience yourself exactly as you are in this moment, without judgement or censorship.
Through free form movement we find our own centers, our core, and from there, the delight of being fully present. This is a joyful practice, a sorrowful practice, a playful practice and a very serious practice. You can be shy or sexy, solitary or connective, fast or slow. You can be however you are!
We gather every friday in the beautiful loft dance space called Pieter Performance Studio. Every friday has a different facilitator - an experienced member of our community who has created a feast of music and words to help you find your way out of the busy-ness of daily life and into your body and heart. We begin with quiet music to allow you to sink in, but eventually the music will bring you up and out, into livelier movement.
Our intention is to create a safe space for each of us to journey however we need to on any specific night. Our other intention is to have a great time -- and we do! We dance our butts off and our hearts open!
join us here for a video journey into Friday Night Funk.
Each of our facilitators brings their own unique perspective and experience to the journey of ecstatic dance, weaving a tapestry of funky eclectic grounding music, designed to bring you in, to invite your FUNky sweaty raw joyful deep participation in this dance of life.
There are no rules to this dance, other than to take care of your body and be respectful of your own needs, and those of others. Some of us are solitary dancers, some love to dance together, and most of us shift between modes. We dance in silence, so this is a wonderful place to practice listening with your heart, rather than your head, to notice when others want to connect, or when they need to be alone.
The dance will last approximately an hour and 45 minutes and there will be a closing sharing circle at the end.
There will be two waves of music with a quieter, often facilitated section in the middle, to allow you to rest and sink in before the next active period.
You are welcome to come at any time and leave at any time, just respect whatever is going on in the room when you enter. The sharing circle at the end is a profound and lovely way to close the evening, but it is not necessary to stay for it if you have to go.
Supervised toddlers or children over the age of 12 are welcome on the dance floor. Because it is dimly lit, we feel it is safer not to have children who could be tripped over, but if you need to bring a child and park him or her in the well lit kitchen to occupy themselves with a book or tablet, that is fine.
Here are a few guidelines:
1: Pace yourself. Pay attention to your body and take good care of it. Drink a lot of water. Rest when you need to.
2. Be respectful of yourself and others. Notice the unspoken signals that tell you when someone wants to engage and when they don’t. If need be, use your words to find clarity. This is a wonderful place to practice the joy that comes with the dance of intimacy and boundaries!
3. Take responsibility for your own safety and that of others. One of the best parts of this dance is the permission to be joyfully physically active if you want. And it is essential that you remain aware of the others in the room and do not endanger yourself or them with your movements. When you sign in on the sign in sheet you are accepting responsibility for your own safety so please read the clause at the bottom.
4. Communicate silently, use your body and your facial expressions to speak with each other on the dance floor. The kitchen is available for conversations!
5: Dance your heart open!