What is Conscious Dance?
Conscious or Ecstatic dance is one of the oldest forms of healing practices. Our version of conscious dance is grounded in somatic practices of diving deeply toward whatever is present in this moment in us. Whether it is painful or joyful, if we live it fully in movement, our hearts will open and we will become more present to ourselves, however we are. Our music supports our intention to bring you in toward yourself, as we emphasize the non-duality of joy and sorrow felt in music shaped by the African diaspora.
Our funky, organic, eclectic musical vibe sets us apart from the electronic leanings of other ecstatic/conscious dance gatherings, and makes us a home both for those who want conscious deepening dance and for those who simply want to dance in a safe connective space to juicy playlists curated to bring you in to your body and soul! 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!
Every Friday has a different DJ/facilitator. We each bring our own unique perspective and experience to the journey of conscious dance - weaving a tapestry of funky eclectic grounding music that is designed to bring you in, to invite your FUNky sweaty raw joyful deep participation in this dance of life. Their feast of music and words will 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.
Our live gatherings
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 verbal 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 request that parents make sure their children are safely watched over, and that if they need to be more active during the slower parts of the music, they take their dance into the hallway until the music picks up again.
Conscious Dance 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 - and notice what stories you might be creating about others' "no's" and "yes's.” Take the opportunity to feel into whether you are taking personally a need for solitude that might have nothing to do with you. Notice when you are saying "yes" or "no" to a dance with someone - and give yourself permission to leave a dance when you are no longer feeling it, or even when you just feel like seeing what it would be like to leave a still enjoyable dance and float off to something else enjoyable! 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.
Short words to ask for clarity about a dance are just fine. The hallway just outside of the studio is available for longer conversations!
5: Dance your heart open!