Friday, August 30 at 7:30pm
Come dance your way into the eye of the storm with Nyah and Kato at FNF Live at Pieter Space on August 30th!
PLEASE NOTE... This is a special dance for Friday Night Funk, truly dancing through the chaos and into the calm connective eye of the hurricane as we transition from doing live once a month at Pieter to experimenting with live pop-up gatherings whenever a DJ chooses to host a hybrid live/zoom on a Friday night - and occasional special events at Pieter.
We are hoping to dance live more frequently with less effort and more in the heart of community as we invite each and every one of you who wants to dance to our funky musical ethos on a more regular basis to help us co-create spaces for pop-up dances outdoors or indoors.
Meantime, gather your friends and come dance with us on August 30th for our last juicy live Pieter gathering for a while.
This playlist, which will contain a song from each of our DJs, will carry us on a journey through the chaos that surrounds us into community and connection - which is our core, our home, our deepening space to gather and nourish ourselves so that we can flourish no matter what the outer world brings toward us.
It is community and the joy of our moving dancing bodies resonating together which gives us strength and resilience to co-create the futures we want, for our country, the planet, and each of our individual lives.Nyah and I are delighted to invite you to dance, swim, jump, wiggle your way into the gorgeous joyful heart of the storm as we prepare for whatever comes next.
With love,
Kato and Nyah for FNF
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We will also be dancing on Zoom for those of you who will be joining us from afar. Here is the direct link to join us at 7:30pm.
Whether you are a long-term dancer with us, or discovering us for the first time, come bathe in our unique version of conscious dance - always musically funky, always deep, always welcoming.
We will be dancing at the beautiful new Pieter Performance space, with a suggested donation of $15 to cover the rent. No one turned away for lack of funds. This dance is a labor of love: our DJ community donates their time and it is our commitment to make the joy of moving in juicy community available to all.
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This month's DJ/Facilitator Bios:
DJ Kato Wittich
Kato has had the joy of nurturing others in their journeys toward deeper presence and embodiment for thirty years as a somatic therapist practicing Rosen Method Bodywork and Family Constellations. Her Family Constellations work was recently featured on Netflix as the center of episode 5 of the documentary series Sex, Love & Goop.
Kato is the original founder of Friday Night FUNk which developed out of her need for funkier, more organic grounded music than is common in most conscious dance practices. It is her great delight to create a lightly facilitated musical landscape to sweep you into the art of being fiercely present in this delicious moment, whatever it is!
DJ Nyah Phoenix
Nyah Phoenix is a registered Yoga teacher. She was summoned to conscious dance through her self-healing journey. She believes in the power of the mind body connection and is passionate about building a bridge through embodied movement. She invites you to “Find your gifts in the darkness.”
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About our dance:
Friday Night FUNk is an imperfect grassroots collective of diverse humans who love freeform conscious dance, each with our own take on our always funky, eclectic, bluesy vibe. Together, we co-create a safe, unconditional space to dance your way in to however you are in this moment: joyful, sorrowful, playful, ALIVE!
We have been dancing on Los Angeles’ east side since 2014, at the original Pieter Performance space, then on Zoom, then at the new Pieter Performance Space, and now wherever our hearts take us! It is our delight to be experimenting with bringing more dancing to our community through live pop-up dances indoors or outdoors, whether near or far.
Our funky, organic, eclectic musical vibe sets us apart from the electronic leanings of other conscious dance gatherings, and makes us a home both for those who want conscious dance and for those who simply want to dance in a safe connective space to juicy joyful playlists curated to bring you in to your body and soul!
Our 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-dual joy and sorrow felt in music shaped by the African diaspora.
Each DJ/facilitator brings our own individual perspective to the dance: some of us guide the dance with light facilitation designed to bring you in to your experience in this moment, while some of us let the music be the guide, always encouraging improvisational movement with no choreography other than following the needs of your own body as it is inspired by the music. This is a delicious, fun, and lively practice, but also a transformative experience.
We are: Susan, Melissa, Kato, Maria, Nyah, Mary Frances, Detlef, Salim, Brett, and guest DJs including the marvelous Jo Cobbett. Our support team is Joyce, Debbie, and Luz. For more info check us out on the facilitator page. Each dance will be facilitated by a different DJ or team of DJs.
Come discover the delight of allowing every part of your body to move however it wants. Dance alone, or with others, fast or slow, silly or serious, sexy or shy!
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Accessibility and Location Notes:
We will be starting with gentle music at 7:15pm to prepare for our 7:30pm start time. Our dances are 1 hr 30 min, with an optional sharing circle after. If you come after 7:30, the glass door to the room might be closed; just wait and one of us will let you in.
All bodies and abilities are welcome. This is, above all, a movement practice; you are welcome to move with us even if you are seated in a chair.
The space is located on the 2nd floor with one flight of stairs directly up from the entrance. Elevator access is available; if you wish to use it please email us at FNFdanceLA@gmail.com a day prior to the event and we will exchange contact info so that we can come down and get you, as it is not automated and needs a code. The elevator is spacious enough for any mobility device and the 2nd floor space is free of any steps or mobility barriers. There are no automated doors in the building.
There are two all-gender restrooms with three private stalls and a urinal. Each restroom has one stall accessible for mobility device users.
Free parking is available directly behind the building at 2412 Workman Street. There are two additional free city lots south of Broadway on Workman Street. There is also ample metered parking in the neighborhood.
For questions about Friday Night FUNk, email us at FNFdanceLA@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook under LIQUID SOUL ECSTATIC DANCE - Friday Night FUNk.