Ecstatic Dance & Conscious Movement (Saturdays mornings)
Schedule
Sat, 11 Jan, 2025 at 10:30 am to Sat, 15 Mar, 2025 at 12:45 pm
UTC-07:00Location
Studio & Stage Door, Cranbrook Community Theatre | Cranbrook, BC
An enlivening experience to ground the body and energize your weekend.
About this Event
Ecstatic Dance is a freeform movement journey, held in an open, compassionate container...a place where we can be our unique selves, and share the bliss of being in our bodies, together.
Each morning is different! See event list to confirm dates & offerings.
Saturday Morning Offerings: Doors open at 10:30am
- January 11: Cacao Ecstatic Dance w/ Dave
- January 18: Free Dance & Meditation
- January 25: Embodied Movement Workshop w/ Thomas
- February 1: Cacao Ecstatic Dance w/ Dave
- February 8: Free Dance & Meditation
- February 8: Embodied Movement Workshop w/ Thomas
- March 1: Cacao Ecstatic Dance w/ Dave
- March 8: Free Dance & Meditation
- March 15: Embodied Movement Workshop w/ Thomas
...and much more to come, including evening live DJ & workshop offerings!
About Ecstatic Dance
Go wild! Be slow. Be bold. Be calm. Be exactly as you are in each moment. There are no expectations and no judgement.
- Kindly arrive on time and sober, with a clear mind and open heart
- Come dressed to move in comfortable clothing / layers
- Bring some drinking water!
- No experience required; all ages, bodies and peoples are welcome*
- We dance without footwear: you may dance in socks if you prefer
* toddlers welcome with supervision
Here's a sample of the music we danced to at previous Ecstatic Dances
I'm delighted to curate Ecstatic Dance sets from DJs around the world, featuring a mix of tribal beats, high vibes, groovy downtempo, sultry bass, funky electro folk, deep dubs, and global / shamanic fusion. The music is specifically curated to inspire a full body movement journey!
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Description of Offerings
Cacao Dance
We'll gather to share our intentions for the morning as we mindfully enjoy some decadent, artisanal, heart-opening cacao*.
Then we'll dance together for about 90 minutes, ending in a sonic savasana (a meditative soundscape during which you can sit, lay down, etc.).
At 12:30pm we'll have a closing circle. You're invited to support packing up the space if you are called.
*If your body is happy and comfortable with a morning fast (eating little or no breakfast), the effects of the cacao will be heightened — however, please honour your body's needs :)
Movement Workshop
We'll begin with a brief (5min) body-scan meditation, to focus our awareness on what is happening in the body.
Then, Thomas will guide us for 60–90 minutes of movement exploration, supporting us to explore the edges of our comfort zone as we settle deeper in our bodies and surrender our thoughts. The dances is for your body to express itself: the directions and guidance are suggestions to support your deeper embodiment. You can engage with them, the space, and other bodies however you feel called.
Lastly, we'll gather for another short meditation to experience and re-inforce the greater sense of body awarness and embodied calm cultivated through movement.
Free Dance
Music will start when the doors open at 10:30am, beginning with a slow, calm and melodic build-up, perfect for stretching, rolling around, meditating, and warming up your body however you are called.
We'll dance for about 90min, and then share a 15–20min lightly guided meditation. Combining movement meditation with seated practice is a powerful way leverage the bliss of movement to foster greater insight, and mind-body integration.
As always, we'll have a closing circle that will conclude by 12:45pm.
Ecstatic Dance - Simple Guidelines
1. We Dance Barefoot
- This allows us to connect more fully with the Ground (socks are OK)
- If you have a physical condition or need and would like to dance with shoes, kindly do so (otherwise pls avoid shoes so as not to harm others' toes!)
2. We Dance without words
- This makes it easier to be in a Meditative or "flow" State
- Minimal Verbal Instruction from the Facilitators (at the beginning only, for newcomers), and the ecstatic dance itself is unguided
- No Conversations on the dance floor (Do express yourself vocally in any way you like WITHOUT using words: howl, shout, hoot, giggle, etc. with awareness for the space around you). If you need a conversation, kindly move to the entrance way or outdoors.
3. We Dance as We Are
- No: drugs, alcohol, cell phones or artificial scents;
- No expectations, judgements, shoulds or oughts… Just Be Yourself; With respect for ourselves, the space, and one another.
- Honour your own body and its needs: enjoy fresh spring water, fresh air, or little breaks to sit, stretch, etc.
4 . An Embodiment Practice
- For those looking to get the most benefit out of dance as a movement practice, you are invited to leave all thoughts off the dance floor (especially fears and worries!) and be fully present in your body and senses.
- Challenge yourself to find a movement expression in every moment, even when you don't think you like the music or song ... you might surprise yourself!
- To maintain the practice, try to stay in motion for the entire practice (it can be very subtle). That includes sitting and dancing softly with your arms, stretching, rolling around on the floor, etc... see if you can keep the energy moving throughout the entire dance!
Where is it happening?
Studio & Stage Door, Cranbrook Community Theatre, 11 11 Avenue South, Cranbrook, CanadaCAD 0.00 to CAD 22.63