Ecstatic Dance Oakland August 24th with SOOHAN

Schedule

Wed Aug 24 2022 at 07:00 pm to 09:00 pm

Location

Lake Merritt Dance at Veterans Memorial Building | Oakland, CA

Advertisement
Wednesday night Ecstatic Dance in Oakland with DJ SOOHAN
About this Event
Event Photos

To my dancing friends,

Holy cow, this has been a wild few years! Before the pandemic, we danced our hearts out every week. Remember how we’d shake and move and groove together as we delighted in the joy and magic our beloved dances so reliably provided?!?

When it all went away, we found ways to get by. We learned how to keep it together and make it through. Some of us even learned and grew. And still, there was something missing—like soup without salt.

We know there’s no substitute for a sweaty dance session where we lose ourselves in the beat in order to meet ourselves once again, having a hell of a good time doing it. We know, because we’ve tried. Ecstatic trail running? What about ecstatic mountain biking? Hmmm...

I'm excited to share we get to dance together once again! We get to come together in friendship and rebuild community bonds. We get to have fun as we dance our asses off. And while we can remember the past, learn from it, and even mourn it, we cannot return to it. This is the ecstatic dance of 2022, not the ecstatic dance of 2019.

So what’s needed now? As individuals, what do we need? As a collective, how can we grow?

The dance will never go away, and is the foundational tool for all we do. But as we change, so does our container. We're expanding to offer more workshops, retreats, and trainings, integrating other ecstatic technologies including breath work and sound healing into the mix. We're focusing on the transformative nature of the dance, and will be listening for your input. Because you're the reason we do this. Quite literally, it could not happen without you.

Ecstatic Dance promises to provide the tools, teachings and space for deep personal exploration. You bring the grit and grace, an open mind, and a willingness to try.

The dance will get us where we need to go. We just need to show up. Are you ready?


Event Photos
FAQs
Who is the DJ?
SOOHAN

*See below for DJ bio and music link.


What’s the schedule?
  • 7-7:15pm Warm-Up
  • 7:15 Doors Close*
  • 7:15-7:25 Guidelines, Intention Setting, and Breathwork
  • 7:25-8:50 Ecstatic Dance
  • 8:50-9:00 Sound Healing and Closing

*We honor the physical container as a ceremonial vessel. Doors close at 7:15 sharp. The most free and safe spaces always have a tight container. Contrary to popular opinion, a strong structure creates the best conditions for freedom.


What's the venue like?

Lake Merritt Dance, also known as the Veterans Memorial Building, has a wood floor built for dancing that's as smooth as a baby's butt. The Art Deco ballroom was built in 1927 and has been a dance hall ever since. There's a small parking lot, street parking options, and it's close to public transit. The building overlooks Lake Merritt.


Event Photos

Why is it only two hours?

We are building a potent transformative experience where everyone can remain present and engaged with the process the entire time. Our experience has been that longer dances challenge our ability to focus. Our aim is to create an experience of group flow and expanded states of consciousness. For that to happen, we need every person in the group to be present and accountable for how they show up during our time together. Your presence is needed.


What’s group flow and why would I want it?

Group flow is more than an ethereal concept, and different than “going with the flow.” Flow is when time dissipates and inspiration flows so freely you become seven times more creative and five times more productive. It’s when your mind gets quiet and your body gets focused. It’s when the boundaries of where you end and another begins start to melt until you feel a delicious oneness with all that is. You can hear your own inner guidance clearly. Flow is in everyone. We can show you the door and give you the key. You just have to unlock it and walk through.


What are the guidelines?

We do our best to care for ourselves, to care for one another, and to be aware of how we show up and impact others. We passionately follow the credo, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." In other words, try not to be an asshole.

Here are the three non-negotiable guidelines:

The dance floor is a non-verbal space. No talking! Eliminating talking allows us to move out of our heads and into our bodies. We leave behind the words and worries of the day and connect with one another in new ways. There is absolutely no talking allowed anywhere on the dance floor.

The dance floor is a place of safety. If you’re approaching others, make sure they consent to it. If somebody offers you a shared dance and you are not interested, give them a bow with hands at heart to say, “no thank you.” If someone is dancing in a way that feels unsafe to you, let the organizers know and they will address it.

Keep the dance floor free from: External substances and electronic devices (including photos and videos). We take our sacred container seriously. Anyone who takes photos or videos or shows up inebriated will be asked to leave.


You mention altered states of consciousness. Will we be doing psychedelics?

As Wim Hof says, "get high on your own supply." Although the therapeutic benefits of plant medicines are beneficial, and we deeply believe in their healing capabilities, Ecstatic Dance is a plant medicine and alcohol-free container. We get high through the brain's happy chemicals (dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, endorphins) that are produced through entering flow states using the technologies of ecstatic dance, breathwork, and sound healing.


But pot is ok, right?

Ecstatic Dance is a space free from intoxicating substances. Please arrive clear headed and ready to get high naturally through ecstatic technologies. Lean into the transformational nature of the offering free from the interference of external substances. If you have special needs that are in conflict with this guideline (for example, you take CBD/THC for anxiety), please email Donna at [email protected] so we are aware of your situation and can support you to be part of the experience in a good way.


Event Photos

Who will be there?

Everyone is welcome—seasoned dancers and those new to ecstatic dance. We have dancers in their 20s and in their 80s, of every gender and sexual orientation, race, religious belief and body ability. Our venue is wheelchair accessible. We’re doing our best to be a part of creating a world where everyone is invited to a seat at the table, including people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and same-gender loving people.


What’s the refund policy?

In order to protect the livelihood of our DJs, teachers, and producers, we have a strict refund policy. All tickets are final sale and cannot be exchanged or refunded. In the case of an event cancellation without a rescheduled date, a full refund will be automatically issued to each patron on the credit card used to purchase. By purchasing a ticket to this event, you agree to this purchase policy. Before purchasing your tickets, double check the time and location of the event. DJs and teachers are subject to change.


Aren't there already ecstatic dances in Oakland?

Yes! There are lots of opportunities to dance in Oakland! Before covid, there was a dance on Sundays and Wednesdays in Oakland at Sweet’s Ballroom. Unfortunately, we lost our lease and had to find a new venue. Though the new venue is different than the old one, we think you’ll like it. Because we are limited by the intimate space and know we cannot fit everyone into the new venue, there is still room for more dance in Oakland! Hopefully one day we will be able to offer dances again at the original Oakland venue in addition to this one.


How are you addressing covid safety?

We will be following CDC guidelines for mask requirements in Alameda County, and will let you know exactly what the requirement is before each dance every week.

If you were exposed to covid, please do not come to dance until you are safely out of the infection window. If there is any doubt in your mind that you might be infected, do a covid test prior to coming to dance. If you do not feel well, please stay home. If you test positive for covid, please let us know so that we can inform the other dancers. If you contact us, your name will remain anonymous.


Are children allowed?

This evening program is for adults only. If you have children and want to bring them to a dance event, please reach out to [email protected] and Donna can guide you to a local dance that will be a fit for what you need. If you have a young adult you would like to bring to dance with you, please reach out and we will have a conversation to see if we can support you!


Can I wear shoes?

Ecstatic Dance is traditionally done barefoot. If you need to wear shoes, please only wear soft-soled shoes that are never worn on the street.


What should I bring?

Please bring a water bottle. Leave valuables at home. We know it's a bold suggestion, but we encourage you to go a step further into presence and print out your ticket and leave your phone at home (if you dare!).


Who do I contact if I have other needs or questions?

Reach out to Donna at [email protected] for any needs or questions you have.


Your DJ
Event Photos

SOOHAN

To know the music of SOOHAN (Stephen Suchan) is to be flooded with a rush of the vague and familiar: nostalgia meets unique and unknowable, as he deftly weaves worldwide influences into a dance floor and festival-ready settings. To the unfamiliar, SOOHAN is the key holder to a catalog that dives into and celebrates what all too often lies in the periphery. Drawing from the traditional and popular music of countless cultures, SOOHAN’s signature interpretation of dance music ignores borders, favoring a shared community dance floor experience that enthusiastically exposes audiences to new musical territory with every performance.

Starting as a grassroots project in Baltimore, SOOHAN has taken off as an identity in global dance floor fusion, effortlessly combining diverse rarities with familiar 808s and basslines. Since his initial east coast success, SOOHAN now resides in LA but more frequently finds himself touring the US and Canada on a consistent and constant basis, with festival appearances at the likes of Envision, Lightning In A Bottle, Symbiosis, Burning Man, and numerous others. With some seven albums, five million streams, and a widely celebrated DJ mix series with Global Bass Radio, SOOHAN has hit his stride and shows no signs of slowing.

SOOHAN’s most ardent fans will have even more to look forward to in 2020, as a steady output of remix compilations, DJ mixes, and original material looms on the horizon. Cultivating an appreciation for the music which lies beneath the surfaces all around us, driving a direct line to the celebration of global culture, and bringing people together in rapturous dance remain in SOOHAN’s sights, virtually everywhere he goes.

Soohan Soundcloud

Advertisement

Where is it happening?

Lake Merritt Dance at Veterans Memorial Building, 200 Grand Avenue, Oakland, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Ecstatic Dance + Donna Carroll

Host or Publisher Ecstatic Dance + Donna Carroll

It's more fun with friends. Share with friends