Ignite the Body-Live Music Ecstatic Dance & Somatic Ceremony

Name: Ignite the Body-Live Music Ecstatic Dance & Somatic Ceremony
Start: 2026-01-23T20:00:00-06:00
End: 2026-01-23T23:00:00-06:00
Location: The Interchange

Schedule

Fri Jan 23 2026 at 08:00 pm to 11:00 pm

UTC-06:00

Location

The Interchange | Houston, TX

Ignite the Body is an event focused on live music Ecstatic Dance and group somatic ceremony. Please join us as we explore and redefine what it means to connect to our bodies, with improvised music, and with our community in these increasingly beautiful yet WEIRD times.
Ecstatic dance is a praxis of free form movement. You can dance alone or partner/group dance, the choice is yours. You can dance any way you desire to move, slow, fast, big, small, rolling around, jumping, running around. No previous experience is needed to enjoy and benefit from this practice. We encourage radical participation at this event. The dance is the practice. This is not a space to just watch a band play music, but rather an opportunity for you to enter into the expressions inside your body which seek to move out and be expressed in space.
We feel that it is best to experience this event in its ENTIRETY, from start to finish to aid in the full integration of all things experienced, and to increase the potential for the individual and collective ONENESS we all so long to experience, so please plan to show up at 8 or at least a few minutes early to give yourself time to sink into the space before we begin opening ceremony at 8:20.
* But you can arrive at any time and leave at any time.
This event is intended to be a singular unified flow of IMMERSIVE experiences, so please come prepared to PARTICIPATE in the event rather than coming as an ONLOOKER. The dance will end around 11:15pm, & we will have time after to chat & integrate.
This event is supported by Live Improvised Music from a Sextet of talented and expressive individuals, Ybub Levi, Michael Sgarlata, Andrew Martinez, Edwin Gomez, Jeremy Nuncio, and Jesse Ward (Drums, Flutes, Guitar, Bass, Sax, Clarinet, Trumpet, Percussion, Vocals, Keyboard, Ukelele). We explore music rooted in the 5 Elements (5 Rhythms) Principle, and touch on genres such as world, folk, jazz, progressive, avant-garde, post-rock, ritual groove, and experimental, while continuing to explore new creative approaches for each new event.
The guided somatic ceremony, led by Ybub, offers participants an opportunity to drop deeper into the space and our bodies before the dance begins, & utilizes practices from Japanese Butoh, Mexican Ritualism, and Naturalistic Material Explorations in a group setting. Often exploring group somatic attention practices, cultivation of group altars, and activations of innocence, play, openness, and silliness.
*** This is A SUBSTANCE FREE event, so please come ready to commit to the process of natural elevation through the Ceremony & Dance. ***
*You are in charge of your own body, no one will be enforcing this intention unless someone is impacting another person or the space in a negative/ distractive manner. If you choose to use plant medicines to deepen your experience, that is acceptable, but please know your limits, apply INTENTIONALITY with the medicine, and know that the medicine is not necessary, (and may even be a hindrance) in this environment to experience bliss, ecstasy, transcendence, revelation, catharsis, or deep connection to your body, emotions, the music or the community.*
** ALCOHOL IS ABSOLUTELY PROHIBITED AT THIS EVENT, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ASK ANYONE TO LEAVE WHO HAS BEEN CONSUMING ALCOHOL**
This will be a 2 tiered event including:
8:20 pm- Guided Somatic Ceremony
9 pm- Full "5 Elements" Ecstatic Dance Set- All Live & Improvised Music Sextet.
11:15 pm (ish) - Community connection/chat/integration time
Dress comfy, fitting & less flowy clothes are better options to give you full freedom to connect & interact with your fellow dancers without getting caught up by your clothing. Especially if you are into contact improvisation!
*Please remove upon arrival ALL jewelry & watches as it is safest for everyone in the space & for our fullest expressions to be welcomed in the dance.
-Consent- we practice using tools of non verbal consent on the dance floor, making eye contact, or mimicking movements before coming into contact with others for a dance. The namaste gesture is also used to signify the completion or denial of a dance.
*Many people in the community have been dancing together for many years and have built trust with each other, so for those individuals consent may look different than it will for any new-comers to the practice of partner/ group dancing. We encourage you to take your time to build trust with others, and also TAKE RISKS and dive in with consent if that's just your style!!*
We will have a plenty of Water Tree Alkaline Hydrogen water to share, but please bring a water jug or cup to use to refill & keep yourself hydrated!!
ITB is asking for a 20$ contribution.
This money is used to pay rent for the space, and to support the continued evolution of the Interchange, the ITB events, and to pay the musicians for their time and efforts.
If you do not have the financial means to offer money, please do not let this stop you from joining the event. We'd love to have you here to participate regardless. Consider showing up early to help clean floors, or contact Ybub to see if there is any way you can help with the event.
On the contrary, if you are flowing in abundance and value the ITB events, please consider offering more than the suggested donation to potentially offset for those who do not have the means to donate. We appreciate your offering to help support the growth of this event.
Entrance and parking for the Interchange is off of Hamilton Street, not Cleburne, inside the gated section, you can park inside the gated section and the two entrance white doors to the interchange are also in that section. You can also park on the street but PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN FRONT OF THE SMALL HOUSES ON HAMILTON ST. Thank you.
IGNITE THE BODY is a Houston Immersive Night Life event curated by Ybub Levi & friends. Please contact/DM us if you have any questions or concerns.
ALL THE LOVE, FROM THE MOST HIGH ^^^^^^^