About this Meetup

Dance the way your body wants to, without choreography or judgment! Get out of your head and into your body, discovering the innate body wisdom you possess. Ecstatic Dance is an authentic, spontaneous, expressive, meditative movement practice (and a great self-directed dance workout!) inspired by various freedance practices (5Rhythms(TM) (Sweat Your Prayers), SpiritDance(TM), Soul Motion(TM), TranceDance, etc.). Go beyond the limits of your habitual movement patterns and explore your unique inner dance. No experience needed, just a willingness to move and be moved! If you love to dance in a welcoming community atmosphere, this is for you. It's about putting your soul in motion and giving yourself permission to dance without holding back.

Since the beginning of time human beings have danced... for celebration, for community, and for health. Ecstatic Dance is designed to evoke expression of your true self in a safe and accepting group environment. Participants report a variety of experiences during the dance including a fun dance workout, connection with other people, release of stress and tension, an overall sense of well-being, insights or revelations about personal issues, opening of the heart, transcendental experiences, and feelings of joy, ecstasy and divine oneness. The experience of each dance (and of each dancer) is unique.

We dance barefoot (or with soft rubber-soled shoes) at our own pace for a little more than an hour. There is no choreography or instruction, but a "focus" and other suggestions may be offered by the facilitator to help deepen your experience. You're free to dance by yourself, with another, or join a spontaneous group expression. The music gradually builds to a high energy level and then winds back down to a meditative, relaxing finish, generally following the 5Rhythms(TM) "wave" format (flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, stillness). Be prepared to sweat. We become a "tribe" that looks forward to dancing and exploring together each week. And we look forward to welcoming you into this unique practice!

There are no "rules" but we do have a few simple guidelines and suggestions that help make this the best possible experience for everyone. Please review these Community Agreements (on our "Files" page) before coming to Ecstatic Dance for the first time.

Our regular weekly dances are offered on a "love donation" basis to help cover costs, pay facilitator/DJs and support Ecstatic Dance in Dallas. Most dancers give $10 to $15 and consider it the least expensive and most effective form of physical and emotional "self-therapy" around! We respectfully request a minimum donation of $10; however, no one will be turned away who is not able to pay that amount. You may also use your MoveStudio class pass.

Music styles vary from eclectic world grooves to electronica to trance to tribal beats to contemporary rock/pop. Our DJs are always finding new tunes to inspire us. If you have music to suggest/request, post it to the message board on this site! We ask that you come with no expectations or preconceived notions about what is the "right" music to dance to, as this practice has much to offer even when (especially when) we experience resistance to a certain rhythm or piece of music.

Facilitator/DJ responsibility rotates among a few longtime regulars in the group. Facilitators have a good understanding of the 5Rhythms(TM) style of Ecstatic Dance and have attended at least one intensive workshop. At this time there are no "certified" 5Rhythms(TM) teachers in Dallas, so there is no "teaching" at our regular weekly sessions. Workshops with visiting Ecstatic Dance teachers are offered periodically at MoveStudio. These can be a great way to learn more about the practice of Ecstatic Dance and really deepen your experience. Please see our calendar for more info.

What you can expect from this Ecstatic Dance practice and community:

~An opportunity to find your own dance, allowing your body to access its own inner wisdom.
~A mindful and nontoxic environment in which you can relax and dance freely.
~A friendly, respectful, non-competitive, welcoming atmosphere, no matter what your age, background, dance experience, culture, or appearance.
~A wide variety of facilitator/DJs, each with their own styles, musical tastes, and ways of structuring and guiding the dance experience.
~A clean, safe and comfortable dance space.
~A loving and accepting community (tribe).
~Usually anywhere from 10 to 25 dancers, both men and women, even though most don't RSVP on this site.
~A natural way to achieve a healthier body, heart, mind and connection to your soul.

Newcomers are welcome! No dance experience or expertise is needed. Your body already knows how to do this!

Find out more about the home of Dallas Ecstatic Dance, MoveStudio.

Some good websites with more information about the 5Rhythms(TM) and other forms of Ecstatic Dance:
Gabrielle Roth & The Moving Center NYC
Soul Motion (Vinn Marti)
The Moving Center California
Moving Meditation (Michael Stone)
Waves Studio (Amara & Sara Pagano)
School of Movement Medicine
Answers.com
Adam Barley
A Call to Dance
Gypsie Nation
TranceDance