The Ecstatic Dance Way

THE ECSTATIC DANCE WAY

ECSTATIC DANCE

From the outside looking in, Ecstatic Dance seems simple. Put a bunch of people in a room together. Play some music. Don’t let people talk. But things that seem simple are rarely easy. A lot of thought and consideration has gone into making Ecstatic Dance so clear and straightforward. We’ll dive into what makes Ecstatic Dance so special and how to create a transformative vibe at your dance, starting with how sacred rituals can create stability and how safety allows people to let their guard down and experience transformation. (We’ll review the musical journey of Ecstatic Dance, from how to hire a DJ to other resources for music in the following chapters).

A SACRED RITUAL

In order for true transformation to happen, people need to feel safe enough to let down their guard. Creating a dependable, regularly scheduled dance that starts and ends on time at the same time in the same place is important. It creates a sacred ritual for people, as a type of non-religious church replacement.

At Ecstatic Dance, we lead with the notion that community is first and foremost and the dance is a tool for bringing people together.

A basic need for human beings is a place to gather on a regular basis with their tribe. This creates community and shifts the dance from being a party where people feel the need to put on their best face to a practice where people show up as they are. Just like an athlete wouldn’t miss a workout because they are not feeling their best, a dancer doesn’t miss their sacred ritual of weekly dance.

I’d like to give you a little insight into human nature, which you probably already know: we like to know what to expect.

Human beings like consistency and respond by relaxing when they feel held and supported.

One of the great things about Ecstatic Dance is that it invites people into a space of freedom and acceptance. But it’s also a space that has a very solid and safe container that allows for freedom to be expressed and valued. Do not deny the base of safety that’s needed before anything else can happen. Allow your dancers to feel safe by being consistent and, when you have to change something, do it slowly, with plenty of

advance notice. Really think it through and consult with people you trust about the risks versus benefits of the proposed change.

When internal and external tragedies happen within the community, like sudden deaths or natural disasters, Ecstatic Dance becomes a place of solace where people can come and grieve together. When positive events happen, like marriages, babies being born, graduations, and even birthdays, Ecstatic Dance becomes a place where people can come together and celebrate.

YOUR RITUALS

What are three rituals you want to incorporate into your dance? List three rituals:

1. ______2. ______3. ______

SAFETY

The essential foundation that creates this freedom starts with space. As a dance leader, you must understand that safety is the number one priority. When we create an externally safe space, the nervous system relaxes. When the nervous system relaxes, the masks fall away and the authentic human shows up. The heart opens. Personal blocks fall away. Ecstatic Dancers learn through doing, not by external teachers. There is no dogma. Consequently, it’s especially important to infuse the space with safety, creating it as a key part of the culture of your dance.

On a recent Sunday, I was deep in my dance. A tribal song was pumping out of the speakers and I was going for it with my whole body and soul. My feet stomped hard into the ground as my body instinctively gathered in a circle with four other women. There was nothing present but the beat, the breath, our stomping in cadence, sweat and all our senses hyper focused and alert. I became my ancestors. I saw the ancestors in my dancing sisters. Back, further and further it went until I saw the spirits in the ballroom floating above our heads. Sweat. Breath. Beat. Sisterhood. There was nothing else.

This is one example of what can happen because of a safe container. It is vitally important to keep distractions off your dance floor.

SAFETY

What are the ways you can incorporate safety into your dance? List three ideas:

1. ______2. ______3. ______

MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION WHY CAN’T WE TALK?

The dance floor is one of the only places in modern society to practice and experience true nonverbal communication.

I spent some time recently with my 3 year old niece Madison, who has just started talking and is still very much connected with nonverbal cues. For her, language is only a support to getting her needs met and expressing herself. For me, words have become the primary way in which I express myself and often seem more important than body language. I’m finding this word-based adult world can often feel thin, leaving me with a dissatisfaction and gnawing hunger for more.

Martha Graham, an American dancer and choreographer regarded as one of the foremost pioneers of modern dance, said:

Dance is the hidden language of the soul, of the body. And it’s partly the language that we don’t want to show. -Martha Graham

When we allow ourselves to communicate without words, a part of us deeper than the personality shows up. We get to play with one another at the level of the soul. It’s one of the reasons Ecstatic Dance enables deep friendships to form quickly. Meeting on the dance floor, we don’t ask, “What’s your name? What do you do? Where do you live?”

Without words, we surpass normal societal cues and go directly to a soul conversation.

Looking at brain activity, we get a better understanding of the science behind these connections. Left brain thinking is verbal and analytical. Right brain is non-verbal, intuitive and creative. We need both to function. We use both hemispheres of our brain all day long. When we are deep in our dance, in a state of present-moment awareness, our right brain is activated. In this space, we gain access to the soul language Martha Graham speaks of. Our critical and judging self steps aside. We feel deliciously “at one” with everyone and everything. When language enters into the equation, our brain automatically switches to the left, analytical mode. It has no choice.

In daily life, we use language as our main form of communication. We are accustomed to meeting one another through our words. We are used to conversing and connecting through language. We have learned to bring forth the words we want in order to elicit the responses we desire. When we take away the tool of language, as we do on the dance floor, it can become uncomfortable. As Martha Graham says, “...it’s partly the language that we don’t want to show.” When we’re in the dance, our bodies can’t lie. We aren’t able to hide deep seated sorrows, fears, and even joys that we often keep under wraps in order to function in the world.

The Ecstatic Dance community is unique in that we are seekers, looking for authentic experiences of being human. What does this look like? What does it feel like? Many times, it’s uncomfortable and awkward as we forge new pathways of being.

What would it be like if we let ourselves steep in the awkwardness of nonverbal communication? For many of us, it’s a skill we haven’t used since we were toddlers, like my niece Madison. What if we rejoiced in one another’s stumbles at this right brained

form of communication and joined in the discomfort to play together in an authentic way?

I invite you into this new reality of true authenticity, learning together how to communicate without words. Messing up together. Trying out new ways of doing it. Practicing. Deepening the skill of nonverbal communication and authentic conversation. It’s the dawning of a new era where our personalities mindfully step aside to make way for our soul connections to flourish.

The heart generates the largest electromagnetic field in the body. The electrical field is about 60 times greater in amplitude than brain waves. The magnetic component of the heart’s field, which is around 100 times stronger than that produced by the brain, can be measured several feet away from the body. -Rollin McCraty, Ph.D.