Hey! I am preparing to facilitate my first ecstatic dance!!! So excited!

The one thing that gives me headache is creating the playlist. Any recommendations?

Do you go by intuition, do you plan ahead, do you have a whole playlist ready or multiple playlists (beginning, middle, integration)?

I am so lost with this.

This might be a UK specific question. I hold an ecstatic dance. Most venues require me to have public liability insurance (plus i want it too, don’t want to get into financial trouble if someone breaks their foot on the dance..). The insurance I’m considering is designed for sports (the company is called insure4sport) and they do have dance listed as a sport. However it’s more designed for dance classes. They told me they don’t cover parties or events. I told them that this is not really what a normal person would imagine as a party but more like a dance practice after some guided warmup which is kind of like a class. They came back with this cryptic answer: “This is fine if it is just something at the end of the class. As long as the class is based on instruction and is not an event where people would just come to dance with no instruction“

This left me confused. Am I covered? Feels like pushing it but I’m not sure I could find something better aligned. I asked ChatGPT which advised to get something that covers fitness instructors which seems even farer from ED.

Note that I’m also a yoga teacher and was hoping to cover the two with the same insurance. At this company I could select a list of sports I wanted to be covered for.

What do you guys think? And what insurance do you have if you also hold dances? Thanks

Hey ya’ll! Did ecstatic dance in bali and loved it but havent found anything back in the US. Does anyone know of any good events or organizations in NYC or surrounding areas/cities?

even if further like boston or dc

Thank u!!

I've been curating a spotify playlist for years now with personal favorites I have heard and played at Ecststic Dance events. I thought I would share it here for people to share, enjoy, dance, get inspired. The songs are structured to form a wave similar to what you experience at ecstatic dance events, but of somewhat shorter span. You can also just shuffle though. If you like it please let me know! And if you have suggestions for other songs please share! 🙏

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6OyCX8E5allw9sO6SEQBAa?si=Qok4ioVwS8aG7XcFY21dvQ

Heard it at multiple ecstatic events, can`t seem to shazam it. Thanks!!!

Heya everyone, very new to ecstatic dance. I am quite an anxious person, and the past 2 years I have worked alot on myself to try and improve it. I got clean, became aware of patterns and manage to break through some of them, and above all have found new courage to just say screw it, I'm scared but I'm gonna do it anyways. Awareness of unhealthy thought patterns is one thing, but the feeling of anxiety is still very present. That tightness in the chest, trouble breating, sweating alot and fighting the urge to leave the situation.

Some time ago somebody I know told me she runs an ecstatic dance group that gathers once a month. I went and the first time it was very scary. I had a hard time getting out of my head and into my body. I managed to move some but it felt very forced and unnatural. However at the end I was very proud that despite my 'poor performance', I still went and did it!

Skip to last Sunday, my second time there. We started with an meditation and soon after the music and my nerves started. But under that anxiety was also a peace, a bit of confidence. The second song started, it had drums, and real energetic beat to it, and I let go, just like that. I danced like nobody was watching and it felt amazing! It felt as if only for that moment, I was freed from these shackles that bind me in so much of my social life.

Almost a week has passed since, and even though I still feel anxious alot of the time, I feel more confident in general and feel a bit more peace and courage in myself, knowing somewhere that it is okay to be me, and to show me to the world.

I am still new to ecstatic dance but this experience has been something special to me, and I just really wanted to share.

This was realization was interesting to me, and I wanted to share it: When it comes to ecstatic dance, I tend to favor my left arm. Which is ironic, because I'm actually right-handed. But when I'm doing ecstatic dance, I find myself most actively using my left hand, and arm..it's the one that leads. I wonder if there's some sort of right/left brain split, between rationally focused and intuitively flowing. I'm a right handed person, and from dancing like a left handed person, my movement becomes unconscious, and is freed from the the self-judgement of the conscious mind.

🐻‍❄️Ursidae will start us off 7-8pm with ooey-gooey psychedelic sounds to get us grooving

🪐KyuTheMusiQ will take us into the night 8-9pm with dirty bass, tribal trap, glitch-hop, and experimental rhythms.

🎧Immersive in a silent disco style dance (everyone will be provided headphones)

🌿Donation based sliding scale for the headphones are $5-$50, pay what you can no pressure. Proceeds are to cover event costs; the rest will be donated to Thrive DC, a local organization fighting homelessness in DC.

Come get sweaty with us!

The following course can be accessed for free for the next few days if you use the code REDDIT123:

(I can't post a link due to Reddit filters: the course is called 'Ecstatic Dance & Conscious Dance Facilitator Training' and can be found on Udemy.)

Course Blurb

This course will teach you everything you need to know about ecstatic dance and conscious dance facilitation. It was created to provide an affordable and accessible facilitator training program so that these wonderful dance practices can be shared more widely. If you are passionate about conscious dance or ecstic dance, but wish to avoid costly training programs: this is the course for you!

The course is comprehensive**: it will cover everything you need to know in order to establish and grow a successful ecstatic dance and/or conscious dance community.** It covers the following topics:

1. Introduction: The Nature & Benefits of Ecstatic Dance & Conscious Dance
2. The History of Ecstatic Dance, Ritualistic Dance & Dance in Religious Settings
3. Modern Approaches to Ecstatic Dance & Conscious Dance
4. Practical Matters: Organising & Operating Ecstatic & Conscious Dance Events
5. Creating & Developing Your Ecstatic Dance or Conscious Dance Philosophy
6. Structuring Ecstatic Dance & Conscious Dance Sessions
7. Selecting Music for Ecstatic & Conscious Dance
8. Applying Principles from Dance Movement Therapy (DMT)
9. Financial, Legal, and Health & Safety Considerations
10. Growing Your Ecstatic Dance or Conscious Dance Community

For the record, I have never done ecstatic dance because my overthinking brain won't let me move without help to turn it off.

In my circles, the raves and ecstatic dances seem to be basically the same except one is daytime and sober and one is at night and a substance accepted. Raves appear to be more "wild" likely due to substance, darkness, and just more people willing and able to dance since it's not sober only.

But they both seem to be wear whatever wild outfits you like, and move around however the music moves you.

Also I wonder about the no substance rule.

Is caffeine allowed? Nicotine? Kava? Kratom? One beer? Two? a gram of shrooms?

I always assumed it just meant no illegal drugs and no drinking recently enough to be affected/relaxed. But after a recent "real" rave where all it took was a teaspoon of kratom to get me dancing for 3 hours, I wonder if the intent is to have no substance that relaxes you so you have to force yourself to be uncomfortable?

I found this spot and I’m curious what people think?

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/3527-Fruitvale-Ave-Oakland-CA/36432038/

An article about the terms used to describe/promote Ecstatic Dance.

Hey guys, this is my first time doing ecstatic dance and I have no idea what to expect. I'm really excited but I saw some photographs online of the event and everyone looks really fit. I am not fit. I have a bit of a belly so I'm afraid I'll not only struggle but also be judged for it.

Can someone put my mind to rest? Thanks!

Hello.

I am in Colorado and was wondering where some good ecstatic dance groups are in this state. Thie one in Salida CO where I am from is amazing, but looking to travel and try out others. Any suggestions will be appreciated, thanks!! 😊

Hi everyone,

I’m a DJ based in Ontario, Canada with over 25 years behind the decks—and in the past few years, I’ve been diving deep into the world of ecstatic dance. What began as a personal passion quickly became a calling: crafting intentional, themed sets that guide people through movement, release, and reconnection.

I’ve just launched a page that gathers some of my work in this space, including recordings from past events, my approach to building an ecstatic dance journey, and a bit about what I bring to the dance floor.

If you’re looking for DJs for your events—or just want to explore a few mixes—I’d be honoured if you checked it out: 🌐 https://accomplicated.ca/ecstatic-dance

I’m looking to connect with more facilitators, dancers, and communities—starting local but open to traveling wherever the music takes me. 🙌

With gratitude, Jamieson (accomplice) 🌀

Hey beautiful people ! 🎧🌿 I’ve just launched my YouTube channel where you can follow my journey through Ecstatic dance, music, DJ sets, and sound healing sessions. I’d love your support—please subscribe, like, and leave a comment if something moves you. Your presence means a lot! 🙏💚✨

What is your perfect congruence of comfort, coolness (even on all those sweaty dancefloors), and aesthetically pleasing silhouette?

Hello - welcoming any recos please.

shortlisted are:

JBL 305
m-audio bx4

Last month’s Dragonfly Fest was an amazing time of freedom, community, and transformation. Tickets for the 2026 Dragonfly Fest are now on sale at the lowest price they will ever be. And that early price is limited to the first 44 buyers, so get them early. It’s a beautiful venue with nightly Ecstatic Dance sessions (two different 2.5 hour sets Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights!) with the best DJ’s and musicians. I highly recommend it.

I saw this shared on Facebook: https://www.udemy.com/course/ecstatic-dance/?couponCode=FREE008

Registration is free for the next few days, might be useful to some here.

A couple weeks ago had the honour of playing a set at an up and coming event; Ecstatic Wednesdays in Melbourne, Australia. There was a large build up to this night and everything went perfectly. Was one of the best experiences of my life having 40+ people dancing to my set. I received a lot of positive feedback afterwards, my heart was so full.

This was a special night for me, and was stoked so many friends turned up to support me and hung around afterward for tea and chats.

I incorporate some live elements into my set, and my style is a touch experimental. This set was a bit higher energy than I would usually play to match the vibe of the organisers. Would love some feedback if anyone feels like having a listen.

https://soundcloud.com/drue-blake/ecstatic-wednesdays-ecstatic-dance-set-april

I'm looking to start a new dance and will probably hire a hall from a school. How can I describe the event so that it sounds innocent (e.g. not too hippy) yet realistic? I was thinking of saying something like "sober dance party" but still, the party bit might be off-putting for them. I think if I said it's a dance class, it would sound more innocent, but that's not really true. "Sober dance meditation" is maybe too weird. Any suggestions?