CELEBRATE! - 10 Years of Ecstatic Dance - Ecstatic Dance and Cacao Ceremony

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞'𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞: CELEBRATE!

The Canberra Ecstatic Dance team, Holly, Zoe and Marisa will be collaborating for an extra special dance to celebrate 10 years of ecstatic dance in Canberra and our wonderful dance community!

Our November dance will feature a cacao ceremony, a collaborative playlist of our favourite tunes, live singing and handpan and an optional community potluck (bring a plate) to share and connect after the dance.

Cacao and dance is the perfect combination! Chocolate is a medicine plant that opens your heart, warms and invigorates you, and makes you ready to move!

We will be drinking organic cacao by Ubud RAW, a Balinese family business, which has been called 'the best ceremonial cacao in the world.'

The cacao will be lovingly prepared by Zoe, will be vegan/GF and will be mixed with some coconut sugar and warming spices.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞'𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: Music mixed by Marisa. Co-facilitation by Holly and Zoe.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:

• A guided opening circle to set intentions and share cacao.

• An ecstatic dance with light facilitation

• A grounding closing meditation & closing circle to integrate the experience.

• Extra time to feast and connect with our dance community. Please bring a plate or a non alcoholic drink to share (optional).

Come as you are, move as you feel, and allow the dance to guide you home to yourself. We can’t wait to share this sacred space with you.

Event info:

Arrive at 3:55 pm for a for a 4:00 pm start. Bring a water bottle and cushion or yoga mat.

This dance is an alcohol-free event / LGBTQI friendly / 18+ event

Once the music has begun, we encourage you to keep talking to a minimum so that everyone can enjoy the embodiment!

𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦, 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵.

𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐔𝐒:

ZALA (aka Marisa) is a DJ and event organiser who delights in the activation of people and places. With 20+ years experience working and playing at festivals and events, and a keen ear for diverse music which transcends genres, ZALA loves to curate community gatherings to inspire, connect people, and get them authentically moving their bodies.

Zoe has been teaching mindful movement for more than fifteen years - including yoga, movement, Thai massage, and Acro Yoga. She has a passion for creating safe spaces where people can find their joyful flow. She loves weaving music that takes you on a journey, with a mixture of global electronic influences.

Holly Brocklebank is a lover of embodied & ecstatic dance along with seasonal energetics. As a 5 Element Acupuncturist, Holly explores themes in her facilitation and playlists inspired by the Chinese Medicine 5 Element wheel of the year connected to season, organs, meridian systems & archetypes.

The benefits of ecstatic dance:

• Reduces stress, anxiety, and depression

• Increases feelings of joy, happiness, and well-being

• Improves physical health by increasing cardiovascular fitness, improving flexibility, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases

• Free form and expressive movement is a great form of release

• Helps you to connect with your inner self and emotions

• Increases mindfulness

• Community-building

The ecstatic dance movement has three foundational principles:

1) Dance barefoot if possible to connect more fully with the ground.

2) Dance without words to promote a meditative state, as there is no verbal instruction from facilitators during the experience.

3) Dance as you are, meaning without the use of drugs, alcohol, phones, cameras, and with no expectations or judgment.

The Canberra Ecstatic Dance Collective monthly dance offering is a safe and supportive space to express, release, and experience joy through movement.

Each dance has a different theme and a different facilitator, BUT every dance will be a safe space to explore movement within a dynamic dance community.