We reunite to move our bodies in one week!!! I can't wait to be with you all again. June felt strange without our dance, but it gave me some time to collect some amazing new music :-)
Please register with me by email (see below) or DM if you plan to come, as spaces are limited.
At Ecstatic Dance Cobourg, we have permission to move in ANY way we want. We take what's stuck inside us and move it through our bodies in a wild musical journey. This journey, through a combination of world music, house music (lots of Latin and Afro!), EDM, bass, trance, and more, has the potential to reach your soul - if you allow it.
Website:
https://www.ecstaticdancecobourg.com/
Ecstatic dance is a form of conscious dance in which we move with full awareness of the body and breath. The dance is designed to invite stuck emotions and sensations to move as they need to, unrestrained by our usual inhibitions and social norms. We create a safe and nonjudgmental environment, in which bodies can move exactly how they want. The weirder, the better! The word “ecstatic” in this sense doesn’t mean “happy” or “joyful,” but rather refers to the experience of feeling emotions and sensations (even painful ones) to their fullest.
This is a dance intended for all bodies, and St. Peter’s Church is an accessible space with an elevator. There are no "moves" or "steps," but rather just an invitation to do what feels right. This kind of dance can look like anything – it can be big, small, upright, or lying down. As long as you are moving and breathing, you are doing it right.
The dance will be introduced with a few shared agreements, to create a safe and consensual space, and then we will begin with some grounding through music and proceed through a wave, in which the intensity rises gradually and then falls toward the end. The wave meets you where you are at and then invites a journey into something new. Everyone will be encouraged to pay attention to their own physical and emotional needs and limitations.
I do provide some verbal facilitation during the dance, which differs from the average ecstatic dance. I find that facilitation enhances the experience, reminding people to return to their bodies when they get distracted, for example.
You can access a video description of this kind of dance as well, at:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvNnC59O_IK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
What to Expect:
Please arrive early so that you have a chance to stretch and so that we can begin the dance right at 7:00 pm. Doors lock at 7:15. The dance is about 1.5 hours, and it begins with a guided grounding practice. Following the dance, there will be an opportunity to gather in a circle to share and process the experience, with my facilitation, for those who wish.
What to bring:
- Comfortable clothes for dance
- Footwear that works best for you (the floor is vinyl over hardwood, and you can use socks, bare feet, or clean shoes)
- Snacks and a water bottle
- Earplugs if you have sensitive hearing and might struggle with louder music
- Avoid wearing strong scents for those who are sensitive
- An open mind!
Note: we must leave the space in the same condition in which we found it.
Cost: $20.00 per person with sliding scale upon request. Children can dance for free (if you are considering bringing young children, be mindful that some songs may contain adult themes).
SAFETY:
- COVID-19 Policies: Out of respect for each other, you should only come to the dance if you are at low risk for recent exposures, and if you are feeling well with no symptoms. Currently, masks are optional.
- St. Peter’s Church offers a warming room for the homeless from 8 am to 8 pm during the winter months. The church has a security guard present at all times, and the entryway for the warming room is separate from the entrance we will be using.
Location:
Sheppard Hall, St. Peter's Anglican Church, 240 College St., Cobourg, Ontario. Entrance is via main doors from parking lot. Elevator access through main entryway.
Your DJ and Facilitator:
Justine is a passionate artist, a DJ, a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist. She discovered ecstatic dance during the first months of the pandemic, having never danced in her life, and having never listened to anything other than classical music...and she fell in love. She has been compelled to continue dancing daily ever since that first moment, because this dance has changed her relationship with her body, the world, and existence itself.
She trained to become an ecstatic dance leader and a DJ so that she could incorporate this into her work and more deeply into her life.
Her dream is to introduce others into this beautiful tradition of honouring the body’s desires, needs, and impulses, and to letting the body take over in a way that both liberates us from our habitual, restrictive thought patterns and connects us to each other more deeply.
Justine has danced for hundreds of hours in the modality she now offers. She offers therapeutic dance groups and workshops, and a monthly ecstatic dance event in Cobourg, ON. Her training was through Powerhouse DJ School, run by world-renowned DJ Tasha Blank, who also has an extensive background in somatic and spiritual practice.
More Information:
Website: ecstaticdancecobourg.com
Feel free to email me at
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Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/dj_justinedembo/
SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/bart-holomew-874630625...
To sign up:
Please email Justine at:
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Payment is by e-transfer to this same email address, or by cash at the door.
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