Ecstatic Dance is a free form of dance with the goal to achieve spiritual ecstasy. This is a natural state in which your awareness shifts into a meditative and free state of mind through the intuitive movement of the body.

Ecstatic dance is quite literally what the name describes. Under the beat of music, each person moves as freely and organically as one desires. Most likely beginning with eyes closed in order to settle into the body, every person dances to the rhythm of their own drum, eventually coming into the space and entering into an expressive realm of movement and freedom. Ecstatic dance involves no alcohol, drugs, talking or shoes. There is next to no external influence, which aids each person on gaining a richer and more intuitive experience. There is no right or wrong way to move, just moving with the aim of pure expression and connection.

Ecstatic dance has existed since the age of time. Situated around the fire or idol, the Greeks, Mayans, Neolithic, Palaeolithic danced around in union, losing themselves to the beat of the music and the trance-like state of their minds. Dance has been a tool used to enter into the realm of the subconscious. Using movement and sound, ecstatic dance has allowed for our ancestors to connect with the spirit world, to create ritual, and to form union with others, and the Divine.

Throughout history, we can find Shamanic Trance Dance, Ancient Egyptian Ritual Dance (c. 3000 BCE), 'Tandava' - the dance of Shiva (1500 BCE), Whirling Dervishes - Sufism (13th century), Candomblé - Brazilian drumming, singing, chanting, and dancing, aiming to connect with the Orixás. Each religious group can be found to have evidence of dance, which is used to recognise the presence of energy and higher power.

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