DANCE

 

WEEKLY SUNDAY MORNINGS
Conscious Dance
10:30 am to 12:30 pm

Cambrian Hall | 215 East 17th

Sliding-scale cash drop-in $20 - $25
Adults only

Unfacilitated

Dance Divine is an unfacilitated event. This means that there is no instruction or choreography. It’s a free-style conscious dance event where we practice moving authentically. For many of us it is also a personal movement practice that we use to gain self-awareness, and as a way to move with, or through, the things we are feeling.

THE MUSIC

The music sets last about 1hr. 45 min. and have an emphasis on instrumental music from a multitude of genres. They start slowly, giving us time to tune into ourselves. The tempo picks up, through gently flowing to more percussive styles that eventually build to a cathartic peak with high-energy music. It then tapers off to a reflective, quiet ending.

COHESION

We aim for a cohesive group energy and shared intention so please arrive on time and get grounded (exhale!) and warmed-up. The registration table is open for the first 30 minutes. We hold an optional closing circle at the end, as a way to connect and share, or simply as a way to honour our practice and ‘close’ as a group.

NO TALKING

As a form of ‘moving meditation’ we practice listening to our inner selves, and talking disturbs that focus and can cause us to ‘pop out’ of our body-based awareness. As an Authentic Movement practice, we practice speaking with our bodies. Therefor we refrain from verbal communication on the dance floor in order to maintain sacred space.

5 RULES ON CONTACT & BOUNDARIES

We are here to get out of our heads and into a body-based awareness. When we ‘drop our guard’ a bit, we tend to experience new movements, perspectives and feelings. Doing that can be very therapeutic. It can also feel a little vulnerable and it requires the absence of “inter-personal agendas” (people trying to get something from you, or give you something). To achieve this, we practice integrity and self-awareness (being trustworthy) and encourage neutrality and friendship on the dance floor. This is not a pick-up scene.

Contact can be a powerful aspect of conscious dance and a good opportunity to practice self awareness and personal growth, however please err on the side of caution when it comes to physical contact with others. Please:

1

Initiate physical contact only with people you know. If you don't know someone, but would like to practice contact with them, chat with them about it before or after the dance.

2

Listen to your feelings and communicate your boundaries clearly. Please don't expect people to have mind-reading skills; it is your responsibility to clearly communicate your “yes” or “no, thank you”.

3

Pay attention to non-verbal cues in others; contact should be invited & accepted so please do not proceed without clear consent.

4

Decline an invitation by using the “namaste” gesture to bow out, and a smile? (Try not to take offence where none is intended.)

5

Do not pretend to be offering support or practicing contact improv dance when you are actually trying to ‘make a move’ on someone.*

* This is deeply unethical. People sense hidden agendas and get confused by mixed messages. Many people are a little wounded around boundaries. Let’s support each other to recalibrate our systems so that we can accurately decipher the authentic from the inauthentic, instead of reinforcing old wounds and negative beliefs. Having non-verbal experiences of depth, safety and joy in a group-setting can be very powerful and transformative. Ideally it will leave us with a renewed and expanded experience of trust and belonging (not the opposite).

# of minutes in a set
100
# of tracks in library
9000
# of sets in library
450
# of folders in library
35

Sample Conscious Dance Music Sets

The beauty of a Conscious Dance music set is that it uses a multitude of genres and tempos with an emphasis on instrumental music. They start slowly, giving you lots of time to relax and warm up. Gradually the tempo picks up and builds to a peak with high-energy dance music before tapering off again into a reflective, quiet ending. Samples below.
I spend most of my Saturday nights creating new music sets. I love doing this. And it takes time. Each set gets worked on for 4 to 6 hrs. I debut new sets on Sunday morning, where mix them live and record them into a single audio track. I play those recordings on Monday nights, when it's my turn to dance!
The music format follows a 'cathartic curve'; it reflects all natural cycles innate to nature, the body and psyche, such as: the birthing, seasonal, orgasmic or emotional-release curve. Catharsis, from Greek katharsis meaning "purification" or "cleansing", refers to any extreme change in emotion that results in renewal and restoration. How Divine!
# of years in operation
15
# of events per year
60
# of crew members
9
# of new people per session
50

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DIY Event Production

Services + Materials

Want to host your own conscious dance events?

I can help!

Introduction to DJ-ing

Personalized, private tutoring sessions that cover:
1.) iTunes and Traktor software
2.) Traktor Kontrol S2
3.) Portable PA Systems
4.) Playlist creation, basic DJ skills (no samples or filters)

2hr. @ $95 (+ GST)

Music Library Starter Kits

Build your own music library! My top 10's, organized by tempo. 10 artists per list/$10 each or 100 artist/$95 each

Please note: these are lists of artists, not the actual songs. Please support the artists and always buy your music.

Templates

Customized or generic event production templates for your registration table and weekly/monthly admin needs, such as: daily sales sheets, class passes, waivers, crew schedules, info/bio, ethics/guidelines,  sign-up sheets, feedback forms, etc.

Training & Consultation

Personalized training that focuses on your community and experience. Covers: event format, ethics, guidelines, facilitation, marketing, venue considerations, registration, admin, music (hardware/software), crew, sales, legal issues, altars.

2hr. @ $160 (+ GST)