Ecstatic Dance

Ecstatic Dance in Southern Vermont is excited to be part of a community effort and group bringing The OM Festival to Vermont this Summer. It takes a village to put on a large festival and we want to build a Southern Vermont Ecstatic Dance community! Get in touch if you want to get more involved. All ages and abilities are welcome!

What: It is a free form boogie in safe sacred space with great music in a supportive community.

No drugs, no alcohol.

Ecstatic dance is a form of dance in which the dancers, sometimes without the need to follow specific steps, abandon themselves to the rhythm and move freely as the music takes them, leading to trance and a feeling of ecstasy. The effects of ecstatic dance begin with ecstasy itself, which may be experienced in differing degrees. Dancers are described as feeling connected to others, and to their own emotions. The dance serves as a form of meditation, helping people to cope with stress and to attain serenity.

Ecstatic dance has been practiced throughout human history, including in classical times by the maenads, followers of the wine-god Dionysus. In the ancient and widespread practice of shamanism, ecstatic dance and rhythmic drumming are used to alter consciousness in spiritual practices. Ecstatic sacred dances are known also from religious traditions around the world. Modern ecstatic dance was revived by Gabrielle Roth in the 1970s and formalized in her 5Rhythms practice; it is now found in variants across the western world.

A typical Ecstatic Dance timeline:

6:00 PM: Gather, warm up and stretch

6:25 PM: Opening circle

6:40 PM: Start of Wave

7.50 PM: Closing Circle

We look forward to dancing with you! Find Your Vibe | Find Your Tribe