Soul Dance, a spiritually-oriented, free-form dance class, offers a sacred, safe yet joyous and completely free space for us to pray with our bodies as well as minds, hearts and Souls. We move outwardly as we attune inwardly so that we becomes healed, freed, aligned, love-filled, and downright blissed out.
Each class begins and ends with a spontaneous moving meditation at the beginning and end which includes spiritual excerpts and/or poetry. The facilitator/professional DJ spins uplifting, hip music of all genres interspersed with brief spiritual interludes so that we truly experience God dancing us.
While we do a lot to create a very safe space for the brand new dancer, more experienced dancers are also completely unencumbered to soar with their expression.
Soul Dance is a pure act of love. All proceeds (donations are optional) go to charity. The facilitator and assistants are unpaid volunteers. This fact likely adds to the divinely loving energy of the class. It’s been running for 14 years without pause and thousands of folks have joyfully participated.
A TYPICAL CLASS:
7:30 Breath/Light We gather in a circle, holding hands and do a fun breathing exercise to let go of our day (week, years, lifetime) and come present. We then call do a prayer, ‘call in the light’ and chant a universal brief mantra.
7:35-7:45 (ish: Moving Meditation/Spiritual Exercise: As we stretch and let go, we are guided in a brief moving meditation loosely based around a theme (Loving, Freedom, Joy, Forgiveness, Grace etc.). This is spontaneously led by the facilitator and changes according to who shows up and what Spirit presents.
Some examples of meditations we may do:
- Discover our own personal intention for the class which we will keep revisiting so that we manifest it beyond our wildest dreams and learn to apply it to our lives. You’d be surprised…
- See, feel, hear, a vision of our healed ideal/true selves on all levels-physical, mental, emotional, unconscious, soul, and spiritual and then step into, claim, embody it. Manifestation and attraction at it’s most joyous and profound.
- Discover limiting patterns held in specific areas of our bodies and then use forgiveness and loving to release and heal them so that energy is now available for our use.
- Consciously and physically place and receive loving and healing into our bodies and body image.
- Use subtle movement (mudras) to take us into a deep place of inner attunement and harmony . Use movement as part of a Spiritual Exercise
7:45 to 8:50 (ish): Dance Interspersed with Spiritual Interludes (each lasting less than 1 minute) and a few optional partner/group exercises. I play a very wide range of music because different genres have a different affect within us. I play current pop and dance hits, old-school funk, world music (Spanish, Indian, Celtic etc, ) blues, alternative, new age, you name it. It is always uplifting and often directly inspirational. I log countless hours to find music that has a higher frequency and still makes you HAVE to DANCE.
In between some songs I will guide you in very brief spiritual interludes so that you might remember your Soul’s desire for your time in the class and open yourself to receive it. This takes our dance to a higher, more liberated, outrageously joyful and sacred level. I may do an exercise in which you’ll participate with a partner (or twenty) to discover what message God has for you through them.
8:50 to 9:00 (ish) We’ll slow the music and come back within. I will generally play an excerpt or read a poem and then we’ll do a closing blessing. At the end, most people are laying on the floor in a deeply serene, blissful place.
Be kind to yourself, dear-
To our innocent follies.
Forget any sounds or touch
You knew that did not help you
Dance.
You will come to see
That all evolves us.
(Rumi, Love Poems from God, 65)
Helpful Hints:
Feeling Safe and Free: Please know that you are in a very safe space. We’ll assist you to sacrifice your concerns for how you might look upon the altar of your own freedom. You will likely find this to be one of the most supportive, unconditionally accepting environments you have ever danced (even been) in. Yes, we have trained dancers in class who have a blast and inspire us all. But many folks have little to no dance experience and have just as grand a time because they also reap the glory of having overcome their own fears. I, myself, am NOT a trained dancer and not that long before I started facilitating Soul Dance was afraid to dance in public. I purposefully don’t take ‘regular’ dance classes so that I can always assist other to fully express themselves regardless of ‘skill’ level. You’ll quickly see that the most impressive dancers are simply the most joyous and/or free! Your dance is between you and God. The rest of us just were just invited to the party.
Clearing: You may find that things come up to clear-challenging thoughts, emotions etc. Please call upon the Lord and keep moving through them. Ask for Spiritual Assistance inwardly and allow God to take your burdens. You may be surprised how much will lift with the group energy of the class, your own intention and the physical movement. Take care of yourself with this and allow yourself to discover and receive blessings greater than you might have expected.
Trust Yourself: Everything we do/offer is intended to help you to surrender to God’s dance for and of you. Anything we do as a group is optional. You will see folks sitting in meditation while others are dancing wildly (and they often switch places). All of that is perfect.
All fitness levels at Soul Dance: You might be surprised at what an amazing workout it can be. A full hour and a half of free form dance is definitely a work out (this one also happens to be a work in, as well). If you don’t feel like coming to class because you’re tired, I offer this:
“If you decide that you can’t move until you get more energy, you’ll be stationary for an awfully long time. As soon as you start moving your body that very action says that you need more energy, and that energy will start moving into you… John-Roger
Dress: The only dress code is that you must be dressed. Folks wear everything: dance clothes, work out/yoga wear, jeans, skirts, sweats-it’s all good.
Dance Floor: Most folks wear dance shoes, socks or go barefoot. You can choose between dancing on the marble floors or on carpet (or both). Feel free to dance outside on the marble patios under the stars and moon, too.
Birthdays: If it’s your birthday the week of Soul Dance, email me requests and if they fit the Soul Dance vibe I’ll be happy to play them. Invite friends-it can be like having a birthday dance party.
Shhh: if you want to talk during the dance, please translate it into movement or simply step outside to complete your conversation. Whooping and cheering during cool songs strenuously encouraged.
Bathrooms: There are ample bathrooms just outside the dance space.
Water: Bring a bottle of water with a cap. There’s also filtered water in the kitchen and hallway
Children under 12: I adore kids. I have them. However, I don’t bring my own as it’s not that fun for kids under 12 but teens love it. Legality prohibits us from having kids without lots of boring forms. If you want to bring your kids, please call/email well before class.
Feedback: I welcome you to come to me after class with any suggestions, feedback, music requests etc. or Email me. You can also call or email the Gardens. This is YOUR class, after all.
Thank you for honoring us with your dance.