Ecstatic dance as we know it today began on the big island of Hawaii in 2000. Introduced by some folks that loved dancing and festivals and the freedom of movement that festivals provided. Ecstatic dance is a free form movement that tunes you into your body and into the music. The movement is intuitive without concern for how your movement looks. Ecstatic dance moves and shifts your energy in a multitude of powerful ways. You are tuned into your body so deeply you are moving it the way it needs to move to release and shift what needs to be released and shifted. You journey so deeply into the energy body that you have the opportunity to move/dance with your soul. The need for perfection or concern for others' opinions are alleviated and released. At first this may only happen on the dance floor, but done often enough you can begin to rewrite your programming and take this into your day to day life as well as your deeper connection to your soulful self.

Ecstatic Dance takes away all preconceived notions of stereotypes and divisions and connects you into your soulful self, through movement of the energy body and the vibrations of the music. If you choose to interact with the others on the dance floor (you do not need to interact with anyone the entire time if you so choose) you can be met with a myriad of experiences and deeper webs of connections. Contact improv, created by Steve Paxton in the '70s, is only a small aspect of ecstatic dance and not a requirement to participate in this experience. Contact improv is where dancers share a physical connection point at all times and explore a wide range of movement possibilities together.

All body types and ability levels are welcome and encouraged to check out this experience. I am super excited to hold space for, as well as participate in, this experience with you. Absolutely no previous movement/dance experience is needed. This is my first time leading an Ecstatic Dance journey. I was hesitant to plan this due to me lack of experiences doing so, but my passion for free form movement and my intuition directing me that this is something that I need to hold space for has guided me to create this event.

About me (Jenn Brouillard) as a dancer:
I have been dancing since I was 2 years old, formally trained at Debbie Sichol's dance center till I graduated high school when I was 18. In college I discovered a modern improvisational dance company led by Margaret Gould Westcott at The University of Maine at Farmington. Known as the UMF Dancers, this troupe fed my heart's passion of free form movement. At the same time the dancers also pushed me out of my comfort zone in other aspects, because it is always all about balance right? Contact improv challenged me to trust myself, to get comfortable with myself, to have faith in myself, to listen to my intuition instead of my money mind, to tune into the other dancer(s) in my space and to become aware of and get comfortable with the energy flow between myself and the other dancers. Weaving webs of energy and connection while dancing can be an intense yet supportive and grounding experience. As a dancer I learned to be more intentional with my interactions while still being free with my movement. As a physical being having both a human and a spiritual experience I still find I am learning lessons to this very day from the seeds planted in my college years of improvisational dance and contact improv.

What to expect:
We will start with guidance on how to maintain a safe space for everyon and do some light standing stretches to prepare the body for movement. I will then give some examples of movements, how to use all levels of your dance space and demonstrate contact improv. We will then open circle and set intentions and flow into movement. The music will be part of the experience and there will be a play list consciously cultivated to take you on this mindful journey for this first time together (typically people use a live DJ). We will end our time with a brief guided Savasana (seated on the floor or in a chair or laying on the floor if you prefer) and a check in sharing circle. The circle will offer you the opportunity to express, share and process your experiences if you so choose. Sharing is completely optional, but holding space for others to complete the journey is important. We will then close circle and clean the space up together.

Cost: This will be a donation event. Offer up what you can, if you can. A jar for money will be set up on the table of the entrance of the room along with my Venmo scan code.

What to wear:
- What ever clothing is comfortable to move in for you.

What to bring or not bring:
- Your own hydration.
- Your open mind and heart.
- This is a sober event. Bring your authentic self, but please do not arrive under the influence of any substances. Thank you for your understanding.