ecstatic commUNITY dance ~ movement, rhythm, and music have been used by cultures throughout the world for millennia to induce healing and ecstatic states of being. gathering together in community, on the dance floor, in movement and music and breath, activates potent life force energy for transformation and creation.  it frees our joy and inspiration!  THIS is why we dance!!!

~ a note from the co-founders & facilitators of Ecstatic Dance Dallas ~

beloved tribe:  we offer Ecstatic Dance in DFW because this is our passion, our prayer, our soul purpose at this moment in time!  together and individually we have experienced deep transformation via conscious dance pratices.  it is our belief that everyone becomes more embodied, more empowered, and more fully self expressed through conscious movement in community.  as somatic movement advocates and facilitators, we are passionate about meeting people right where they’re at and offering them the opportunity to 'move' further; to awaken their creative life force that's waiting to dance and evolve.  this is 'The everyone can come to our heaven dance.'  and you have arrived!

in joy,

liz & blossom

about monica ~

monica blossom is an ecstatic dance practitioner and social entrepreneur deeply committed to the awakening of evolutionary love, conscious community, and full human potential through the power of dance and music. she first remembers discovering their potency when, at age 5, she caught a glimpse of 'satori', or sudden awakening, while outside dancing and singing alone in springtime. in a moment, she had a full-body sensational experience that opened up new vistas of perception and informed her of the vital importance of dance, movement and the written and spoken word to her path.

in 2006, conscious dance modalities offered at move studio in dallas proved vital as she navigated her way through the ending of a painful marriage. there, she had another primal awakening experience while in trance dance with gerry starnes of austin. she started attending the weekly ecstatic dance gatherings there and, along with yoga, journaling, and prayer, found her way through that dark transition. 
the magic she experienced at age 5 was reawakened when she accompanied her dear sister-friend to esalen institute for her 40th birthday where they attended a spiritweaves dance retreat in august of 2008. upon returning to her executive staffing position in dallas afterwards, she knew she was on borrowed time to leave; something significant had shifted internally and her purpose was being awakened. in 2009 she left the corporate world to dive into the mystery of 'what's next; what am i here to do?' which led her to canada to study with kundalini dance creator, leyola antara that winter. the following summer became a ten week pilgrimage traveling the west coast by car to dance with as many tribes and teachers as possible. this experiential inquiry informed her of this: individually and collectively, everyone becomes more embodied, more empowered, freer and more fully self expressed through ecstatic dance and conscious movement practices.

now her life passion and purpose is to promote the healthy evolution of humanity through the power of movement and music. as a facilitator, she is passionate about meeting people right where they are and offering them the opportunity to 'move' further; to awaken their creative life force that's waiting to dance and evolve. she leads through authenticity, integral perspective, grounded enthusiasm, honoring of the sacred, and heart presence.

monica is also the creator of flowetry in motion, a movement modality, a dance practice and a philosophy of living that cultivates an empowered and embodied acceptance of 'what is'. she is a burgeoning workshop facilitator, writer, spiritual events producer, marketing maven, steward of conscious community, and overall connector, eternal optimist and lover of life. it is her deepest pleasure to assist others in their full blossoming and self-realization through embodied practices.  she's a devoted and humbled mama to three of the most amazing children/young people ever.

to name a few, she has thus far danced with and is deeply grateful for these movement heroes & teachers: michael and anneli molin-skelton, victor allinbloom, rod stryker, shiva rae, ellen watson, leyola antara, seane corn, suzanne sterling, saul david rae, samantha sweetwater, and micheline pierrette berry.

about liz ~ 
while on the road to recovery from a spinal fracture and battling an eating disorder, liz began practicing yoga in 1994. for the first six years of her practice she was self-taught. in june of 2000 after experiencing her first class in a studio setting, liz was called to touch as many people as possible with the healing powers of yoga. from there it was a swift and humbling pilgrimage to the inception of her teaching journey, which began on december 9, 2000.

liz was a classically trained ballerina from the time she was three years old until she withdrew at age 12 at the suggestion of her teacher who believed liz's height would limit her ability to dance professionally. liz's love for dancing never waned. in august of 2008 she was guided to her spiritual home at the esalen institute in big sur, CA to celebrate her 40th birthday, and it was then that she had her first brush with ecstatic dance. from the moment liz stepped onto the dance floor, her body and emotions began to move in their most authentic, exuberant, free expression. she can only describe the dance as an "exquisitely beautiful, intoxicating, welcoming space of prayer in motion."

liz is a 200-hour registered yoga teacher, her formal yoga teacher training is in the para yoga tradition inspired by yogiraj rod stryker, and her dance teachers are michael and anneli molin-skelton, co-creators of spiritweaves, a conscious dance experience based out of los angeles, CA. liz's teaching style is reflective of her immersion in the yoga teachings of para yoga, iyengar, vinyasa, and kundalini, and the intuitive nature of ecstatic dance. she facilitates yoga classes, ecstatic dance practices, and integrated movement experiences that combine dance, yoga, journaling, and varied meditation techniques. 
the somatic practices of yoga and dance have transformed liz's inner landscape from fearful self-loathing to compassionate curiosity. she believes that these practices have been gifted to her from spirit and her soul's deep longing for connection, and that her life's work is to be of service by sharing her passion for movement as a potent catalyst for transformation. all that she asks when you come to her class is to be where you are in your practice and with yourself, and to bring an open and receptive heart.

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 We have come to be danced 

Not the pretty dance.
Not the pretty pretty, pick me, pick me dance.
But the claw our way back into the belly 
Of the sacred, sensual animal dance.
The unhinged, unplugged, cat is out of its box dance 
The holding the precious moment in the palms 
Of our hands and feet dance. 

We have come to be danced 
Not the jiffy booby, shake your booty for him dance 
But the wring the sadness from our skin dance 
The blow the chip off our shoulder dance. 
The slap the apology from our posture dance. 

We have come to be danced 
Not the monkey see, monkey do dance 
One two dance like you 
One two three, dance like me dance 
but the grave robber, tomb stalker 
Tearing scabs and scars open dance 
The rub the rhythm raw against our soul dance. 

We have come to be danced 
Not the nice, invisible, self-conscious shuffle 
But the matted hair flying, voodoo mama 
Shaman shakin’ ancient bones dance 
The strip us from our casings, return our wings 
Sharpen our claws and tongues dance 
The shed dead cells and slip into 
The luminous skin of love dance. 

We have come to be danced 
Not the hold our breath and wallow in the shallow end of the floor dance 
But the meeting of the trinity, the body breath and beat dance 
The shout hallelujah from the top of our thighs dance 
The mother may I? 
Yes you may take 10 giant leaps dance 
The olly olly oxen free free free dance 
The everyone can come to our heaven dance. 

We have come to be danced 
Where the kingdom’s collide 
In the cathedral of flesh 
To burn back into the light 
To unravel, to play, to fly, to pray 
To root in skin sanctuary 
We have come to be danced 

WE HAVE COME.

(poem by Jewel Mathieson)

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guidelines for Ecstatic Dance:

1.  Please, no talking on the dance floor ~ {speak with your movement}

2.  Dance however you wish ~ {move your body, dance YOUR dance, dig in}

 3.  Respect the space ~ {which is sacred and held for your unique unfoldment}

 also please:

No street shoes

No photos or video

No perfumes or strong scents

And, If you'd rather not dance with someone, thank them by placing your hands in prayer at your heart, which means 'Namaste' or 'My Spirit acknowledges Yours'.