Ecstatic and Spiritual Dance in Chicago
by Terry Wohl

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The power of dance, movement and ecstatic energy

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Imagine yourself walking into a dimly lit room where everyone is dancing in a free form style. Shoes have been left at the door. In some cases, there is live music and exotic images projected on the wall. There’s vegetarian food outside of the dance room, but no alcohol. The question is, do you join in and do your best to find free flowing movements with your body, or do you walk away thinking to yourself, “Who are these people? What benefit could this possibly have for me?”

Perhaps you wonder, how did they become so uninhibited without the use of alcohol or drugs? And are they really having a good time or are they just faking it until they make it, so to speak.

Somewhere in our core beings we instinctively know the power of dance and movement. Any dance that allows you to free up your body and move with joy will bring more ecstatic energy into your entire being. It will get your blood flowing through your body and oxygen moving through your lungs.

What exactly is this free form dance? Free Form Dance includes Ecstatic Dance, Trance Dance, and Spiritual Dance. “Ecstatic Dance,” according to Lisa Sandlos (www.xoe.com/LisaSandlos/writing.htm), “has been practiced by many cultures throughout history, but it has emerged in North America only in the past few decades. My ethnological investigation revealed that, in attempting to leave behind a fast paced, goal oriented, consumerist society, participants of ‘the sweats’ value a more inclusive experience, one of being in the moment. Ecstatic Dance gives people permission to dance their own dance in their own way.”

Lately there has been an increase in venues in the Chicago area offering this sort of free form, alcohol free dance. All of these Chicago Ecstatic-Spiritual and Trance Dances have become multimedia events.

Unity Chicago (www.unitychicago.org) is one of the places that offers a monthly Free Form Spiritual Dance called Eight:18 Circus of the Spirit which occurs on the first Friday of each month. Original live music is provided by Preston Klik. The minister of Unity Chicago, Reverend Ed Townley, fully endorses the Eight:18 events. He says, “The physical expression of Spirit through dance and other forms of music is an essential part of the mystical experience in the world. Unity Chicago’s monthly Eight:18 Friday evenings are a joyful link between ancient traditions and cutting edge raves, giving everyone from infants to seniors a chance to feel and celebrate the creative power of music and movement.” These dances attract anywhere from ninety to two hundred people.

Preston Klik (www.DivaNation.com) is the producer and main musician for these Unity Events. He says, “Unity gave me the inspiration to co-create Heaven on Earth, here, now ... where people share spirit centered energy in a conscious and joyous celebration with real juice. So I gathered talent that “got” the picture: healers, belly dancers, face painters, live classical Indian music, yoga, Tarot readers, performance artists including guided dance facilitators, DJs, and drum circles, etc.; bringing together many people who contribute their talents to this monthly event.”

I met Preston at a Sunday Unity service in April of 2003. At that time, he was performing his original music “Bliss” for the 9:30 and 11:30 services. I asked him if he would contribute his music for an Ecstatic Dance facilitated by Margot Anand, who was scheduled to teach a September weekend workshop called “Celebrating Love and Ecstasy” at the Transitions Learning Center. Margot is an internationally known Skydancing Tantra Teacher (www.margotanand.com) who believes and teaches that we are all naturally Ecstatic Beings, despite our having forgotten this fact.

As things evolved, it was possible to combine Margot’s facilitation with the first Unity Eight:18 monthly event which occurred in September. I also invited Paul Hussenstamm (mandalas.com), an internationally known artist, to simultaneously display his Mandala Paintings in the Unity Chicago Art Gallery.

Since that time, Unity has continued to include a half hour facilitation of guided dance. I have been given the opportunity to facilitate some of these ecstatic spirit guided dance segments. My focus is to guide people in bringing lots of ecstatic energy into their bodies by having fun, breathing, dancing and connecting with each other in safe and sacred ways.

I have been leading my own body-mind-spirit workshops since 1990. I became a Certified Skydancing Tantra Teacher in 1996 through Margot Anand’s program. Since that time, I longed to experience the type of ecstatic dances that are an innate part of the Tantra Communities in California. In these dances, people reconnect with their playful ecstatic natures. Most of us tend to lead sedentary lives where our mental skills are valued more than our physical skills. And most of us don’t have many opportunities to connect with people in playful and joyous dance. In these dances everyone’s participation is welcomed. No one is judged or excluded. It wasn’t so much the Tantra environment that I longed for in Chicago as much as the ability to connect with people in a wholesome and joyful way. To my delight I discovered that there were a number of people pioneering ecstatic and spiritually oriented dances in Chicago.

Travis Robb produces a monthly Trance Zen Dance (www.ztdtribe.com) at Healing Earth Resources and other local Chicago venues. In his passion for these productions he says, “I wanted to create a dance experience that incorporated all the stuff I most love in life — like prayerful conscious dance, inspirational visuals, energy/bodywork, aromatherapy, live drums and vocals, yummy food, safe, healthy environment and of course the best of all worlds, progressive dance trance music.” He believes that “Rhythmic forms of music and drum beat restore balance to the nervous system of the body. Dancing encourages a healthy circulation of energy and relieves stress.” And he further comments that, “Studies show that certain types of drumming and dancing strengthen the body’s immune system.”

There are also several woman visionaries hosting these dances in Chicago. Several years ago a woman named Red Star began facilitating Free Form Dances at the Lake Street Church in Evanston. Later the production of these monthly dances was taken over by Hazel Aura. She titled them “Sanctuary.” She said, “It’s really amazing how it’s just taken off here in Chicago with Sanctuary and Sacred Dance. There’s such a desire by people really seeking to express their spirituality with their bodies and spirits intertwined. I’d love to get the word out to other people who are interested in this expression.” Her web site is: www.shedrums.com. She said that her hosting of these Sanctuary Dances grew out of her monthly drumming circles.

These monthly Sanctuary Dances provide a welcoming informal atmosphere for people who are just interested in dancing and connecting with each other. These dances also have Tarot readers, body workers, and crafts people selling their wares and services. Hazel facilitates a beautiful opening and closing meditation for each dance.

Some of these pioneers of Spiritual and Ecstatic Dance have joined together, naming themselves “Collective HeartThrob,” to host a “Harmonious New Year Eve’s Celebration” (www.spiritdance.org). Their intention is to “increase global en-lightenment through conscious dance and community building as well as inspiring interest in the healing arts and feeling natural heightened states of personal and social being through harmonic vibrations, dance, inspirational visual images, aromatherapy and progressive art.”

Ken Lewis, (along with Preston, Hazel and Travis) is one of the organizers of the Harmonious New Year’s Eve Celebration. He offers the dictionary definition of the word ecstasy: “Ec’sta*sy\ ecstasis. 1. The state of being beside one’s self or rapt out of one’s self; a state in which the mind is elevated above the reach of ordinary impressions, as when under the influence of overpowering emotion; an extraordinary elevation of the spirit, as when the soul, unconscious of sensible objects, is supposed to contemplate heavenly mysteries.” He describes his experience of these dances with the following, “I dance ecstatically to leave my thoughts behind. From the moment that the music catches me, it moves my body. I don’t dance to the music, it dances me! The stance of a dancer is the state of receptivity. One has to step aside to let the dancing happen. Like a light bulb radiates the energy of the electricity, the body radiates the energy of music.” His web site is www.breemawellness.com.

Are you wondering if you are too old or too young for ecstatic energy flowing through you in free form dancing? The answer is that all ages are welcome. The youngest participants are babies and the oldest ones are well into their seventies. It is a good to know that our great city, often referred to as the “Heartland of the Country” is now supporting these community enhancing, joyfully celebratory events. Come join us! These special Celebrations of the Human and Divine Spirit are calling out for your unique contribution and participation.

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Terry Wohl is often described as a Renaissance Woman. She is a spokeswoman and teacher of the metaphysical and alternative healing arts. She has organized many events and workshops for internationally recognized teachers and artists. She teaches Mind-Body-Spirit based workshops in Chicago and around the country, and is one Chicago’s Facilitators of Ecstatic Dance. Her web site is under construction, www.terrywohl.com. She can be reached at terrywohl@aol.com.

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