Ecstatic Dance Sanctuary
While our Carrboro studio space, The Flowjo, lies empty, our community is still meeting for dances, rituals and community circles outside and by Zoom. Please check our upcoming events for more information.
We'll be finalizing our weekly services week-by-week depending upon weather. Open-air dances will not be streamed by Zoom.
Upcoming Dances:
January 10 by zoom
January 17, in-person. Message us for details.
Zoom LINK for all virtual dances
Password: ecstatic
These weekly services are by donation (suggested $10-20 for Friends & guests). They are Sustainer-supported through one-time or monthly recurring donations.
Sustainers attend at no cost and receive discounts to other HS services.
We welcome all bodies, all skin tones, all nationalities, all religious affiliations, all sexual orientations, all gender expressions and all levels of ability. Despite being a mostly white community, we stand with Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Queer and Trans folks. We've just moved to this location and are having the dances in an open meadow. We do not have a ramp for easeful wheelchair access (yet) but hope to make our space and events even more easily accessible in the future. We are doing our best to create inclusive space and welcome your feedback.
For nearly a decade, we've been gathering twice a week to co-create space where people can move, express, play and heal within the container of community. We consider dance a sacred practice. and strive to support participants in finding a felt sense of home in their bodies and within community.
Each dance set is 60-75 minutes and musically follows a 5Rhythms-inspired wave, moving gradually from slow/down-tempo and up to a peak, then slowly coming back down to stillness. There is no verbal guidance, just a brief invitation at the opening circle followed by time for free-form, improvised expression. While this is at its essence a solo dance practice, people also dance together (well, did pre-COVID). You can always choose what is most comfortable for your body in the moment. There is a brief opening and a longer closing circle. The optional closing circle provides an opportunity for a brief share about your experience and be witnessed in community.
Our dances were happening in the heart of downtown Carrboro. The Flowjo has a 1200 sq ft sprung dance floor and began hosting Ecstatic Dance in March of 2011. Our dances usually have 25-40 people, making them fairly intimate.
We are proud to have launched the first Ecstatic Dance in the Triangle in March of 2011. Our uniquely Flowjo dances have created a powerful web of connections, trust and support. Julia Hartsell is the founder of The Flowjo and the primary curator of this event. Music weaving and facilitation rotates through long-time community members.