What is Ecstatic Dance?
- Aliza Rivka
- Aug 28
- 5 min read
Ecstatic Dance is a liberation practice. A sacred, somatic remembering. A radical homecoming to your body, your emotions, your essence.
The English word ecstasy (and ecstatic) derives from Greek ek-stasis (ἐκ + ἵστημι), literally meaning “to stand outside oneself” or “to be displaced from one’s normal state.”
Through movement as meditation, we transcend the confines of the thinking mind and the limiting beliefs that tether us to the ordinary.
About the Practice
At its core, Ecstatic Dance is a freeform movement journey. There are no steps to follow. No mirrors. No judgments. Just music, breath, and your body’s natural intelligence guiding the way.
This approach to movement blends the ancient and the modern: rooted in communal healing dance traditions, Ecstatic Dance has evolved into a conscious, ceremonial practice of presence. Think of it as meditation in motion, therapy through rhythm, aliveness embodied.
Because Ecstatic Dance is improvisational, there’s no need for training or technique. All that’s required is your willingness to show up, open, and move as you are.
The Roots of Ecstatic Dance
Movement as a shamanic healing practice has existed for thousands of years. From Sufi whirling dervishes to African trance rituals to Indigenous ceremonial dances, cultures across the globe have long used movement to commune with spirit, process emotion, and restore harmony.
The modern Ecstatic Dance movement was catalyzed in the 2000s by pioneers like Gabrielle Roth (5Rhythms), Shiva Rea, and the early conscious dance collectives in California and Hawaii. Today, it’s a global phenomenon—and still growing. As more people discover the profound power of this practice to shift consciousness and elevate collective wellbeing, Ecstatic Dance is emerging as both a personal healing art and a movement with the potential to transform our world.
Dancestors
At Mariposa Movement, one of our core values is honoring the shoulders on which we stand.
We bow in reverence to our modern movement lineages and the visionaries who birthed them — the pioneers we affectionately call our Dancestors — those who carried the flame of this ancient practice into its modern revival.
Some of our Dancestors include Gabrielle Roth (founder of 5Rhythms), Emilie Conrad (creator of Continuum), Janet Adler (steward of Authentic Movement), and Anna Halprin (legendary movement artist and pioneer). And there are many more whose footsteps continue to guide us.
Our founder, Aliza Rivka, is a certified Dance/Movement Therapist who has had the privilege of learning directly from some of these greats. From meeting Gabrielle Roth in NYC in 2010, just before her passing, to attending Emilie Conrad’s final retreat at Kripalu, to studying in California with Anna Halprin — Aliza has been deeply blessed to receive embodied transmissions from these elders.
What to Expect at an Ecstatic Dance Session
Walking into an Ecstatic Dance space for the first time can feel unfamiliar. That’s okay.
Here’s what usually happens:
A gentle arrival space: stretching, breathing, grounding.
An opening intention or invocation.
A musical wave: slow rise, peak, integration.
People dancing solo, in pairs, in groups—intuitively.
A closing circle or stillness to seal the journey.
Expect sweat. Expect tears. Expect laughter. Expect to be surprised by what your body knows that your mind forgot.
Core Principles of Ecstatic Dance
These common guidelines create a safe and sacred container for authentic expression, emotional release, and deep healing:
No talking on the dance floor — the language is movement.
No shoes — feel the earth and let your body ground.
No judgment — all expressions are welcome.
No alcohol or substances — come as you are.
Respect yourself and others — move from integrity.
Why People are Drawn to Ecstatic Dance
In a world obsessed with relentless productivity and ever-accelerating technology, movement becomes the antidote.
Modern life urges us to move quickly, efficiently, and in straight lines. Get it done. Go, go, go.
Ecstatic Dance invites the opposite: open, playful, improvisational movement born of childlike curiosity. It offers deep relief—not only for bodies that spend hours hunched at screens, but for minds and hearts that long to exhale, to soften, to create space for the soul to speak.
Movement reminds us that we are mammals, not machines. It reconnects us with our humanity.
We dance to:
Release stress, anxiety, and emotional tension
Reconnect with our bodies and breath
Unlock creativity, intuition, and insight
Feel the full spectrum—joy, grief, rage, bliss
Come alive, awake, and real again
The Science Behind the Magic
Ecstatic Dance is both mystical and medicinal — and more and more research is beginning to back the magic.
Freeform dance has been shown to:
Reduce cortisol and symptoms of depression
Improve vagal tone and nervous system resilience
Enhance brain connectivity (left + right hemisphere)
Support trauma release through somatic integration
This is the realm of embodied transformation. When you move with presence, your body becomes a vessel for emotional healing, energetic alignment, and deep restoration.
Why Costa Rica is the Perfect Place to Dance Ecstatically
At Mariposa Movement, our dance-based retreats are opportunities to immerse in the beauty, wisdom and magic of nature. In Costa Rica, nature isn’t just the backdrop — it’s a co-facilitator: a living, breathing presence in the dance.
In a world dominated by screens and algorithms, immersing in nature is a radical act of reclamation and rewilding. Here, it’s easier to feel your organic rhythms as you come into deeper resonance with nature. And it’s easier to hear that still, small soul voice beneath all the noise.
In Costa Rica, we come alive again dancing amidst so much natural beauty. We sweat our prayers and swim in sacred rivers that wash away the static of modern life. The hum of the cicadas becomes our soundscape, and the rhythm of the land here calls us back to an untamed, primal pulse that has always lived in our bones.
Ecstatic Dance in Costa Rica is a full-body remembrance of our place in the greater web of life, and an invitation to dance as nature dances: free, unapologetic, and alive.
Explore our upcoming retreat: 2026 Costa Rica Resonance Retreat
How to Start Your Own Ecstatic Dance Practice
You don’t need a DJ. You don’t need a crowd. All you need is:
A clear space to move
A playlist
An intention (e.g., release, celebration, inquiry)
A willingness to be present
Start now with 20 minutes. Let your body lead. No agenda. Just explore.
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FAQ's About Ecstatic Dance
Is Ecstatic Dance for beginners?
Yes! You don’t need any experience—just curiosity and an open heart.
Do I have to dance with others?
Only if it feels right. Consent and boundaries are always honored.
What music is played?
Multi-genre: tribal beats, electronic, ambient, acoustic, world fusion.
Is this spiritual or religious?
It’s spiritual in the sense that it honors the sacred within you. But there’s no dogma.
Ready to Dance with Us?
This is about remembering who you are—through breath, beat and embodied truth.
It’s also wildly fun and feels so good. ;)
Join us for an Ecstatic Dance experience that will awaken your body, free your mind and transform how you move through life.
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