"For some people, the word “trance” is frightening. But trance is really nothing more than another word for meditation. Trance and meditation are vehicles to move you to the state of ‘no mind.’ The question is, how do you get to that state? When you meditate, you sit in silence for extended periods of time until the mind empties out and you become an empty vessel. Then your spirit can surface.
Trance is the same way, except the doorway is different. It’s done through catharsis. It’s done through rhythm, sound and movement of the body. What occurs, either in that movement or at the end of that movement, is trance, a very deep meditational state."
– Wilbert Alix, Founder of Trance Dance International
WHAT IS TRANCE DANCE?
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Trance dance is a unique blend of body movement, healing sounds, dynamic percussive rhythms, transformational breathing techniques and innovative use of a blindfold - together stimulating a 'trance' state that promotes spiritual awakenings, mental clarity, physical stamina and emotional well-being.
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Ritual Trance Dance in its contemporary form was founded in 1989 in Houston, Texas, by Frank Natale and Wilbert Alix.
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But trance dance is nothing new.
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For thousands of years people have been spinning, shaking and disappearing into trance states to connect with nature and spirit.
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Blindfolded Ritual Dance offers an opportunity to be free from the limitations of time and space, to detach from everyday perception and access a parallel reality to find new solutions, ideas and visions we normally wouldn’t encounter in our day-to-day lives.
Dancing this way takes courage.
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It takes a certain amount of willingness to step outside our usual way of gathering information.
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Author and psychotherapist Thomas Poplawski says:
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“Dance is an independent rhythm, a movement whose center is outside of the human being.”
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While so much of what we pursue externally doesn’t fulfill us, it is ironic that sometimes we need to step outside of our own being to discover who we are and what our core is made of.
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This is Trance Dance.
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It is from the chaos that the order eventually emerges.
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It is in the darkness that the light is born.
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It is in the “losing” that we find.
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The gift and purpose of the eye covering (bandanna) is to create anonymity.
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There’s that catchy phrase that tells us to “dance like nobody's watching,” yet how many of us really ever dance that way?
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To move in order to bond with spirit, the concept that is behind ritual dance, is a novel concept for many.
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A new level of self-reliance, of trusting oneself without the reflection from outside, is an important aspect in our spiritual evolution and personal healing.
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The resources stored inside each of us run vast and deep.
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We go about our lives seeking solutions from one expert or another, forgetting that a masterpiece has already been created and it dwells within the dark chambers of our own soul.
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I invite you to come move in a new way.
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To use your body in ways you never have.
To become the dance, the one that is being danced.
To give yourself permission to travel.
To be the explorer of your own consciousness.
To leave behind the known path.
To step outside the familiar.
To lose yourself.
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“If you don’t get lost, there’s a chance you may never be found.”
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I am an accredited Trance Dance Facilitator, trained by Wilbert Alix in Portugal (2015).
WHAT ARE THE TRANCE DANCE SESSIONS LIKE?
The entire session lasts about three hours and includes a 30-minute orientation, 90-minute trance dance and a 30-minute stillness/integration that will help you bring you back to the present time before leaving the space.
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Trained facilitators keep everyone safe. It is recommended that you wear comfortable clothing that does not restrict movement. You are encouraged to bring your own blindfold or bandanna but I will make sure I have them in case you need one.
It's your dance. You choose the places you go to and the medicine you bring back with you. It will be different every time you dance. Come as you are. No previous experience necessary.
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“This experience revealed a deep wisdom within me that I hadn’t realized was there. The blindfold brought out a vulnerability that helped me uncover core beliefs that have held me back. Thanks to the safe and loving space, I went deeper than I ever expected, leading to profound self-discovery and liberation.” – Katja
