How do you DJ a potent Ecstatic Dance journey?

When we first started developing Ecstatic Dance with Max at Kalani Honua back in the fall of 2001 it was exactly the style of music we always wanted to play. Anything goes. Your mind is the limit. Let it flow and let it rip!!! This was the recipe to create true dance floor magic and there was nothing like it. Since then we've created hundreds of journeys and shared our ideas and experiences with other DJs and facilitators world-wide.

Musically, Ecstatic Dance can be very diverse. It requires that the DJ be able to weave together a wide range of styles and tempos. The objective is not to cover specific styles of music but rather to pick pieces of music that evoke a full range of emotions. The DJ has an incredible opportunity to curate the emotional arc of a journey with a range of musical styles and vibrations. Typically this will include hard-hitting tracks that can be very tribal but also soft pieces of music and even instrumentals that create space to recover, reflect and go inward. It's this wide dynamic range which produces the experience of ecstasy and catharsis.

Roughly speaking, a good Ecstatic Dance will often present one or several peaks or waves of emotion that can be experienced as a "death and re-birth" cycle. The music starts at a low volume, energy and tempo range as people wake up their bodies. As the tempo and energy increases, there is usually an ecstatic moment of catharsis, with the group peaking in energy and movement together. After that high point, the energy subsides back down to a resting place that becomes focused more inward.

What are the elements of a well crafted Ecstatic Dance journey?

Arrival: gentle. awakening. graceful. flowy. innocent. stirring.

Arrival tracks welcome the community to the space and the dance floor. They help the dancers feel present, safe, and grounded. Arrival tracks set the container and create a space to warm up the body and become comfortable in the space. The tracks often begin as ambient and move into the downtempo realm.

Buildup: driving. insistent. throbbing. thrusting. playful. intensifying. rising.

Buildup tracks get the energy moving. The beats are driving and percussive. They help the dancers develop dynamic tension. (Typically, they are mid-tempo.) This stage is when we are starting to build up a sweat and get moving.

Peak: wild. surging. chaotic. orgasmic. soaring.

Peak tracks are for catharsis and climax. The beats are assertive, and the bass drops are powerful. (Typically they are high tempo.) Now the dancer has begun to lose themselves in the dance and surrender to the process.

Cruise: steady. deep. unwavering.

Cruise tracks are played between peaks, giving the dancers a chance to get recharged. They are the antidote for beat fatigue. They aren't moving the energy up or down. (They are typically high tempo with temperate beats.)

Landing: airy. lyrical. angelic. nostalgic. flitting.

These tracks carry the dancers down from the final peak into the heart. This is a period where the body can play freely with a range of style of music – having spent a lot of energy and become very comfortable in a space of movement.

Integration: peaceful. still. drifting. fulfilled.

Integration tracks are played at the end of the journey to hold the "being-ness" and gently bring us back to the hear and now. They differ from Arrival tracks in that they feel more emotional, reflective, and resolving. They are chill and ambient.

***

Don't limit yourself to the musical genres you're familiar with and open yourself up to a universe of music. Here's a handful of fun styles we like to sprinkle into our sets to get you started. Please add any styles I omitted. Whatever you do - remember to open your heart - free your mind - be creative - feel the love and have a blast.

Ambient
Downtempo
Midtempo
Psy-Chill
Salsa
Rai
Cuban
Latin
Tango
Tribal
African
Middle Eastern
Cumbia
Reggae
Reggaeton
Dancehall
Samba
R&B
Rock
Funk
Disco
Latin House
Funky House
Electro House
Hard House
Deep House
Acid House
Tribal House
Hip House
Tech House
Zydeco
Drumfunk
Neurofunk
Ragga jungle
Progressive Breaks
Drum & Bass
Booty Bass
Goa Trance
Hard Trance
Hardstyle
Minimal Techno
Gabber Techno
Breakcore
Broken Beats
Trip hop
Folktronica
Electro Swing
Slack
Glitch
Speed Garage
Breakstep
2-step
Bassline
Grime
UK funky
Future Garage
Dubstep
Trap
Gospel
Jazz
Orchestral
Classical
Choral
Piano