Bloom, an Alixir Dance Microfestival: 100% of proceeds benefit Lake Merritt Dance

Bloom, an Alixir Dance Microfestival, is a chance for us to come together in community for ecstatic dance, socializing, and celebrating the emergence of spring while we support an incredible nonprofit devoted to dance in Oakland. Adorn yourself in red to invite in energy and passion as we bloom together on this special evening. Doors open at 6:30. Advance Tix: $25; Tix at Door: $40 _______ ABOUT This microfestival is a great opportunity to see your friends, meet new people, and have fun in a safe and sober space! It's going to be a fun night! __________ SCHEDULE Main Ballroom: 7:00-7:30 Alixir Embodiment Class with Donna Carroll 7:30-8:30 Ecstatic Dance with DJ Soleiluna 8:30-9:00 5 Rhythms with Rachel Jordana 9:00-10:00 Ecstatic Dance with DJ Vesica 10:00-10:45 Ecstatic Dance Downtempo with DJ JesseM 10:45-11:00 Closing Ceremony with Donna Carroll Lounge: 7:30-11:00 Eat, drink and chill Ceremonial Room: 7:30-8:30 Cacao Ceremony with Madaly Love In the main ballroom, ecstatic dance and embodiment classes start at 7pm and go until 11PM. The lounge across the hall will be a chill space to relax, socialize, and enjoy food and kombucha (for purchase). Join us in the ceremonial room at 7:30 for a cacao ceremony with Madaly Love. Enjoy a blissful cup of ceremonial cacao as we awaken to our truest and embodied selves. Connect with the energies of the spring equinox as we commune with the sacred spirit of Ix Cacao. We will activate and explore the heart, so that it may open unapologetically and freely. Through gratitude, intention setting, and breathwork -- we will ground into the land and reset the spirit. You will leave feeling lighter, joyful, and more enthusiastic. The cacao will be a wonderful companion for your dance practice too! See you in ceremony! House Kombucha is bringing fresh organic kombucha, juice, kava mocktails, hot chai and shilajeet to the chill out lounge. Sambusas and pita sandwiches will be available from Belladi Kitchen, a new Jack London restaurant featuring Yemeni home style cooking. Www.housekombucha.com Www.belladikitchen.com _____________________________ ABOUT THE DJs & FACILITATORS DJ Soleiluna aka Rachel Jordana: Dr. Rachel Jordana Horodezky, Psy.D is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified 5Rhythms Teacher. In her teaching, she incorporates music and intentional guidance to evoke trance, emotional process and deep healing. She lives in Santa Cruz, California where she has a full-time private practice and two rambunctious little boys. She teaches movement workshops nationally and internationally. DJ Vesica: Vesica joins us from Berlin, where she co-founded Ecstatic Dance Berlin in 2010. A true dancer's DJ, ecstatic dance is her non-negotiable pilgrimage twice a week for over 15 years. Vesica's music is deeply steeped in West Coast Bass and organic world beats. DJ JesseM: Starting as a crate-flipping hip-hop vinyl DJ, JesseM honed his feel for what amongst his confined sonic-toolbox could bring spirits to move. Transitioning to digital, JesseM's taste for melodic house soon sprouted. Recently, JesseM formed De-La House - a renegade dance party for judgement free expression. Through 65+ weekly outdoor events JesseM played fresh tracks arranged to lift spirits and create community. Having tasted a healthy portion of the modern musical buffet, JesseM has formed a unique style that combines melodic detours, grounded thumps and playful levity. A dancer at heart, JesseM is known to sprinkle in a few self-produced tracks to keep the body moving even when the mind thinks it has it all figured out. Alixir Embodiment: Donna Carroll is founder and CEO of ALIXIR DANCE - when bodies, minds and spirits gather in a fun, community-minded dance experience. ALIXIR DANCE recently changed its name from Ecstatic Dance International, which she founded in 2008. Donna has a B.A. in Fashion Design from Kent State University and spent seven years working for Target, Talbots, Lane Bryant and May Company. She’s also holds Kundalini Yoga, AcroYoga, and Trauma-Sensitive HeartMath certifications. She's designed and produced thousands of dance events across the USA, Mexico, Central America and Europe. She has also produced conscious concerts for stars including Porangui and Ayla Nereo. Donna's events have been featured on NPR, Huffington Post, SF Chronicle, The NY Times and Common Ground Magazine. Cacao Ceremony with Madaly Love: Madaly Love (they/she) is a curanderx, entheogenic guide, addiction recovery coach, quantum energy healer, community leader, ancestral alchemist, environmental justice advocate, and all around chingonx! They are a humble student of the land and a lover of all things sacred. Madaly's mission is to support you to open your heart to the universe, tap into your intuitive gifts, and heal across generations and timelines. They are committed to trauma-informed facilitation and believe that you are your own best healer. Madaly's ancestors are of the Chichimec, Nahua-Otomi, & Purepecha people. Madaly is on a deep journey of self-love through decolonization work. ________________ IMPORTANT INFO *Masks are optional. If you'd like to volunteer to support this cause, please contact [email protected]. Wear something RED to invite energy and passion into your life and our community! _____________________________ WHY WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT Lake Merritt Dance needs to raise $30,000 in 2023 to continue operations and keep our dance programs going. Before COVID, our dance communities were at risk of not being able to continue our dances at Lake Merritt. A group of dedicated leaders got together to form a new nonprofit - Lake Merritt Dance - which became the master renter with the city of Oakland. We worked hard and were off to a great start. Then COVID hit. We reopened in August and we are, once again, in start-up mode. We need your support now as we restart, and we will continue to need your support. Our business model relies on rent from the dance programs as well as donations from our dance communities. Please support us. Lake Merritt Dance is made up of many individual dance communities. If everyone gives what they can, we will continue to be able to sustain the dance programs. Please give generously. Every little bit helps and we would love everyone’s support. If you are in a position to be a Host Sponsor or Legacy Donor, we would be especially grateful. ________________________________ ABOUT OUR NONPROFIT AND YOUR DONATION Lake Merritt Dance Organizers Foundation, Inc (aka Lake Merritt Dance) is a registered California nonprofit. We have applied for 501(c)(3) status with the IRS and are awaiting a determination. If you have questions about our tax exempt status or the tax-deductablity of your donation, please contact [email protected]. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Value of services delivered is $25, the price of general admission. The amount of donations above $25 are tax deductible.