Dance Lab 121: Forest & Ocean Spirit - Dancing to Live Music

Come Dance to Live Music with Kaeshi Chai + a live instrumentalist! For this week's Dance Lab, Kaeshi Chai returns to lead a class where we will pay homage to our collective home, planet earth, and embody the spirit of forests and the ocean with guided movement exercises. Our ears will be tuned into the intricate nuances of melody and rhythm, helping us to express our unique dances and improvise with freedom and confidence in a safe space. She will be joined by musician, Mal Stein. The end of this class will flow right into an Ecstatic Dance DJ set with DJ Illexxandra, ending with a sound meditation + closing circle with Julia Izabela. Space is limited, so we suggest getting your tickets in advance. . Dance Lab is a weekly class presented by Ecstatic Dance NYC with the intention of creating a consistent space for us to gather as a community to Dance. It will be lighter version of the monthly Ecstatic Dances; fewer people, a more intimate space and some facilitation to experiment with different ways of expressing ourselves using sound and movement. Each class will have a warm-up class, where we will invite in different teachers from various forms of Dance, movement, singing and other modalities for us to explore and experiment with. From there, we will transition into an Ecstatic Dance with a DJ where we will integrate what we learned during the class into the Dance itself. . About Kaeshi Chai: Kaeshi is a NYC-based performer, theatrical director, teacher trainer, and award winning designer. She co-founded the professional dance company and school, Bellyqueen, and PURE (Public Urban Ritual Experiment), a global community focused on healing and social change through dance and music. Kaeshi has extensive training in contemporary dance, physical theatre and Silk Road dances spanning the Middle East to China. She has taught or performed in 47 states and 38 countries. She is an alumni member of the Bellydance Superstars, Jillina’s Bellydance Evolution and Kenji William’s Bella Gaia and curates the Djam NYC event for dancers and musicians to create and play together. Current projects include Ocean Stories, a performance integrating art and science to create more environmental awareness, and Creative Labs in which participants conceptualize, choreograph and mount full-length theatrical dance shows in 3-4 days. www.kaeshi.com www.pureglobe.org www.bellyqueen.com Mal Stein is a full-time percussionist living in NYC. He is involved in all types of music from blues and funk to jazz and Middle Eastern. He plays music for the Joffrey Ballet, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Paul Taylor company and belly dancers. He is currently playing with the Mikel Paris Trio, Mad Juana, Epiphany Project, Taksim and Transition. . What to Bring: 1. Loose-fitting clothes that let you move your body and free yourself 2. Water and a water bottle. You can refill it at the venue. Tickets: $20 for a single class, and are non-refundable and non-transferable. See you all there!