Earthshake Ecstatic Dance - 4-Year Anniversary - August 1st 2025

Thank you to everyone who has made Earthshake such a lively, thriving space for FOUR EXCELLENT YEARS. This August, we are celebrating our 4-year anniversary of hosting ecstatic dance every First Friday at Studio 444 in Northampton MA. The first 'Earthshake' began without a formal name on August 13th 2021. We revived the dance space after a long hiatus during the pandemic, picking up the torch that Pollinate had heroically carried for 10 long years. Our first dance had a mere 15-20 guests, but we had exactly the kind of FUN that we needed, and have continued to invest in the container ever since. Today, Earthshake is a thriving temple for the human spirit. We don't just laugh and play, we open a container where our deep down, indomitable, loving, passionate human nature is welcomed and honored, in a world that otherwise seeks to numb our wild hearts. Not here! Here the ancient art of dance lives on. Before language, there was DANCE. The original means of moving emotion. The original celebration that builds lifelong bonds. Dance strengthens community. It cultivates culture. It provides a ritual where we can shed, and, where we can evolve. Hundreds of dancers continue to discover confidence, renewed joy, boundless self expression, and tender care for oneself and others through ecstatic dance. Here, we discover our blocks, our barriers, and seek not to numb them nor flee them, but to lean in, face them, and lovingly find a way through our own shells on the dance floor. This work permeates all aspects of life. Join us as we celebrate four years of somatic prayer, and celebrate the dawn of our FIFTH YEAR. This is a new chapter. We invite dancers who have been moving with us for decades, and those who are curious or new to the scene. All parts of you are welcomed on the dance floor. The only rule is RESPECT and CONSENT: RESPECT for the dance temple (no shoes. no alcohol. no drugs. no chit chat on the dance floor). RESPECT for oneself, and one another (give each person their physical and psychic space unless given a clear 'yes' to engage more closely) As long as you are listening to the music, listening to your body, listening to your heart, and listening to the bodies and hearts around you... you are doing it right :) If you are new, please arrive at 8:00pm for a gentle briefing on the conduct that keeps this event so wholesome and rewarding. As this is the beginning of a new year for Earthshake, we are inviting more community members into the production. Please contact Andrew if you are inspired to lend your hands and talents to the event. We have several work-trade roles available in exchange for free admission, including set-up, breakdown, and 3 key door shifts. :) If finances are a barrier, and if work-trade is not an option for you, please do not hesitate to send a note. We want to make sure that those who want to be here, are here. If you feel that you can contribute MORE than our standard $20 suggested donation, your extra contributions help us to continue to invest in improved lights, sound gear, decorations, and other treats to keep this thing growing and flourishing. Thank you for reading to the end. Have a blessed week, and we will see you on the dance floor soon. <3