Manawa Ecstatic Dance

Manawa is a movement of the heart. Our mission is to create safe, intentional spaces where people can explore and express their inner worlds through Ecstatic Dance — right here in Tāmaki Makaurau, on the ancestral lands of Ngāti Whātua, Tainui, and Ngāti Pāoa. At Manawa, Ecstatic Dance is more than just movement — it’s a ritual of release, reconnection, and remembrance. It’s a space to come home to your body, drop into your heart, and move from your soul. There are no steps to follow, no way you “should” dance — just you, your breath, and the beat. Guided by a live DJ weaving a powerful sound journey, the dance floor becomes a sacred container for self-expression, emotional alchemy, and collective energy. When we lead with our manawa (heart), we access a deep wisdom within — one that heals, liberates, and connects. This is a space for everyone — no dance experience needed. Just bring your full self, however you are. To honour the container, we ask that all dancers follow these shared agreements: 🔇 No talking 📵 No phones 🍷 No alcohol 👣 No shoes Please wear comfy clothes and bring a water bottle. Let’s dance ourselves back to wholeness. Let’s dance as medicine. 🕖 Next Wednesday 🎟️ Online: Normal – $27 Concession – $22 (No booking fee) 🎟️ Door sales: Normal – $30 Concession – $25 See you on the dance floor. Manawa At Manawa, we’re on a mission to build a community without judgment or competition. Instead, we want to create an environment filled with love, kindness, and respect towards oneself and others. Our events are all about self expression through ecstatic dance connecting us to ourselves, to be guided by our hearts, we belief that each of us has a unique heartbeat, connecting us through frequency and energy. Together, we can create a space where everyone feels valued and heard, and where the heartbeat of the people is felt in every interaction, and where we arrive at the realisation that we are one with the world and the universe. He manawa o te tangata. The heartbeat of the people. Website: https://www.manawa.one/ Instagram: instagram.com/manawa.one Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manawa.one DJ ĀKŪYĀ "Although new on the scene, Paul Barrett aka DJ ĀKŪYĀ is not only a DJ but also an up-and-coming electronic music producer. Currently based in Auckland, NZ, his high-vibe sets are deep, exotic, and contagiously danceable. Using music as a language, he tells rhythmic stories of mystery, sonic, seduction and beatful bliss. He plays a diverse range of tracks,creatively mixed, which he calls his “House Music Adventures”. Not willing to be limited to mainstream EDM hits expect to hear influences from Oceania, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. With a passion for music, he spends a lot of his free time discovering new releases as well as curating lesser known gems from the past. With a passion for Ecstatic Dance and extensive experience and studies in holistic modalities, his intention is to infuse positive energies and healing frequencies into all of his music and events. Website: https://djakuya.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djakuya/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djakuya SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/djakuya/