Ecstatic Dance Transitions

June 2nd, 2011 

Dearest Community,



Thank you for your love and support these last three years,

and for being such an integral part in the creation

of one of the most beloved conscious dances on the planet!

 

Ecstatic Dance has recently undergone an exciting new evolution,

which we'd like to share with you below.



 


It's been a fantastic, wild ride these past 3 years co-creating Northern California's largest weekly freeform dance. There have been many successes to celebrate including a good amount of learning and healing. It has been a joy and a pleasure serving the dance and the community. And, as the one constant in life (change!) takes hold, there is a change happening with Ecstatic Dance I'd like to share. For several reasons, Tyler and I have chosen to go our separate ways. He will continue to produce Wednesday nights, which will remain under the name of Ecstatic Dance. I will continue to hold space on Sunday mornings, which will now be called Mass Transit. While I imagine this change might feel unsettling, I can assure you my clear mission is to serve the dance and the community in the best way I know how. It has been the highest honor to do what I do, which I do not take lightly, and need to ask for some trust in this transition. I ask you to trust that I am listening deeply to the needs of the community, your needs, and to the greater voice which is connecting us all. Both the Wednesday and Sunday dances will always be grounded in the same community, but this separation will give them each a chance to thrive and evolve in their own beautiful way. I'm guessing you have some questions, which Tyler and I will answer together below. I am profoundly grateful for the continued opportunity to serve the community and the dance, and hold this calling as sacred.
With Love,
Donna Carroll


I have massive gratitude for the support, vision, love, and bravery of Donna Carroll. Together we manifested the progressive and conscious dance we had dreamed of in the Bay Area since experiencing the magic of dancing on the Big Island.
It wasn't easy, but it was Divine. When we found Sweet's Ballroom, spontaneously signing a 3 month contract, without a business plan, or any experience, but with a simple and enthusiastic Vision... we were both living in our vehicles on the streets of the East Bay. Donna in her Volkswagon Eurovan, and me in my Ford Ranger cab-over Camper. We paid rent to the Ballroom, for the Dance, for the Community, and about six months later, when the dance was finally supporting itself, then were we able to rent houses for ourselves. We have been a powerful and unique team together, under extreme circumstances, and are now ready for the evolution of the mission, as our visions weave similar yet distinct new patterns. These dances are a source of healing and transformation for myself, and a way to connect with our community of embodied lovers of music and dance. Thank you for riding with us together, for dancing the magic of connection, with yourselves, and with others, as one beautiful dream.
I am honored to be holding space with you.
In Spirit,
Tyler Blank


What is the mission of each dance?
Donna: Mass Transit is a thriving community where people of all walks of life gather to celebrate life, to heal, and to connect through music and movement.

Tyler:  Ecstatic Dance creates a safe and sacred space for movement, music, and community; Exploring the dance of beingness together.


Why does the Sunday dance have a new name?
Donna: First and foremost, it is for logistical reasons - licenses, bookkeeping, taxes, etc. Secondly, I want the name of the dance to reflect the urban environment where we gather. Finally, you may have noticed already that the Wednesday and Sunday dances have a different feel and flavor-- through the lighting, music, ambiance-- the separate names are intended to reflect these differences.


Why did you pick the name Mass Transit?

Mass: pertaining to, involving, or affecting a large number of people

Transit: the act of passing across or through

Mass Transit: the transformation of community through freeform dance



Do "mommy and daddy" hate each other?
Donna: Tyler and I have been through so much together - from meeting in Yosemite on an AcroYoga retreat four years ago, to falling in love, to creating the dance together, to falling out of love, to going to therapy to heal the wounds of love, to becoming best friends and partners, to falling out of friendship, to going to therapy to heal our own personal wounds which the other has shown us, to celebrating our healing, to settling into a deep respect for one another and, finally, coming to the simple realization that Tyler + Donna does not equal the most productive business partnership. Tyler has been, and continues to be, my best sounding board and creative partner in the dance. We will continue to produce some events together, like the free outside dances.

Tyler:  "Of course not, Honey... We love each other very much, we just need a little time-out for a while, ok Sweetie?"  With this freedom, we are already better friends than we have been in years. We are much happier with this new relationship, personally and professionally, and feel that you too, as the Ecstatic Dance / Mass Transit community, will also benefit from these changes. We look forward to serving our community with renewed energy and enthusiasm.


How is the dance space held as sacred?
Donna: The sacred space of Mass Transit is held through the following agreements:

I agree to respect the space, including my own and others' personal space.

I agree to not talk on the dance floor.

I agree to come as I am and allow others to be as they are.


Tyler:  Everyone is responsible for showing up as a conscious being, and all comes with being a Manifestation of the Light. We are each responsible for our own actions, and the beliefs and intentions they are born from. By arriving here, we agree to hold this space safe and sacred, as a transformational temple, to explore the possibilities of Beingness together.


Other than the name, what else is changing?
Donna: On Sundays, there will now be a team of ambassadors to the dance, who have taken the sacred agreements, and, among other things, are there to help hold a safe space and welcome new people, in order to create more freedom, play, and transformation.

Tyler: Wednesday Night Ecstatic Dance will continue to be a source for progressive dance music, in an atmosphere conducive to full spectrum well being. This dance supports playful reverence of our inner landscapes, and external relationships, at the confluence of time and space, where spirit, energy, matter, vibration, emotion come to play, pray, dance, and celebrate together. Please enjoy your Transformation...!
Ecstatic Dance LIVE will continue on a monthly basis. We believe in the power of Live music, music made this very moment, with musicians and instruments, just as we once did as in ancient tribal times. We are committed to providing a sacred space for movement and music, where community may gather, to celebrate living and dancing to these vibrations together.


Can I still call Sunday Ecstatic Dance?
Donna: I understand it may take some dancers time to make the name switch. I prefer you start using the name Mass Transit as soon as it's comfortable, but won't get upset if people still call it Ecstatic Dance for a while. What matters to me is that you understand that the magic happens through both the freedom and safety on the dance floor.


How do I find the DJ schedule and other information?
Donna: masstransitdance.com (Website will be up and running beginning this Saturday)
Tyler: EcstaticDance.org

 

 

How do passes work?
The legacy Sunday/Wednesday passes are still honored and valid for any dance. Current passes will be valid for either Sunday morning or Wednesday evening, separately, and are not good for both dances. Annual passes are honored until they expire, and will not be renewed. Scholarships will continue as before, with 3 scholarships awarded to 3 dancers for 3 months.


What if I have more questions, suggestions or comments?
Donna: I can be reached at masstransitdance@gmail.com, or in person. You can also speak with any of the dance ambassadors, who will be wearing yellow bandannas.

Tyler:  Ecstatic Dance and myself are best reached at EcstaticDance.org@gmail.com


 

Thank you for your support during this transition.

 

Please help us celebrate the evolution of dance

this Saturday June 4th from Noon - 5pm

for the 3 Year Anniversary of Ecstatic Dance East Bay.

 

 

Dance is free, donations are welcome.

 

Outside at Lake Merritt (if sunny)  

Sweet's Ballroom (if raining)

 

 

More details at:

EcstaticDance.org/outside 

 

We hope to find you dancing!

 

Sincerely,

 


Donna Carroll & Tyler Blank