Goa Ecstatic Dance Festival

Arun Ji has 10 years of experience as a conscious dance DJ, trained in emotional awareness and tantra with Astiko Lopez and is passionate for Gabrielle Roth’s teachings of the 5 Rhythms. Arun offers a wide spectrum of rhythms and melodies, with a range of sensations and emotions, creating a space of connection and exploration. In his musical journeys  meditation and celebration melt together in the dance. www.mixcloud.com/arunecstatic http://www.ecstaticdance.es

Baptiste Sejourne is a lifelong musician playing the guitar, drums, violin and cello. Over the past 10 years, he’s been dedicated to the electric cello, developing a specialised technique for building loops with special effects. Baptiste has performed in festivals around the world including the Contact Improvisation Festival and Bali Spirit Fest. Embodying music in all forms, he’s also a dancer, teaching contact improvisation and organising dance events. Most of his music is played from improvisation for Ecstatic dance and is a mix between electronic, ambient, world and classical. His music evokes a sense of serenity and presence. Baptiste is available to play electronic cello and DJ at Ecstatic dance events.

Ben is a songwriter, producer, and also known as the frontman of the Berlin based band Ohrbooten. On his musical path he developed a deep passion for bass music and in his DJ-Sets, he is defiantly paying homage to the beloved bass frequency . The half Greek half German grew up in west berlin and the city has always fed him with an eclectic mix of urban ,world, and electronic music. The essence of all his genre is a super danceable mix of global bass music. For the last 3 years Ben has dedicated his passion for music and DJing to ECSTATIC DANCE and recently just started Ecstatic Dance Potsdam as resident DJ. He loves to create a wave with different emotional islands and will always serve a mixture of classics tracks and underground music soaked in a great bass-shower. ° soundcloud.com/ben-pavlidis ° kreismusik.de/de/pavlidis/ ° www.diegaeng.de

Vinyasa Dance – Yoga Dance Fusion Vinyasa Dance is a daily body and mind practice created by Brigitte Breternitz. It is an infinite liquid fusion of Yoga and Dance, a constant movement of body, mind and soul. Practitioners are going deeper, wider and higher in their movements. They are using body and mind sensual to step forward, closer to their dancing souls. They are using music like a heartbeat and leaded by their heart beat’s rhythm at the same time. Partitioners are playing with rhythms, atmospheres and harmonies, breathing the movements deeply and in devotion. The Dance is fluid, sensitive, real, diverse, true and timeless. Its movements are of authentic quality, coming from within. There is no right or wrong and no judgement whatsoever. It is about how movements fell, not about how they look. It is pure expression. Vinyasa Dance is breathing every move- unique for every body and soul. The Yoga puts consciousness first. It is using love and every move. says no to judging yourself or others. It is searching for the lightest yet grounded move. using the body to explore the bigger picture. It is using the body’s chakras and energy channels while moving in harmony with the music and the breath.

Afro Flow - a mixture of African rhythms, movement forms and Somatics. Camille Barton is a movement artist who works with ritual, improvisation and Somatics to weave new realities inspired by the African diaspora. Camille’s fusion style has developed from extensive training in Ballet, Hip Hop, Salsa, Belly Dance, Axis Syllabus, Afro Brazilian and West African Dance. In 2018 Camille directed and danced in ‘Space is the Place’, a three minute Afro-futurist sci-fi film produced by Channel 4 Random Acts. Camille is currently delivering a workshop series called Embodied Movement for Social Change fusing somatics and dance to explore how trauma is rooted in the body and how it can be healed with movement and mindfulness.

Esta Polyesta from Amsterdam is one of the most prominent DJs in Global Beats and World Music and one of the most international Ecstatic Dance DJ and Ceremony Leaders from the Netherlands. Polyesta discovered the magic of music at an early age, but when she discovered the magic of dance, the desire of becoming a DJ was born. In 2005 she started organising dance meditations and DJ-ing at parties from a desire to let other people experience the beauty of music and the power of movement. Esta, a dancer, a traveller and seeker loves to combine ethnic and ritualistic music with electronic beats. Dance is her passion. She took many advanced workshops in 5 Rhythms and other conscious dance practises and completed a training to be a Trance Dance facilitator. From early in the development of Ecstatic Dance in The Netherlands she has been DJ-ing at sessions and facilitating ceremonies. Dance has taken her around the world. Esta gave Ecstatic Dances, workshops and Dance Liberation trainings in Sweden, India, Romania, Israel, Germany and Russia.

Alive, expressive and creative, Irene holds the space in a clear and welcoming way, looking at people with empathy and curiosity. «The 5Rhythms changed my life and now they are my practice, my medicine, my language and my metaphor. Dancing brings me here and now, it helps me to re-connect with my body, heart and spirit, to relate to others with love and to deeply trust in the divine. I believe it’s much needed to go back to our bodies and I love movement for its potential power to help us reconnect, release and heal. I love to share this simple yet profound and vast practice, and feel thrilled and very grateful to be making my own contribution to spreading it and to keep on building up this worldwide loving tribe.»

Somatic Explorations into Contact Improvisation In this workshop we will use somatic explorations inspired from Body-Mind-Centering in order to investigate and understand our Contact Impro practice on a deeper level. In my experience especially enrichening for the dance form is the exploration and embodiment of the developmental movement patterns described by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. Remembering different steps of our own movement development from the moment of conception to the complexity of the unique human walking pattern can nourish, enrich and inspire our solo movement as well as our Contact Impro dances. Drawing inspirations and images from the animal kingdom where we can find similar movement organisations in water-living and/or land-living creatures supports moving from our inner wisdom and our inherent need and desire for movement and touch. Rediscovering the joy and journey how we first started to move in a pleasurable and efficient way – rediscovering ourselves, others and the environment through movement and touch shall be the main focus of the classes. Finding the breathing of the cells, our inner starfish and our soft spine using those somatisations as a point of departure for Contact Improvisation. There is always the option to explore your body in solo movements – no Contact duty at all! All levels welcome.

My story with music starts with african drum s when i was travelling in west africa. After sometime my hands started to hurt !!! So i started playing guitar to learn old french songs. Then, one day, i met an angel in the south of france who introduced me to mantra (sacred songs) singing and a few months later i joined the rainbow family at a gathering. The rainbow and mantra songs are a simple way to connect people on a very deep level. I feel a lot of joy and unity to share the music Everywhere i go, So come and join us in Portugal! During the summer months i travel around Europe with other musicians in a band we call jedapama. We are a rap, reggae, french fusion band playing more than 100 live shows in Europe. Please check out our website for future events. www.jedapama.fr

Nicole is a dance artist living, learning, and teaching nomadically. She studied contemporary dance and psychology at Concordia University and has spent the last five years working on various projects developing dance and education programs for people with special needs. Her current movement research involves an intermingling of elements from contemporary dance, acrobatics, contact improvisation, axis syllabus and capoeira.

Wataflow/ After a traumatic encounter with the sea at the age of 2, he decided that water was his path and music and dance his passion. One day while traveling IN Mexico he bumped into two water masters and spent several months learning about massage, dance and meditation in the sea. He created Wataflow in 2014 and has already shared this amazing water work in many events, retreats and festivals not only in Ibiza were he is based and runs the Water Temple, but also in festivals and gatherings all Over Europe, America, Asia and africa. Wataflow is a way of awakening the water inside our body, letting go of the mind, releasing tension and flowing in a dance of no gravity and no time, back to our original relaxed state and our essence.

Pascal de Lacaze from Berlin plays music at events around the globe. His focus on rhythm and dance has made him friends in many communities: Dancers dig how his innovative DJ style connects with his energetic, modern drumming. Musicians & audiences appreciate his steady, rocking world percussion and transcendental grooves. Since 2010 Pascal organizes Ecstatic Dances in Berlin. He is the resident DJ, accompanies his DJ sets with live percussion and cocreates live dance journeys. In workshops and at festivals Pascal facilitates Body Bhajan – a fun and easy combination of chanting and body percussion. He has been on a long musical journey, spanning from drumming on techno raves in the 90ies to being a drum-set player in a Jazz Big Band, conga drummer at club partys and percussionist for acclaimed Sacred music artists like Dave Stringer, Janin Devi, Kevin James Carroll, Lulu & Mischka, Peia. Pascal holds a Master of Arts degree in Cultural Sciences and has worked as a copywriter, editor and social media manager. He is a certified Yoga & AcroYoga teacher and has a deep understanding of how to support nourishing group experiences. www.pascaldelacaze.life .

After first traveling in India, Tikki Masala was inspired by the deep flavors of authentic Indian classical music. He blends together sounds of Indian classical instruments like Sitar, Tabla, Santoor, Sarod, Flute, Tanpura, Harmonium and Vocals… with beats, synthesizers, drums and percussion. Recordings made across India from Bhajans, Kirtans, Mantras, street musicians, fellow travelers, jam sessions, concerts, nature and temple sounds are mixed together with psychedelic hypnotic electronic sounds, rhythms and bass lines. After some time the music evolved to world Beat, tribal, ethnic fusion, dance music with influences from all over the world. The interest in dance became more present, he discovered Ecstatic dance and other forms of dance and found that dancing was so beneficial for the personal, emotional, physical and spiritual development, opening up and discovering the freedom and authenticity. He started to pick dj’ing again and playing a lot of hes creations at ecstatic dance events. There was a call to start organising, holding space and play at ecstatic dance events in India, thailand and Europe. And share with others, what was for him such a beautiful exploration and growing in the being.

is an artist who positions his artistic work in the context of society. He develops and realize successfully concepts, strategies, and ways of working in the framework of various life-worlds. In relation to systems of expertise he understands non-artistic questions, problems, and prejudices, to respond to these professionally, and ground the relevance of his own work. He studied anthropology in J.W.Goethe University Frankfurt/Main with focus on rituals in traditional communities. Practical anthropological studies with the Griot (trad. mythteller) Nago Koite from Senegal/Berlin in african dance, music and storytelling He has bases in Berlin, Algarve and Goa. Volker is in the directors team of Goa Contact Festival, Goa Ecstatic Dance Festival, Body Love Festival, Ecstatic Dance Festival Germany, Portugal CI Gathering and Ecstatic Dance Festival Portugal. He is the founder of “Forgotten Land” at Arambol beach and a co-founder of the Yoga & Dance Retreat “Ibiza Moving Arts”, In Touch Festivals international and an original member of Spacewalk. Spacewalk works with interventions in social and spacious areas of conflict by using means and methods of theater, dance, music, video and visual arts.

Emotional Awareness facilitator. Parapsychologist, Tantra teacher, spiritual coach, tribal fusion dancer. "I help women to discover their innate femininity, sensitivity and sexuality. I guide them in living more consciously while feeling the joy in every moment - to live their true nature. I have been continuously developing embodied spirituality for over 9 years and my Tantric path spontaneously began 5 years ago. I have spent much of my time with enlightened masters, learning practices and techniques . I communicate very closely with them and receive guidenace for my work.⠀ I realised the importance in this modern age to help women return to their true nature. For 5 years now, my work has been to help women live from their deepest desires and dreams. Using my experience, my own unique techniques, as well as the practices of my masters, I direct women to go deep inside themselves. After working with me, women release a lot of emotional and physical tension and begin to live more freely and relaxed. Women feel a clearer understanding of their direction and calling in life as well as feeling increased wisdom, confidence and open femininity. My satisfaction is seeing the results of the women I have worked with. I relish how their personalities mature as they begin to live in authenticity with themselves and others. To see their gifts and talents reveal themselves is such a joy to me I invite you to light tantric practices and women circle"

NGO Board (IN) ZinnDa: means to be alive! A free spirit and a bundle of pure joy, there is nothing this happy soul isn’t capable of! His evolution has been quite a journey, from being a techie to transforming into an Osho sannyasin. He was born with the heart of a nomad and has been a traveller for most of his life now. What’s his purpose? one might wonder! He has been closely working with the Osho Communes, spiritual festivals all around the world and the Contact Dance Community to help in bringing spiritual awareness and spreading peace in communities everywhere. This was the thought that lead him to create his NGO: Global Cultural Exchange Organisation that brings communities around the world and people from all walks of life together in a peaceful and harmonious environment of sharing and learning. Navgrah Shanti Yagna or The Fire Pooja for Peace and Prosperity: A Yagna or Havan is a traditional Indian Pooja ceremony that involves the recital of Vedic Chants and holy offerings(Samagri) made to the fire. The combined effect of these chants and the fire together cleanse and purify the air and aura. You are free to participate or observe during the ceremony. A brief explanation about the Havan, its scientific and spiritual benefits will also be discussed.