This set was recorded during the opening of the beautiful retreat center *Welcome Home* in Limburg, a place that already sparkled of peace and joy before taking off. It was a gift to become part of this place for one evening and accompany all that floated around in the space...to welcome all to be there, and give it a home, a peaceful one.

Home

Here go another two hours of songs, carefully composed into an ecstatic dance journey, this time to guide the newly born dancers of Vigo (Galicia) onto one of their first ecstatic dances. It was an honor to play a part in their exploration and explore newness in my own journey as well. There is so much energy in new beginnings, whether it's a new moon phase or season we move into, a new country to explore, or a new dance move. It all opens something in us to feel ... more.

Perspectivas Nuevas

There always is trouble in the world...politically, societally, personally. When we come together in the dance, we find a safe space, in which we can go on a journey and discover: the other in his/her authenticity, space in movement and being, and all the beauty that comes along with it.

Celebrating What's Beautiful

Listen and you know all that I have to say :)

Blissbliss

During the introduction of an ecstatic dance, I welcome the dancers to be in their most authentic dance. To move very authentically with how the music, the body, and the very moment makes them move. I invite them to be attentive to, curious about and embracing what is. To embrace the fact that at times, the physical movement is large, energetic, joyful. And that at other times, the physical movement is small, vulnerable or gentle, or even: not there. Whatever the circumstance, there are moments, in which there we burst of energy. And there are others, in which we are in complete stillness. I believe it is especially then, when we feel that the movement has actually not stopped. That there is something within us that makes us move. I do not refer to the busy busy mind moving around, no. I talk about that spark that we all carry in our chest that moves us. That moves us to connect to the people we love or feel inspired by. That moves us to start projects. That moves us to explore new places. That moves us a layer deeper within ourselves. I therefore believe, that there is a lot of power in stillness. And in the movement that is wrapped inside.

Recorded October 15, '22 at Odessa Boat (Amsterdam)
Photo credits: Lachlan Thompson

The Movement Within

In a time of día de los muertos, halloween and all saint's how can we not not invite the spirits to dance with us? Here is a set, recorded in a season during which the wind is howling, darkness is becoming more prominent, and we prepare ourselves for a time of rest and reflection. Before diving deep into rest, there is a last outburst of energy however. 

Set recorded on Nov 3rd, 2022
Graceful picture by: Bruno Emmanuelle

Dancing with the Spirits

It is so common in other cultures, but to dance in a church as Western European person? Ecstatic Dance can be a fun, meaningful, and at times even spiritual dance journey. When the dance floor is a church, and the sound system calibrated well enough, the experience definitely has something sacred about itself. My movement becomes a prayer.

This set is recorded in Mariengaerde Tilburg, November 2022
With tracks by: Subaqueous, DJ Shub, Max Richter, Gregor Salto, Ancestral Elephants, amongst others.
The image is by Mehmet Doruk Tasci

Another Way to Pray

A whole variety of animals manifesting in this set: 7 of them appear in the titles of the selected tracks: 1 jaguar (El Jaguar Caza by Da Iguana), 3 birds (Pájaro by Eva de Marce), 2 snakes (by Lum, and Eddie Thoneick) and 1 pigeon (by Matanza).

Other than that, this set is recorded one year after a young woman's dream about sharing (part of) her soul through music started manifesting itself. And therefore, I created it to celebrate that our dreams come to life if only we stay closely enough connected to them!

Set recorded at Avani Retreat Centre, Helvoirt
Picture found on Unsplash by Umberto

Manifestation

When sharing a selection of songs during a set, it's all about transitioning smoothly, so that the dancers get into flow, and loose the perception of when things end and start, so that the very moment becomes more present. And meaningful. 

And what a meaningful moment it was, transitioning from the old into the new year with so many beautiful dancing bodies and souls!

I feel a lot of gratefulness for 2022 to have given me the opportunity to explore my love for music, to have received appreciation for sharing it and to have celebrated many ecstatic moments dancing. And I wish for more exploration and expression in 2023 <3

Transitioning colors picture by Pawel Czerwinski (Unsplash)
Set recorded at Odessa NYE celebration in Amsterdam

Transition

This one's somewhat new...playing with almost only high energy tracks, yet exploring a layer of depth, that allows us to not only play for "fun". Life's playground has so many layers to offer, and it is for us to learn the art to play with all of them - the ones that take us to bright and the ones that take us to darker places. Using music as a means of travel (and honoring my roots and including some German techno), here is a set that invites the dancers to explore the edge of the dark and powerful places within themselves .... to then bring them back gently back to the surface of the dancefloor. That is dancing in the container of a safe playground.

Set recorded on 4 Feb in Amsterdam
Picture credits: Alex Guillaume

Good Grounds to Play

As I am moving deeper into the somatic world, I more and more understand that music is a tool for me to communicate myself. It is the music that touches deep places in me, that makes me jump of joy, or that allows me to melt into the floor. Music is the partner inviting me to dance the dance of life, the one encouraging me to authentically express myself, and the one giving comfort when exactly that is challenging. 

Using music to weave stories that share about those processes, it is fascinating to listen back to the sets and see my life evolving, with different themes or moods being more or less present. 

Here is one in which you might hear that winter is still playing its blues and somewhat casting its weak light and stagnation on all that is.

Set recorded live in Tilburg, 25 Feb '23
Image found on Reddit, artist unknown

Language without Words

The more I share my music, the more I understand about the reasons that make me do it. There is something I am unable to express in words or in action. It is this very sweet feeling I only have in my relationship with music, in relationship with dance, and when my dancing body is in harmony with the music and the space around it. 
The more I share my music, the more I realize that the dancers recognize that sweet, intangible and somewhat volatile feeling. And sharing that gives immense joy, peace and connectivity.

Enough words are shared. Listen to this sweet set and enjoy the journey. 

With gentle love,
DJ Anica

Recording from 9 April '23 at Sophie's dance in Breda

Embracing the Sweet Things

A set of very defined waves - in an ecstatic dance sense, and in a literal one. I feel very held, nourished and inspired by nature, and that comes back in the choice of music of this set. You will hear birds and other animals, and a lot of water. During the dance, I love to connect the dancers to their water element...it can bring sensitivity and emotion, humbleness for the bigger thing, playfulness and joy. And water also always brings flow. And life. And connection to what lives inside of us: the ability to create. 

Deya Dova sings this beautifully. Some songs from her, from Ancestral Elephants, Skysia and many other talented musicians come back in this set. I hope it connects you to that spark of creation and creativity inside of you!

Recorded in May 2023
Picture by Billy Pasco

Creation is Inside

With spring starting, and the singing of birds being prominent again in my life, I felt inspired to weave in the sounds of animals into this set, and I love how the monkey sounds in Felix Laband's track make people jump and play like little animals. 

This is to welcome the animal inside of us, the one that is wild, wants to play, or just cuddle and rest. In the spirit of the Ecstatic Dance, anything is welcome, so it is about embracing whatever is alive in us. 

The embrace I received by the Rotterdam dancers where this set was recorded on May 6th was very warm and welcoming. Thanks for that!

And thanks Prince David for the beautiful picture.

Hola Animalito

This one is about what makes us beat, not only because of the beat-heavy tracks you'll find in here, but especially also because of the ones that have less beat but therefore more soul....

What if we translate this into our lives, and take away some of the rhythmic, structured and intense moments and replace them with SILENCE. What will we find? Will we hear our heart beat in the silence? If so, what does it beat for?

My own heart was beating happily while sharing this set with the beautifully moveable dance community. Thank you dancers!!

And thank you, artists! I played many, of which Symblico, Deya Dova, L.A.X, Sage 808, Dub Sutra, Claire Michelle <3

Recorded end of June, 2023
Pic by Rod Long (Unsplash)

What makes us Beat

Playing this Ecstatic Dance set somehow felt different...

Finding more confidence and ease in my dj-ing abilities, feeling so home and welcome in the international community and being joyful about what's about to come in my personal life, there is a lot of abundance, fluidity and love that was weaved into the dance. And it was harmoniously given and received between the space team, the dancers and myself...in perfect balance. Such as the balance between rain and sun will eventually always be right, even if we sometimes forget on a rainy July day :)

The moment shared with the team and the dancers in Paris was unique, and it gave me goose bumps, smiles and tears of joy about the privilege we have to dance, to share, and to love. With respect for one another. Merci!

Would love to send credits to all the wonderful musicians whose music form part of this set: Noha, Oumou Sangaré, Carrot Green, Chet Faker, Baiuca, and many more! The credits for the picture go to Zbynek Burival.

Beyond the Clouds

Sun-rain-sun-rain-sun-rain-sun...

While the Dutch April weather is giving us all the sky has to offer, this ecstatic dance journey offers all the jewels of music I collected over the past weeks walking with my little one through sun, wind, snow, and all. 

I very much enjoyed creating this journey and loved being back to see bodies and faces changing throughout the two hours of music.

Recorded at Ecstatic Dance Tilburg on 21 April 2024

Tracks from Bachan Kaur, Polocorp,Geoffrey Oryema, Nightmares on Wax, Monkey Safari, Peter Power and many more fantastic artists

Image: Alex Jackman

Regenboog

The name of the dance somehow insinuates that we would dance ourselves into a state of ecstasy. What comes to mind is intensity, sweat, big movement. That, however, is not always what lays the foundation for a meaningful dance journey. 

What if we allow that we don't feel an excited, ecstatic, high energy in the moment of the dance? What if we give space to the exhaustion, the mellowness, maybe even the sadness? Will the dance journey be less meaningful? 

I am curious to hear what you think about it, and how this set makes you feel. 

Recorded on June 9th 2024 in Amsterdam
Image by Mikaela Egan

Ecstasy?

The period in which we move from one to another season to me is magical. The world around us is transforming - the light, the colours, the air. And the world within us is too. Moving from summer to autumn time, we may become more introvert, gentle and reflective. And how best to feel into it if not with a dance?

This set is recorded on September 14th, in a location that has gone through a beautiful transformation as well. A place of concrete and hard work has become home to people that care for the land and for each other. It brought a lot of joy to see how nature has reentered the land, and to experience the warmth of the community. And it was an honor to inaugurate the dancefloor in the factory-cathedral with this set.

Transformation

On this platform to share the sets I create for *ecstatic dances*. Other than the music, I wish to share a few words on the meaning *ecstatic dance* has to me, not as a DJ, but as humble human being :)

*Ecstatic dance* to me has been a gentle yet powerful tool to come closer to myself. By going onto a dance journey, during which one remains very conscious (no talking, no use of mind-altering substances, and no shoes), one comes much closer to oneself. To me, it has been a great gift to be in that space...in which I could explore undiscovered aspects of myself. There can be so much power and movement in the body, so much stillness in the mind, and so much joy, sadness, and other emotion in the heart. And it is beautiful that all of that is welcome on the dancefloor. And if none of it happens, that is welcome, too. Each journey has its own nature, is unique, is teaching us about the impermanence of life. 

I am very grateful for *ecstatic dance* to exist, grateful for the hundreds of dances that I was able to experience myself, and grateful that I get to accompany others in their journey!

Much love, 
Annika, Annica, Anica, Anicca (from the Pali language: impermanence)

Anica

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks