Past AMC Dance Waves

All of my ecstatic dance sets from 2023. This year I've played more frequently and for a variety of different events so there is an emergent variety of styles represented.  I've also started to blend sound baths with my gong and singing bowls into the closing stillness section of my sets.

Thank you for listening and enjoy the journey(s) into the cathartic power of music movement, and sound.

Ecstatic Dance Sets by MIKAYA from 2023-25

Played at Asheville Movement Collective on Sunday April 30th, 2023

I wrote a poem for this ecstatic dance set as its intention.

Lion's Mane

Wild wind blown and untamed 
This Mane bares scars 
Marking resilience
Brutal courage
And lingering pain

To all the lions 
And lionesses out there
Still marking their terrain,
The Sun of the Earth
Shines upon your Mane

Cover art by Art by Agni
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtbyAgni

Lion's Mane {Ecstatic Dance Set by MIKAYA}

Engagement request: please like, repost, and send me a direct message asking for the playlist and I'll send it ova. Thank you! Engagement is a huge help on this platform for all of us artists. 

Played originally at Asheville Movement Collective on May 12th, 2023. Re-recorded and refined some transitions before publishing it two days later.

The theme for this dance is inspired by a poem referenced in many Hollywood films, perhaps most notably in the blockbuster movie “Interstellar.” Written by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas in 1947, it has been suggested that it was written for his dying father.   

“Do not go gentle into that good night” 
by Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

More info here about the poem can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_not_go_gentle_into_that_good_night

This ecstatic dance set explores the theme of interstellar and inter-dimensional travel both through the portal of dying, and through the portal of distorted perceptions caused by love, desire, fear, angst, and rage. It will resolve itself into a space where surrender, grief and courage can take root before taking flight.

Cover art by Artbyagni on ETSY

Interstellar Night {Ecstatic Dance Mix by MIKAYA}

A live ecstatic dance from June 30th, 2023 at the @ashevillemovementcollective 

Comment for track IDs :)

My Intention Poem for this dance:

What if I told you
We are exactly where we should be
And if it was supposed to be another way
It would be
All the resistance 
All the harmony
All the chaos
All the glory
We are here writing our collective story
From a purely objective perspective
Maybe we could see
There’s no actual separation of you & me
Particles dancing in this infinite sea
Of chaotic tranquility 
There is no right way to be
So you be you as you be
And I’ll be as I be
In all our perfectly imperfect glory
We are Wabi Sabi
Our cracks and our scars
Our struggles and pain
They contain 
So much beauty 
So let’s shake that booty
Like it’s our sacred duty
And while we’re at it 
Love ourself unconditionally
This is our permission slip
For authenticity
To be exactly
As we do be
Because we are truly
A unique frequency
That is necessary
That fits perfectly
In all this chaotic harmony

Unconditional - A Live Ecstatic Dance at the Asheville Movement Collective - 6.30.2023

Please like, repost, and leave 3 comments and I'll DM you the set list. This is a live dj recording played at Asheville Movement Collective on July 9th, 2023. 

I wrote the sonnet below as the intention and theme for the dance.

Fly Butterfly Fly

Upon this morning sun with golden ray,
Did paint the sky in hues vibrant and new,
A butterfly, in graceful, bright display,
Took flight, and from the meadows, upward flew.

Its wings, a tapestry of colors rare,
Did catch the light, and glistened in its glow,
A wondrous sight, it floated through the air,
Its path uncharted, yet it seemed to know.

As winds whispered softly to its frame,
It danced and fluttered, free from all tether,
Through boundless skies, with never a hint of shame,
It journeyed on, with courage and splendor.

Oh, butterfly, your flight inspires me,
To venture into the unknown, this time free.

Cover by ArtByAgni on ETSY

Fly Butterfly Fly {Ecstatic Dance Mix by MIKAYA}

The law of impermanence states:
All that arises eventually passes
All that was born eventually dies

As I look deep into your eyes
I see a love that defies 
this law of nature
That is forever
Because
We are natural born rebels
Reveling without a cause
Breaking all the laws
Just because
We see
We are that love 
Which we seek
We are this safe space 
This eternal place
It is within you
And can be tapped into
By whomever
Allows themself to enter
The stillness in the center
Of their body temple

This present moment machine 
Time travels through it
Music moves to it
It is beyond the mind
Beyond the waves of sensations
The ocean of expectations
The lows of depressions
The highs of elations
ever changing inner relations
deep revelations 
Inner revolutions 
Planetary rotations 
these Sacred formations
Beyond all imagination 
Beyond all expectation 
In the center of creation 

I’ll meet you there
Where awareness itself
becomes self aware
As the holy water
Drips from the pore
Onto this dance floor
Where our eyes
Lovingly expose the lies
Of the veil that hides
The truth inside 
That this dance 
Will continue 
Long after this body dies
- Josiah
More of my writings can be found here https://lifeinprism.com/beyond-write-wrong/

Since you read my poem here is the full track list for the set :)

1. Air and Space - Bliss Looper, De Moi
2. Be Here Now - Beautiful Chorus
3. Quiet down the voices in your head (Flip) - Osiah
4. Offering (Feat. Ketut Susila) - Temple Step
5. Vulnerability - Pablo Nouvelle
6. On The Brink - KR3TURE, Evan Fraser
7. Pyramid Portal - Cam Steen
8. Studda Step Redux - Danny Grooves
9. The Boss - Kuhlin x Indobeats
10. Camouflage - Zephyr
11. Talk To me - OAKK
12. Flip It - Levity
13. Lattice - Tipper
14. Stone Monkey - Toadface, Of The Trees
15. Swagga Like Us - T.I., Kanye West, Lil Wayne
16. High Life - Morillo, Amp Live
17. Pirarucù - Montoya
18. Karanfilce Devojce - Laboratorium Pieśni,PACHIRA
19. WARFARE - Elephant Heart
20. Tribes - Nomadic
21. Milkshake 20 - Kelis, Alex Wann
22. Bounce (Osiah Edit) - Solace
23. Krush Groove - Wax Motif
24. Dance Dance Dance - Rob Black
25. I Am Ready - Marten Hørger
26. Tripasia - Cloonee, Brisotti
27. Quimey Neuquén (remix) - HWG, Spada
28. Cocaina - Mason Talbot
29. beeautiful stranger tango remake - Hindi Zahra,Temple, Osiah
30. Mo Teef - Andrew Bird
31. Feeling Good - Ane Brun
32. Tu Contorno - Juana Aguirre
33. By Night - Ayla Nereo
34. Gratitude - Cellomano

PRESENT MOMENT MACHINE - A live ecstatic dance for the Asheville Movement Collective - 10/20/2023

FULL SET LIST (Give these artists some love):

Piccolo Corpo - Fredrika Stahl Celeste Cescutti
Red Tide - Vetle Nærø Remake - Tor Vetle Nærø
The Void - Astarius
The Awakened - Tofu Resistance
girl u dreaming - Robina
Pre_Liminal - Edekit
Ladainha - MAUGLI (ft. Chipréu) 
Manzanita - Edekit
Rock Your World - Handsome Tiger Remix - Chubby Cree 
Kabaddi - Su Real
Pobum Coco - Sharkslayer Remix - Daniel Haaksman 
Lil Mama - partywithray, ZHU
AfroGochi - S.N.O.X
Tocame - Sak Noel Salvi Franklin Dam
Vois sur ton chemin - Techno Mix - BENNETT
Body Moves - AKUL
Que Passa Amigo - Tropkillaz
BAILAMOS - Merricat Black
love is international remaster - Omar
Falling - ZenAware
Praise - Motez
Loco - King Topher Mely Jones Savalla
Ripper - Mr. Carmack Shanghai Doom
On The Field Like... - TroyBoi
Ride or Die - Yarin Primak
Dance Dance - Groovenatics nomerci
Please Dont Go (Carry On Remix) - Fish from Japan 
Dance With Somebody (Grey Moon Sadness Remix) - Whitney Houston
I Can Feel It (Michael Jackson X Phil Collins remix) - Sickick
Intertwined - Handsome Tiger
The Last Goodbye - Bettye Lavette, ODESZA
Borboletas - Maple Syrup
Good Vibes Infinitititi - Lofi Afrobeats
Drops of Light - Maneesh de Moor
Tonada De Luna Llena - Simón Díaz
All Is Love Is All - Dub Sutra
Aria - Milkyway Outcast

AWARENESS & EQUANIMITY - LIVE ECSTATIC DANCE - ASHEVILLE MOVEMENT COLLECTIVE 12.29.23

Intention: Dynamic Range 

Referring to the range of values that a system can capture, represent, or reproduce. Dynamic range can be applied to audio, photography, or dance. In audio, it pertains to the difference between the softest and loudest sounds a device can accurately handle. In photography, dynamic range refers to the range of tones, from the darkest to the brightest, that a camera can capture.

In the context of ecstatic dance, dynamic range refers to the spectrum of movements and expressions a dancer can embody using motion, energy, and emotional states with fluidly and curiosity. From subtle and gentle motions to bold and powerful movements, this dance aims to stretch the dancer to their limits, in order to create a more immersive and transformative dance experience. 

Played on 1/5/2024 @ Haw Creek Commons, Asheville, NC. Pls like, repost and comment to feed my algo-rhythm. Danke!

Cover Art: Unknown Source

Dynamic Range {Live Ecstatic Dance Set by MIKAYA}

Deep in the jungle, there lies a fern gully. 
What lies within, can only begin...

Closing set for Fiddlehead's Frosty Ferngully Fiesta at The Landing on Jan 13th, 2024.

Special thanks to the Ferns and Fractals that came to celebrate this amazing man, and dear friend. We love you, Clay. Happy 4-0.

Fiddlehead's Fern Gully {Live Sensual set by MIKAYA}

Curated in the depths of winter at Beat Church Asheville on Feb 11th, 2025.

May those icy frozen parts of us, fractured from our past, melt back into the nurturing waters that flow through us, dissolving, returning into one.

Num.	Title		Artist
1	Flow State	Triniidadii
2	Deep Sands	Ion Driver
3	holdon.	YATES!
4	Batanga	PHURN Lowcation
5	Geeked Up	Skinny Limbs
6	Arrive [nuo stems]	5AM
7	Miles Apart [nuo stem]	PHURN
8	FYA dub	Shaka Lion Singularis
9	Lovas [nuo stem]	Shaka Lion
10	Everglade March	Of The Trees
11	Mystic Physics	Hedflux
12	Taksim	Guns
13	What I Can Do "ENERGY"	CONTRA Saturna
14	Poetry In Motion [nuo stem]	AtYyA Finnoh
15	6AM (Perkulat0r Remix)	Of The Trees
16	Bellydancer	Kuni
17	Bad Karma (Original Mix) [nuo stems]	Axel Thesleff
18	Goober Time - PEAK	Jade Cicada
19	Wubbalubbadubdub	Jade Cicada
20	Like a Drum (Original Mix) [nuo stems]	Not The Father
21	Ric Flair Drip (with Metro Boomin)	Offset
22	vanish.	YATES!
23	Evacuate 1:06	Skinny Limbs
24	Siren's Call	Psyoptic
25	COLA	XRAY
26	Koté mwin	Sskyron
27	Truth or Dare	Tyla
28	Love in Space	Matt Becks
29	YOKO	Sskyron Bioz
30	Wanting You [nuo stem]	PLAZA
31	Sprout	Hudson Lee
32	Sunflower	Hudson Lee voljum
33	Borderland Sorrows	Slow Meadow

Remastered by Luo Rawls

Ice Becomes Water {Live Beat Church AVL Set by MIKAYA}

Wubbed in Dub is an ecstatic dance set in homage to the bass heavy sub cultures of dub. This set is structured by the classic ecstatic dance wave progression. We will wub shoulders with the music of psychill, psydub, reggae, reggaeton, dubstep, melodic bass, eclectic intelligent dance music (IDM) and a few heart openers to close it out. 

See you on the other side. 

Played on Feb 28th, 2025 in honor of Asheville Movement Collective's 25th Anniversary. Thank you Jeannie Adair for inviting me to play on such a memorable night. 

Photo cred to the interwebs.

Wubbed in Dub {Ecstatic Dance Mix by MIKAYA}

MIKAYA's Upcoming 2025 Event Schedule:
More dates coming soon...

MIKAYA (Micah Swabb) is an Ecstatic Dance DJ and facilitator for cathartic dance events. MIKAYA’s mixes inspire meditation through movement in ways that widen the scope of one's self-awareness and self-expression. For booking MIKAYA (Micah Swabb) please email micahswabb@pm.me. 

These musical journeys begin peacefully, build momentum and contrast, and then land softly with resolution and grace. MIKAYA also produces mash-ups and mixes in various genres. He teaches people how to make world class ecstatic dance mixes both from his home in Asheville, NC and virtually online.

Micah Swabb is also a regenerative real estate agent and eco-flipper in the Asheville, NC area. If you'd like help buying, selling or rehabbing homes or raw land please reach out. Regenerative Real Estate is all about living in harmony within the eco-systems of nature, society and personal well-being.

With deep gratitude... may we grow and glow together with love, courage and freedom.