Dancing Home FAQ's 

Q-What is Dancing Home?

Q- What is conscious dance?

Q- Is Dancing Home similar to yoga?

Q- Do I have to be dancer to take this class?

Q- What should I know before I begin?

Q- How does this practice work ?

Q- What should I expect at my first class?

Q- What if I feel self-conscious?

Q- What are the benefits of Dancing Home?

Q- Is Dancing Home the same as ecstatic dance?

Q- Where does this practice come from?

Q-What is Dancing Home?

A- Dancing Home is a free-form, conscious dance practice designed to unite body, mind and heart through a moving journey accompanied by curated music and intentional guidance. 

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Q- What is Conscious Dance?

A- Often called the "Yoga of Dance", conscious dance moving the body with one-pointed focus and awareness. Simply put, it is movement plus consciousness, tracking inner sensations, feelings and thoughts. 

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Q- Is Dancing Home similar to yoga? 

A-  There are some similarities to a yoga class. In a Dancing Home class we are looking for a pathway back towards center, through movement. Unlike yoga, the class has no set asanas and no choreography. Like yoga, Dancing Home is designed as a movement-based practice that you can do every week (or every day) to help shed the layers of stress that build up over time, to "empty the jug" of physical tension and stuck emotions that are held in the body, shaking lose what is ready to be let go of and creating space for what is ready to come through. Unlike yoga, we move/dance all around the room, not just on our mat. 

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Q- Do I need to be a dancer to take this class? 

A- No. There really is no right or wrong way to take this class. You can move as big or as small as you want to, dance with your eyes closed, curl up into a little ball on the floor, move one arm the whole time or leap around like a gazelle. Even if you simply walked through the space to the music the whole time, you would gain some benefit. 

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Q- What should I know before I begin?

A- The space is open a few minutes prior to class for participants to warm up as they see fit. Once you enter the dance room, best practice is to leave the words behind to create a sacred container. Barefoot or soft soled dance shoes are preferred on the floor.  No socks (for safety reasons). Go at your own pace, take care of your body, drink water, slow down if you need to. The dance is continuous movement but can be done as small or big as feels good for your body. 

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Q- How does this practice work ?

A- When we move the physical body with awareness, the mind, heart and psyche also begin to move. This may bring up physical sensations, thoughts, feelings, images, memories or intuitions. Simply let them be, or funnel them back into your dance, moving your body to match how you feel inside. 

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Q- What should I expect at my first class?

A- There is always some time to warm-up, stretch, get settled before the class begins. Each session starts with grounding exercises, usually walking through the space to get connected to the group. Some people will want to move a lot and take up a lot of space, others will move less and tend to stay more by themselves. Both are fine. The teacher will give guidance throughout the class, sometime encouraging moments of partnering or inclusion of others in the room, but you always have a choice to follow this guidance or to stay with your own experience. Keep an open mind, knowing that the teacher is watching the whole group and the teaching varies depending on the day, the space, who is present and the needs of the group. 

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Q- What if I feel self-conscious?

A- Some feelings of self-consciousness are normal if you have never taken a class like this before. Awkwardness is part of growing at your edge. The whole range of feelings are welcome in the dance, including anxiousness, resistance, even boredom. If you begin to space out or feel disoriented in any way, simply come back to the body, your feet, your breath, like you would during a meditation. And remember, you won't be alone trying to "figure it all out." Although the process is free-form, it is still a guided experience and the teacher will lead you through it. ​

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Q- What are the benefits of Dancing Home?

A- Many of the benefits of a conscious dance practice are similar to yoga and meditation, including release of stress, lowered anxiety, increased levels of serotonin for a better mood,  greater confidence and compassion and greater connection to Self and others. The physical benefits of course include a great overall workout that is available to all bodies and can be modified as each individual sees fit. 

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Q- Is Dancing Home the same as ecstatic dance?

A- Dancing Home has some similarities to ecstatic dance. Other names could be, somatic movement, mindful movement, movement meditation and 5RhythmsTM Dance.  At heart, Dancing Home is a safe space to move your body.

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Q- Where does this practice come from?

A- This practice is based on SomaSource as developed by Melissa Michals, Ed.D, founder of SomaSource Institute and Golden Bridge in Boulder, CO. It is also deeply inspired by Gabrielle Roth's 5RhythmsTM. 

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" Dancing Home is transformative. I've never felt anything like it before...It was a total revelation. "  – Lauren W.

"I was able to truly go inwards and listen to my own body and instincts whilst remaining present with others and in community...an invitation to step away from the everyday for a while and connect with something old and simple." –Sarah M-H.
 

"Dancing Home opened me to a rediscovered sense of the joy of just dancing with no preconceived steps or movements to display.  The sense of freedom from self-judgment that Lucia kindles in her gentle guidance...was marvelous. "  –Maddie H.