Phases of the Ecstatic Dance Journey

Phases of the Ecstatic Dance Journey ©2018 Peter Weinstein. Phases of the Ecstatic Dance Journey by Peter Weinstein is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

There are many different approaches to weaving together a journey we call Ecstatic Dance. Here at Ecstatic Dance Records we refer to the following “phases” for the Ecstatic Dance journey.

Arrival
gentle. awakening. flowy. anticipating. warming.
Arrival tracks welcome the community to the space and the dance floor. They help the dancers feel present, safe, and grounded. It’s the calm before the storm. Arrival tracks set the container. (The tracks begin as ambient and move into the downtempo realm.)

Example:

Buildup
driving. insistent. playful. intensifying. rising.
Buildup tracks get the energy moving. The beats are compelling and percussive. They help the dancers develop dynamic tension. (Typically, they are mid-tempo.)

Example:

Peak
wild. surging. chaotic. climactic. soaring.
Peak tracks are for catharsis and exhilaration. The beats are forceful, and any bass drops are powerful. (Typically, they are high tempo.)

Example:

Cruise
steady. deep. unwavering. hypnotic.
Cruise tracks are played between peaks, giving the dancers a chance to recharge. They hold level energy, and are the respite in the eye of the storm. Cruise tracks are the antidote for beat fatigue. (They are typically mid or high tempo with temperate beats.)

Example:

Landing
airy. lyrical. angelic. connecting. settling.
Landing tracks carry the dancers down from the final peak into the heart. They hold the feeling of, “we made it through together.”

Example:

Integration
peaceful. still. grounding. meditative.
Integration tracks are ambient pieces played at the end of the journey to hold the “beingness” after all of the dancing “doingness”. (They differ from Arrival tracks in that they feel more emotional, reflective, and resolving.)

Example: