Voice of the Community

Jodi Begala

I have found absolute joy in this Ecstatic Dance community! After spending most of my life in disconnection and struggle with my physical body, nothing has helped me as much as this regular authentic movement practice. My original essence is finally stepping forward, I’m learning how to source my own healing from within, and am finding a level of self-acceptance and self-love I never knew was possible.

Kelly (DJ Kat) holds this beautiful container with reverence for anyone and everyone. She has taught me so much about “Life as Ceremony”, “Sweating your Prayers”, working with archetypal patterns and how nourishing it is when we give space in our lives to really experience Unity Consciousness. I’m so grateful for these gifts and for the entire community. I’m in love with the thought of healing the world one dance at a time

Written by Kol Wannigman:

“Ecstatic dance is like church. It’s where I go to commune with God, regain faith in humanity, reclaim the divinity within me, and release all the heavy pain and sorrow I’m carrying. And DJ Kat is more than just a DJ, she’s the guide who turns the dance into a sacred ceremony. She starts gently, then builds the energy until you’re dancing your socks off, and finally brings it back down, holding you like a mother and leaving you completely blissed out. It’s this beautiful wave of transcendence that makes the whole experience sacred.”

Meet Jonell Perez! She’s momma to Bodhi, super intuitive nurturer with a masters degree and creative artist of our cacao mugs (and will be leading cacao ceremonies ..)

A funny side note that speaks to her intuition. At the begining of our dance immersion she intuitively brought toilet paper … and we Ofcourse ran out. Day 2 she reminded me to bring some… I (Ofcourse) forgot… she also brought some from home. She’s just like that… thinks in detail, is grounded and practical. So grateful.

Testimonial from Jonell Perez of why she likes Ecstatic Dance:

Ecstatic Dance is medicine for s practical me. It’s my meditation. And there is something about the space DJ Kat holds that just feels different than other EDs. I loooooove dancing with a group of people in which the dance has nothing to do with performing or escaping. I can sit fully in my body, in a safe space, and allow what needs to come up, and be seen, to do so. By the end of the dance, we all feel more connected to each other, lighter. I’m so appreciative of the grounded space DJ Kat creates while also keeping it a high-vibrational practice. It’s not always easy to keep this kind of space clear and grounded; she does so beautifully.

Meet SOL………A loving human who holds such a deep space for himself and others…..

”Dance is a place of freedom.

Freedom to be exactly as I am in any given moment, without even needing to know what that is.

Freedom to laugh, freedom to cry. Freedom to scream, to dance, to leap, to lie perfectly still on the floor. To be in ecstasy, to be in pain, to be connected, to be alone, to be nothing or everything all at once.

To be without definition, continuity, or description. To be the story I am by nature.

TO BE. ALIVE.

Meet KIra!

Ecstatic Dance Global means to me the deepest and rawest connection to community, that of the human race and all creatures. In our everyday lives it is so easy to lose focus of the connectedness we share, but this container Kelly (mother, goddess, devotee) has created allows us the safe space we need to feel and move through all of our emotions together, as one. Nobody is alone and everyone is seen and respected, and boundaries are firm and encouraged. This dance without speech but with intention clears out all the clutter, there is no shame, no judgment, just love and the desire to breathe, support, and move energy with one another. Even when we are apart, we are moving and grooving through life together. When we gather there is always a sense of relief, and rightness. No matter where we are, our dance is home. ❤️

Josh Redmond

“ My first ecstatic dance with DJ Kat (Kelly Atkins) was two years ago, on July 4th on a day when I truly needed it most. From that very first dance, something opened. Since then, every time I get to be in her space feels like a special occasion.

Even though I don’t make it every single week, what I love most is the consistency of the container she creates. The space feels intentional, grounded, and pure. There’s a deep sense of care in how she holds the room, the music, and the community.

I’m really inspired by how committed and rooted she is in the practice. There’s comfort in knowing that this space exists steady, welcoming, and always there when you need it. Dancing with DJ Kat feels like coming home to yourself.”

Meet Ernesto!

Ecstatic Dance has been an integral part of my life for several years. It has meaningfully improved my quality of life in many ways. Sometimes it helps me reconnect with a part of myself I have ignored due to pressures and demanding circumstances in my life, and it also has helped me to express my emotions through movement and dance especially after my mom’s death and serious illnesses of close friends. I have learned to surrender to the music, so the music is moving me, versus me directing my movements. It’s been a wonderful space to be playful through dance and to shake off tensions that have built up in my body. As a natural medicine physician and therapist, the experience and skills of Ecstatic Dance help me have greater presence while navigating the complexities of serving people with serious physical/emotional pain and critical illnesses, and most importantly I love the pure joy of dancing with my friends.

DJ Kat creates an environment where introspection, exploration, emotional release, play, wild abandon and joyful fun all perfectly coexist simultaneously on the dance floor. She is a true master combining the powers of music, movement, dance, and community for healing and transformation. I’m grateful she lives in my community and her events are available every week.

I love introducing friends and colleagues to this art form.

The activity of dancing with people conjures feelings of community. Our society, our culture, our environment, and Mother Earth are nurtured when we dance, sing, stomp our feet, and make music in communal harmony. When we move to the rhythm of our hearts we move closer to God. The first time I was touched by another person in an improvisational dance community space, I was so moved by the activity that I laid on the floor, arms and legs aloft, begging for more. Ecstatic Dance provides an opportunity to be a part of a safe community, to explore and expand with no limits. I never want to lose the gratitude I have for ecstatic dance. I feel so grateful to have found my tribe!!!!
Thank you DJKat & ED SRQ -Micki