By Ekahi Aloha Michaels

CELEBRATING LIFE ECSTATICALLY: Ecstatic Dance in Lower Puna

Tracing its roots back to Kalani Retreat Center (Now Kalani Honua),  this movement began in 2001,  25 years ago, founded by Max Fathom. A participant from a conscious dance community in Austin, Texas, attended the Burning Man festival. Inspired by the immersive electronic music and festival energy, he returned to Kalani and blended the DJ culture with mindful, conscious dance.   Together with other facilitators like Elizabeth Betwixt, Elvon Lee, DJ Sprocket, and Justin Hilton, the modern framework of Ecstatic Dance was developed.

Video Link: Every Sunday We Dance  @ecstaticdancebayarea: 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWfr8c8gS07/?igsh=aHk0ZXJ0NTl6eXJu

Today, the love of Ecstatic Dance has grown into a worldwide practice. What started as a local expression of free-form movement has evolved into a global cultural phenomenon, while continuing to hold a uniquely alive presence here in Puna, where land, community, and practice remain deeply intertwined.

For over two decades, this space has offered an invitation into wordless expression, embodied presence, and the freedom to move exactly as life moves through us.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of Ecstatic Dance and its continuing evolution, we asked dancers, facilitators, and community members to share what this practice means to them in their own words.

Video Link: Dance with the Ancestor:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWfr8c8gS07/?igsh=aHk0ZXJ0NTl6eXJu

Voices from the Dance Floor

  Karen Konkoly & Yogesh
“I brought my sister to edance and she said it was like dancing at a wedding. I felt so lucky that we got to have that level of joy and celebration every week! But I also love to go to edance when I’m feeling low or down— it’s a place where I can come as I am and just express and let it all out. As we stayed in Puna longer, it also became like a family reunion every week, a chance to laugh and dance and connect with so many friends. What a privilege and an honor to be a part of such a thing.”

Marina Grace
“Ecstatic dance, for me, is not about the event itself but about the container it creates for inner awareness and integration. Over time, I’ve learned to approach it intentionally—coming when I feel aligned rather than obligated—using movement and music to meet whatever is present in my body without needing to fix it. It’s become a space where I can notice, feel, and release what arises, and trust my own process of unfolding.”

Jacqueline Sophia Cordova
“Dance—and specifically ecstatic dance—has been my joy, my passion, and my medicine for most of my life. It offers an immediate connection to spirit through embodiment, a powerful somatic experience that brings laughter, tears, connection, and transcendence on the dance floor. I first came to Kalani Ecstatic Dance over twelve years ago when I visited the Big Island for the first time. Having danced in communities around the world, I can honestly say there is no place that embodies the spirit of dance quite like Kalani. It is magical, wild, feral, angelic, and fierce all at once, and I am deeply grateful for the gift of Kalani Ecstatic Dance and the community it has nurtured.”

Jun
“Living in Puna on the Big Island feels incredibly magical. Ecstatic dance is a big part of the culture here — a space where people can express themselves freely, move through emotions, and connect through music and dance. What makes it so special is the sense of safety, love, and freedom to simply be yourself without judgment. There’s something deeply healing about coming together to dance, release, celebrate, and reconnect with ourselves and each other. One of the things I appreciate most about Puna is the variety of dance spaces, each with its own unique energy while sharing the same spirit of openness, healing, and connection. I feel deeply grateful that Puna holds space for ecstatic dance in such a powerful and meaningful way.

Jämi Deva
“In a world filled with uncertainties, it’s crucial that we take moments to celebrate life, love, and the unique community we’ve built around ecstatic dance. Celebration is an essential aspect of our human experience, reminding us of the beauty and wonder that surrounds us, even in the face of challenges.
When we come together to dance and express ourselves, we create a safe space to explore our individuality, share our stories, and connect with others on a deeper level. Each gathering is an opportunity to celebrate our differences, honor our journeys, and embrace the joy of movement.
Celebration nourishes our souls and strengthens our bonds as a community. It reminds us of gratitude and the simple pleasures of life. The energy that flows from our gatherings radiates outward, creating ripples of love and light beyond the dance floor.
As we celebrate the transformative power of dance, let’s continue creating a world where everyone feels welcome, accepted, and cherished. In times of heaviness and uncertainty, these gatherings become a refuge—spaces where we can reconnect with freedom, diversity, and the joy of being alive. Together, we can create a powerful force of positivity and light that shines even in the darkest times.
So let’s continue to dance, to celebrate, and to stand as a testament to the power of love, connection, and the human spirit.”

Rachaelle
“I will never forget my 1st ecstatic dance. It was November 2004, and I had just moved to Lower Puna from Maui. My friend told me about this new dance that took place every Sunday to just dance, and no talking. I walked into the Blue Moon Room at Kalani, where there were over 200 people on the dance floor, completely absorbed in the music, in their dance, in their bodies. While there was no talking, there was no shortage of joy and contentment. It was like a peaceful meditation in motion. I had never experienced anything like it, and I thought to myself, ‘I am home’.”

Caitlin Delphina
“I feel like I’ve never found a dance quite like this, as I’ve been a dancer most of my life~ and have been part of the ecstatic Dance community for the last 20 years or so. This dance at Kalani is truly special. A community coming together with no words just expression dropping into a collective field that grows and glows with so much love and acceptance and joy~ it’s difficult to articulate just how important this ‘movement’ is but I know it has changed my life so much for the better and Sunday is a day that I know will heal my soul on deeper levels than my mind could/would ever comprehend…. And for that, I’m immensely grateful and would probably never leave this island for maybe this dance alone. I would call her the soulmate of a lifetime.”

Yanah Pajot
“I get ecstatic when I can dance in harmony with another human connected in this moment of just being present together with the music.”

Monica Mana ( Imagika Om )
“I love the ways we can connect to each other & ourselves through ecstatic dance. I feel such an ecstatic feedback loop when I play or dance. I also feel being deeply in the body is a kind of meditation that helps bring balance to the mind & spirit. Ecstatic dance creates space for so many things—freedom, connection, expression, release, joy, process, and transformation.”

Erik Seyster ( Vadra )
“Dance is our chance to move through that which is in the mind, but for which we have no thought. And so, I will always dance.”

Kristen (Ecstatic Dance Facilitator)
“Ecstatic Dance creates a rare kind of freedom which can lead to deep healing. Multiple men have shared how liberating it is to dance and express themselves without alcohol for the very first time. Women regularly share how safe they feel to dance authentically, even sensually. People have shared how this practice has healed core wounds or changed their lives in profound ways. It is a space where people are supported in moving exactly how the body wants to move. And moving that energy in this community ritual, in a safe and potent container, can be very powerful.”

Beyond the Dance Floor: A Living Culture of Celebration

The community I’ve chosen to live in is alive and forward-thinking, made up of many young people and young families raising children within an intentionally healthy and connected lifestyle.

What stands out most here is a deep culture of celebration.

We are the change we’ve been waiting for.

Celebration here is not an idea—it is a lived rhythm. Through ecstatic dance, yoga, meditation, community gatherings, potlucks, and shared meals rooted in nourishment and care, people come together in ways that continually reinforce connection, presence, and mutual support.

While Kalani Honua is widely recognized as the birthplace of Ecstatic Dance in Puna—and continues to hold the long-standing Sunday gathering—this culture of conscious movement extends well beyond a single weekly event.

On Wednesday evenings, Sundari hosts “We Dance,” a weekly gathering centered on open movement and community connection. On Saturday nights, Space City offers another regular space for dance, expression, and social connection in a more relaxed environment. Until recently, Hawaiian Sanctuary also hosted “Bee Dance,” another beloved weekly gathering within this broader ecosystem. This venue will likely return after restructuring.

Each space carries its own tone and structure, yet all share a common thread: people coming together through music and movement in environments that are largely alcohol- and substance-free, grounded in respect for personal space and mutual care.

Where Kalani’s Sunday Ecstatic Dance is known for its specific container of silence, no talking, and no photography—creating a deeply inward, uninterrupted field—these other gatherings offer looser social formats while still holding a strong foundation of presence and respect.

Together, these spaces reflect a wider culture of celebration in Puna, one that is not confined to a single event but woven through multiple weekly offerings that support movement, connection, and community life.

For me, this is not an abstract idea, but a lived practice, a simple and ongoing commitment to stay awake, connected, and in relationship with life as it moves through us.

Video Link: Reel by jenergy_flow108:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTqBREfj1Px

Closing Invitation

For those new to conscious dance or community movement, what exists here is both ancient and immediately human. Long before it was called “ecstatic dance,” it was simply people moving together, expressing life through rhythm, breath, and presence.

Dance has always been one of our oldest forms of connection, a tribal practice that returns us to ourselves, to each other, and to something larger than words.

What continues to unfold here in Puna is a reminder that this practice is still alive.

There is always an open invitation—to come as you are, move as you are, and discover what becomes possible when sound, space, and community meet without expectation.

For some, it is joy. For others, release. For many, transformation.

And for all, it begins with a single step onto the dance floor.