First Ecstatic Dance Oslo (review)

I can’t believe it has already been three weeks since I left Norway. How time flies when you have fun! My departure from Scandinavia was scheduled so that I could experience the first ecstatic dance in Oslo that was created by Brynulv Guddal and his partner in crime – Maria Bergwitz – whom I did not know at the time.

I will give you a quick personal introduction to what an ecstatic dance is. People attracted to such venues that seem to happen in different parts of the world in increasing numbers are the so-called conscious community, which you can find in any part of the world when you search on Facebook for “conscious community Berlin,” or “conscious community Goa,” and so forth. A conscious community is nothing else than people who are open to connecting with the world as lovingly and humanly possible, naturally. In this sense, ecstatic dances are joyful events where people come together to dance wild and crazy.

Alcohol is served in most ordinary dance venues, but not at ecstatic dance that are basically drug-free environments, where every attendant is asked to come and stay clean during the entire dance. Why I mention alcohol as a drug? Because it is! And a dangerous one, although legal in many countries.

The focus in ecstatic dance is on dancing, without small talk. Being social through other forms of communication during ecstatic dance is encouraged. The general consensus suggests a sensitive approach to other dancers. If someone feels introverted that’s perfectly alright and possible to communicate by looking to the ground, or giving a namaste pose. Otherwise, movements, mimiks, eye contact and any other imaginable forms of nonverbal communication are perfectly acceptable during ecstatic dance. So, don’t be shy to approach anyone while dancing, because we homo sapiens love to engage in social activity, dancing and sharing.

Photo taken at Jaran’s

Everyone is invited to dance expressively through the varying musical styles the DJ mixes. Live musicians often appear as additions to the mixmaster, but sadly not in Oslo at this first ecstatic dance. Live sounds can greatly enhances the trance dance experience of ecstatic dance that not only feature EDM. Anything goes! 

An ecstatic dance is a great environment to get to know people on real and loving levels. It is a safe setting for all ages and races that are welcome to ecstatic dance. That’s often refreshing, considering that there are people coming together who are dedicated to doing things differently than the herd. Alcohol makes people unconscious when drunk in large numbers. 

Taking photographs is asked to abstain from during ecstatic dance and when you participate you can understand why. People often totally let go and dance as if no one is watching and it could be quite a shock to have your picture taken during such moments.

I love coming to these events because I like to dance and I do not get high from drugs any longer, as I did in my teens that lasted ages it seems. It’s not like I have developed a tolerance to drugs. I just grew out of this phase and stopped altering, or dulling, my consciousness with substance use and their abuse. I also realized that meeting people intimately and connecting with others is such an essential part of being human and of being conscious.

Photo taken at Jaran’s

I didn’t even know 20% from the roughly 150 people that came on Tuesday the 19th of November 2019 to Hausmania, which is a small autonomous zone in Oslo similar to Christiania in Copenhagen, but a lot smaller. 

Many people participated in this first ecstatic dance, meaning there was a huge demand for a clean and safe dance environment in Oslo. It shouldn’t come as a surprise since the Norwegian capital turns into a drugged up downtown during each weekend. (Only Zurich has more drug problems than Oslo). And it’s not just alcohol people drink. They can drink more with cocaine that is sold there at 200 Euro / gram. Nearly every young person in Norway has taken cocaine or amphetamines at least once in their life when they were a teen and girls get raped a lot when they pass out or are too messed up to make sensible decisions about their lives.

Was it the DJ that attracted all these people to come to the first ecstatic dance of Oslo? I have to admit, Brynulv (the dj) was quite good, but I always feel that it is the people and how they come together that opens up the portals. The dj, the sound system and the space create the container for the alchemy to transform (the people) into whatever it might become. 

The good news is that from that date onwards, a monthly ecstatic dance will rage in Oslo and anyone is welcome to participate and enjoy, even kids! To find out more about the Norwegian ecstatic dance community, in case you visit the capital of one of the most beautiful, amazing, and expensive countries in the world, go on Facebook and search for “ecstatic dance Oslo.” 

Oh yeah … I am now on the ecstatic dance island that some also call Tantra Island. It’s in Thailand. (That rhymes). Two words come to mind that describe this amazing place; home & paradise. More from my (mostly happy) trails through the world in a bit. To stay tuned, sign up for my newsletter. 

With Love, Omananda