I'm coming for the first time, what should I know?

If this is your first ecstatic dance, you may have some apprehensions. Is it going to feel awkward dancing around people you don't know? Are you dressed right? What are you supposed to do with your hands? First, just know that however you show up, it's probably going to work out just fine. Almost everyone who comes to dance once expresses wanting to return. There's no specific uniform or costume, there's no right or wrong way to dance out there, and you'll be in good company with other people who also arrive uncertain about how things are going to go. There are no complicated rituals and no pressure to participate in anything in particular. There are places to sit or lay down when you need to rest or observe. Because the dance is non-verbal, there's no pressure to socialize or keep up banter. Ecstatic dance ends up being low-pressure and there's plenty of room for you to figure out what you need to on your own time. And, if you don't know what to do with your hands, as our facilitator Simran likes to say, we have some maracas and drums you can grab to give them something to do.