It takes a lot of work to put together one of our dances. If you're interested, we'd love to have your help!
Feel free to sign up for our next event with the "Volunteer" button in the header or the home page. You can select one or two roles there. If you're not sure what the role entails, click the "Learn more" as you hover over the role.
If you're interested in more detailed information about how work gets done at Boise Ecstatic Dance, here you go:
Each night we have a host who is also one of the board of directors. The host is responsible for everything that no one else does. If no one shows up to volunteer, they will take care of it all.
Before the event, the host will purchase some snacks. At some point during setup, they will be arranged into a small buffet for the ongoing nourishment of dancers.
A second board member will set up a welcome table and station themselves at the table to check people in and answer questions.
All of our equipment gets moved from a storage closet that's several hundred feet away from the dance floor with a dolly over 3-4 trips. It takes about 20 minutes to get it all moved.
From there, it's a race to get everything set up in time! We have a 6-speaker sound system that needs to get wired up as soon as possible. For a single experienced volunteer, this will take about 45 minutes from start to finish.
Because we are in a space used by other groups, there is often some cleanup needed - sweeping, vacuuming, rearranging. We also have an outdoor space that needs to be tended to.
While sound is being set up, an altar is being built by 1-3 people. The altar includes blankets and pillows, string lights, lanterns, tea lights, 2 tables and chairs, oracle cards and other decorations. It is a place of peace and is built with intention.
If we have enough volunteers, at the same time tapestries are being hung on the windows and walls (taller people have an advantage here!). Someone grabs the balcony lights box and heads up the elevator to the balcony to set up the motion lights. Someone else plugs in ground lights to illuminate the tapestries and tea lights to decorate the space.
After the dance is over, we pack everything back up into boxes - organized so that it's easy to find everything next week. The sound system gets taken down, and everything gets moved back into storage. For a crew of 4, this will usually take 40 minutes.
As you can see, there's a lot that goes into transforming our space into one that's welcome, recognizable, clean and functional. We can use all the help we can get!
Volunteer roles
Tap a role to see what it involves.
Welcomes those who arrives and answers questions about sign-in. Also checks people in after sign-in. Starts around 7pm when people begin to arrive. Ends when the dance starts!
Builds out the lovely altar space with lights, tapestries, a weekly prompt and soft cushiony things for those requiring respite.
Gets speakers on stands and connects all the cables to the right places.
Hangs tapestries strategically throughout the space, distributes and hangs string and tea lights to create ultimate ambiance.
We dance barefoot in a space that’s a cafeteria by day, so the floor often needs extra love! Help support a pleasant, welcoming dance by vacuuming, sweeping, and spot cleaning or mopping the dance floor prior to (and sometimes during) setup. If able, please arrive by 6:15.