THE LAUNCH OF ECSTATIC DANCE DERBY 

We are so excited to be bringing Ecstatic Dance to Derby! This is the very first Ecstatic Dance Derby journey, creating a new space in Derby for movement, connection, freedom and self-expression.

If you’ve never experienced Ecstatic Dance before, this is a beautiful place to begin. And if you already know and love it, come and help us create the energy of this new dance community from the very beginning. 

You are invited to join a powerful dance journey designed to awaken your energy, shake out stress and reconnect you to your body’s wisdom.  No judgement. No choreography. Just a safe, welcoming space to move exactly as you feel.

✨ What is Ecstatic Dance?

It’s a freeform, barefoot, sober dance journey where you’re invited to move exactly as you feel  — no steps, no performance, no judgement, no pressure to be anything other than yourself.

In Ecstatic Dance, we explore movement as a form of healing.

• You might feel joyful and expansive
• You might move through frustration, sadness, resistance, or release
• You might find yourself flowing, shaking, stretching, or resting
• You might move through many different emotions during the same dance.

Everything is welcome. There is no right or wrong way to dance.

✨ What to Expect

• A grounding opening meditation
• A journey through various styles of music danced as a wave of energies for example: slow and spacious, flowing, building into tribal rhythms, electronic and ecstatic peaks, then settling back down into deep calm.
• We dance with wireless headphones for a fully immersive journey.
• A safe, drug and alcohol free, barefoot space
• Move, play, shake, stretch, rest, express, release, connect, transform

✨ Schedule 

6.45 - 7 pm Arrive, get your headphones, settle into the space.

7 - 7.30 pm Welcome and opening meditation.

7.30 - 8.45 pm Ecstatic Dance Journey - the music builds like a wave — rising, intensifying, softening — supporting you to move through layers of energy and emotion.

8.45 - 9.15 pm - Relaxing and closing circle (no pressure to say or do anything in the closing circle)

✨ Guidelines 

The following guidelines help ensure we keep the space safe and supportive for all:

• No talking on the dance floor - helps us stay present in our dance.
• Barefoot dancing - this is encouraged to ground. Socks can be worn.
• Sober space – no alcohol or drugs.
• Mobile phones on silent and away - this is screen free time! No photos or filming is permitted during the dance.
• You do you – All movement welcome - big, small, wild, still, eyes open or closed.  All should respect themselves and others’ expressions through dance without judgment.

✨ Venue and Practicalities 

ADDRESS: Darley Abbey Village Hall, Abbey Yard, Darley Abbey, Derby DE22 1DS

PARKING: There is free car parking at the hall and in the village and there are a number of regular bus services. 

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU:

• Comfortable layered clothing (it can get chilly when we relax at the end)
• Water bottle
• Glasses + headphones + dancing are sometimes not the best of friends!  If you wear contact lenses, they might be more comfortable for you
• Curiosity, openness, and your beautiful self

✨How to stay connected with the Ecstatic Dance Derby community ✨

This is the launch of Ecstatic Dance Derby, a new sister community to Ecstatic Dance Matlock, which started in January 2026.

The Derby community has its own WhatsApp group for updates, on-the-day information, post-dance playlists and connection:

• If you’d like to join the Ecstatic Dance Derby WhatsApp community group click here: Join via WhatsApp

You can also follow the social pages, where updates about both communities will be shared:

• Follow on Instagram @ecstaticdancematlock 
• Follow on Facebook @ecstaticdancematlock

We can't wait to welcome you!