Alexia (Alchemy In Motion)

Alexia leads ecstatic dance, a form of free movement where you dance however you like, with no steps to learn and no one to copy. Her session blends a few elements together: intention setting to begin, vocal activations, EFT tapping, meditation and sound.

She runs an ecstatic dance session. If the phrase sounds intimidating, it is worth knowing that the whole point is that there is no right way to do it.

What ecstatic dance is

Ecstatic dance is unchoreographed movement to music. You are not taught steps and you are not performing. You simply move in whatever way your body wants to, and the facilitator guides the arc of the session so you can let go of the planning part. Many people find that once they stop trying to dance “properly”, they relax into it.

The other elements Alexia weaves in

Alongside the movement, Alexia includes intention setting at the start, so you begin with a sense of why you are there. She also brings in vocal activations, EFT tapping (a technique of tapping gently on points of the body), meditation and sound. Together these give the session more shape than a dance alone, with quieter moments to balance the movement.

Who it suits

This suits people who want to move freely and shake off a bit of stress, and who like the idea of doing that in a space where no one is judging how they look. You do not need to be able to dance and you do not need any experience with any of the elements involved. You are welcome to keep things low-key and join in as much or as little as feels right.

Something to try this week

Try setting a small intention before you do something ordinary this week. Before a walk, a task or even the washing up, pause for one breath and name to yourself what you want from the next few minutes, whether that is to feel calmer, more present or simply less rushed. It takes seconds, and it is the same first step Alexia opens her sessions with.