Intention, Story & Policies of Above the Ground

Above the Ground™ was founded in 2023 with our first event under the name on January 20th 2024. It sold out fast! 

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Above the Ground was born from a deep calling — to create a sanctuary where rhythm meets reverence, where dance becomes a language of healing, and where community rises together in joy, vulnerability, and transformation. This is not just an event — it’s an intentional, alchohol free dance temple designed for connection, catharsis, and celebration. With live DJs, immersive soundscapes, cacao ceremony, sound baths, and sensory-rich environments, every detail is crafted to awaken the body and soul. Here, dance is a meditation, a medicine, and a homecoming. We can feel ecstasy, the ecstatic state of being, through sound, music, dance, acceptance, expression and connection. Whether you’re moving through happiness, grief, trauma, or revelation — this is your space to be witnessed, to be wild, to be free, and to feel what it means to be fully alive, Above the Ground.

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The heartbeat of this gathering is rooted in a powerful personal journey since 2022. After decades as a dancer, athlete, DJ, community builder, wellness enthusiast, and somatic healer, my world was turned upside down by a sudden and severe spinal condition that brought me to the edge of mobility — and mortality. What followed was uncertainty, and a rare, high-risk spine surgery, that left me with a partial titanium spine and long healing — relearning how to walk, move, breathe while battling unimaginable pain and a body that had once moved with wild abandon. Through it all, I held a vision — while stuck in a hospital bed for months, with mantra and Mala beads in hand for pain, staring at the ceiling fan above me, of the music I longed to play and dance to, of the community I missed so deeply, that held me so lovingly, yearning for the return of all the magical creations in 2022 and 2023. And from that vision and support, a sacred intention was born beyond my prior productions for our Ecstatic Dance SLO™ community: to be of service and build a beautiful, larger, soul-centered experience where our community could come to dance, heal, and remember what truly matters. 

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Above the Ground is that vision realized — a living altar to movement, to community care, and to our fierce tenderness of the human experience and rhythms of life. This gathering is more than a party or a dance floor — it is a co-created ceremonial space where art, sound, various offerings, and movement converge to nourish every sense. We come together not for performance, but for presence. Not to escape, but to return — to ourselves, to each other, and to the power of love in motion. Our space creators believe in building and offering our gifts from the heart, never from the profit margin. We give. We create. We act in service of our community. We trust that when we gather in authenticity, service and purpose, the universe naturally provides.

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So come as you are. Come raw, radiant, cracked open, timid or whole. Come dance your joy, your pain, your story. Here, you are held. Here, you are witnessed. And here, while we are still Above the Ground, we celebrate the miracle of life — one beat, one breath, one sacred step at a time.

About our Event Organizers:
Above the Ground is a collective of likeminded people, dancers, community creators, space holders, and volunteers who adore dancing, wellness, art, creating magical community offerings, respectful and safe containers, and share a common thread of being of service for the greater good of humanity — rising tides together.  

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We  Welcome  All

All people
All races
All religions
All genders & identities
All shapes & sizes
All sexual orientations
All abilities & disabilities
All languages
All ages
We stand with you
You are safe here
We are all one.


Event  Policies 
 

• Alcohol free event. Become naturally intoxicated through movement, music and human connection.

• No phones on the dance floor. 

• No talking on the inner dance floor. Sounds & howling expressions are welcomed.

• We recommend no shoes on the dance floor.

• Simply be yourself. Don't spiritually bypass yourself. This is your time and your space.

• No judgement. Dance how you want. Respect each other. 

• Be consensual, non-predatory. Co-create a non-pressure, safe and respectful environment.  
  
  Failure to follow event policies may result in removal from the event without refund and banned from future events.