ECSTASIA:

Ancient Mysteries in a Modern World

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Understanding Ecstasia

The world of ritual music and dance is a landscape of tiny mosaic details. The folk rituals of trance found throughout the Mediterranean are not only closely related to one another but also closely related to the traditions of the past. These threads of similarity unite them but their rich individual details provide the cultural backdrop that is unique to each tradition. By bringing together the details and threads of similarity between each of the Mediterranean trance traditions of the present we can gain deeper insight into the traditions of the past and even fill in the missing pieces to make them functional once again; thus linking the world of ritual music and dance in Ariadne’s timeless web of many nations.

The Mysterion Project

The Mysterion project began in 2002, led by cultural dance antiquarian Julia R. Zay. The goal was to reconstruct the ecstatic Mystery Religions of the Roman Empire. Zay's unique understanding of ritual dances in the ancient world combined with nearly two decades of study of the indigenous religions of the ancient Mediterranean peoples and the historic ecstatic cults throughout the Mediterranean have culminated into Ecstasia. Today the Mysterion Project continues to grow as we add more and more to our understanding of ritual music and dance from the heyday of the Roman Empire until now. 2012 begins the ten year anniversary of the Mysterion Project and it is our goal to finally publish our research thus far. We are very excited to finally be able to bring these traditions out of past obscurity and into a new era. If you are interested in joining the Mysterion Project please contact us via our contact page.
About Trance

About Trance...

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The Basics

Trance, Trancing, Transcendental Dance...Trance is short for "transcendental" and it is used here to mean a certain type of spiritual dance that is done in order to let the conscious mind relax away. Trance dancing is a set of simple movements done repetitively over and over again that induce an altered state of consciousness. Trance music is similar; trance music is made by taking a simple repetetive tune or rhythm and repeating it over and over again in a hypnotic fashion. Trance music is played for trance dancers and together musicians and dancers "descend" into an altered state. Even though the body remains active the conscious mind then departs.Trance is found in almost all cultures around the world and it is extremely prevalent in the folk cultures of the Mediterranean. Right now many cultures are experiencing a loss to their trance cultures as the art of creating folk music declines. Every culture has their unique songs and dances that pass from generation to generation but one of the most beautiful aspects of trance is how it allows you to connect to the past. While every trance culture is unique they are all very closely related and feature many similar trappings and traditions.Many people "trance out" without knowing it. It is a natural part of being human. You don't need to study trance formally to do it. Many people learn in their own homes. To get started as a dancer all you need is a safe, unobstructed place to dance and the right music. To get started as a musician you may want to buy a frame drum and then you will have to learn to play and raise your voice. We can help you discover these things. To learn more about Ecstasia style Mediterranean trance please view our other pages and links.
Music

Trance Music

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This page is still under construction. Eventually we will have some sound smples of trance music here for you to enjoy.

Dances

Ritual, Trance & Folk Dances

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Imprinting on the Dance

The most natural way to learn to trance is to immerse yourself in it. The human brain is designed to learn this way; through watching and listening to others and trying to mimic what you see. You may feel clumsy at first but as you experience it, watch it and pattern on it again and again it will become easier and you'll get better.

Resources & Contact Us

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For info on performance dance by Julia R. Zay please visit:

www.roguedanceinnovations.com

And if you are looking for info on choreography copyright or books by Julia R. Zay please visit:

www.rdipublications.com

Enjoy some lovely drum photos by Sarah Thomas of Modern Scribe Photography and Connie Picard.

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