Writer: Jonah Dworkin
Photos: Jonah Dworkin

On February 11th, Zachary Lundberg and his staff put together the most recent of their monthly endeavors to create community through sober, free-form dance based events. Held at the Ritmo Room in Albany from one until six in the afternoon, the event space hosts other dance events throughout the month by different organizers. This event is held monthly, every second Sunday for any interested in attending. There is also a monthly event by the organizers in Williamsburg, Massachusetts.

In addition to a focus on dance, this event really managed to access a variety of arts and experiences from the local community. The space included a dance floor, where participants were encouraged to focus on expression without speech. This meant asking for consent to dance with someone through nonverbal means, as well as respecting any answer given. The adjoining room had a circle of couches, several vendors, and multiple live painters at work. In this room, conversation was encouraged as a community building activity. 

The event began with contact improv which involved participation from all attendees. This was a kind of body movement or exercise that often required a partner or a group. Participants were encouraged to interact with and meet people they may not have arrived with. The focus of this activity was to improve platonic and community based intimacy in a safe, sober setting. The organizer explained how he saw a need for this kind of safe socializing as it is lacking in our alcohol and bar focused culture. By providing a daytime sober space with a focus on consent, Mr. Lundberg hopes to allow free comfortable self expression in a setting where community members can get to know each other. 

Following this fun and often funny group activity to break the ice, we all participated in a cacao drinking ceremony. This involved a brewed chocolate drink meant to provide a gentle medicinal high as well as a healing tonic for the body. By accessing safe and sacred plant medicines, this ceremony sought to provide an alternate to the drug and alcohol focused music events many of us are used to seeing. We drank the health tonic as a group in a large circle, setting a positive intention on the medicine we consumed. This had a nice community feel to it, and was quite calming and relaxing. 

The majority of the event had DJs playing music in the dancing room while attendees interacted in the conversation room. Vendors had a wide variety of art on sale, from taxidermy oddities to jewelry and paintings. A local vendor was selling high quality chocolate, incense, and other healing focused goods. Live painters created incredible works during the event, and were always happy to interact with and talk to attendees. All those working at and for the event were incredible welcoming and friendly, as a first time attendee. 

To conclude the event, participants were treated to a sound healing including calming music and live singing. Another truly calming activity with a community feel to it, this sound healing was a perfect conclusion to a day of ecstatic dancing. Participants were able to release any energy they had built up during the course of the event and leave with a relaxed nervous system.

The organizer remained involved and accessible throughout the event, making sure that all could feel part of the community. Overall this event offered so much in the way of experience and socializing, and was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For any seeking out a different kind of socializing, trying to avoid drug and alcohol culture, or just interested in dancing freely, this event is for you.

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