Episode 7: Jessie from Manawa Ecstatic Dance - Movement, Connection & Self-Trust

In this episode of Flipping the Script, I sit down with Jessie — the founder of Manawa Ecstatic Dance — to talk about movement, expression, and what it really means to get out of your head and back into your body.

We dive into what ecstatic dance actually is (beyond the stereotypes), and how spaces like this are creating something many of us are craving right now — real connection, community, and a place to just be.

Jessie shares her journey from traditional party culture into sober, freeform dance… and how following her “fire” led her to build Manawa from the ground up.

We talk about:
 – moving without judgement or performance
 – breaking the belief that you need substances to feel free
 – trusting your ideas and just getting the ball rolling
 – creating something meaningful without needing to “fit the mould”
 – why connection and community matter more than ever

This conversation is about more than dance.
 It’s about expression, self-trust, and doing things your own way.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in your head… this one might just open something.

🎶 Intro & outro music: Flip the Script VIP by Ashez (used with permission, and gratitude)

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Yeah, yeah, bringing it up from the underground.

SPEAKER_02 0:15

Welcome back to Flipping the Script. I'm Jim, your host, and today's episode we go into a conversation with Jessie, who founded Manoa A Static Dance, and she shares her journey, doubts and challenges, her passion for a static dance, what the intention is behind Manoa. We talk a bit about dancing without substances, which is a new thing for both of us over the last couple of years. Overcoming perfectionism, trying and failing, being real and vulnerable, and we talk about as well kindness in the world. So I hope you enjoy this one. Just a side note, I am heading to try out Manuat Aesthetic Dance next Friday, the 17th of March. Sorry, April. So if anyone's keen to check it out, I'll be there. Um yeah, come join me. Let's get into it. Hi Jessie, thank you for joining me today on Flippin' the Script.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

Hi Gemma, thank you for having me here.

SPEAKER_02 1:23

So you are the founder of Manuar Estatic Dance. And for the listeners that don't know what ecstatic dance is, can you please share that with us?

SPEAKER_01 1:35

So ecstatic dance is uh a movement of freeform dance movement that's been happening around the world for quite a some time now. And it actually draws upon the idea that you know it actually originally started with um kind of dancing around drums. So it actually wasn't initially starting with electronic music, it was more like dancing around the drums, very like primal, how humans were used, humans used to gather and really kind of co-regulate within a tribe, and from there we've slowly electronic music got introduced, and um, yeah, now we all dance in around all around the world or in different corners around the world, we are all gathering as humans to really move freely and to really um embody ourselves and to really um explore what this means for individual individually in our whatever journey that we are currently on. That's what I would say. But for me personally, it's really what really brings what lights my fire about ecstatic dance is that you are able to move the way you want in that moment. I feel like we're really conditioned to move in certain way, um, whether it is walking certain way, sitting, or writing, it's only like very, maybe like five or six sets of move movements, maybe a bit more, maybe like ten, what we do throughout the day. And as adults, we're not really exploring different kinds of movements that are very important for us as well, you know. So you being able to move their parts of joints and some sort of a flow that feels really unique for you individually, and exploring that self-expression is has been really, really important aspect of ecstatic dance for me.

SPEAKER_02 3:26

Awesome. How did you get into it? How did you come across it?

SPEAKER_01 3:30

So, funnily enough, my husband and who is German, um, when we were in Berlin, um, I used to live in Berlin for five years, um, he actually brought me to an aesthetic dance in Berlin. And when I first joined, I literally like it changed my whole perspective around partying. I was just like, I've always been a very big um dancer in a way. I grew up dancing and I also um party a lot. I've actually like went to all these different clubs all around the world, it's just been a big aspect of my life, and it always involved um drinking and taking drugs. And whereas when I went to this dance space, I was like, oh my gosh, everybody's sober and they're all dancing like crazy.

SPEAKER_02 4:16

I'm like, like, what are these people actually on?

SPEAKER_01 4:22

Yeah, I was just like, whoa, and I just literally my light bulb just went on and I just went crazy. I was like, wow, and that really blew my mind. So from there I have been well, I haven't really been that into it for a little while. I just kind of delved in a bit here and there, and um about two and a half years ago, yeah, it just really it really made sense for me to do this on a weekly basis. So I started holding space for that.

SPEAKER_02 4:48

Yeah, yeah. Cool. So did you just like how did Manhua specifically start? Did you just like find a space and start putting it out there?

SPEAKER_01 4:59

Um I started doing it with um a woman called Rana. So we collaborated, she's a DJ. I um reached out to a mutual connection who was holding dances in Oriwa in Auckland, and I was like, okay, so I want to hold dances. Do you happen to know anybody that wants to kind of call that with me? And she put me in contact with Rana, and from there, we started just doing monthly dances once a month. Yeah, so I did that for a year with her, and then um we went separate ways, and I found a mana, so I've decided I'm gonna do my own thing. Um, I want this to kind of have a different kind of flair and different kind of co-papa. So, yeah, and from there I just started hiring hauls, just like usual. I actually learned quite a lot doing it with Rana. Um, we did it together, so we hired a whole space. Um, I put the I mean there's a lot of things that I mean, as you know, you know, you have to make a graphic, you have to make an event page, you have to make the humanities page, and then use that to sell tickets. And just from there, I just realized it's actually not that difficult to hold dances and just gather people. So that's what we started doing. And Mana is a great DJ, so that also helped as well. And I gained confidence doing that for a year, and then I was able to um find Manawa.

SPEAKER_02 6:18

Yeah, awesome. And so now you're two years along the track, did you say?

SPEAKER_01 6:24

Well, a year and a half with Manawa and a year with uh before that, so two and a half years. But yeah, with Manoa specifically, it's a year and a half.

SPEAKER_02 6:32

Yeah, and what do Manoa offer now? Are you doing weekly, monthly dances? I know you're doing you you do like day festivals and things like that.

SPEAKER_01 6:43

So we do weekly Friday dances, and the last week of the month we do a Saturday mini festival, so that's a like a longer wellness focused event. So it's about five to six hours long. We do either breath work or yoga, we do 90-minute aesthetic dance, and then we do some sound healing at the end, and after that, we do have Kai and Chai. It's really um more whole-rounded experience, um, and um we will be offering solstice festivals as well. So in June, and it's December, that's a bit of a whole day festival, so we get to gather together to do mini festivals just a bit longer. We have different workshops, and the last one was in December, uh Jan uh sorry, November last year, and it went really well. So we'll be doing it again in June and December again this year.

SPEAKER_02 7:34

Yeah, awesome. What has been the biggest challenge, do you think, starting Manuar?

SPEAKER_01 7:42

I think the biggest challenge for me was believing in myself. That um, because this space attracts quite a lot of spiritual people, and I've practiced, you know, my spirituality is a little bit different in a sense that a lot of people tell me that it's my me showing up in the world very authentically that in a way that has been kind of my guiding practice of spirituality, you know, always kind of choosing what feels right for me or what feels like there's enough fire for me, you know, but just kind of being guided by that. And the fact that you know, like people that are holding this space just didn't really look like me, you know. I was just like, well, do I have to then dress differently? Do I have to talk differently? And then I was like, I have never done that in my life, so I was just like, Well, it's either I have to just show up as myself and see what happens, yeah. And yeah, and then we just keep the rest more like open, and that's what happened. We I kept it very open, and I just showed up as myself and kept holding space, and I realized it's actually you don't have to be a certain person in order to hold a space. You can anybody can do it actually. So yeah, it has been the biggest challenge initially. I was a bit like, oh, should I be doing this? Am I good enough? Am I can I you know pull this off? Like, can I do this by myself? Because initially I thought it was Rana that was bringing a lot of that kind of um momento, but now I realize it's actually a lot of my fire that has been keeping that dance going, and that is actually being happening with Manoa as well. There's a lot of fire and passion and love that come from me that is poured into the space, and that's how this has been kind of the ripple impact has been created. Yeah, I only noticed it afterwards. I I didn't know initially what is happening, right? You just kind of think, okay, I have an idea, I'm gonna execute, do it, believe in myself, and just keep showing up, but you don't actually know what you are in that space until this space has grown, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_02 9:48

Yeah, it does. And it's kind of bringing up a bit for me as well, like, you know, the scripts and the beliefs and the things that we tell outs tell ourselves. Sometimes when we step outside of that and look at what we're creating or building or whatever we're doing and the impact that it's having, and it's like, hang on, this is the evidence in itself that you know my my mission or whatever is coming to a fruition regardless of what I think about myself, you know, and that helps the internal self-worth and validation because you're seeing the evidence. But I mean, even not seeing the evidence, you know, it's hard to s I guess what I'm thinking is it's hard to step outside of ourselves sometimes and look and be objective, hey.

SPEAKER_01 10:43

Yeah, really hard, really hard. And just yeah, and only now I think after it started happening after a year of me holding the space that I real I've noticed and realized what I was doing, really. Yeah, yeah, I just have been really passionate about doing it for a year, like almost weekly. It's a bit crazy, like I'm a little bit crazy about it setting down, so I would say like I don't actually know how I did it. Um, because I did everything by myself, and um, of course there was a DJ, but I had to, you know, make sure everything is working, you know. Like I make sure there's four DJs a month, you know, and I have to like talk to everybody, and I have a really good relationship with everybody, and that's yeah, it's been a pretty interesting experience in that sense. And I've been doing it for a year, and I just went with the fire, like what we spoke about before. It's about really fire, you know, finding the fire and trusting that, and trusting the process and just keep showing up has been really the biggest thing in so far.

SPEAKER_02 11:41

Yeah, yeah, trusting the fire to go back to that. What we were talking about before we jumped on this call, but I am realizing that passion, if you have that towards what you're doing, that goes a long way because you like you said, you've started this and you've been doing it all by yourself. And you if you didn't have that fire or that passion, then you probably might have given up. Who knows?

SPEAKER_01 12:09

Oh, for sure. I mean, it's quite common in a lot of you know projects and you know initiatives that are around us, you know, and yeah, the fire really, really helped me, and I just kept going, and every dance just really made me excited and made me really fired up that I was like, well, this is what I need right now. And I kept showing up, and other people started telling me this is what they need. So I was just like, Oh, well, I guess we all need similar things or same things, and then just the movements started happening, people are very um, yeah. It's just the feedback that started coming in that also kind of started shaping mana as well. Yeah, it's quite interesting with this fire, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:52

Yeah, how do how do you manage to do do you do you have any kind of like creative or working rhythm? Like, how do you manage to do all the things? How do you structure the creative or work process?

SPEAKER_01 13:10

So um, before I started doing weekly dances like a year and a half ago, um I heard the big push internally saying that Jesse, you really need to be organized now. There's just a lot of events. I have two little children, there's just a lot of things to manage. Yeah. So what came up internally, I didn't particularly read anything or did a course or anything. I literally just went inwards and I was like, okay, what do I need to do in order to be organized? And um, I realized that I need to do quarterly planning. So I quarterly plan all my events because you know there's just so many, you know. Um like I will be probably planning about 20 per quarter. So then um, because now I have also different kinds of events that are happening with Mana. Um, so then I do yeah, Q1 planning, which is now almost done. So I'm about to next week, I'm about to work on my quarter two planning, and then I just pump out all the events on the website as well as on Facebook, and I start um, and I will start implementing this time for the first time um using Metrical, which is like a social media um planning tool, and then I'll start putting some social media posts as well, so I don't have to consistently go there like on the Monday, you know. I need to post for socials, but yeah, so I'll have to do that quarterly, and um I'm just kind of making the process 10% better each time.

SPEAKER_02 14:39

Yeah, awesome.

SPEAKER_01 14:40

Don't don't think too much that you have to do everything right. No, it's just more like let's just keep the ball going. The most important thing for me was get the ball rolling, you know, like consistently get the ball rolling, don't get stuck, stuck, like stopped by a mistake or something that could have been better. And you can know you we dwell on that a bit, you know. We're like, oh, you know, that didn't work, maybe I should have no. I'm just like, no, there's actually absolutely no time to think about this shit. So we just have to get things moving. So I just that was my priority and just kept things going, you know. And um, yes, the quarterly planning and um weekly. I obviously, um, if you now look at more weekly, we we I post on social media a lot. Um, social media is very active right now. Um and um I also then check in with my DJs and see how everything is, think about the volunteers because before I was doing it by myself, but I um expanded and we moved to a new location, and that location requires a lot more help because it's eager and the speakers are not already up, so we have to set everything up, even though our storage is there. So you make sure that the DJ is happy, the volunteers are ready, and yeah. The dance happens on Friday, which is tomorrow. So everything is set up now, and we're on tomorrow. So, yeah, that will be the flow, and yeah, and then everything just flows, and every week by week, this is what happens. And I have to add that I actually have um business partners now, so I have a couple of people that are helping run um Manala really seriously, which it's a beautiful thing, but also a little bit funny thing because we don't make a lot of money. This is really a community work, you know. Like we do it out of love, we do it out of passion and out of belief that this will make the world a better place. So, my uh partner Blaise, as well as Pierre, who is helping more logistically and the background stuff, um, they're both helping me out. Blaise is a no well-known DJ in the wellness industry, and um as well as in party industry. He was at Shipwrecked as well. He goes to all the festivals, same as Pierre, they're both a lot of the festivals. I'm not really going to a lot of festivals, but they are usually the ones that are um really helping out in this sense. And yeah, it's really beautiful. It's really like we're all getting together and the volunteers as well. We're just all like trying to get this going because we just love it, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_02 17:09

So it's really beautiful to see, yeah. Oh, awesome. It sounds like it's a real, you know, collaboration, like you're the founder, but everyone's really pitching in for the kind of greater mission. Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, yeah, love that. And just want to touch back on something that you said because I think it's super important, and I know it's been an issue for me, and that is I love how you said you've just got to get like the ball rolling, because I find for myself and other people I talk to, you know, procrastination is uh such a thing, and we can think of ideas and plan things till the cows come home, but sometimes we've just gotta do it, even if we're not a hundred percent ready, even if it's not a hundred percent perfect, because it probably never will be. Um, but yeah, like you said, just just do it. Stop worrying about all the rest of the shit, just put it out there and it'll figure itself out.

SPEAKER_01 18:17

Yeah, so that's really, really important. And that's kind of how I work. It just help helps me with neurodivergence as well. How I you kind of get distracted along the way. So what I do is I just put the event out there, yeah. And once it's dead, you have to do it. Then it's grandma, like people are gathering and the tickets are selling, so you kind of have to show up, don't you? Oh shit, we better organize this now. So you put yourself in a situation that you have to show up. That has been really something that's been helpful for me. Yeah, say I have always been quite a bit of a doer, so I've done I've trialed and errored probably like a 50 different things in my life, you know. Like it's just constantly doing things and trying and trying what works, what feels right, and but yeah, number one thing for me is get it, get on with it and don't worry about making it perfect. It's like perfection is holding back so much beauty in this world, it is so much love in this world. Can you just imagine that idea of perfection is holding love and beauty back from humans expressing ourselves in the most beautiful way? We as humans are meant to be creators, yeah, and we cannot create because we are like, oh no, what would other people think about what I'm doing? How would that how would that turn out? All these things. What if it doesn't work? It will all work out at the end of the day. If you put enough energy into it, right?

SPEAKER_02 19:43

Yeah. And if it doesn't work out, it's a good lesson. You did it, you got the experience, and you'll just retweak the next time. I think that's like so important as well. What you said, you know, you've tried so many things, like people see something that's going relatively well, like Manoa static dance, and they probably think that you just woke up one day and you're like, off I go into the sunset, but it hasn't like they haven't seen the 50 other things that you've tried to do.

SPEAKER_01 20:17

It's crazy, yeah. Like I've tried everything, it just but I yeah, you're right. Like, people are like quite surprised, and that's why I openly talk about my struggles because they look at me and they're like, Oh no, Jessie's got her stuff together, she's like doing this, and she's da-da-da. And I'm like, it's not true, like this is not uh an easy thing for me to do, and I still you know struggle, but I will show up and I will keep trying different things, and yeah, it's because of different things that I've tried and errored that this is working, and yeah, and also there's fire, yeah. So just it's that's a good combination, eh? Yeah, it's like okay, let's go.

SPEAKER_02 20:59

Yeah, and that's what I uh love about you, and I think what we connected on in the beginning is that we both were quite similar and just giving things a go, and then also in the vulnerability of being honest, you know, I the first conversations that we had in health coach training. I think it's really important that people don't play out, you know, that everything's sunshine and roses, and they've got all their shit together because like nobody does, and then that's just making people feel inadequate or whatever, you know.

SPEAKER_01 21:36

Even more lonely and more um separated, yeah. Separate from each other, and it's that we are failing, and I have had that as well, but it's actually not true. Yeah. We're all struggling, we're all doing our best. Like if you're you know, currently the world feels like it's uh you know, there's a lot of bad people out there, right? I have traveled to 52 plus countries, 50 plus countries. I've met so many kind people that have helped me along the way. This one person that's a bit lost, you know, doing her thing. The kindness that I've received from overseas here in my family, it's we're all very kind, you know, and we're all doing our best. And yeah, it's just like we just have to believe that, you know, we're all doing our best, we're all struggling, but we're doing our best. And we're just showing up, and we really need to be more open with each other, share our journey so that we feel more connected, the web or the re the tapestry feels a bit more tighter, you know? Yeah. We feel held. And then from there, you can we can continuously doing what we can, you know, doing a little bit of good here and there within our community, within our quarter.

SPEAKER_02 22:56

Yeah, exactly. And like supporting each other and lifting each other up and not thinking that we're better than anybody else.

SPEAKER_01 23:05

No, and that is a way of um, you know, big corporations and the leaders trying to or the 1% of wealth, wealthy people trying to separate us. Yeah, you know, you divide and conquer. It's the same concept, it's it's still happening, you know, and we us individually believing in that and not sharing and not being vulnerable and not being open is gonna is exactly playing the game that they want you to play.

SPEAKER_02 23:34

Yeah, it's kind of hitting us into the place that we're hitting, really.

SPEAKER_01 23:38

Exactly. And we now is a time that we really need to open up and stay connected and keep prioritizing connection, keep prioritizing community, and keep prioritizing ourselves and each other, you know. That's really, really important.

SPEAKER_02 23:53

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Love that. Um, so how do you look after yourself with all these things going on? I mean, you mentioned that you're a mum, so you know, that in itself is a full-time job.

SPEAKER_01 24:06

Yeah, I have two children, seven and three, so we're quite young. Um, how do I look after myself? Well, I dance a lot, so dancing itself is helping me regulate myself, and um, I dance probably in an event once or twice a week. Um, I socialize a lot, and when I do socialize, because it's quite limited time that I get to socialize, it's a very enriching experience. I'm only surrounded by people that are very vulnerable, that are very um real. So the connection is very rich, if that makes sense. Yes, and that's really, really important for me. And also, I have a very good partner, so that also is help helping with you know taking care of myself because he sees that I am not taking care, and then he'll be like, Okay, Danny will be like, Okay, Jesse, you're gonna need to, you know, calm down a bit, journal a bit. You know, that helps a lot. Like, I do journal, I meditate, um, I dance, I connect. Yeah, I think these are the four pillars that I have been working on.

SPEAKER_02 25:10

Yeah, awesome, love it. What are you feeling into like what's alive for you right now? Maybe it's in the Manoa space or it's um in you know your own life.

SPEAKER_01 25:27

Um, well, Manoa's now expanding a bit towards connections because um we have been getting a bit of feedback that this is what they've been feeling, so it's very interesting. The um the name came to me from a friend, um, the word mana and the spirit of the heart, right? It's that's what it means, and yeah, and initially um I thought it was only about ecstatic dance, but interestingly, it ended up being mana ecstatic dance, and what has helped a lot with having this very strong name and brand behind it is that it's not a normal aesthetic dance. Like I have been to some ecstatic dance spaces where it just really feels more like a dance practice, but this feels a bit more close and personal, if that makes sense. Like people feel really close and held, and really community is very um an important aspect of mana space, and I'm very um yeah, I'm very interested in working more towards that direction of you know, holding that community space like and growing it stronger through connection events, some pop-up events and um ecstatic dance. So using different kinds of in the festival, really it's all about like using these um events as a medium for us to well as a space for us as a community all around Auckland, even all of North Island. Actually, a lot of people come from different areas of um North Island that we feel like we belong here. Yeah, it's a community space. There is a space for us to feel safe, you'll uh for us to explore um expression, whether it's through dance, through words, through connection um workshops, you know, so in different ways. Really focusing more on connection and community.

SPEAKER_02 27:22

Yeah, yeah. So, what would you be your like ultimate vision for it, say in two years' time, what would it look like?

SPEAKER_01 27:32

I think I would be quite happily doing what I'm doing right now, you know, more like the dances and the connection event. I I don't see it being too different, but um what I see it is um manawa is a really well what I see manow being is like I'm trying to introduce Manoa to more mainstream people. So quite a lot of spiritual spaces in you know in the world, not even not it's not just exclusively to New Zealand. It's in the world is you know, they don't want to be on social media, they don't want to be, you know, they don't want to kind of organize these things more publicly because you know it'll attract the wrong kind of energy and so forth. Whereas I want Manawa to be a gateway for people, gate, well, gate gateway for people to enter, yeah, and be like, okay, just be curious, be like, okay, this seems like something that I may be able to handle. It doesn't seem too crazy. Yeah. Come into the space, it's like a really good vibes, and and really being in your body, and slowly you realize, oh, actually, I really love being in tune with myself and exploring a bit more of like my spirit self, you know, because you notice when you start dancing a lot that you are a spiritual being. Yeah, and from there, I would like for people to really explore different kinds of modalities because there is so much that can help you in this world. Yeah, right. There's so many ways they can help you with enlightenment, contentment, or the really true joy. So I hope that Manawa will be a gateway so that people can start exploring different things. So maybe there's a chance for us to be offering you know different kinds of um healing modalities where people will be more a bit more open to you know trying something because it's um it's a bit like trustworthy brand, you know, like okay, if I go to Manawa event, this is kind of the feeling that I get.

SPEAKER_02 29:27

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:28

So that I can trust that if there is something like a meditation something event on, then I I I believe this will be good, so I will go. So in that direction, if that makes sense to you.

SPEAKER_02 29:41

So no, it does. And I love that dream, you do want to capture more of the mainstream crowd, and hopefully they'll have a similar experience to you, you know, go along to an event, be like, oh, this isn't too woo-woo or whatever, and be like, oh, people can dance without substances. Look at us go, yeah. You know, we don't have to only dance, you know, every couple of months at a concert when we've, you know, been drinking all night and spent $300 kind of thing, you know. This is accessible for all of us, and um static dance isn't necessarily only for the hippie kind of people that yeah, break down some of those yeah, break down some of those stereotypes.

SPEAKER_01 30:36

The stereotypes are pretty much like you know, we have a natural filter, let's put it this way. Because it's a sober dance, we don't get a lot of crazy people because you know they they will wouldn't come to this space, you know. Not crazy, like that sounds a bit judgmental, but what I mean by crazy is like people that are like, for example, they will come to the space to, for example, because there's a lot of women in this space normally, even though my space is quite balanced to comparison to other dances. We're about 60-40 usually, 60 women and 40 men. But you know, you sometimes you can think that some men come to kind of you know meet some women and try to, but you don't have that in this space because we're all sober. Then people are like, What is this thing, you know? And we've had some people that you know were a little intoxicated and they came and I had to, you know, tell them no, this is not what we do, but it's very rare, so yeah. But the stereotypes are usually, yeah, it's very voo. You know, what is this uh dancing without any substance? Like, that is a really a big barrier for a lot of people. I realize that. So crazy. I've told so many people about aesthetic dance that I need, like I talk to anybody and everybody that I need about this because I'm like, not because I don't want it, doesn't have to be about mana, right? Like, I'm even talking in spaces in manoa space, go try a different dance, yeah. Try a different freeform dance, you know. It's a free form dance without substance, right? That you know, this is such a free experience for a human body when with the spirit, you know, to experience that. I'm like, go and experience that, you know. Try if Manawa is not for you, try something else, you know. But really, that is the biggest stereotype is that like substance-free, you know, you can't move when you don't have substance inside, like have a glass of wine, and yeah, and I'm I'm like, I yeah, I for me, I'm breaking that stereotype by making it more accessible, and so far it has really worked. Um, the social media um presence is really helping. People are, and that's another thing about spiritual communities that they don't want to be on social media, right? But I'm like, well, I don't particularly like to be on social media either. I don't think if you talk to anybody that's on social media, I don't think there is like that many people that would say, I really love being on social media. No, we all have our struggles and we show up, yeah. And on social media, what's been really helping is people see what we're doing and they're like, oh, like I see that there is a dance, and these people look like this, you know, all kind of body types, and you know, people think that you have to be thin, you have to be like you have to wear your tight yoga coat. You can just wear whatever is comfortable for you, right? And you can just rock up, and people can see that they're like, Oh, yeah, it's a pretty relaxed environment, people don't look crazy, you know.

SPEAKER_02 33:29

Yeah, yeah, like you don't have to have a specific hemp kind of outfit or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 33:36

Everybody just wears, like I literally wear my gym gear all the time, like you know. Yeah, I don't have any other clothes that I wear, you know. Yeah, I'm not gonna go and buy specific clothes for this dogs, you know. I just rock up in my clothes and I just dance, and I feel like that's been really helpful. And the fact that um mini festival is also helping because there's a bit of an element of yoga and breath work, so there's definitely an interest with this spiritual work that we're doing, like um even sound healing. You know, I feel like those are the areas that people are still okay with, yeah. Oh, yeah, like I know what that is, I'll go and check it out because I understand that and that, but I don't understand the dance, but that's okay, you know? Yeah, and that's just and people come, and I can tell you 90 almost 99% of the time people love it.

SPEAKER_02 34:26

Yeah, I be it. And then they're like, Whoa, this is amazing. Who needs a club, you know? Exactly. Exactly. I mean, it's such a I mean, I only over the last year or so, I must admit, have I come to the conclusion that you can dance without substances, but um, you know, it's such a freeing experience, and even hearing you talk about it like you don't need to be dressed a certain way, like that's so freeing, you know. You don't have to be, look, do anything, you can just be you and come. Yeah, how awesome is that?

SPEAKER_01 35:04

Like, and it's really beautiful how you put it, you know, like just be you. You have this space that's safe for two, three hours where I will guard this space with all my heart, yeah. You will be safe. And you know, what hasn't really also helped is like I just show up very authentically, I just dance like crazy every dance, you know. It's because I just love it, and it's not like I'm showing certain way to no, I'm I just love dancing and moving, and I feel like people have started noticing, like, oh, actually, like you can also do that, and you can also do this, like you know, like Jesse is showing that you can be wild and be crazy, and there are people that are just sitting down and enjoying the music. Like, come on, like we can have this variety of experience in the same space, and this also it goes back to you know, all these control that we've been instilled in ourselves, you know, in a school environment, this is really a big thing. We all have to sit down and do the same thing. Like this this is not how um this is not healthy, you know. We we need to really be more like respectful of differences, the different experiences we are having, you know, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 36:19

Yeah, and and it's respectful of free uh of authentic expression, you know. Like I know for myself, you know, you kind of ease into these um sober dances and you feel very self-conscious, and then you know, it just takes one person to just kind of do something I don't want to say crazy, but you know, just be themselves and not give a shit, and then everybody else follows suit. Hey.

SPEAKER_01 36:49

Yeah, and I think that's what's what's been happening here, and well, it's been happening, you know, with aesthetic dance spaces, you know, there's been aesthetic dances here before Mano, of course, like many, many years. Um, but I feel like it's yeah, yeah, that's definitely like what people have been exploring for the past years that's been going on. And I'm just a little small part that's trying to bring in more mainstream people. That's been the biggest focus for me is bring more people into the dance and let people experience what we're doing because this is what we need to do more in the world right now. We need to embody ourselves. We're all just stuck in the head. Yes, we think that we head, head, head, our head will save this world. It won't. Yeah, head is not gonna save this world, you know. The whole union will, yeah, head, heart, and the body, you know, and the spirit, and just noticing that will save the world. Yeah, love that. We can do that by embodiment, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:50

Love that, love that, and yeah, connection, it it is like you said, really key piece as well. And we are, you know, more more unified, I think is the word, if we're a collective of people.

SPEAKER_01 38:07

Yeah, absolutely, and sharing that experience, like I can't I can't really explain to you how special it is to get to know people through dancing.

SPEAKER_02 38:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:19

Because we are like, I've only started introducing the connection element like not long ago, maybe like minifestivals are going for a little while, because mini festival at then we connect. Yeah, and before that it was purely just dance, right? We dance for 90 minutes and then we go. Yeah, like we chat a little bit, but you know, chit-chatting for 15 minutes is not gonna do much, right? Yeah, and then you really get to know people through dancing, through their body movement, through how they show up, you know, on the dance floor, and how safe that makes you feel to really just be vulnerable with this person almost the minute, like the next time you will have a proper chat, you will have a really deep connection because you've already stripped off all these layers, yeah. And then like you just said, fuck it, like I'm just gonna move my body, and now you can be like, okay, I see you, and you see me, and we're all in this space together, and when we connect verbally, it's gonna be also that level, and it's it's really, really beautiful to experience that with the people that I met. Like almost, I'll say we've had probably like three, if not 400 people come in and out, you know, and it's it's just so beautiful to experience that, you know, get to know one another through dancing. Awesome.

SPEAKER_02 39:37

Love it, love your work, love your energy that you're putting into this. I can't wait to finally get along. Um what quickly, what's while it's in my head, um, what's some details where people can find you?

SPEAKER_01 39:56

So you can check out our website, it's www.manoa.1 or our Instagram page, Manoa Ecetic Dance, or you can just Google Ecetic Dance Auckland or Ecestic Dance New Zealand. Ours is the first page. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 40:11

And you guys are just Auckland based at the moment. Any kind of uh is it central?

SPEAKER_01 40:18

Um, it's in Alice Lee, so it's not quite central, so it's a little bit more south. Um I'd say.

SPEAKER_00 40:24

Central South.

SPEAKER_01 40:25

Yes. We do so the day fest, the whole day festivals, the solstice festivals. I gotta be in Pija. So beautiful. What a lovely spiritual location. Yeah, it's beautiful space. Really love it. It's called Urbanet Hall, so it's a little bit further down. You have to just drive a little bit further towards the beach, yeah, and then you'll see it. Um, and um what else? Um yeah, so December Festival, I don't quite I don't know where it will be, but yeah, it's just all around Auckland basically. You will be traveling anytime soon, yeah. Yeah, it's just I can't manage that with you no fair enough.

SPEAKER_02 41:04

Fair enough. Um, so I've got I like to leave with one last question for for my guests, and that is what's one script you've had to flip that you've been taught or you've picked up along the way on this journey?

SPEAKER_01 41:22

In one way, oh I think it's just like believing in myself, you know, like trusting that I can do it. Yeah. You know, trusting that um this can work out, trusting the fire. And I guess I've been told, maybe not explicitly, but by even observing how other adults are moving through their life as a young child, it just seemed like it was impossible to break that pattern that only big corporations, the big dogs, win, you know, the big dogs get to do things. But it's actually um not true. Anybody that has enough fire and passion can start anything, and that that energy you emit out there will attract certain kind of people, and that people will be your tribe, and you will be able to grow whatever you're doing because you will start attracting people that are living the same thing.

SPEAKER_02 42:16

Yeah, yeah. Love that. Oh cool. Thank you so much for joining me today, and we will chat again soon. Thank you for having me, Joanna. Thanks so much for listening. I'd love to know what landed for you in this conversation. And if you enjoyed this episode and think someone else might resonate with it, please do share. And if you're not following or subscribed, please do uh to not miss out on future conversations. You can find me at with gem underscore on Insta. Thanks so much for listening. See you next time.

SPEAKER_00 43:05

Bringing it up from the underground.