Providence Ecstatic Dance DJ

Last Friday Night I was Providence Ecstatic Dance DJ for the first time and had a great time! I have been there once before and was looking forward to the opportunity to share my rhythm and beats with the Providence Ecstatic Dance Community.

Providence Ecstatic Dance DJ and Ecstatic Dance Guidelines

Ecstatic Dance Guidelines are taken from the Ecstatic Dance Community Page.  They are drawn up by the Ecstatic Dance Community as a whole and its origins in Hawaii and the Bay Area. I was first introduced to Ecstatic Dance in Oakland in 2009 and was blown away by the energy and excitement in the community.

1.  Move however you wish

2.  No talking on the dance floor

3.  Respect yourself and one another

Ecstatic Dance is a Drug & Alcohol Free Space

Please also refrain from photos, video, and shoes & scents.

 

Many people dance in their own space, and others share their space with another.
To engage in a dance with someone, use sensitivity:  Are they open to sharing their space with me?  Mirror movements, offer a hand, brush by, make eye contact, and see & feel how they respond…

Providence Ecstatic Dance DJ - Rhode Island Wedding DJ

If you’d rather not dance with someone, or are ending a dance with someone,

simply thank them by placing your hands in prayer at your heart.

Namaste… Thank You.

“My Spirit Recognizes Yours”

Providence Ecstatic Dance DJ - Rhode Island Wedding DJ

Ecstatic Dance is

what you make of it…

a freeform movement space where:
dance expands
spirit activates
boundaries melt
boredom ceases
creativity breaks out
hope happens
beauty flows
communities collaborate
ritual is reinvented
harmony resonates
The beat deepens
as an electronic tapestry
of world rhythms
weave us together
as individuals
within a greater family.

For me, Ecstatic Dance reminds me of Barefoot Boogie in NYC where I was DJ and Coordinator of DJs and Teachers for several years till I moved here to Providence. The freestyle dance community is aligned with many incredible dancers and individuals.

Hope to see you there next month!

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ

Ask about my Rhode Island Wedding DJ & Rhode Island Party DJ Guarantee!

 

 

 

Fun DJ Night at Barefoot Boogie

Saturday Night we had a fun night of music and dancing at Barefoot Boogie NYC. I do not always get to play music to such a diverse and creative group of dancers. Also, several good, old friends were present as an additional treat for me.

What is The Barefoot Boogie?

The Barefoot Boogie is a freestyle dance which happens twice a month in New York City. We offer a relaxed, smoke- and alcohol-free environment where folks can freely express themselves in movement.

If you’ve enjoyed any kind of conscious dance, ecstatic dance, 5 Rhythms, JourneyDance, contact improvisation, or any other kind of freeform dance, you’ll enjoy the Barefoot Boogie.

People of all ages, families and kids are welcome. Come alone or bring your friends. You’ll find folks at the dance moving solo, with partners, and/or in groups. Dress as you wish, but please leave your street shoes at the door before hitting the dance floor. The Barefoot Boogie is a not-for-profit, cooperative and volunteer-run venture.

Fun DJ Mystical Michael at Barefoot Boogie - Rhode Island DJ and New York  DJ

What Kinds of Music is Played at The Barefoot Boogie?

From our pool of talented DJs, two spin each dance. Each of our DJs has his or her own distinctive style, but one thing you can rely on is that at every Boogie you’ll hear a wide variety of music: R&B, World, Funk, Tribal, Hip Hop, Ambient, Reggae, House, African, Electronica, Disco, Rock, Techno, Drum & Bass, etc.

All professional DJs enjoy the opportunity to volunteer for such a fantastic community of dancers. Fun night at Barefoot Boogie, so grateful.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ

973.908.8147

DJ Mystical Michael at Barefoot Boogie 5/25!

Saturday Night I will make my return to DJ at Barefoot Boogie in NYC! Barefoot Boogie is one of my favorite events to volunteer as DJ. I have been fully booked and not available to DJ there and think February was my last set there, too long and I miss it.

What is The Barefoot Boogie?

The Barefoot Boogie is a freestyle dance which happens twice a month in New York City. We offer a relaxed, smoke- and alcohol-free environment where folks can freely express themselves in movement.

If you’ve enjoyed any kind of conscious dance, ecstatic dance, 5 Rhythms, JourneyDance, contact improvisation, or any other kind of freeform dance, you’ll enjoy the Barefoot Boogie.

People of all ages, families and kids are welcome. Come alone or bring your friends. You’ll find folks at the dance moving solo, with partners, and/or in groups. Dress as you wish, but please leave your street shoes at the door before hitting the dance floor. The Barefoot Boogie is a not-for-profit, cooperative and volunteer-run venture.

DJ Mystical Michael at Barefoot Boogie - Rhode Island DJ and New York  DJ

What Kinds of Music is Played at The Barefoot Boogie?

From our pool of talented DJs, two spin each dance. Each of our DJs has his or her own distinctive style, but one thing you can rely on is that at every Boogie you’ll hear a wide variety of music: R&B, World, Funk, Tribal, Hip Hop, Ambient, Reggae, House, African, Electronica, Disco, Rock, Techno, Drum & Bass, etc.

DJ Mystical Michael at Barefoot Boogie - Rhode Island DJ and New York  DJ

Our normal schedule is the second and fourth Saturday of each month. We currently have the following format for the dance.

  • From 8:00 pm – 11:30 pm (possibly extended to 12:00). We start off with warm-up music. On alternate Barefoot Boogies (usually the 4th Saturday), we have a dance-related class that ends at 9:15, followed by DJed music. At 10:00, we’ll have a community/announcement circle where new folks are welcomed, we give an overview of the dance community, and anyone is invited to announce a service they offer, an apartment for rent, or an initiative they want to share. This is followed by our traditional circle dance (holding hands), and the rest of the evening is DJed music where you are free to express yourself in whatever way you like!

Barefoot Boogie is now meeting at Insight Meditation Center: 28 W 27th Street, 10th Floor (Buzzer #27).

Come join us Saturday Night at Barefoot Boogie to dance, move and have some fun!

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ

973.908.8147

 

Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ

Last weekend I had a really fun 50th Birthday Party in Newark New Jersey at Iberia Restaurant. It was actually at Iberia Peninsula Restaurant across the street.

Iberia Restaurant Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ

“Requiring more room  to accommodate the crowds that flock to their sister restaurant, Iberia, the owners have realized their dream of building a palatial Portuguese / Spanish restaurant.

Iberia Peninsula is one of the most spectacular restaurants ever to be constructed in New Jersey.  Cathedral ceilings, stainless steel topped bar stretching as far as the eye can see, brick, marble, and large barbeque pits make up this enormous restaurant.  There are two large dining rooms.  Both above and below the main restaurant are several beautifully decorated rooms of varying sizes for private parties.”

Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ

Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ

It is not often that I get the opportunity to  provide Music, DJ & MC services for a Rutgers Professor who is also an Interfaith Minister. In this case, she is actually an even better person than her professional accomplishments. I can see why anybody would want Reverend Dámaris M. Otero-Torres  to facilitate their special moments and life’s Blessings. her site, Epiphanies of the Heart, states her perspective;

“Life is a river of unlimited opportunities that invite us to explore the depths of joy, gratitude, beauty, love, intimacy and purpose. 

Whether you are blessing the arrival of a new life, initiating the journey of marriage, renewing your wedding vows, or honoring the memory of a loved one, your ceremony is crafted with utmost care and reverence to crystallize that special moment in memories that will last for a lifetime.”

Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ

Damaris is a special woman, as is her husband Paul. I am so grateful to have been part of their wonderful night of celebration with more than one hundred friends and family eating, singing, talking and most of all, dancing! They wet a mixed crowd form New Jersey and NYC and represented many demographics and cultures collectively. Along with being really fun and caring people at the 50th Birthday Party, I always cherish being a Multicultural DJ. It is one of the things I do best as a Rhode Island DJ; mixing music and cultures seamlessly with respect and inclusion. At this 50th Birthday Party, there was a musical focus on Vocal Classics, 80’s Dance Music and lots of Salsa and Merengue. Her mother wanted a few Waltzes mixed in that she danced like a trained professional! They were beautiful to watch.

Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ

I always feel funny when I write this, but I love my job as a DJ of events like Weddings, Sweet Sixteens, Graduations and of course, Damaris 50th Birthday Party. I am grateful that I have the skills and training to excel as a DJ to offer my services for others. This is one of the reasons I offer a guarantee.

Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ

973.908.8147

Louchie Lou and Michie One Rich Girl

Louchie Lou and Michie One Rich Girl is a song by the female English duo Louchie Lou & Michie One, released as a single in 1993 from their 1995 album I’ll Be Free. It was inspired by the song “If I Were a Rich Man” from the musical Fiddler on the Roof. In 2004, for the tenth anniversary of the famous reggae song, it was remade into a new song by Gwen Stefani featuring Eve on her debut solo album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004).

Louchie Lou and Michie One Rich Girl Music Video

Louchie Lou and Michie One Rich Girl History

Louchie Lou & Michie One (Louise Gold and Michelle Charles) were a female ragga/soul duo from London, who met in 1991 at aRebel MC gig.[2] They found the backing of the independent record label, Fashion Records, for their debut single, Louchie Lou and Michie One Rich Girl. Switching to London Records in 1993, they made their musical debut in the UK Singles Chart that year with their number 7 hit, “Shout“. It was a mash-up of the 1964 Lulu hit, originally recorded by The Isley Brothers, with the Henry Mancini composition, the “Peter Gunn theme” as performed by The Art of Noise and Duane Eddy from 1986.

Gwen Stefani Rich Girl (Cover)

Gwen Renée Stefani; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, fashion designer and occasional actress. Stefani is the co-founder and lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded Love. Angel. Music. Baby., her first solo album, in 2004. Inspired by music of the 1980s, the album was a success with sales of over seven million copies. The album’s third single, “Hollaback Girl“, was the first US digital download to sell one million copies. Stefani’s second and final solo studio album, The Sweet Escape (2006), yielded “Wind It Up“, “4 in the Morning“, and the highest-selling single “The Sweet Escape“. Including her work with No Doubt, Stefani has sold more than forty million albums worldwide.  She won the World’s Best-Selling New Female Artist at the World Music Awards 2005.  Billboard magazine ranked Stefani the fifty-fourth most successful artist and thirty-seventh most successful Hot 100 artist of the 2000–09 decade.

The Original Fiddler On The Roof (Film Version)

For those whom are not familiar with the theatrical production of Fiddler On The Roof, here is the film description from IMDB.

“At the beginning of the twentieth century, Jews and Orthodox Christians live in the little village of Anatevka in the pre-revolutionary Russia of the Czars. Among the traditions of the Jewish community, the matchmaker arranges the match and the father approves it. The milkman Reb Tevye is a poor man that has been married for twenty-five years with Golde and they have five daughters. When the local matchmaker Yente arranges the match between his older daughter Tzeitel and the old widow butcher Lazar Wolf, Tevye agrees with the wedding. However Tzeitel is in love with the poor tailor Motel Kamzoil and they ask permission to Tevye to get married that he accepts to please his daughter. Then his second daughter Hodel (Michele Marsh) and the revolutionary student Perchik decide to marry each other and Tevye is forced to accept. When Perchik is arrested by the Czar troops and sent to Siberia, Hodel decides to leave her family and homeland and travel to Siberia to be with her beloved Perchik….

Fun Rhode Island Wedding DJ with Louchie Lou and Michie One Rich Girl

Which version do you like best and why?

DJ Mystical Michael at Barefoot Boogie Tonight – 03/09/13

I still get excited every time I am scheduled to DJ at Barefoot Boogie NYC! It surprises me each event, because in my head, one of these days I am not going to be so excited and pumped for the gig. I have been the DJ there so many times now and feel like I am part of what happens. It is such a positive experience for me and the dance community.

What is The Barefoot Boogie?

The Barefoot Boogie is a freestyle dance which happens twice a month in New York City. We offer a relaxed, smoke- and alcohol-free environment where folks can freely express themselves in movement.

People of all ages, families and kids are welcome. Come alone or bring your friends. You’ll find folks at the dance moving solo, with partners, and/or in groups. Dress as you wish, but please leave your street shoes at the door before hitting the dance floor. The Barefoot Boogie is a not-for-profit, cooperative and volunteer-run venture.

From our pool of talented DJs, two spin each dance. Each of our DJs has his or her own distinctive style, but one thing you can rely on is that at every Barefoot Boogie you’ll hear a wide variety of music: R&B, World, Funk, Tribal, Hip Hop, Ambient, Reggae, House, African, Electronica, Disco, Rock, Techno, Drum & Bass, etc.

DJ Mystical Michael at Barefoot Boogie NYC

 Where and When is The Barefoot Boogie?

Our normal schedule is the second and fourth Saturday of each month. We currently have the following format for the dance.

  • From 8:00 pm – 11:30 pm (possibly extended to 12:00). We start off with warm-up music. On alternate Boogies (usually the 4th Saturday), we have a dance-related class that ends at 9:15, followed by DJed music. At 10:00, we’ll have a community/announcement circle where new folks are welcomed, we give an overview of the dance community, and anyone is invited to announce a service they offer, an apartment for rent, or an initiative they want to share. This is followed by our traditional circle dance (holding hands), and the rest of the evening is DJed music where you are free to express yourself in whatever way you like!

Barefoot Boogie is now meeting at:

Insight Meditation Center: 28 W 27th Street, 10th Floor (Buzzer #27), NYC, NY.
Come join us for a fun night of movement, dance and community with creative dance, ecstatic dance and freestyle dance.
This is similar to Barefoot Boogie NYC, not the same but great creative dancing and community.
We invite you to join Barefoot Boogie Facebook Group.
Your Party,Your Music, Your DJ!
973.908.8147

Macklemore Thrift Shop

From the first time I heard Macklemore Thrift Shop, I knew this was a song I would play again and again, and it would be a hit. I did not know how much of a hit Macklemore Thrift Shop would be though. As someone who enjoys shopping at thrift shops and vintage clothing stores, I am so happy there is a Pop Culture song that honors this fun, creative and well, thrifty way to shop.

Macklemore Thrift Shop Music Video (Has curses)

I typically try my best to not review songs that have graphic language but in this case I made an exception because the video is hysterical and the curses actually add the song, not just make it ‘cool’.

Macklemore Thrift Shop Story

“Macklemore Thrift Shop illustrates the speaker’s interest in buying cheap clothing from thrift shops, disdaining designer labels and trends. He claims to enjoy donning “your grandad’s clothes” and impulsively buying something just because “it was 99 cents”. Macklemore spoke to MTV News about the meaning of the song: “Rappers talk about, oh I buy this and I buy that, and I spend this much money and I make it rain, and this type of champagne and painting the club, and this is the kind of record that’s the exact opposite,” he explained. “It’s the polar opposite of it. It’s kind of standing for like let’s save some money, let’s keep some money away, let’s spend as little as possible and look as fresh as possible at the same time.” Upon asked why he thought the track was so successful, Macklemore replied: “I think hip-hop goes in waves, and it’s something that’s different. It’s a concept. It’s obviously against the status quo of what people normally rap about. This is a song that goes against all of that. How much can you save? How fresh can you look by not looking like anybody else? And on top of that, you have an infectious beat and a hook that gets stuck in people’s heads.” The song has been called a critique of the product placement common in modern hip hop.”

Fun Wedding DJ New Jersey with Macklemore Thrift Shop

Macklemore Thrift Shop is a song by Seattle-based American rapper Macklemore and his producer Ryan Lewis. It was released as the fifth and final single from their collaborative debut studio album The Heist (2012) on October 8, 2012 and features vocals from Wanz. Despite being released on Macklemore’s independent label, with distribution by ADA, the single was met with unexpected commercial success, also a sleeper hit, peaking on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 1 while selling over 3 million copies in total, also reaching number 1 in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, France, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand. The song is the first independently-distributed title to top the Billboard Digital Songs since “We Are the World 25 for Haiti” in February 2010. It is also the second independent song in history to achieve the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, nearly 20 years after Lisa Loeb‘s “Stay (I Missed You)” in 1994. A music video was released to accompany the song’s release.

What could make me happier as a DJ than a song that reaches Billboard #1 about a thrift shop, being unique on an independent label! Thank you Macklemore Thrift Shop for providing some hope to the American record industry.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ

DJ Mystical Michael Live At Barefoot Boogie Saturday Night 1/26!

I am really excited about another opportunity to DJ at Barefoot Boogie NYC Saturday Night! I laugh at myself, that every time I put my name on the schedule to DJ one of our events, I feel like I have just won a prize or something. I have so much fun when I DJ at Barefoot Boogie. If for no other reason than I get to DJ and dance barefoot! I try to be fair in scheduling our team of DJs to make sure we all get a turn. Sometimes I forget that I am not the only DJ that gets really pumped about being the DJ. Since being Coordinator of DJs and Teachers is a volunteer position that I take serious, I am mindful that sharing is important.

DJ Mystical Michael Live At Barefoot Boogie

Creative DJ at Barefoot Boogie NYC with Dancer at Sea

This Saturday Night, we have a Biodanza class before my first set.

What is Biodanza?

Biodanza is a healing system of human development that fuses music, heartfelt emotion and authentic movement providing a safe space for you to express your many potentials. It is a non judgemental space where all are welcome no matter age, race, spiritual tradition or sexual orientation.  Biodanza is here to give value to your life!

Understanding an emotional issue won’t create true healing unless you also make an obvious change in how you conduct your life.  Unlike traditional dance/talk therapy, Biodanza is system that offers you a space where silence is golden (we don’t talk) and you are the true master of your internal/external expression (action) which unfolds organically in its own time as you explore weekly in the sessions.  Over time and with your presence with yourself, the space and others, you embody all of the wonderous potentials within you and and you will begin to notice shifts happening in your life.

Biodanza will open spaces for life integration…
do, say and feel the same thing and BE HAPPY!

Creative DJ at Barefoot Boogie NYC with Dancer with Flame

Biodanza classes meet regularly and stimulate five major human potentials:
vitality, sexuality, creativity, affectivity and transcendence.

I have participated in a Biodanza class before and that is why I asked Michelle Dubreuil Macek if she would be willing to lead another Biodanza class at Barefoot Boogie. We had so much fun last time and it is long overdue for another experience. The dancers are very alive and present by the time the class is completed, I can play music that requires creative and freestyle movement without needing to build them up. They are already peaking. It is fun to express my Creative DJ and Ecstatic DJ interests at Barefoot Boogie after a class like this. It attracts very open and creative dancers and movers. I also appreciate the sense of community that we create together!

I feel it is an honor to be a Barefoot Boogie DJ in NYC and the experiences are rich and profound. Can’t wait to try some new DJ mixes and songs!

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ