My first Ecstatic Dance festival was Het Grote Fijne. I showed up with a heavy broken heart and left with a full one. That experience stayed with me — not just because of the music or the people, but because of what dance allowed me to feel and release.
For me, dancing isn’t about performance or escaping reality. It’s a way to move through it — to shift energy, to process emotion, to reconnect with something deeper. Whether I’m feeling joy, frustration, softness or grief, dance gives it space. And in that space, something opens. Something clears. Something shifts.
You don’t have to be in a perfect headspace to dance. You just have to be willing to move with what’s there. And by doing that, you change the energy — not just in yourself, but in the room, in the community around you. You start radiating and with the more souls you do this, the bigger the ripple effect!
That’s why I’m excited about Why We Dance, a new campaign that’s inviting dancers all across the Netherlands to share their story — and to be part of something bigger than just one floor or one evening.
Telling the Story Behind the Movement
Ecstatic Dance is already a movement. It became a real part of how people connect, grow, and express themselves — across the country, and across different kinds of communities.
With Why We Dance we want to enhance a new wave, uniting the whole ecstatic dance scene of the Netherlands. It’s about strengthening the network we already have. We’re collecting personal stories from dancers:
Why do you dance?
What does it give you?
Where do you feel most at home on the dance floor?
When you send in your answers, you’ll receive a custom-made visual: your name, your words, your favourite DJ or dance location — all in one shareable image. It’s a way to reflect on what dance means to you, and to give visibility to the people and places that make it special.
Every time you post it, you help grow the movement. You raise awareness for the local communities behind these dances. You make it easier for someone else to say, “Okay — maybe this is for me, too.”
And yes, there are prizes to be won (including festival tickets and conscious goodies), but the real gift is contributing to something collective.
Let’s Build the Wave Together
By showing up with our stories — raw, joyful, honest — we grow the Ecstatic Dance scene from the inside out. We give DJs and organizers the recognition they deserve. We inspire others to move, in their own way. And we show that dance doesn’t have to be polished or perfect to be powerful.
It’s not about how it looks.
It’s about how it feels.
And when we move together, we amplify that feeling. Across provinces, dancefloors, and timelines.
Want to be part of it?
Here’s how to join:
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Click HERE and fill in the short form
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Receive your personalized Why We Dance visual
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Post it and tag @ecstaticdancefestivalholland
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Every share = another chance to win
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On July 1st, tune in for the live prize draw on Instagram
Let’s keep the dance moving — together.
Wanna stay updated on Why we Dance? Follow us on Instagram:
@ecstaticdancefestivalholland
