WTF Is Ecstatic Dance?!

You may have seen us getting down by the ocean in headphones, or spotted us on the schedule at Yoga Soup.

Ecstatic dances happen all over the world, but here at Ecstatic Dance Santa Barbara we do things our way — you don’t have to be a “good dancer” or a new age hippie to join. We gather around three things: connection, play, and dancing HARD!

Our DJ sets are high-energy and cover a wide mix of genres, so there’s always something for everyone.

How it all started:

The roots of Ecstatic Dance Santa Barbara run deep.
In 2016, Aaron Musicant founded Ecstatic Dance SB’s First Friday dance. When the pandemic hit in 2020 indoor gatherings paused. In May of that year, Ean Golden moved to town and knew that movement and connection were more vital than ever. He bought 12 wireless headphones and DJ’d for a handful of friends in a local park. Wanting to support the magic of this outdoor experiment, Aaron stepped in as Ean’s partner. Combining their visions, they spent the next two years side-by-side nurturing this silent-disco circle as it grew from a tiny park gathering into a massive, thriving weekly ritual and established community.
To carry this container into the future, EDSB has officially transitioned into a worker-owned cooperative. Today, the dance is run and cared for by its three new co-owners: Sierra, Costa, and Evan. While Ean has stepped away from day-to-day operations to join our Board, he remains a key part of our resident DJ lineup—so you’ll still see him bringing the heat on the dance floor.
Supported by our expanded team, we are so excited to bring more bandwidth, deep creative collaborations, and community-centered events to Santa Barbara.