(P)raise your spirit

Spiritual practices are inseparably linked with the body, even when they aim to transcend its earthly limitations and boundaries. In many religions, dancing serves this purpose – consider the whirling dances of the dervishes in Sufism. Christianity is not typically associated with dancing, yet the Old Testament records that Moses' sister Miriam led a circle dance of women in praise of God. According to a (though apocryphal) Acts of the Apostles, Jesus is said to have invited his disciples to a sort of dance prayer, stating, "He who does not dance does not know what is happening." The sometimes trance-inducing repetitions of ritual dances may find their counterparts in Catholic rosary prayers or litanies. Certainly, they do in Electronic Dance Music (EDM).

In collaboration with Sankt Maria als, we invite you to experience your dancing body as a means of meditative experience – regardless of your religious affiliation, or if you have any at all. Dancing together to the music of SANCTA's sound designer Stefan Schneider may not lead to mystical enlightenment, but it will certainly get you into the flow and harmonize body and soul. Meditation mats will be provided for the subsequent cool-down to organ music.