AscenDance 09 with Ajay Rajani

Join us for our December dance!

This month we have a special guest facilitating our dance. Ajay Rajani is an accredited 5rhythms teacher and will be leading our dance experience this month!

Experience the transformative power of 5Rhythms, a dynamic movement practice that invites you to connect with your body's innate wisdom. This 2-hour drop-in class is an opportunity to let go of inhibitions and embrace the freedom of expression through movement.

No steps to learn. Just move, breathe, and be moved. 5Rhythms is a journey through Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, and Stillness – a wave of energy that allows you to release, recharge, and rediscover yourself.

Dress to sweat. Bring water. All are welcome. No prior dance or 5Rhythms experience necessary.

What is the 5Rhythms?
5R is a movement practice developed by Gabrielle Roth that explores 5 distinct rhythms - Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and Stillness. It's a dynamic approach to dance and self-expression that encourages people to move freely, connect with their bodies, and tap into their creativity. With no set steps to follow, 5R invites you to move authentically, guided by the music and your own inner landscape. It's a journey inward, a moving meditation that can be both cathartic and liberating.

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About Ajay Rajani

Ajay Rajani is an accredited teacher of the 5Rhythms who trained with Jonathan Horan, son of Gabrielle Roth, in 2014. Ajay was born in Africa with Indian roots and grew up in London, England where he thrives in a diverse, multicultural community speaking five international languages. His spiritual journey began over 20 years ago with a strong practice of seated meditation and this continues to inform his 5Rhythms teaching where he inspires embodying the moment and allowing your body to be your greatest teacher.

Ticket Information

Presale and discounted tickets are available on this page. The event capacity is 60 dancers; some events have sold out, so get your ticket in advance to secure your spot on the dance floor! Any tickets remaining will be available at the door for $20-$30 (sliding scale). Venmo/PayPal/Cash are accepted at the door.

Our Agreements

We follow these agreements and policies to create a safe experience that fosters free expression and protects our community.

1) AscenDance is a consent-based dance. Request and communicate consent when interacting, sharing space, and touching

2) We agree to arrive clean and unscented

3) We agree to refrain from taking photos/videos to protect the free expression of other dancers

4) We agree to not converse in the dance space (verbal consent chats are okay)

6) AscenDance is for dancers aged 16+

Event Flow

We strive to create an intentional container for our dance, where our shared energy is undisturbed by late arrivals and the dance is initiated by all. To honor this, dancers must arrive in the arrival window before the opening circle, as doors will close at the start of the event.

Timeline for the event:

7:45 - 8:10pm - Arrival - Dancers must arrive in this time period

8:10 - 8:30pm - Warm-up & Opening Circle - Doors close and the experience starts

8:30 - 10:30pm - 5Rhythms Dance with Ajay Rajani

10:30pm - Closing Time and Goodbye

Parking & Arrival

There is plenty of parking behind and adjacent to the building. It is okay to park in the lots behind the building and in spots labeled "UCARE"

The dance studio is on floor 2 and can be accessed by stair or freight elevator. Outside shoes are to be removed before entering the dance space.

About Your Hosts

AscenDance is a collaboration between Koreen Valdovinos (Earth Goddess Koreen), Sam Perko (Sammy Sunshine), and Nick Perko (botanicus).

Koreen is the founder of Open Minds Fusion Studio and has pioneered many one-of-a-kind sonic and somatic experiences, including Earth Goddess Yoga, Dark Yoga & Gong Baths, Sound Temple, and Dance Temple Tuesdays. Koreen is known for thoughtful sonic stories crafted for ecstatic dance arcs. She has grown to be a fantastic DJ. She recently joined Dance Church Minneapolis and is now a resident DJ.

Sam is a devoted dancer, community builder and designer. She is the communications lead and host for Dance Church Minnepolis, and is passionate about building the conscious dance community in the Twin Cities.

botanicus (Nick Perko) presents distinguished offerings of organic ecstatic dance music by blending live instrumentation, original productions, and eclectic curations with seamless mixing and improvisational sequencing to guide dancers through an arc of movements and emotions. Nick is the musical director of Dance Church Minneapolis, where he is also a resident DJ/performer. Nick is the founder and CEO of Solar Powered Studios, a Twin Cities audio production studio catering to spiritual and religious clients and specializing in unique projects.