BBQ Art and Beyond Video are partnering to highlight the work of Black Queer filmmakers and media that features Black Queer stories. The films and media will be available to rent for Beyond Video members. Learn more about how to become a member here. 

As Black queer and trans people, we each are connected to deep and powerful legacies of those that came before us.  Come to dance and gather to honor those legacies, and connect directly with our ancestors at a time when the veil between the worlds is most thin.

Invitation:

As Black queer and trans people, we each are connected to deep and powerful legacies of those that came before us.  Some of those histories we know.  Some we do not.  We honor those legacies, make them holy, and call on their collective wisdom through the ritual of dance – at a time when the veil between worlds is most thin.

Ecstatic dance:

Dance can be an access point to connection with your ancestors.  It’s part of our healing, how we communicate, how we resonate joy.  While club scenes are often about dancing in crowds and close to the people around you, this dance is about spaciousness and leaving room for you to move as you are called to.  Consent is critical – do not touch or enter anyone’s personal space unless explicitly and enthusiastically invited to do so.  Feelings and experiences of trance and ecstasy may wash over you as you move.  You may feel lighter or heavier.  You may feel more or less present.  All of it is welcome.

For before:

Check out the ancestor reverence video on the Rooted Collective’s Facebook page!  Listen to episode 1 of A LIttle Juju Podcast!  Consider practicing a little reverence before the event.

What to expect:

There will be an altar present.  Feel free to bring pictures, items, art of your loved ones who are no longer with us.  Feel free to leave items on the altar during the dance, and if you’d like to take them home after, make sure to grab them.  If you’d like to leave them, feel free to do so.  We’ll return the items to earth at a location in the city we’ll share at a later date.

There will be candles, music, and projections of Black queer and trans ancestors throughout the event.  Allow yourself to move to the music however you are moved to.  You may match the beat.  You may not.  You may close your eyes, stare up at the sky, look at the people around you.  Notice your breath.  Thoughts that come.  Energy that shifts.  Respect the personal space of everyone around you.  Give them room.

If you feel overwhelmed at any moment for any reason, please go to the altar for grounding and reconnection by members of BBQArt and the Rooted Collective.  If you’re ready to leave the event, visit the altar for a brief closing meditation.

We’re making space for all of us!  If you just wanna dance and gather with other Black queer and trans people, this space is for you.

For after:

Journal about any experiences, emotions, thoughts that came to you during the event.  Consider creating an altar in your home to honor the legacies of those who are no longer here.  Pay attention to your dreams.  Create a little more space for quiet and rest over the next couple of days.  If you’re interested in collective aftercare and integration, we’ll hold space for a zoom conversation on XXXX.

Your ancestors are always speaking to you.  You have the ability to heal generations back and generations forward.  Thank you for allowing yourself to be a little more open.  We love you.