DownTemple - San Francisco
About
| Covid Update: This venue/event started in June 2022 so after the whole everyone-must-wear-masks thing, so don't expect to see any masks! |
In June 2022 the incredibly talented Gabriel Francisco (best known for leading ecstatic dance) and magnificent Maya Light (best know for DJing play parties) teamed up to bring just the sexiest, juicy parts of ecstatic dance onto the dance floor. These events are hosted periodically at the The Center SF (in the Lower Haight), and is unlike any dancing I've done before. It's definietly a juicy event, but thanks to Gabriel's leadership style, still feels safe and grounded.
Based on how many people showed up to the first one (well over 100), I'm sure it's going to continue, but it's not yet clear how often. It's largely an invite only event, but if you follow The Center SF on Facebook you'll see posts.
- When: .......................... On Demand - find out by following The Center SF on Facebook - hopefully it becomes a weekly thing.
- Where: ........................ The Center SF, 548 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117 (Lower Haight) (map)
- Cost To Find Out: ........ ~$30-40 - buy your tickets online via the Facebook event.
The Premise
Gabriel decided that his favorite parts of ecstatic dance were the juicy sexy parts... and wanted to see what would happen if a whole event could just focus on that space. DownTemple is a unique event can bring out your inner purr! Come soft, come subtle. Come curious, and get ready to snuggle. The dance floor will be in full effect with DJ Gabriel Francisco and Maya Light. Music will be deep, dirty, smooth, and sexy as our DJs explore the essence of DownTemple.
The Venue
The Center SF has multiple wonderful spaces and lots of amazing events, my first visit there was a wonderful tantra workshop and they also do a lot of yoga and spirtual events. DownTemple was unique in that it spanned all three main rooms: the main dance floor which was kept dark with no talking, the middle area where you could chat and drink water and sit down, and the furthest room with the most cuddle puddle cushions plus room to dance with lights. I recommend arriving early to get grounded, maybe meet a couple of people (be bold and say hi) and to make sure you are there when Gabriel and Maya create the opening circle and instruction. Introduce yourself to Gabriel if you can (he's friendly and awesome) and get ready for quite the ride!
DownTemple Tips
Please remember that the standard rules of Ecstatic Dance apply, where you can non-verbally ask someone to dance, and they will give you nameste hands if they are not in the space to dance with you. Give them nameste hands back to thank them for honoring their bodies.
Even if you only dance with yourself the whole night, I hope you have an amazing time. My first few times attending any new event I prepare for the likelihood that I might not get to partner dance with anyone (even though I'm a salsa dancer and used to dancing with partners all the time), and that's okay. Be super respectful and dance with self love before anyone else. Your best bet of dancing with at least one other person, honestly, is to make sure you come with a friend!
Since the dances here in the main room are often pretty sexy in nature, you might like to try the other rooms to establish connection if you don't know anyone. Don't be surprised, possessive or offended if you have a sexy dance with a girl or guy and then see them having a sexy dance with someone else a couple of dances later! Also, don't be afraid to dance with someone of the same gender - not every song and not every dance is sexy in nature - at the beginning of the set they should have some playful songs where you can establish a little trust with other people before the lights get turned lower and lower. Overall this is a very independent and non-monogamous crowd (even more so than regular ecstatic dance), so nobody owns anyone, and people do what they want in the moment, meaning you should always avoid getting in your head and reading deeply into the meaning of a dance versus just enjoying dancing! Drop all your judgements, all your jealously, feel the love in the room and smile (advice for myself also). I hope that makes sense - and my final tip is that if you've never been to an ecstatic dance event before I would suggest attending Ecstatic Dance - San Francisco - which is basically next door to The Center SF every Sunday morning - at least once before diving way deep into DownTemple! A lot of the same people attend both events. I hope your first time is magical!
Sincerely,
Andrew Noske
See Also
- Ecstatic Dance
- Ecstatic Dance - San Francisco - The nearby event I recommend you try first if you've never done ecstatic before.
Links
- The Center SF - To find other great events at this venue.
| Acknowledgements: My wonderful friend, Eric Severson , for introducing me to this event! :) |
