A few people mill around the sign-in table to chat before going into the dance room. In the dance room, the atmosphere is still. There is no music yet and relaxed looking people from the yoga class that just ended are walking out carrying their mats and water bottles. From the entry way you see a large expanse of smooth floor under dim, warm lights. You take off your shoes and leave them with your keys and a water bottle on the shelves. A few other early comers are stretching on the floor, together or alone. Most are silent, but one person groans loudly and unselfconsciously as he stretches. More people start to arrive and the music has started now. About half a dozen people are dancing now, but most are still on the floor, stretching or just lying there. In a few minutes the music, which is soft and slow, is turned up. Almost everyone is moving around in some sense now, although this may vary from rolling on the floor to dancing. Some people are making noise. One person is shaking her head, another is jumping up and down. They are all ages and several ethnicities, some relaxed, some looking like they are trying to shake something loose. A man in an electric wheelchair is making circles. Some look inhibited; others look like they have never been inhibited in their lives. Just when you start to wonder where this is all going the music fades out and a short man in a sarong walks to the center of the room and everyone forms the Opening Circle. This episode of Body Choir has just begun. The man in the middle (facilitator) explains, among other things, that this particular Bodychoir gathering is unique. There are people sitting around you who have been here doing this together for ten years, but he's right, its always different.

Since the beginning of Bodychoir, participants have come and gone, the size of the group has waxed and waned, and for some reason, it has retained an absolutely unique sense of safety and expressiveness. The facilitator talks about boundaries. It's ok to connect with other people or to dance alone. He takes particular care to explain that we are each responsible for setting and maintaining our own boundaries, that both yes and no are important to understand here. Aside from the Opening and Closing Circles, there is no speaking. In a few minutes he is finished and the dancing starts in earnest and does not stop for two hours. The music is different every time you come but one pattern you will notice is what some call the "waves". As mentioned above, the music begins slow and soft. Great for stretching and relaxing into your body. There are two "waves" at any given bodychoir. The music begins slow, moves into faster and maybe more playful beats up into what we call "chaos" where your body may feel compelled to gyrate madly, shout, laugh, and scream! And then the music slows down again to very gentle and deep. Songs that may inspire you to reach out to someone and look into their eyes OR you may sit with your back to the wall and weep at the beauty and tenderness you see all around.