In Dancing We Thrive
What happens when we stop moving to the groove?
Whenever I close my eyes and tilt my chin to the sky, I let the music wash over me.
And when I open them and lock eyes with the people, I let the joy fill me, just as the warmth of the moment fills you.
On Sunday, I had the rare pleasure of playing a day party on a rooftop at The Hibernia Bank, a grandiose Neoclassical building built in 1892 in the heart of San Francisco’s Mid-Market neighborhood. I doubt its originators envisioned it would be used as a place for a Mother’s Day dance party.
But the experience—the dancing, the gratitude, the smiles—made me think about how we connect on the dance floor and beyond in an era full of overwhelming choice.
Plenty of research reinforces that dance movement therapy “decreases depression and anxiety and increases quality of life and interpersonal and cognitive skills.” I’ve seen plenty of TikToks in which therapists make the case for raving—often perceived as an outlet where music and ecstasy collide in so many ways—as a way to regulate one’s nervous system. They call it “movement meditation.” The phrase evokes an intention behind the movement.
In dark times like this, we need this more than ever.
Yet at shows and on social media, I’m seeing fewer and fewer embrace dance as a way to get lost in the moment. Whenever I see videos of people pointing phones at DJs instead of dancing, I shiver. It’s one thing to capture the moment. It’s another to stand still while doing so.
Like therapy, dance is an exchange. What you give influences what you feel in return.
The experience reminded me of a 2021 short film on Resident Advisor about the increasingly lost art of House dancing in the club. Clubs in New York and elsewhere would be spacious enough for dance circles where people threw baby powder on the floor to make sure it didn’t stick. Deliberate movements have shifted to swaying.
The House dance movement has since thrived outside the club, with competitions all over the globe.
Still, the film’s narrator, Detroit DJ Turtle Bugg, asks: Why don’t people dance like they used to?
When I see the dancers at Lake Merritt for the renegade community party Days Like This or at Yerba Buena Garden for a David Harness performance with the Sunset Soundsystem crew, I’m reminded of the sense of liberation movement brings.
The energy is infectious. So is the sense of relief. We feel it from the stage to the dance floor.
“If House dancing can teach us anything, it’s that self-expression needs a community to thrive,” Bugg says at the end of the documentary.
So, it makes me even more grateful when people dance when I’m dancing.
They feel what I’m feeling.
They are in on the conversation we’re having with the music.
We are expressing ourselves, together.
We are in community.
Who Am I Digging?
This set is sonic poetry in motion. The legend is so locked in, and so are the people around her.
A quick aside: I’d love for you to subscribe to this little meditative experience called a newsletter. If you’ve been to my shows as Black Panda, you know I love to stay connected to the people around me. Much love.
What’s Next?
I can’t believe we’re just over two weeks away from the first-ever Paradise Found. Let’s make it even more special: It’ll be not only my birthday party but also part of my friend Nikki’s celebratory weekend. With that comes a little treat: If you buy a ticket now, you’ll get a second ticket for free to bring a homie with you.
May 16: “Reset The Rhythm” release on Black Techno Matters’ Liber8 Compilation. It’ll be my second release of the year, and I’m so excited to join the BTM crew. They’re doing an amazing job uplifting the Blackness of techno’s beginnings. They’re already planning a nationwide series of pop-up parties in honor of Juneteenth. I’m honored that they took on my groovy techno and House hybrid. You can buy the whole Liber8 compilation here on Bandcamp.
May 16: Opel Productions, Opulent Temple, and The Midway Presents: Opel 23 with Mahmut Orhan and Bontan. I’ve been a big fan of Bontan’s productions ever since I dove into the Afro House world, so I’m excited to join this lineup. I’ll be playing on The Midway’s patio at midnight. Hit me up for a discount code. Get your tickets here.
May 18: Soul Salon Bay to Breakers Edition @ Location TBD: We’ve got a special pop-up edition of Soul Salon. Will it be outdoors? Will it be a house party? We’re keeping the renegade vibes alive for this one. Follow my Instagram for more info.
May 21: Pandamonium Presents: Movement @ F8: An Ode to Detroit and Chicago with Strut SF. I’m excited for this one. We’re properly preparing for Movement with all the sounds inspired by the birthplace of Techno, with a taste of Chicago in between. We’re bringing in vRok and Joey Trip. In the front room, our friends at Strut SF will be hosting Anthony Mansfield, Jason Peters, and Amatric. Get your tickets here.
May 24 - May 26: Movement Festival Detroit: This is the Mecca of Techno. I can’t wait to finally go on this pilgrimage to Detroit to get inspired. I’m especially excited to check out the Detroit Love, Defected, Black Techno Matters, and KMS Records after parties. Here’s a whole list of the parties for the weekend. It’s quite insane. Hit me up if you’re going, and let’s revel in it together! And if you happen to be a promoter reading this, here’s my press kit (EPK).
Saturday, May 31 - Pandamonium Presents: Paradise Found @ Bergerac (SF): This one’s massive. It’s my first ticketed event, and we’ve got a jam-packed lineup. I want to bring the immediacy and intention I saw in Sydney and elsewhere into Bergerac that night, just as we do on every dance floor we grace. We’ve got audiovisuals from DJ Maculate, go-go dancing from Voluptuous Vibes, and dancing from the incredible drag queen, Amyl Westwood. We’ve also got a stellar lineup of dear friends who are doing amazing work in the San Francisco Bay Area dance scene from Charles Hawthorne (subscribe to their newsletter!) to Bay B Sol to GOMA to NISA. Get your tickets now for $10.
Let’s Not Forget
As a treat for making it to the end, here’s a pic of Nano.
Edwin “Eddie” Rios is a Brooklyn-born, Oakland-based freelance writer and DJ/producer (Black Panda). You can find his writing life here. You can follow his musical journey here. Here’s his SoundCloud and Spotify. Share this with your friends.