DJ Ayebaitari on ecstatic dance and raving as ritual
Ecstatic dance is sacred. It’s when you forget everything. How you look; what people think… your worries just float away. It’s when you feel nothing but the joyful movement and musical vibrations in your body and soul.
Combine that experience with a unified mass of like minded people: it’s no wonder that ecstatic dance has been life affirming, healing and redemptive for millions of people. From the temple, right through to the rave.
So after a year of no raves, how can we recreate that transcendental dance floor experience we all desperately need? Can we hold onto those meditative elements of ecstatic dance in a new, more introspective way, in the home, alone?
That’s where DJ Ayebaitari (Xilhu Ayebaitariworiyo Omorse Ese) comes in. I’ve always appreciated the uplifting energy radiating from her every time I used to see her in the dance. When the music was on point, Ayebaitari was always IN the music.
Then, since lockdown, Ayebaitari’s been sharing uplifting, psychedelic video art dancing in the home, encouraging us to “find the unlimited rave within your soul”. From that to founding QUEER RAVE; supporting artists like DJ Marky and Dobbs, and mixing everything from GQOM to 90s rave and Vogue Ballroom sets, I was very keen find out about her musical philosophy.
Read on to learn more, and get her advice on how you can recreate that much needed transcendental rave ecstasy everyone’s dying for, but in the home, alone.
Hey Ayebaitari! How would you describe your musical philosophy as an art form? It seems like there's a lot of intention in what you do.
I'm so glad it comes off that way! I see so many DJs around me where there isn't that depth to it. So I really appreciate you acknowledging that! A lot of it’s intention. The combination of music and dance is a really healing practice; I see it as ritual.
“For me, DJing and dancing are just other forms of meditation”.
Let yourself move and be taken into a trancelike state with Ayebaitari’s South African GQOM mix
Tell me more about how music has been healing or meditative for you?
"There needs to be a new approach and new tools to bring joy to our lives and heal ourselves. Especially for our generation”.
For me, raving and dancing seems to be that channel. Which is why I created Queer Rave, it’s a safe space to have that sort of spiritual release, and experience ecstatic dance with heavy drum and bass and alternative electronic sounds, in a space filled with love, creativity, freedom, queerness, diversity and safety. I’m so excited for our first night!! But before then, we have some very exciting artistic projects to share with you online, so follow us on Insta!
That’s why raving is so important too: as a space to fully enjoy ecstatic dance. What’s the role of ecstatic dance specifically in your work?
"Ecstatic dance is freedom to me”.
Ecstatic dance brings joy and freedom to your body: there's no particular way to do it, its all about just moving your body in joyful, even childish ways that feel good. It’s not about trying to make yourself look cute for anyone. You’ve seen me in the rave - I go crazy! It’s a release, like having some kind of spiritual bath. I always come back feeling so alive and refreshed the next day.
Exactly - ecstatic dance is when you have to lose your ego and your sense of self...It's not about what you look like anymore. It's something much more physical.
Ecstatic dance is an ego death, which is especially empowering when you think of all the oppressive pressures there are to look sexy all the time. So having that stripped away when you dance crazy is literally your essence and your spirit is coming out. It's you doing what you want to do.
You mention you doing you - what are your style inspirations? You have a really individual look.
Thank you - my inspiration is myself! I really believe that people are individuals. You can try and copy but you might as well just be yourself, while letting things in your life inspire you and inform part of that look. The energy of music also plays a great influence in my style - Talvin Singh, Cheb i Sabbah, Orbital, Opus III, Greentea Peng, Alpha & Omega, Boy George, Cyndi Lauper.
To round it off, do you have any tips on how to recreate that transcendental rave ego death alone in the home?
"As humans we have such a strong resource of justice and vitality and energy - more than we realise”.
We’re not in the club - but we created it! Aliens didn’t come down and create the club - human beings did. So that means we can create the club at home. I have my lights! Bitch I’m ready. I’m ready to party every fucking day if I need to. Just do you! That’s the whole point of raving and life- just do you. Fuck everybody else. Buy rave lights, just tap into yourself and who you are as a person, celebrate that, and have a dance.
