A monthly multidisciplinary Healing Art’s Immersion. Curated by Shannon Harris of Audio Pharmacology™/Urbanicity.

“EVOLution” seeks to explore experimental variations in the healing art’s intermingling different modalities and cultural aesthetics in a inter-generational sacred space. Our mission is to engage audiences in unique ways via positive brain entrainment and multi-sensory expression. Join us August 11th for our Afro-Ecstatic Dance event featuring Shannon Harris, DJ Ashe, & Qiddist Ashe and friends.

Ecstatic Dance is a radical act of reclaiming our bodies, minds and spirits. It’s a movement meditation led by intentionally chosen music that leads you a journey of emotional exploration through rhythm and other art form expressions. There is about 10 minutes of warm up time where we gather, stretch and connect with each other in a facilitated circle. This practice grounds us in our bodies and sets the intention. Then we dance! The music slowly builds in its intensity and then softens to facilitate complete stillness. There are five stages to the music to guide you on your journey: flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness. The 90 minutes of dance features music by POC artists from all over the world of a variety of genres. Our facilitation of this dance is a space of resistance, particularly for people of color, where we can claim space freely and fully and explore our relationships to ourselves in community. In this experience you are FREE to move and release whatever you feel in your body. Stomping out rage, sitting and crying, playful laughter, and mindful grooving are all welcomed. We hold this space to allow ourselves to connect with our bodies, take up space, and evolve!

Facilitator Bios:

SHANNON HARRIS

Shannon has been initiated into many traditional indigenous healing arts modalities since 2003. He has taught different forms of Qi Gong/Yoga/Meditation internationally in Brazil, Canada, Kenya, India, and London along with traveling monthly all over the USA. Shannon has been a practitioner of Medical Qi Gong, yoga, meditation, Bazi and veganism, which lead to the creation of his own trademarked moniker “Audio Pharmacology™”. His current main focus has been on developing/instructing his unique style of Audio Pharmacology™ Spiraling Serpent Medical Qi Gong at festivals, conferences, centers, schools and health & wellness fairs internationally.

His first foray into DJ’ing came when he started to play records as a hobby at family reunions and local community parties, all of which led to him hosting a radio show (WIUS 88.3 FM) for 4 years where he continued to rise as a talented and unique radio personality of that time. His love and passion for a diverse world relentlessly pushed him to expose his listeners to quintessential albeit atypical music, contributing to a wealth of knowledge in different genres. Shannon’s ubiquitous disc jockey programming and on-air personality opened up many opportunities for him to travel worldwide to 5 continents and have DJ residencies in various nightclubs, festivals, ecstatic dance and other global events.

OLIVIA ASHE’

Olivia Ashé is a theologian, DJ and pastor. Her work in all of these realms is framed by her deep belief that we are beings that are deeply interconnected by a spirit who is most concerned with our collective liberation. She uses the study of theology to uncover the divinity within herself and others, her DJ practice as method for healing through movement and her pastoral/spiritual care work to walk along others in this pursuit for liberation.

QIDDIST ASHE’

Qiddist Ashé is a healer of many forms: a liberatory educator of young minds, a facilitator of racial justice and liberation work, a birth doula, and a practitioner of herbal wisdom. She believes deeply that it is our destiny as people of color to liberate and be liberated, and she pursues this through her work of sharing physical, emotional and spiritual healing practices with her Beloved communities.

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Tags: Chicago, Elastic Arts, EVOLution: The Healing Art's Movement, Logan Square, Olivia Ashé, Qiddist Ashé