The events were inspired by the sense of freedom of raves, the Synergy Sessions founder says, but minus the drugs and illegal venue associated with the large dance parties of the late 1980s and ’90s.
The first Synergy Session Squamish is slated for July 24 at Ground Up Climbing Centre, though the sessions have previously run in Vancouver.
The ultimate goal behind the sessions is to get people together and interacting, and “not just having blinders on,” explained Hillary Mastrodicasa.
Squamish’s early morning, new-age event will include “movement jams,” meditation, yoga, an organic breakfast and juice bar, live DJ and art performance, according to Mastrodicasa.
“You are moving, you are interacting with people, and building this community and working together – breaking down barriers, getting out of your comfort zone. Then it breaks into a one-hour dance party,” she said, adding originally the events were officially called morning raves, but that term doesn’t really apply anymore. “It is everything from meditation to yoga to locomotion and animal-style movements; there is lots of playful partner work, stretching.”
Vancouver-based Mastrodicasa grew up in Boston, then moved to Montreal where she got into the rave culture of “music and dancing and art.” Later, when she travelled to Peru she took up yoga and became hooked with the practice. She eventually began teaching it back in B.C. “In the last six months I became really interested in all forms of movement, which is one of the reasons the Synergy Sessions were born because there isn’t really a platform here yet that exists for me to be able to teach, just teach movement.”
Mastrodicasa said she hopes this session is the first of a once-a-month series in Squamish.
The Synergy Session Squamish takes place bright and early Sunday, July 24 from 7-10 a.m. at Ground Up. For more information, search “The Synergy Session Squamish” on Facebook.
