In our third episode, we hear the incredible story of Justine Dembo and how dance transformed her life. Justine is a psychiatrist, DJ, and ecstatic dance facilitator whose world took a beautiful and colourful turn when she first began dancing online during the Covid pandemic.

For the past two years, Justine has been holding a monthly ecstatic-dance space in the Cobourg community. She speaks eloquently about how a psychiatrist can be changed by the practice of ecstatic dance, how trauma-informed and mental-health-sensitive approaches can be supported through movement, and how we might re-imagine mental-health care through the facilitation of mindful, embodied dance.

These podcast episodes are part of my commitment to a fundraiser organized by a close community of friends who are supporting my journey toward attending the 5 Rhythms Teacher Training next year. If you’re curious about why we are fundraising, or if you’d like to support us, here’s how:

⁠https://gofund.me/a16de4c3b⁠

To learn more about Justine Dembo & Ecstatic Dance Cobourg:

www.ecstaticdancecobourg.com

IG: @DJ_Justine

Email: ⁠Justine.dembo@mail.utoronto.ca

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/justinedembo

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⁠⁠To learn more about 5 Rhythms in the Toronto community:

⁠https://www.layahjane.com/5rhythms⁠

If you have a story you would like to share about how embodied movement became a medicine for you, or if you have any other inquiries, please get in touch with me at: ⁠alejandroczuluaga@gmail.com⁠

With care,

Alejandro Zuluaga