Soul Dance

What Soul Dance does

Soul Dance is a volunteer-led, free spiritual dance program founded around 2001 by Alisha Das Hayes in Los Angeles. The practice combines DJ-curated uplifting music — spanning current pop, world music, old-school funk, and spiritual tracks — with moving meditation, breathing exercises, and short spiritual interludes inside a fixed 90-minute format. Sessions run from 7:30PM to 9:00PM twice monthly, hosted on the 1st Thursday at Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens and on the 3rd Wednesday at the University of Santa Monica's Brentwood Ballroom; classes transitioned to an online format during the COVID-19 pandemic and have since operated in that delivery mode alongside any in-person resumption. The program is sponsored by the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA) and is affiliated with Peace Theological Seminary and Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens. The sole credentialed facilitator, Alisha Das Hayes, holds graduate degrees (DSS, MA, MSS) and brings both spiritual facilitation training and DJ/audio engineering expertise to every session.

Soul Dance has no fee, no ticketing, and no merchandise line; the only inbound funds referenced are optional donations directed to MSIA. There are no paying customers, contracts, or commercial distribution agreements. Over 16+ years the program has reportedly drawn thousands of community participants in the Los Angeles area, with no documented geographic expansion beyond the COVID-era pivot to online delivery and no announced productization, franchising, or licensing of the methodology. The program's distribution footprint consists of two physical venue partnerships, a Constant Contact-based newsletter feature inside PAL&G's communications, and standard social channels — a footprint consistent with a stable community service rather than a growth-oriented enterprise.

Name

Soul Dance

Website

https://souldancelove.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Soul Dance is a free, volunteer-led spiritual dance program founded in 2001 in Los Angeles by Alisha Das Hayes. Held twice monthly at two LA-area venues under MSIA sponsorship, it blends DJ-curated music with moving meditation for community participants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecstatic Dance / Spiritual Wellness Classes

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSADAJAF

Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Meditation, Mindfulness & Breathwork

SECONDARYHSADAJAA

Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group)

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Meditation, Mindfulness & Breathwork

SECONDARYHSADABAD

Dance Fitness Classes (e.g., Zumba)

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Group Fitness & Bootcamps

Keywords

• Ecstatic dance classes
• Spiritual wellness programs
• Moving meditation sessions
• Community dance events
• Holistic movement workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Gualala, California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Optional Donations: Soul Dance classes are provided free of charge as an act of love. Optional donations are gratefully accepted and go to the non-profit Church of MSIA. The organization is 100% volunteer-led with no paid staff.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Soul Dance is a 90-minute, spiritually-oriented, free-form dance class that combines ecstatic dance with moving meditation. Sessions feature DJ-spun uplifting music (current pop, world, old-school funk) interspersed with spiritual interludes, guided breathing/light exercises, and a closing blessing. Classes are held twice monthly at two Southern California venues and are offered free of charge as a volunteer-led community service sponsored by MSIA.

Product overview

Soul Dance operates as a single, unified service offering rather than a platform-with-modules architecture. The sole product is the Soul Dance class itself — a 90-minute spiritually-oriented, free-form dance event that combines ecstatic dancing with moving meditation, guided breathing exercises, spiritual interludes, and a closing blessing. The service is facilitated by Alisha Das Hayes (MA, MSS, DSS) using professional DJ skills. Classes are held at two Southern California locations: the Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens in Los Angeles (1st Thursday of each month) and the University of Santa Monica's Brentwood Ballroom in Santa Monica (3rd Wednesday of each month). The service is provided free of charge as a volunteer-led act of love sponsored by MSIA (Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Soul Dance Class A 90-minute spiritually-oriented, free-form dance class that combines ecstatic dance with moving meditation. Features DJ-spun uplifting music (current pop, world, old-school funk) interspersed with spiritual interludes, guided breathing/light exercises, and a closing blessing. Designed for individuals seeking spiritual connection, emotional healing, and authentic self-expression; no dance experience required. Held twice monthly at two Southern California venues (Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens and University of Santa Monica) and offered free of charge with optional donations to the non-profit Church of MSIA.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16+ years of continuous operation with thousands of participants
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MSIA (Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoul Dance is sponsored by MSIA and affiliated with the Church of MSIA. MSIA was founded by John-Roger in 1968 as a nondenominational church sharing teachings of Soul Transcendence. The optional donations from Soul Dance classes go to the Church of MSIA. The program is based on MSIA's universal teachings of Loving, Forgiveness and Grace.
• Peace Theological SeminarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoul Dance is described as a Peace Theological Seminary class based on MSIA teachings. The program is connected to PTS through shared spiritual foundations and educational mission.
• Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens (PAL&G)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSoul Dance holds monthly classes at PAL&G facilities in Los Angeles (1st Thursday of each month). PAL&G provides the venue space. PAL&G also publishes information about Soul Dance in their newsletter and promotes the program to their community. The Director of PAL&G has provided testimonial endorsement.
• University of Santa MonicacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSoul Dance holds monthly classes (3rd Wednesday) at the University of Santa Monica building. The Brentwood Ballroom venue is described as an ultra-modern architectural prize-winner with state-of-the-art sound systems. The building houses uplifting, soul-centered education and seminars.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• 5Rhythms: Founded by Gabrielle Roth, 5Rhythms is a worldwide movement meditation practice taught through certified teachers and waves (Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, Stillness). Soul Dance shares the same free-form-dance-as-spiritual-practice DNA and uses a DJ/music-led class structure that mirrors 5Rhythms' workshops.
• Ecstatic Dance: Global network of facilitator-led, drug-/alcohol-free, DJ-spun free-form dance events with opening/closing circles. Closest functional analog to Soul Dance: similar 90-minute to multi-hour format, DJ-curated music, conscious movement, and community ethos — only difference is Soul Dance's explicit MSIA spiritual overlay.
• Nia Technique: Nia blends dance, martial arts, and healing arts into a cardio-mind-body class taught globally through licensed Black/White Belts. It is a direct comparator to Soul Dance as a holistic, music-driven movement class that fuses fitness with emotional/spiritual outcomes.

Emerging players

• Dance Trance: Dance Trance is a workout program set to club/electronic music offered through licensed instructors at gyms and studios. Comparable as a small-scale, music-led dance-fitness brand but focused on cardio rather than the spiritual/moving-meditation framing of Soul Dance.
• Dance Church: Dance Church offers donation-based, all-levels dance-fitness classes set to contemporary music with an inclusive, no-judgment ethos. Comparable to Soul Dance in its free, beginner-friendly, community-driven dance class model, though without the explicit spiritual framing.
• JourneyDance: JourneyDance is a guided, intentional dance journey format combining warm-up, peak experience, and integration — nearly identical structure to Soul Dance's opening exercises / free-form dance / closing blessing. Comparable as a smaller, conscious-movement community class.
• Open Floor: Open Floor is a conscious dance practice and teacher-training organization born from 5Rhythms; classes integrate mindful movement, music, and community. Directly comparable to Soul Dance as an evolved form of movement-as-spiritual-practice with formal teacher certification.

Broad incumbents

• Zumba: Zumba is the global incumbent in licensed, music-driven group dance fitness, with an extensive instructor network and brand recognition. Relevant broad incumbent for Soul Dance because both monetize group dance experiences to music, though Soul Dance operates at a much smaller, spiritual/community scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/souldancela
• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/SoulDanceLove
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soul-dance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Soul Dance