Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Houston.
Hi Scott, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
SETTING THE STAGE
The year was 2009, I was 28 years of age, and I had just left my corporate job working for EA Games in Marina Del Rey, CA. For the entire previous year, I found myself struggling to remain interested in my career. Feeling like Neo caught up in the Matrix, I felt a greater calling towards something more meaningful. In the months leading up to the departure from my work, I had booked a vacation to the Peruvian Amazon. Mainly because I wanted to experience something interesting & unique, but truly, I was a proverbial ‘Seeker’ at heart. I felt a calling to be there, and so I did.
What was supposed to be a 3-week trip turned into a five months stint living in the remote Northern jungles of the Peruvian Amazon. There on the outskirts of a small village called “Jenaro Herrera”, I underwent a shamanic apprenticeship. The experience consisted of communing in ceremony with ayahuasca and other plant medicines nearly every other day, catalyzing a spiritual awakening process. I realized that my life before Peru had never truly fit and that my inner wisdom was always there nudging me towards something much more fulfilling. I would spend the next several years stumbling down a path of discovery & initiation that would eventually lead me to Atlanta, GA where I found my calling and purpose.
HOW I FOUND DANCE
February of 2012 was the beginning of my interest in dance as a form of spiritual practice. I had always loved going out and dancing in clubs or at parties, though I was fortunate to have been invited to what would soon become part of my life’s work. Enter the 5Rhythms – a movement meditation practice devised by Gabrielle Roth in the late 1970s. It draws from indigenous and world traditions using tenets of shamanistic, ecstatic, mystical and eastern philosophy. It also draws from Gestalt therapy, the human potential movement and transpersonal psychology. Fundamental to the practice is the idea that everything is energy, and moves in waves, patterns and rhythms.
In dancing 5Rhythms – Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, and Stillness – my body became the spiritual path as opposed to seeking something outside of myself. The more I danced, the more I fell in love with my humanity. I desired, more than anything, to be able to share this feeling with others. Thus, over the course of the next six years, I would spend hundreds of hours on dance floors all over the world studying the 5Rhythms curriculum & eventually learning how to DJ to become a fully accredited teacher of the practice.
I would also eventually come to discover Ecstatic Dance. Albeit a less structured experience than 5Rhythms, Ecstatic Dance is an embodied experience where people join together in the simple and courageous act of free-form dance, co-creating movement and community.
It’s a substance-free, all-ages celebration where you can simply be yourself and experience rejuvenation and inspiration through music and dance. By engaging our senses and listening to our bodies, we connect to others and shape a consciousness that extends beyond our own. Both Ecstatic Dance & 5Rhythms helped me free my artistic voice, and become who I am today.
HOW I BECAME A DJ
For most of us, music is the reason we become inspired to dance & move our bodies. Personally, I became passionate (perhaps somewhat obsessed) over DJing because I was, first and foremost, a dancer. The 5Rhythms and eventually Ecstatic Dance (another movement-based meditation practice) offered up ample opportunities for me to dive into soulful, embodied deep cuts for the explicit purpose of cathartic body-shaking. As a classically trained musician of over 25 years, I’ve always appreciated how different kinds of music could alter the way my body needed to move in any given moment. I found DJing to be the perfect outlet for my creative desire to curate interesting sonic spaces that facilitate reconnection to the body.
Because I initially had no access to turntables or vinyl, I resorted to learning how to DJ the best way I could – via the internet, on my laptop, and by utilizing the innate sense of what feels good in my body to move to. I would, of course, eventually acquire the necessary gear to aid in my quest to learn how to properly play & perform a full DJ set.
My dive into legitimate underground dance music didn’t begin in a Detroit club at 4am or at a 3-day music festival in the desert. It began on a clean, hard-wood dance floor, completely sober, intentional, and committed to the unfolding process of the body. Sure, I had done the rave thing before 5R & Ecstatic Dance, but this is really where it began for me as a DJ.
DEVELOPING AS AN ARTIST
Over the years, my musical tastes expanded and I have been carefully curating a sound that continues to slowly crystallize itself into who I am as an artist at any given moment. This sound is always shifting so it’s a bit hard to pinpoint, but whenever I get the opportunity to perform, it is always my intention to carry a catalytic energy that will move a dance floor the way they want to be moved. So much so that I have performed at festivals, parties, rooftops, and events all over our awesome city of Atlanta, and in various locales around the country. I have also been privileged enough over the last year of sharing the decks with Internationally renowned artists: Acid Pauli, Mihigh, Raresh, Maher Daniel, Andrey Pushkarev & Yoko0 as part of the team of resident DJs & vibe-setters for Project B. here in Atlanta.
In addition to developing my ear for sounds made for nightlife experiences, I also found my way back to becoming attuned to the subtle energy of ceremonial landscapes. Sound has the capacity to direct the flow of energy in a group or individual healing experience. Utilizing both my shamanic and musical training and a natural talent for sacred sound curation, I weave ceremonial spaces with depth, beauty and care.
The music I select holds a strong yet delicate container for transformational work to transpire; Offering a vehicle to the bottom of the oceans & the tops of the trees, the farthest reaches of the cosmos, and the depths of your soul. All blended with mastery and respect to all individuals present.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There’s no doubt that attempting to turn a passion project into a profession comes with about as many challenges as you can imagine, though ultimately, none of those challenges remain insurmountable forever.
I can honestly say that the most persistent hardship I have faced over the years is being able to grow a consistent, loyal following while maintaining the integrity to my craft & vision as an artist.
As you know, we’re big fans of Sol Dance. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Since Covid began, the Ecstatic Dance community here in ATL has exponentially grown to the point where we are seeing 200 dancers show up almost every time. This is truly a big deal for our city, and I can see this community continuing to expand and attract other folks from around the region to come into town specifically to attend a Sol Dance.
We have recently expanded our network to Chattanooga, TN where we hosted our first experience in the region. We have local organizers there that have taken up the reigns and are franchising Sol Dance as a way to bring what we do to a relatively underserved community.
It is an intention of mine to host a regional Ecstatic Dance festival near Atlanta, which is something that has never happened here before. I have a feeling our community and the surrounding regions would support that 100%! We are also committed to consistently providing the local community with a safe, conscious space to dance. When we see the transformation before us on the dance field at the end of a 2-hour journey, we know we are on our path.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@soldancemovement.com & sbhouston@gmail.com
- Website: soldancemovement.com
- Instagram: @soldancemovement @thescotthouston
- Facebook: @soldancemovement
- SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/sbhouston
Image Credits
Derek Olakudon Adam Tirado Maya Lemberg Carol Monteiro
