Souldish 6.19.06 On any given weekend there occurs a similar cycle of events. We go out, we drink, we have our own versions of fun, we wake up and we break into ourselves. Through a process of denial and physical relapse, we return to who we really are - someone who would never say or do what we said and did in those darker hours - someone who will do it all again once the clock strikes midnight. 24/7 1.02.06 New Year's Eve at Brooklyn's most eclectic club, Body Temple, bills itself as "the freest celebration in urban New York City." Featured at the club will be GlobeSonic Sound System DJs Fabian Alsultany and Derek Beres, "burning up the dance floor with their lush, electro-epic, world-beat sauce ushering in the magic carpet ride to the tantric divine." Time Out NY 12.29.05 The Body Temple clan takes over this landmark performance space for an evening of shamanic shenanigans, with Derek Beres and Fabian Alsultany (GlobeSonic) spinning global breaks and trancey beats, primal drumming, body painting. Village Voice 12.28.05 An ecstatic extravaganza including aerial dance and "cirque nouveau" by FireFly Dance, dancefloor puppetry by Talking Hands Theatre, urban-Gypsy-circus body painters, Parashakti's Shamanic Dance Ritual, tantric kabbalah, and much more. 24/7 11.28.05 Body Temple throws the hottest dance parties in New York City - hands down ... a scene mixed with dance, performance, party and holism. NY POST 12.17.05 Reach nirvana the old-fashioned "in the spirit of ancient tribal traditions" way at Body Temple. No drugs or drink but plenty of shamanism, tantric circus performance, body painting and dance rhythms co-exist at this former bath house converted into a raw theater space. Time Out NY 7.07.05 Remember the street fairs of your youth: the colors, the face-painting, the overall good vibe? Now take that and multiply by one thousand and you have Body Temple's Ecstatic Night - a shamanic participatory journey of dance, art, and general sensory overload that will catapult you into a cosmic odyssey. The most intoxicatedly sober party in town, complete with body painting and decadent chocolate desserts. Flavorpill 9.14.04 In this city of infinite choices, Body Temple offers an unusual and experiential way to spend your Saturday night - with an in-depth exploration of mind, body, and dance. This alcohol-free event provides a plethora of alternative ways for guests to relax and celebrate, including tribal beats from resident DJs Haj and Fabian Alsultany, human art installations by the Galaxy Girls, and a rooftop lounge hosted by the infamous Blackkat B.I.O. Bus crew. Interactive dance performances, decadent raw food treats, masseuses, and other healers round out the production's eclectic vibe. Enter with an open mind, and the sensory-packed possibilities are endless. New York Magazine 5.31.04 Shamanic Earth Dance: Martha Graham meets blindman’s bluff. Class begins with a multigenerational mishmash—everyone from 15-year-olds who arrive in rave gear to an elderly pair of regulars from Queens—standing in a circle, holding hands, and giggling nervously. Dressed in a white blouse and flowing white skirt, Bat-Haim and four assistants stand in the middle. Bat-Haim holds a roll of burning sage leaves in one hand and a black-and-beige owl wing in the other. She belts out a series of “Hey ya” tribal chants that sound like the OutKast lyric. Velvety blindfolds are handed out. As her D.J. (and boyfriend), Fabian Alsultany, spins a selection of tunes he calls “National Geographic on acid,” the blindfolded participants start dancing. As they whirl about, Bat-Haim instructs the students on “shaman’s breath”—two inhalations through the nose and one long exhalation out the mouth to rid themselves of “mental and physical blockages.” They don’t stop for an hour—or six, if it’s one of Bat-Haim’s intensive workshops. Village Voice 5.11.04 "We're calling in the North, South, East, and West. We're calling in energy for the ancient shaman to awaken within us all," declares Parashakti, an Israeli shaman, as the aroma of smoldering sage drifts. It’s shamanic trance—and getting into the groove has a decidedly spiritual twist. Newseek 7.07.03 Kim Schmidt glistens with sweat as she dances, trancelike, to the repetetive beat coming from industrial-size speakers in the corner. It's two hours past midnight in a loft in New York City's Chelsea district, and more than a hundred blissed-out twentysomethings spin with her in the half light. Down a dark hall, in the "chill out" room, others sit - eyes closed, hands clasped - looking blank. What are these people on? Nothing, it turns out. Daily News 6.23.03 Mark Sklawer, director of Body Temple, a monthly, all-night, alcohol-free dance party, says people are tired of going to clubs and getting wasted. "These events are on the cutting edge of club culture and the wave of the future," he says. Time Out NY 6.19.03 You'll find yourself surrounded by dancers dancing and drummers drumming. You would think that the people are drunk or stoned. Actually they're experiencing a natural high...