MAGMA

Ecstatic Dance - Transformations
2025-12-30 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | MA
Join us for a symbolic, intentional journey of transformation through dance, reflection, costume, and play. As we near the new year, we give ourselves the space to reflect on what we can let go of, what we want to celebrate, and what we want to manifest in the future. We transform energy and experience within us to grow the seeds of our own becoming.
The evening starts with an opening circle, followed by Authentic Movement, and then opens up into Ecstatic Dance. Costumes help us embody the spirit of transformation, letting us shift our energy through the night. We will finish with a closing circle.
There will be a place for stretching, journaling, tarot.
Cost $10-20 suggested donation BUY NOW
SCHEDULE:
6:45pm doors open
7pm opening circle
7:10-7:25 Authentic Movement
7:25-8:50 Ecstatic Dance
8:50 Closing Circle/Meditation
9pm end

Feel Good for the New Year
2025-12-31 14:00 - 16:00 | MAGMA, 11 Pleasant St., Gloucester, MA, 01930, United States
with Holly Randall and Sarah Slifer Swift
2-3pm meditation, discussion and face moisturizing/face yoga facilitated by Holly
3-4pm somatic shake facilitated by Sarah
$10-20 suggested donation SIGN UP HERE or at the door
Holly Randall is a Doctor of Nursing, a Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Yoga practitioner.
Sarah Swift is a mindful movement facilitator and the Director of MAGMA.

Hip Hop - starts next week
2026-01-03 13:00 - 15:00 | MA
UPDATE – the series will start next week, 1/10, due to teacher illness today
MAGMA is thrilled to welcome guest teacher Miranda Lawson for a 6-week Hip Hop dance class series. Classes will dive into the foundations of Hip Hop with a focus on musicality, rhythm, and groove. Dancers will explore both choreography and freestyle, honoring Hip Hop’s roots as an improvisational and expressive practice. Expect to sweat, play, and connect through movement and music.
Drop-in $18 / 6-week series $85
1:00-1:45pm Youth class, ages 5-13 SIGN UP
2:00-3:00pm Teen/Adult class, ages 14+ SIGN UP
Miranda Lawson (she/her) is a Boston-based performer, choreographer, and educator whose work lives at the meeting point of contemporary and Hip Hop dance forms. She is fascinated by how these styles challenge and influence one another. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College with a BA in Dance and Psychology, Miranda’s teaching is rooted in curiosity, authenticity, and community-building. Her classes emphasize exploration and connection, inviting dancers to take risks, celebrate their individuality, and stay open to a little goofiness along the way. She currently performs with Urbanity Dance and Phunk Phenomenon, while continuing to create and share her own choreographic work, which has been presented at the School for Contemporary Dance and Thought, the Multicultural Arts Center, Tufts University, and the American College Dance Association Conference. Miranda’s practice has been shaped by mentorship through MIDDAY Movement’s BIPOC Professional Dancer Mentorship program (2022–23), her Urbanity X residency (2022), and recognition from the Mass Cultural Council’s Pandemic Relief Grant and the Somerville Artists Fellowship (2023).

Contra Dance
2026-01-10 19:00 - 22:00 | MAGMA, 11 Pleasant St., Gloucester, MA, 01930, United States
Easy to Learn New England Style Contra, Square & Circle Dances
with Caller Rose Sheehan, and musicians George Clements and Nathaniel Diamond-Jones
$15-25 sliding scale per person, notaflof, under 16 free
BUY TIX ONLINE Tix will also be available at the door.
Beginners welcome, come one come all!

Myles Kercher - forward fundraiser - POSTPONED
2026-01-31 19:00 - 20:00 | MA
This event is being postponed, new date TBA

Forward Fundraiser for Creation
This semi-annual fundraiser will support Myles Kercher’s upcoming dance projects and offers the North Shore and Boston community an exclusive view at work currently in development. The evening will feature a new choreographic collaboration between Kercher and Yuniel Betancourt (Paul Taylor Dance Company). Additionally, the program includes a performance of the original solo “face”, alongside a new solo creation.

Following the performances, we will host a brief Q&A session, followed by refreshments.
General admission for the event is $15. Please find link below for more fundraising information and tickets.

https://momence.com/MAGMA/Forward-Fundraiser/129597064

https://gofund.me/95a9d0cce

Latin Dance Social
2026-02-01 18:00 - 20:00 | MA
MAGMA welcomes Andres Giraldo from Salsa y Control dance studio and company for a one hour beginner salsa class followed by practice time. Lesson starts at 6pm, open dancing time is from 7-8pm.
Entry is $10-15, sliding scale – BUY ONLINE NOW, or at the door
MAGMA is on the top floor of the Brown Building at 11 Pleasant Street in Gloucester, a beautiful historic ballroom with ocean views.
All levels welcome, no partner required. Feel free to bring drinks as we do not sell any beverages.

Burns Night Ceilidh
2026-02-08 16:00 - 18:00 | MAGMA, 11 Pleasant St., Gloucester, MA, 01930, United States
Burn’s Night Ceilidh
$25 adults, $10 kids
with musicians Michael O’Leary, Susie Petrov, and Stephen Thomforde
Burn’s Night is a tradition in Scotland (and beyond) to celebrate Scottish poet Robert Burns in verse and song… and we add a generous helping of dance! The room will come alive with wonderfully fun country dances, excellent musicians, and traditional refreshments, for a wonderful night steeped in Scottish culture, for all to enjoy. Feel free to BYOB
BUY TICKETS NOW *
* when buying tickets on this software, it will prompt you to fill out the details of each guest, but you can skip this and just proceed to payment. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Contact Improvisation Jam
2026-02-14 15:10 - 17:00 | MA
We starting out our New Year with one of our favorite practices, contact improvisation! The first half hour is a warm-up and skills practice, and then an open improvisation. All experience levels are welcome!
This month we are pleased to have musicians Sarah Blacker and Aaron Katz accompanying the Jam. Bios below!
$10-20 suggested donation SIGN UP ONLINE or at the door
MUSICIAN BIOS: Singer-songwriter, music therapist, Sarah Blacker, MT-BC, LMHC & her husband, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter & spiritual song leader Aaron Z. Katz (Salem, MA) present uplifting, transcendent & interactive original and improvised music themed around healing, connection, and coming home to ourselves.

February Song Swap
2026-02-22 19:00 - 21:00 | MAGMA, 11 Pleasant St., Gloucester, MA, 01930, United States
Local singer-songwriters Brian King, Susan Cattaneo, and Miranda Aisling are coming together at MAGMA to trade songs and stories. Join them on Sunday, February 22, 2026 at 7:00 pm.
Tickets are available on a sliding scale from $10 – 30 both online and at the door, ensuring everyone has access to this community event. All ticket holders receive equal entry, guests are encouraged to support as they are able.
BUY TICKETS

3RIAN KING
“Catch him as his star climbs!” – Time Out New York
Gloucester native 3rian King has performed on stages in NYC, London, Boston, and beyond.
3rian is known for his genre bending songs with lyrics that deeply explore themes of love, sexuality, spirituality, human longing, and connection. His original song “Cold Rain” was covered by soul legend Irma Thomas on a Grammy-nominated album, and his band What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? performed sold-out runs of their musical production “Medusa” at Museum of Science, Boston, and Central Square Theater in Cambridge. Their new album “Live At The Cut” is now streaming on Spotify, AmazonMusic, AppleMusic, and more. www.whattimeisitmrfox.com
SUSAN CATTANEO
With her powerful voice, captivating melodies and finely-crafted lyrics, Susan Cattaneo is one of Boston’s most respected singer-songwriters. Combining vivid storytelling with a modern songwriter’s spin, Susan’s music blends folk, rock and blues with hint of country. Susan won the CT Folk Festival and has been nominated for five Boston Music Awards including Singer Songwriter of the Year, Americana Artist of the Year and Folk Act of Year. She has been a finalist or winner in the country’s most prestigious songwriting and music contests including being a three-time Kerrville New Folk finalist. www.susancattaneo.com.
MIRANDA AISLING
Miranda Aisling (ash-lean)’s mission is to reconnect art to daily life, a purpose you can see through her work as an interdisciplinary artist, community organizer, and creative entrepreneur. Using an art degree from Mary Baldwin University focusing on painting, pottery, and piano and an education degree from Lesley University focusing on community art, Miranda is a professional artist and community arts consultant. Her original folk songs blend frank vulnerability with insightful social commentary. A classically trained pianist who shifted from Bach to the Indigo Girls, she brings the lively spirit of a folk festival to her performances, engaging audiences with a mix of sung and spoken storytelling. www.mirandaaisling.com

Pouvwa
2026-03-29 14:00 - 17:30 | MA
Pouvwa/workshop and performance – JEAN APPOLON EXPRESSIONS
Jean Appolon Expressions (JAE) is a Haitian folkloric and contemporary-infused dance organization that cultivates hope and healing to foster more expressive and socially just communities through professional performances, education, cultural experiences, and the celebration of the joy of movement for all.
Program at MAGMA on Sunday March 29
2:00-3:30 WORKSHOP FOR ALL • Experience the visceral restorative power of Haitian folkloric dance, drumming, and community building. All-ages and all-levels are welcome.
4:00-5:30 PERFORMANCE & Q&A • Explore Pouvwa, JAE’s multidisciplinary repertory on power, culture, and healing, and learn about the new JAE Dance Center in Boston, the Summer Dance Institute, and the Natural Connections Retreat in Dominican Republic.
Sliding scale $15-$25 / each event. (kids $10)
CLICK TO BUY TICKETS FOR THE WORKSHOP
CLICK TO BUY TICKETS FOR THE PERFORMANCE
MAGMA, 11 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA (elevator access 186 Main St.)
This event is funded in part by generous grants from the Gloucester Cultural Council and the Rockport Cultural Council, local agencies which are supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
