Everyone moves to same beat at Siesta Key Drum Circle

A lot goes on inside the drum circle. 

There are conga lines, hula hoops and dances.

One thing that isn’t allowed, however, is politics and religion, according to drummer Andrew Brown-Clark.

The circle, said participants on June 23, is a place where people come to support one another. It’s a tradition that takes place on Siesta Key Beach about an hour before sunset, ongoing since approximately 1996. 

After Corey Holop moved to the Sarasota area from California in September to help his mother, Sherry Holop, he began to find a community in the circle.

“It's a really caring, energizing exercise-inducing, healing activity overall,” he said. 

He also enjoys the level of energy inside, with dancing and activity, and with the drum players influencing the dancers and vice versa. 

"I like the drum circle environment, because it's free. You can just be creative, although a lot of traditional stuff does come out," he said. "You can just make it up as you go along and no one's going to tell you what to do.”

“The drum circle is all about loving and caring and accepting,” said Luke Baptiste, who has been drumming there for about 10 years. “You don't have to like someone to be nice to them, you just have to be nice to everyone. And that’s what the drum circle is. Come and dance. Be free, be happy.”