From NOMAD to Black Rock City : Our Burning Man Connection

Before I ever set foot in Black Rock City, I was already a burner, I just didn’t know it yet.

When I created NOMAD back in 2010, I'd only heard of Burning Man. And yet, many of the principles that define that desert utopia were already embedded in the soul of our space: radical self-expression, communal effort, participation over spectatorship, and the relentless pursuit of artistic and spiritual freedom. These weren’t ideas I borrowed, they were ideas I lived. The concept that there is no audience, only participants is at the core of everything we do at NOMAD, from immersive productions like ALL WE HAVE IS NOW to our ongoing ritual-performance series, ANTENNAE.

The first time I attended Burning Man, it was to scout for a film. I returned the following year to shoot Voices of Freedom, a documentary that explores freedom across the United States. Naturally, Burning Man became a central chapter in that film as it is, after all, one of the purest modern expressions of freedom I’ve ever encountered.

Since then, NOMAD has continued to nurture this connection, not just in spirit but in action. We’ve hosted numerous Burning Man fundraiser parties, each one a celebration of art, music, and radical community. And this year, we’re doing it again, with La Danse du Scorpion.

La Danse du Scorpion

🦂 Fundraiser Party for Burn Pops Camp

📍 NOMADlife.tv – 129 Van Horne, Montreal

📅 Saturday, July 12th, 2025

⏰ BBQ at 7PM · DJs at 10PM until late

🎟️ Get your tickets

Join us for a night that blends Montreal’s creative pulse with the dusty magic of the Playa. La Danse du Scorpion is more than a party, it’s a chance to help the Burn Pops return home to Black Rock City.

Expect a desert dreamscape of progressive and melodic beats curated by:

• Makkai

• AdCo

• Magique Mike

✨ Plus:

• BYOB – Bring your own cosmic cocktails

• BBQ & snacks to fuel your desert voyage

• Dusty surprises, playa vibes, and radical inclusion

• Come dressed in your wildest burner gear

All proceeds go toward Burn Pops Camp, known for its signature hospitality, ice-cold popsicles, and, if the stars align, the return of the legendary Scorpion art car.

At NOMAD, we’ve always believed in shaping our world rather than accepting the default. The term “default world” is used at Burning Man to refer to the world outside the Playa, as if the desert city is the real one. That idea stuck with me. Why not make your world the real one? Why not live your myth?

So whether you’ve been to Burning Man a dozen times or are just feeling the call for the first time, come be part of this moment. Come dance, connect, support, and dream.

Together, we bring the Playa to Montreal, and Montreal back to the Playa.

.j.