SAVE THE DATE – Summer Jam! 40th Anniversary 10 Day Celebration
Event Categories: Major Event (left column)
SAVE THE DATE – Polyvagal Theory Embodied: Where Your Nervous System Learns to Dance – with Deb Grant and Aaron Brandes
Clowntact COCO Jam! with Josh Luckens, Tom Cryan and Sarah Zucchero – Regiter Now!
Have you ever been to a contact improv jam that suddenly erupts into silliness? Where dancers transform into animals, speak in tongues, create new worlds? Where the ensemble surfs a wave of collective imagination to become an amoeba, conquering the universe with a barbaric yawp, then dispersing back to the wind? That’s the vibe of joyous theatrics we’re playing with in this jam that fuses theatrical clowning with contact improvisation.
In this experiment in combining two deeply relational and imaginative art forms, we’ll ask:
-How can the clown’s spontaneity, lightness, and loving mischief bring more color and joy to our dancing?
-How can CI’s fluidity and somatic imagination infuse our clowning with more physical dynamism and presence?
-How can the spirit of play and delight create more aliveness and connectivity between us?
All experience levels are welcome with both clowning and CI. We’ll be offering many ways in, leading with curiosity as we let our clowns dance and our dancers clown. There will be a mix of workshops and community-led offerings, experimental performance opportunities, paratheatrical happenings, and an epic clownderscore.
Clowntact improv is a playground for infusing our interactions on the dance floor with clown theatrics, collectively discovering what happens when we truly come out to play. Your registration fee includes a red clown nose!
What is a CoCo Jam?
Community Collaborative Jams are a new and unfolding program concept at Earthdance which launched in early 2022. This new programming thread was driven by the desire for more opportunities to dance CI and to connect with the community in smaller containers. Similar to Seasonal Jams, the CoCo jam has one or more hosts that, rather than always being professional artists with strong facilitation skills, can be dedicated Earthdance community members and upcoming dancers building their leadership skills. Support staff is also more limited compared to our seasonal jams and participants are invited into a higher degree of autonomy and self care. Similarly, the workshop offerings and schedule are also more influenced by the community members themselves and created on a more adhoc basis.
In preparation for attending a CoCo jam, you may want to ask yourself:
What are you currently researching or inspired to offer?
Is there something you hope to lab, share, or play with?
COCO Jam Details
- An average of 20-40 people will attend this COCO jam and is open to all movement levels & backgrounds.
- We will offer a single day drop-in option on Saturday, March 7th for folks who have been to Earthdance before.
- If you have NOT been to Earthdance, we ask that you only sign up for FULL JAM option. This will allow us to better welcome you and orient you to Earthdance during our Opening Circle on Friday, March 6th at 10am.
- Be ready to co-create! This will be a very self motivated jam, bring your ideas! – We will send out a shared document for folks to fill out who would like to offer something during this co-creation weekend when you register.
Arrival, Onsite Check-In, Opening Circle, and Departures
- Arrival/Check-In: Thursday, March 5th from 4-7pm front of the Farmhouse. Dinner is at 6-7pm
- Opening Circle: Friday, March 6th at 10am. ALL Clowntact Jammers must attend.
- Saturday Drop-In (Only for folks who’ve been to Earthdance before): Arrive Saturday, March 7thth starting 8am. Departure at 10pm day of.
- Final Clean: Sunday, March 8th at 2-3pm. Lunch 1-2pm.
- Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Sunday, March 8th.
Our Fees Explained
Earthdance is a Public Charity that relies greatly on ticketing income to fulfill its Artistic, Cultural and Educational mission. We want to make our work available to folks with varying economic realities and offer a sliding scale payment for participation in most of our events. Please take a moment to reflect where you best fit on that scale. We ask everyone to stretch where they are able so that those who cannot may still have access to our events.
As you choose your rate please consider the following factors:
- Your access to income and wealth, as connected to family and partnership(s), past, present and future.
- The historical, systemic impacts of wealth accrual based on culture, race and other marginalized intersections for you and your family.
- The regional ease of your attendance, while some community members can drive to Earthdance, others will need to consider tuition based on their ability to travel longer distances.
PRICING: Sliding Scale
FULL JAM
EARLY BIRD PRICING ends January 26th, 2026
GRATITUDE LODGE
Financially Strained $250.00 to Financially Abundant $850.00
CAMPING
Financially Strained $225.00 to Financially Abundant $800.00
COMMUTER
Financially Strained $225.00 to Financially Abundant $800.00
SATURDAY DAY DROP-IN ONLY
$70 – Financially Strained to $485 – Financially Abundant
BASE PRICING starting January 26th until February 26th, 2026
GRATITUDE LODGE
Financially Strained $300.00 to Financially Abundant $900.00
CAMPING
Financially Strained $275.00 to Financially Abundant $850.00
COMMUTER
Financially Strained $275.00 to Financially Abundant $850.00
SATURDAY DAY DROP-IN ONLY
$85 – Financially Strained to $500 – Financially Abundant
LATE BIRD PRICING starting February 26th until March 4th, 2026
GRATITUDE LODGE
Financially Strained $350.00 to Financially Abundant $950.00
CAMPING
Financially Strained $325.00 to Financially Abundant $900.00
COMMUTER
Financially Strained $325.00 to Financially Abundant $900.00
SATURDAY DAY DROP-IN ONLY
$100 – Financially Strained to $515 – Financially Abundant
* Registration will END on Wednesday, March 4th *
Equity & Access Tickets
Although we’re not able to offer any full scholarships this year, we’re excited to offer up to 3 FULL JAM Equity & Access Discounts to individuals who feel part of an underrepresented and/or marginalized group in CI and have a relationship with CI. We know that for those who come from marginalized populations showing up to spaces filled with primarily privileged groups can be a challenge, and can feel vulnerable.
Apply HERE! Due February 26th.
Earthdance makes efforts to support Equity & Access at all its events, and we do this through:
- Reduced price Equity & Access tickets for folks who find our normal tickets to be a barrier. Participants self-identifying as being underrepresented and/or marginalized in CI are prioritized when allocating these tickets.
- An Accountability, Safety and Care (ASC) team that supports the processing of difficult situations that might come up in relation to consent, identity and other relational issues.
- Support from a BIPOC Team at our seasonal jams that hosts meals and supports offerings and affinity spaces based on BIPOC participants’ desires.
Housing Options
Gratitude Lodge
Includes a bed in the Gratitude Lodge, event offerings, sauna & quarry access, and food during the event.
The Gratitude Lodge (a.k.a. the Earthdance dorm) is the main lodging facility, connected to the Farmhouse by a short wooded trail. The lodge includes large and small rooms featuring dormitory-style bunks and beds (twin & queen size) and is included in the base cost. Beds are available on a first come basis.
Camping
Includes a spot to camp at Earthdance, event offerings, sauna & quarry access, and food during the event.
Commuter
You will have access to the event offerings, sauna & quarry access, and food.
Commuter Health Care: We ask that you please use caution when commuting and limit, if possible, to just commuting to and from your home and Earthdance, staying away from large crowds to maintain the health and well being of the other event participants.
Nine Mountain is NOT available.
Cancellation Policy
Refund available up to 14 days (February 19th) before the event less a $75 processing fee.
No refunds available less than 14 days (February 19th) from the start of the event.
Partial refunds might be given if a cancellation takes place under extenuating circumstances (e.g. a death of a 1st or 2nd degree family member, serious non-preventable illness or accident requiring hospitalization). Refunds in such cases remain at the discretion of the local organizers and will be decided on a case to case basis according to the timing of the cancellation and other factors. We do not offer refunds if you catch a cold, the flu or COVID after the cancellation date.
Health Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. Please take adequate measures to limit your exposure in the days before arriving. If you are feeling sick, or have a known close exposure to someone with COVID in the past 5 days, please sit this one out to keep the community well.
COMMUTERS: We ask that you please use caution when commuting and limit, if possible, to just commuting to and from your home and Earthdance, staying away from large crowds to maintain the health and well being of the other participants.
Participant Community Support
Earthdance runs as a community, thus part of the participation is that all individuals contribute to 1-2 work shifts (typically meal cleans) throughout the event and participate in a final house clean on the last day of the event. These are great ways to connect more with your fellow participants and Earthdance staff, and to feel more at home in the Earthdance buildings & grounds. Your contributions to this collective caring of this space are invaluable!
Earthdance’s buildings are ADA accessible. More info here.
HOST BIOS
Josh Luckens
Josh Luckens is a Boston-based educator, theatre artist, and creative community builder.
He dove headfirst into improvisation practices including contact improv as a student at Vassar College. CI has been an unfolding through-line in his life since then, opening up new ways to connect, interact, and experience joy.
He discovered theatrical clowning while doing his masters degree in theatre education at Emerson College, and deepened his clowning practice as a Fulbright fellow in Colombia, where he studied with clowns from across Latin America and Europe. The clown consciousness he cultivates is infused with playful curiosity, innocent wonder, and radical amazement.
Josh is delighted to return to Earthdance, a place that has been meaningful across many different chapters of his life, to open up this space for collaborative creation and reconnection with the magic that arises when we are truly present with one another.
Tom Cryan
Tom Cryan is a clown and actor performing in theater, film, television, and underground clown shows in New York and Vancouver, BC. He also facilitates workshops in clown and psychophysical performance.
He has had the privilege to train with incredible teachers in the Grotowski and Pochinko lineages, including David MacMurray Smith, among others. Tom has embraced a principle-centered, process-based, experimental approach to clowning and facilitation, with a focus on freeing the creative spirit, encouraging intuition, and the recognition that we all have the clown nature and an inner ring master.
Tom began training in Contact Improvisation through a scholarship program at EDAM in Vancouver. He has continued his practice with teachers in New York and has been practicing CI as an extension of his clown practice.
He is very grateful to have the opportunity to share, inquire and play together in community.
Sarah Zucchero
Sarah sees contact improv as a way to embrace human potential. She loves how it develops a highly tuned body and a collaborative response to problem solving and discovery. Sarah sees clown as a similar gateway into the unknown with the added flavors that the clown is honest and is often subverting limiting structures through the joy of play. She loves how the clown leans into failure and unifies us through our shared innocence. TOGETHER, Sarah imagines the dancing clown as a porous organism that blurs the lines between self and other by curiously investigating everything that connects us, perhaps elaborating on it, perhaps encountering the absurdity that lies within and between, and enjoying the whole festival that is made of it along the way.
Sarah currently lives in New York City and teaches CI and performs often there. She has also recently taught at wcciJAM, Montreal Annual Jam, and Earthdance. Outside of dancing and clowning and art making, Sarah is a hypnotist! Check out sarahzucchero.com for more info.
Radical Resonance, From Rascal to Reverent: A Workshop in Butoh Dance with Julie Becton Gillum – Register Now!
Only life experience needed!
Dancers will be guided to use aspects of butoh dance to explore ideas, create movements, and embody different characters. Our material is the essence of our bodies: water, air, bone, muscle, and skin—leading us into form and texture through a flow of sensations in space, time, and dynamics. The training will include exercises from the Noguchi Taiso water body practice along with specific images and forms to foster freedom and range of movement.
Our goal as dancers is to break free from the normal, cliched, and traditional—to push beyond the conventions that have kept us bound since losing our childhood inhibitions. Movement lessons will encourage playfulness with our inner rascal and discovery of what we revere in ourselves and the universe.
The theme of this retreat is “From rascal to reverent,” based on a quote by Skins describing their experience in the 2025 workshop at Earthdance.
Arrival, Onsite Check-In, Opening Circle, and Departures
- Arrival/Check-In: Thursday, March 19th from 4-7pm front of the Farmhouse. Dinner is at 6-7pm.
- Opening Circle: Friday, March 20th at 10am.
- Final Clean: Sunday, March 22nd at 2-3pm. Lunch 1-2pm.
- Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Sunday, March 22nd.
Our Fees Explained
Earthdance is a Public Charity that relies greatly on ticketing income to fulfill its Artistic, Cultural and Educational mission. We want to make our work available to folks with varying economic realities and offer a sliding scale payment for participation in most of our events. Please take a moment to reflect where you best fit on that scale. We ask everyone to stretch where they are able so that those who cannot may still have access to our events.
As you choose your rate please consider the following factors:
- Your access to income and wealth, as connected to family and partnership(s), past, present and future.
- The historical, systemic impacts of wealth accrual based on culture, race and other marginalized intersections for you and your family.
- The regional ease of your attendance, while some community members can drive to Earthdance, others will need to consider tuition based on their ability to travel longer distances.
PRICING: Sliding Scale
EARLY BIRD PRICING ends February 2nd, 2026
GRATITUDE LODGE
Financially Strained $350.00 to Financially Abundant $900.00
CAMPING
Financially Strained $300.00 to Financially Abundant $850.00
COMMUTER
Financially Strained $300.00 to Financially Abundant $850.00
BASE PRICING starting February 2nd until March 12th, 2026
GRATITUDE LODGE
Financially Strained $400.00 to Financially Abundant $950.00
CAMPING
Financially Strained $350.00 to Financially Abundant $900.00
COMMUTER
Financially Strained $350.00 to Financially Abundant $900.00
LATE BIRD PRICING starting March 12th until March 18th, 2026
GRATITUDE LODGE
Financially Strained $450.00 to Financially Abundant $1000.00
CAMPING
Financially Strained $400.00 to Financially Abundant $950.00
COMMUTER
Financially Strained $400.00 to Financially Abundant $950.00
*Registration ENDS on March 18th!
Equity & Access Tickets
We are excited to offer up to 3 FULL JAM Equity & Access Discounts to individuals who have a financial need. We know that for those who come from marginalized populations showing up to spaces filled with primarily privileged groups can be a challenge and prioritize such individuals when granting these discounted tickets.
Apply Here! Deadline is March 12th, 2026
Earthdance makes efforts to support Equity & Access at all its events, this event offers particularly strong support for diversity, equity, and inclusion through:
- Reduced pricing offered to people with a financial need and self-identifying as being underrepresented and/or marginalized.
- Classes and discussions that aim to presence awareness and inclusion at the event as a whole.
Housing Options
Gratitude Lodge at Earthdance Tickets
Includes a bed in the Gratitude Lodge, event offerings, and food.
The Gratitude Lodge (a.k.a. the Earthdance dorm) is the main lodging facility, connected to the Farmhouse by a short wooded trail. The lodge includes large and small rooms featuring dormitory-style bunks and beds (twin & queen size) and is included in the base event cost. Beds are available on a first come basis.
Camping Tickets
Includes a spot to camp at Earthdance, event offerings, and food.
Commuter Tickets
You will have access to the event offerings and food.
Commuter Health Care: We ask that you please use caution when commuting and limit, if possible, to just commuting to and from your home and Earthdance, staying away from large crowds to maintain the health and well being of the other event participants.
Nine Mountain
Nine Mountain is not available.
Cancellation Policy
Refund available up to 14 days (March 5th) before the event less a $75 processing fee.
No refunds available less than 14 days (After March 5th) from the start of the event.
Partial refunds might be given if a cancellation takes place under extenuating circumstances (e.g. a death of a 1st or 2nd degree family member, serious non-preventable illness or accident requiring hospitalization). Refunds in such cases remain at the discretion of the local organizers and will be decided on a case to case basis according to the timing of the cancellation and other factors. We do not offer refunds if you catch a cold, the flu or COVID after the cancellation date.
Health Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. Please take adequate measures to limit your exposure in the days before arriving. If you are feeling sick, or have a known close exposure to someone with COVID in the past 5 days, please sit this one out to keep the community well.
COMMUTERS: We ask that you please use caution when commuting and limit, if possible, to just commuting to and from your home and Earthdance, staying away from large crowds to maintain the health and well being of the other jam participants.
Participant Community Support
Earthdance runs as a community, thus part of the participation is that all individuals contribute to 1-2 work shifts (typically meal cleans) throughout the event and participate in a final house clean on the last day of the event. These are great ways to connect more with your fellow participants and Earthdance staff, and to feel more at home in the Earthdance buildings & grounds. Your contributions to this collective caring of this space are invaluable!
Earthdance’s buildings are ADA accessible. More info here.
HOST BIOS
Julie Becton Gillum
Julie Becton Gillum, artistic director of the 14-year-running Asheville Butoh Festival, has been creating, performing, and teaching dance in the US, Europe, Asia, and Mexico for over 40 years. She has practiced butoh for 27 years. Gillum was awarded the 2008-09 North Carolina Choreography Fellowship and used the funds to travel to Japan to study Butoh.
Julie is currently training and performing in Japan with Saga Kobayashi, Moe Yamamoto, Mari Osanai, Seisaku, and Yuri Nagaoka. On February 18, she performed with Katsura Kan at a festival in Kyoto at the URBANGUILD.
Since 2019, Gillum has been active in India, Serbia, Georgia, Greece, Mexico, and the USA. Recent performances at the Amsterdam Butoh Festival (October 2023), Seattle Butoh Festival (November 2023), NYU Abu Dhabi Art Museum (February 2024), UNFIX Festival in NYC (May 2024) were well received.
Julie’s most influential mentors in butoh have been: Anzu Furukawa, Diego Piñon, Yoshito Ohno, Natsu Nakajima, and Seisaku. Noguchi Taiso has become equally important for Gillum whose studies with Mari Osanai and Emre Thormann have refined her practice. She has guided butoh for 25 years and Noguchi Taiso for 10 years.
SAVE THE DATE – Compositional Awareness in Contact Improvisation Workshop with Andrew Harwood
Contact improvisation offers us a container for the practice of non-verbal communication, of
expanded awareness, and for creative expression while allowing what is unexpected to emerge.
As we ground ourselves in the core principles of CI and focus on the dynamic subtleties of
touch, tone and weight, we will expand our perception to include space, time, image, gesture
and design through duet, trio and ensemble dancing. Seeking a quality of attention that shifts
from self to other, to the environment and the ever-changing atmospheres in the room, we will
consider how a lightly held compositional awareness and feeling can support our efforts to
connect, find meaning when we are dancing, and engage with innovative possibilities for
individual and collective improvisation.
This work can be viewed not only as a means for creative expression but as a process for developing our capacity to collaborate and build a community that holds space for each
individual.
SHARE OUR FACEBOOK INVITE!
Resistance, Support and Wellbeing: An Immersive Therapeutic and Somatic Workshop with Gabrielle Revlock and Aaron Brandes – Register Now!
This immersive workshop explores the therapeutic and relational possibilities of Contact Improvisation (CI), Authentic Movement (AM), Restorative Contact and other somatic and contemplative movement practices. Rooted in both clinical and creative lineages, this experience is designed for those drawn to the intersections of movement, therapeutic practice, and relational exploration.
Together, we’ll engage in structured and improvisational practices that emphasize:
- Reciprocal touch and weight-sharing
- Somatic witnessing
- Emotional safety and creative risk-taking
Through CI, we will explore practices such as compression, tone modulation, and productive resistance as pathways toward somatic intelligence and attunement. Authentic Movement sessions will include guided practice and theoretical framing, drawing from depth psychology and active imagination. Additional Restorative Contact practices will support nervous system and co-regulation. This workshop also weaves in elements of sharing circles, guided writing, and small group reflection to foster mutual support and embodied integration.
Arrival, Onsite Check-In, Opening Circle, and Departures
- Arrival/Check-In: Thursday, February 19th from 4-7pm front of the Farmhouse. Dinner is at 6-7pm.
- Opening Circle: Friday, February 20th at 10am.
- Final Clean: Sunday, February 22nd at 2-3pm. Lunch 1-2pm.
- Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Sunday, February 22nd.
Our Fees Explained
Earthdance is a Public Charity that relies greatly on ticketing income to fulfill its Artistic, Cultural and Educational mission. We want to make our work available to folks with varying economic realities and offer a sliding scale payment for participation in most of our events. Please take a moment to reflect where you best fit on that scale. We ask everyone to stretch where they are able so that those who cannot may still have access to our events.
As you choose your rate please consider the following factors:
- Your access to income and wealth, as connected to family and partnership(s), past, present and future.
- The historical, systemic impacts of wealth accrual based on culture, race and other marginalized intersections for you and your family.
- The regional ease of your attendance, while some community members can drive to Earthdance, others will need to consider tuition based on their ability to travel longer distances.
PRICING: Sliding Scale
EARLY BIRD PRICING ends January 19th, 2026
GRATITUDE LODGE
Financially Strained $350.00 to Financially Abundant $900.00
CAMPING
Financially Strained $300.00 to Financially Abundant $850.00
COMMUTER
Financially Strained $300.00 to Financially Abundant $850.00
BASE PRICING starting January 19th until February 12th, 2026
GRATITUDE LODGE
Financially Strained $400.00 to Financially Abundant $950.00
CAMPING
Financially Strained $350.00 to Financially Abundant $900.00
COMMUTER
Financially Strained $350.00 to Financially Abundant $900.00
LATE BIRD PRICING from February 12th – 18th, 2026
GRATITUDE LODGE
Financially Strained $450.00 to Financially Abundant $1000.00
CAMPING
Financially Strained $400.00 to Financially Abundant $950.00
COMMUTER
Financially Strained $400.00 to Financially Abundant $950.00
* Registration will END on Wednesday, February 18th *
Equity & Access Tickets
We are excited to offer up to 3 FULL JAM Equity & Access Discounts to individuals who have a financial need. We know that for those who come from marginalized populations showing up to spaces filled with primarily privileged groups can be a challenge and prioritize such individuals when granting these discounted tickets.
Apply Here! Deadline is February 12th, 2026
Earthdance makes efforts to support Equity & Access at all its events, this event offers particularly strong support for diversity, equity, and inclusion through:
- Reduced pricing offered to people with a financial need and self-identifying as being underrepresented and/or marginalized.
- Classes and discussions that aim to presence awareness and inclusion at the event as a whole.
Housing Options
Gratitude Lodge at Earthdance Tickets
Includes a bed in the Gratitude Lodge, event offerings, and food.
The Gratitude Lodge (a.k.a. the Earthdance dorm) is the main lodging facility, connected to the Farmhouse by a short wooded trail. The lodge includes large and small rooms featuring dormitory-style bunks and beds (twin & queen size) and is included in the base event cost. Beds are available on a first come basis.
Camping Tickets
Includes a spot to camp at Earthdance, event offerings, and food.
Commuter Tickets
You will have access to the event offerings and food.
Commuter Health Care: We ask that you please use caution when commuting and limit, if possible, to just commuting to and from your home and Earthdance, staying away from large crowds to maintain the health and well being of the other event participants.
Nine Mountain
Nine Mountain is not available.
Cancellation Policy
Refund available up to 14 days (February 5th) before the event less a $75 processing fee.
No refunds available less than 14 days (After February 5th) from the start of the event.
Partial refunds might be given if a cancellation takes place under extenuating circumstances (e.g. a death of a 1st or 2nd degree family member, serious non-preventable illness or accident requiring hospitalization). Refunds in such cases remain at the discretion of the local organizers and will be decided on a case to case basis according to the timing of the cancellation and other factors. We do not offer refunds if you catch a cold, the flu or COVID after the cancellation date.
Health Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. Please take adequate measures to limit your exposure in the days before arriving. If you are feeling sick, or have a known close exposure to someone with COVID in the past 5 days, please sit this one out to keep the community well.
COMMUTERS: We ask that you please use caution when commuting and limit, if possible, to just commuting to and from your home and Earthdance, staying away from large crowds to maintain the health and well being of the other jam participants.
Participant Community Support
Earthdance runs as a community, thus part of the participation is that all individuals contribute to 1-2 work shifts (typically meal cleans) throughout the event and participate in a final house clean on the last day of the event. These are great ways to connect more with your fellow participants and Earthdance staff, and to feel more at home in the Earthdance buildings & grounds. Your contributions to this collective caring of this space are invaluable!
Earthdance’s buildings are ADA accessible. More info here.
HOST BIOS
Gabrielle Revlock
Gabrielle Revlock, MFA, is the creator of Restorative Contact, a mindful touch-based movement practice. She developed this form by synthesizing key elements of various somatic techniques including Contact Improvisation, Restorative Yoga, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Tai Chi, Klein Technique, Yin Yoga, Authentic Movement, and Deep Listening over her 20+ years as a professional dancer, choreographer, certified yoga teacher, and movement educator. Her research on the therapeutic applications of touch is compiled into an essay, co-authored with Aaron Brandes, and published in the book, Resistance and Support: Contact Improvisation @ 50, edited by Ann Cooper Albright. Revlock has been an invited speaker at CI@50 at Oberlin College, the Embodiment Conference, the Dance & Somatics Conference and the Future of CI Conference at Earthdance. Previously offered on Airbnb Online Experiences (2020-2024), Restorative Contact was one of the highest rated experiences in the category of wellness and is now an on-demand offering on Happily, a site dedicated to relationship-building. Revlock has been a practitioner of Contact Improvisation since 2003 and has taught the form at Movement Research, the School for Contemporary Dance & Though, Philadelphia Dance Projects, DNE Dance Camp, Soho Contact Improv Collective, Montreal Annual Jam pre-festival, Brinca Galicia Contact Festival, West Coast Contact Improvisation Jam, Ontario Regional CI Dance Jam, Smith College, Amherst College, and Salt Spring Island Contact Improvisation Festival.
As a choreographer, Revlock is the recipient of a New York City Bessie Award. Her work depicts complicated but relatable interpersonal relationships, developed through meticulous character study and improvisational structures. Presenters include The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, New York Live Arts, JACK, The Flea, Joyce Soho, Gibney, Philadelphia Dance Projects, Center for Performance Research, ODC, FringeArts, Velocity Dance Center, Provincetown Dance Festival, Chop Shop and American Dance Festival. Internationally she has toured to Japan, Netherlands, Singapore, Hungary, Russia and India. Revlock holds a BA in Art History from Vassar College and MFA in Dance from Smith College. More at GabrielleRevlock.com
Aaron Brandes
Aaron Brandes (Brando), LCSW, M.Ed, is a movement educator, psychotherapist, and bodyworker dedicated to fostering healing and resilience through somatic practices. With over 20 years immersed in dance, yoga, and body-based therapies, Brando has both taught and performed internationally, sharing his passion for movement as a tool for emotional and physical well-being. Together with Gabrielle Revelock, Brando co-authored an essay on the therapeutic applications of touch is published in the book, Resistance and Support: Contact Improvisation @ 50 edited by Ann Cooper Albright, and presented at CI@50 at Oberlin College. His journey includes a two-year residency and yoga teacher training at the renowned Kripalu Center, which solidified his dedication to integrating mindful movement into his work.
As a nationally certified Structural Integration practitioner, Brando brings a unique approach to his body-based psychotherapy practice, blending extensive experience in Contact Improvisation (CI) and other somatic modalities. CI remains central to his research and professional evolution, inspiring him to explore how movement can serve as a deeply therapeutic practice for navigating the complexities of modern life. Brando’s work continues to innovate within the field, encouraging others to use movement as a pathway to self-discovery and resilience.
For more insights and links to Brando’s videos, visit his website: BodyandBeing.net
SAVE THE DATE – Spring Equinox Jam! 40 Years of Community Dance & Living: An Honoring of Earthdance Roots
POSTPONED – Dancing the Self: Bridging Movement and Life – Experience the Legacy of Anna Halprin’s Work.
Experience the legacy of Anna Halprin’s work through an immersion in movement, dance, drawing, and poetry.
How does your art reflect your life?
How can the real stuff of life be the foundation for our dances? What can the power of artmaking offer us for healing, growth, and transformation? How can the body and artmaking bring us into closer connection with our deepest stories, knowing, and longings?
Through movement, dance, voice, creative writing, drawing, ritual and performance, we will explore, express, and discover deeper aspects of who we are. This workshop follows the Life/Art Process, developed by Anna and Daria Halprin, to bridge our moving, sensing, expressive bodies with our lived experiences, emotions, and stories.
Anna Halprin, Daria Halprin, and The Tamalpa Institute have been pioneering and innovative forces in the fields of expressive arts, dance, somatics, education, and therapy. Based in California, their work has been a fertile laboratory of cross disciplinary creative exploration that brought dance off of the stage and into the streets and nature; brought healing out of the therapy office and into art, performance, and ritual; brought a pedestrian aesthetic of functional movement into performance that reflects the art of the every day.
Taught by Natan Daskal, on core faculty at the Tamalpa Institute, and one of Anna Halprin’s last mentees, this will be a special opportunity to experience the legacy of the Halprin work in person on the East Coast.
Learn more about the Tamalpa Institute here.
Natan Daskal is on core faculty at the Tamalpa Institute, guiding training groups in embodied healing and transformation. He has a private practice in integrative somatic therapies, blending body-based expressive arts, biodynamic craniosacral therapy, somatic movement therapy, and Hakomi (mindfulness-based somatic psychotherapy).
***Dancing the Self is an Independent Event from Earthdance Programming. Earthdance is not responsible for any of the activities during the Dancing the Self event.***
Angela Niederer
The Gala! Helping Earthdance Thrive.
The Gala and Online Auction
The Gala is Saturday, December 13th, 2025, 5:00 – midnight
The Online Auction
Showcase your skills, experiences, or unique offerings while supporting Earthdance. This is a great way to promote your business, help raise funds, and spread the word about Earthdance to our global creative community.
The 2nd annual online auction is now live!
Place your bids or BUY NOW until December 13th at 6pm.
The Gala
Join us for a night of swanky celebration to honor our beloved Earthdance community and raise funds for its growth. This holiday season, let’s show some love to the space that nurtures connection, exploration, healing, and creativity.
You will get to enjoy the silent auction, a decadent multi-course meal created by our loving Earthdance chefs, group singing and blessing of our shared feast, special performance, photo options, awards and of course DANCING! It will be an evening that promises a full heart and belly. Dress to impress, and let’s end the year with community, charm, and goodwill!
Evening Schedule
- Arrival: 5pm
- Peruse Silent Auction and Photo Option: 5:30-6:15
- Singing and Blessing of the Meal: 6:15-6:30
- Feast of Recognition & Achievement: 6:30pm-8:00pm
- DJ Showdown and Dance Off: 8:00 – till we can’t twirl anymore
Pricing
- Financially Wealthy – $1000
- Financially Abundant – $500
- Financially Stable – $300
- Financially Coping – $160
- Financially Strained – $85
- Pay from the heart – $35
- Work Exchange – Contact fundraising@earthdance.net
Stay Overnight – Add $75
If you wish to continue the celebration or you are traveling from far away, consider staying overnight for Bruce’s famous sourdough pancake brunch (Sunday). Stay at the Gratitude Lodge in a dorm bed (sheets and towels included) or bring your tent and camp. Includes access to the sauna.
The Voices of the Gala: Masters of Ceremonies Lex and Murry
Jupiter Ariel aka “Lex Grotesque” is an artist, activist, & witch from Western Massachusetts. Jupiter works as a transformative muse and co-founder of The House of Grotesque. They specialize in producing and directing innovative performances and offer teaching in movement and character development. Through interactive theatre and dance, Jupiter cultivates creativity and expression, inspiring countless individuals in the arts community. Jupiter shares a deep love for the land and people who flow through Earthdance. They are excited to host this years Gala!
Marie “Murry” Echo’s (fae/they/she) primary partnership is with the meandering magic of the Muse. Living in devotion to this waking dream, fae shapeshifts between and beyond archetypal roles of boundless bard, dream druid, death doula, cosmic clown creature, harmonic healer. Their offerings are a convergence of creativity, connectivity, sensuality & ritual. For many years fae has been performing with the Grotesque Burlesque and recently put on an original play called “Witchpunk the Musical.” Earthdance is a second home for the Murry and she loves the creatures here dearly,
Stay tuned for the fairy next album coming out soon! Follow them for more community & one-on-one offerings: @musemundiThanks ba
Performance by Artist in Residence Charles Peoples
Charles Peoples III is a sonic changemaker residing at the intersection of performance art and experimental music theater. He focuses on the convergence of sound, movement, technology, and spirituality, while creating multidisciplinary experiences that awaken dormant senses. For media and more information, visit www.CharlesPeoplesIII.com.
Description from the Artist for the Gala Performance:
During my residency at Earthdance, I will continue to build the movement vocabulary of my ‘sonic changemaking’ practice. Both the voice and the body are essential to my practice, so I will share both at the Gala.
A Night of Music & Magic with DJ TintedDreams
Langston aka DJ TintedDreams is a Western Mass local hailing from the Pioneer Valley. He discovered Ecstatic dance and Contact Improv back in 2018, quickly falling in love with the freedom and nourishment these modalities brought to his soul. After many years of learning, healing, and growth facilitated by these spaces, it was his desire to give back. He aspires to facilitate a sonic space where dancers can explore their sense of self and expression through movement. By blending downtempo, electronica, world, and alternative soul music, He aims to take the dancer on a journey in which the boundaries between the material and immaterial soften.
The 2025 Gala Honorees
Robyn O’brien
Robyn first came to Earthdance in 2004, and from the start, it felt like home. She once said she felt so high after dancing, she’d get lost on the three-turn drive back to Vermont! She served on the board, helped shape its early governance, and has nurtured TEN Earthdance babies as a doula! After 34 years managing a food co-op in Putney, Vermont, she joined the 9 Mountain team just before Covid, bridging the connection between our two communities with deep love and purpose. Describing Earthdance, she once said “here if you drop a pebble, the ripples are felt and that is huge”. Oh—and if you’ve ever been lucky enough to eat her homemade bread, you know: she feeds this community in every sense of the word.
Bruce Hooke
Bruce first found out about Earthdance when a dance friend in Providence mentioned it. He looked it up and came for the winter offering weekend. He then continued to come for lots of work weekends starting in 2006 eventually this spread to other events and in 2013 he saw a fallen down for sale sign at the building next-door. He talked with Sarah Young the director at the time, about offering space for work exchangers, she loved the idea and he closed on the property that summer. He housed many work exchangers and staff for the next seven years until Covid. He has tirelessly volunteered and built the website, maintaining it through many years and also oversaw the new well installation. He is known for his beautiful photographs and art that are displayed throughout 9 Mountain and Earthdance. He has used his building skills to transform the square barn into a winter wonderland for many New Year’s jams complete with the most magical unicorn. He is also known for his delicious sourdough pancakes.
Rick Cernak
Rick Cernak began his involvement with Earthdance in October 2013 after receiving permission to collect minerals on the property. Later David Sharp, the Building and Grounds person at the time suggested he meet Bruce. They became close friends with a shared passion for mineral collecting. At the time, Earthdance was bringing in only $300–$500 annually from mineral collecting, with few restrictions and low fees. Recognizing the potential, Rick helped implement new systems—raising rates to $20 for individuals and $10 for clubs—leading to a dramatic increase in revenue to $7,000–$8,000 annually.
Rick’s connection to the area runs deep: his mother grew up and married in Plainfield, and he was raised in East Hampton as one of five siblings. In 2012, while accompanying his mother on a visit to the area, he stopped by Earthdance and was warmly welcomed. He still remembers walking into the farmhouse and seeing a massive mound of broccoli—one of his favorite vegetables—which made him feel instantly at home. Ali invited him to stay for dinner marking the beginning of his enduring relationship with the land and community.
Gratitude COCO Jam! with teachers Olive Frank and Tal Shibi – Register Now!
Tal and Olive will be offering a CI morning lab throughout the weekend that is designed for movers who crave a richer, more integrated connection to their dancing.
In this season of harvest, we’ll explore gratitude through the body: how we offer and receive weight, how we say “thank you” with timing, tone, and touch, and how we fine tune relaxation as a form of gifting the body spaciousness and acceptance.
Contact Improvisation Morning Lab: Gathering support, reciprocity, and enoughness.
Blending foundational elements of Contact Improvisation, floor-based somatic practice, and expressive solo exploration, this Lab, opens a space for cultivating both skill and freedom, nuance and boldness in how you move — with others and with yourself.
This morning lab is happening inside of a CoCo jam container, which stands for COmmunity COllaboration. Our intention is that the morning lab will inspire the participant’s own research and curiosities, and that these curiosities can be explored throughout the jam through offerings made by the participants themselves. Through solo, duet, and group scores we’ll cultivate presence, and hone on our improvisational intelligence.
Open to all levels; come curious. Expect warm-ups, clear partnering pathways, improvisation, and a reflective closing ritual. You’ll leave with a fuller toolkit for deeper informed CI research and Lab ideas/offerings for the rest weekend.
What is a CoCo Jam?
Community Collaborative Jams are a new and unfolding program concept at Earthdance which launched in early 2022. This new programming thread was driven by the desire for more opportunities to dance CI and to connect with the community in smaller containers. Similar to Seasonal Jams, the CoCo jam has one or more hosts that, rather than always being professional artists with strong facilitation skills, can be dedicated Earthdance community members and upcoming dancers building their leadership skills. Support staff is also more limited compared to our seasonal jams and participants are invited into a higher degree of autonomy and self care. Similarly, the workshop offerings and schedule are also more influenced by the community members themselves and created on a more adhoc basis.
In preparation for attending a CoCo jam, you may want to ask yourself:
What are you currently researching or inspired to offer?
Is there something you hope to lab, share, or play with?
COCO Jam Details
- An average of 40-60 people will attend this COCO jam and is open to all movement levels & backgrounds.
- We will offer a single day drop-in option on Saturday, November 29th for folks who have been to Earthdance before.
- If you have NOT been to Earthdance, we ask that you only sign up for either Thanksgiving Day, the full jam or Friday through Sunday option. This will allow us to better welcome you and orient you to Earthdance during our Opening Circle on Friday, November 28th at 10am.
- If you are planning to attend Thanksgiving Potluck dinner, and you have registered, we will send out a shared document for folks to coordinate dishes to bring. We will start dinner at 5pm.
- Be ready to co-create! This will be a very self motivated jam, bring your ideas! – We will send out a shared document for folks to fill out who would like to offer something during this co-creation weekend when you register.
Arrival, Onsite Check-In, Opening Circle, and Departures.
- Thanksgiving Potluck: Arrival/Check-In on Thursday, November 27th from 4-7pm front of the Farmhouse. Potluck is at 6-7pm (there will be a spreadsheet to add your dish you will bring)
- Opening Circle: Friday, November 28th at 10am. Newcomers must attend.
- Friday-Sunday Jam: Arrival/Check-In on Friday, November 28th from 8-10am front of the Farmhouse.
- Saturday Drop-In (Only for folks who’ve been to Earthdance before): Arrive Saturday, November 29th starting 8am. Departure at 10pm day of.
- Final Clean: Sunday, November 30th at 2-3pm. Lunch 1-2pm.
- Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Sunday, November 30th.
Our Fees Explained
Earthdance is a Public Charity that relies greatly on ticketing income to fulfill its Artistic, Cultural and Educational mission. We want to make our work available to folks with varying economic realities and offer a sliding scale payment for participation in most of our events. Please take a moment to reflect where you best fit on that scale. We ask everyone to stretch where they are able so that those who cannot may still have access to our events.
As you choose your rate please consider the following factors:
- Your access to income and wealth, as connected to family and partnership(s), past, present and future.
- The historical, systemic impacts of wealth accrual based on culture, race and other marginalized intersections for you and your family.
- The regional ease of your attendance, while some community members can drive to Earthdance, others will need to consider tuition based on their ability to travel longer distances.
PRICING: Sliding Scale
FULL JAM: Thursday – Sunday
GRATITUDE LODGE
$300 – Financially Strained to $700 – Financially Abundant
CAMPING
$275 – Financially Strained to $675 – Financially Abundant
COMMUTER
$250 – Financially Strained to $650 – Financially Abundant
PARTIAL JAM: Friday – Sunday
GRATITUDE LODGE
$250 – Financially Strained to $650 – Financially Abundant
CAMPING
$225 – Financially Strained to $625 – Financially Abundant
COMMUTER
$200 – Financially Strained to $600 – Financially Abundant
THURSDAY EVENING DROP-IN ONLY
$35 – Financially Strained to $400 – Financially Abundant
SATURDAY DAY DROP-IN ONLY
$85 – Financially Strained to $500 – Financially Abundant
Equity & Access Tickets
Although we’re not able to offer any full scholarships this year, we’re excited to offer up to 3 FULL JAM Equity & Access Discounts to individuals who feel part of an underrepresented and/or marginalized group in CI and have a relationship with CI. We know that for those who come from marginalized populations showing up to spaces filled with primarily privileged groups can be a challenge, and can feel vulnerable.
Apply HERE! Due November 20th.
Earthdance makes efforts to support Equity & Access at all its events, and we do this through:
- Reduced price Equity & Access tickets for folks who find our normal tickets to be a barrier. Participants self-identifying as being underrepresented and/or marginalized in CI are prioritized when allocating these tickets.
- An Accountability, Safety and Care (ASC) team that supports the processing of difficult situations that might come up in relation to consent, identity and other relational issues.
- Support from a BIPOC Team at our seasonal jams that hosts meals and supports offerings and affinity spaces based on BIPOC participants’ desires.
Housing Options
Gratitude Lodge
Includes a bed in the Gratitude Lodge, event offerings, sauna & quarry access, and food during the event.
The Gratitude Lodge (a.k.a. the Earthdance dorm) is the main lodging facility, connected to the Farmhouse by a short wooded trail. The lodge includes large and small rooms featuring dormitory-style bunks and beds (twin & queen size) and is included in the base cost. Beds are available on a first come basis.
Camping
Includes a spot to camp at Earthdance, event offerings, sauna & quarry access, and food during the event.
Commuter
You will have access to the event offerings, sauna & quarry access, and food.
Commuter Health Care: We ask that you please use caution when commuting and limit, if possible, to just commuting to and from your home and Earthdance, staying away from large crowds to maintain the health and well being of the other event participants.
Nine Mountain is NOT available.
Cancellation Policy
Refund available up to 14 days (November 13th) before the event less a $75 processing fee.
No refunds available less than 14 days (November 13th) from the start of the event.
Partial refunds might be given if a cancellation takes place under extenuating circumstances (e.g. a death of a 1st or 2nd degree family member, serious non-preventable illness or accident requiring hospitalization). Refunds in such cases remain at the discretion of the local organizers and will be decided on a case to case basis according to the timing of the cancellation and other factors. We do not offer refunds if you catch a cold, the flu or COVID after the cancellation date.
Health Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. Please take adequate measures to limit your exposure in the days before arriving. If you are feeling sick, or have a known close exposure to someone with COVID in the past 5 days, please sit this one out to keep the community well.
COMMUTERS: We ask that you please use caution when commuting and limit, if possible, to just commuting to and from your home and Earthdance, staying away from large crowds to maintain the health and well being of the other participants.
Participant Community Support
Earthdance runs as a community, thus part of the participation is that all individuals contribute to 1-2 work shifts (typically meal cleans) throughout the event and participate in a final house clean on the last day of the event. These are great ways to connect more with your fellow participants and Earthdance staff, and to feel more at home in the Earthdance buildings & grounds. Your contributions to this collective caring of this space are invaluable!
Earthdance’s buildings are ADA accessible. More info here.
HOST BIOS
Olive Frank
Olive Frank lives in reverence to the gravitational pull that keeps us all on the same Earth. Olive studies Structural Integration, the Axis syllabus, and Contact Improvisation, and enjoys co-creating dances that helps them experience gravity in new and playful ways. They have studied CI in numerous wonderful containers including Spiral and Root at Earthdance, Leviathan in Lasqueti, and Mission Improvable in Buffalo NY. They have been a regular attendee at most CI jams at Earthdance for the past several years, learning from each dance that they have the opportunity to experience. Olive is currently perusing a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy at Western New England University.
Tal Shibi
Tal Shibi is an improviser, choreographer, educator, and healing arts practitioner. His practice bridges performance, Contact Improvisation, and somatic research; often weaving dance, voice, and storytelling into moments of embodied presence. With roots in Shiatsu and Watsu therapy modalities and an MFA in Dance from Bennington College, Tal creates workshops and performances that invite playfullness, awareness, and poetic spontaneity while exploring themes of embodied art, ritual, and the raw terrain of being seen.