Winter can’t cant stop us from fixing and reinvigorating Earthdance this season. Come help us beautify the interiors and exteriors (if the weather permits) of Earthdance. Make your mark by lending a hand to strengthen this unique place we all call home and then dance together in the evenings!
EARTHDANCE WISHLIST
If can’t help us physically for the work weekend, we do have a wishlist of things we need below. We ask that the items do not have stains or chips, they are functional, you would use them in your own home, clean and lightly used. If you have specific or questionable donations, please email programming@earthdance.net.
If you have a chainsaw we can use while you’re here, bring it!
Good Blankets
Good Sleeping and Decorative Pillows
Cushions (to sit on the floor)
Twin and Full Mattresses
Twin, full and queen sheets/pillow cases
Mugs (no chips, no corporate/anniversary/words, maybe a set?)
Soup Bowls
Small to medium cooking pots with matching lids
Any size clean area rugs
Nice Art
String lights
Metal Shelving
SUGGESTED DONATION – This will help pay for food that we will feed you
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. Please take adequate measures to limit your exposure in the days before. 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.
“The body is a mystery moved by tangible and intangible forces”
These forces can originate in interaction with other people, the relationship with space and also from the memory of our tissues and cells.
During these sessions, we will initiate explorations that allow us to make contact with the information received from the skin inwards. In this way, it will generate a sensitive record of the internal universes that can be decoded through the “sensations”, which in some way, could be the gateway to physicality.
Through different somatic dynamics and Contact Improvisation we will seek to sensitize our state of presence and attention in the body. This, in order to awaken a record of the different impulses which can originate from the inherent vitality of the organism, cellular memory, or the interrelationship that appears when inhabiting space and linking with other dancing bodies. These registers and connections could allow us to find a better state of presence and to see what is happening in our dance.
We will try weight exchanges with different qualities, dancing off the axis without losing connection with our bodies and our weight, exchanges of strength in connection to the earth, and we will explore how to take advantage of the momentum to fall in multiple directions.
Is it possible to fall upwards?
We will search how we can allow the creative power that inhabits each participant to unfold freely to improvise, play, and dance collectively. During the weekend, information from somatic disciplines, craniosacral therapy and other movement arts will be integrated.
Arrival and Onsite Check-In: The welcoming will commence for participants on Friday, October 27th from 1:00pm-4:00pm.
Friday CI Workshop: Friday, October 27th from 4-6pm, Dinner is at 6-7pm.
Opening Circle: Saturday, October 28th at 10am
Saturday, October 28th Drop-In Day: Arrive/Check-In between 8am-10am, Breakfast is at 8am-9am, Opening Circle 10am and Departure at 11pm day of.
Weekend Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Sunday, October 29th.
COVID Testing: Please make sure that you have tested for COVID on the day of arrival for weekend and drop-in days. If needed, participants may purchase tests from Earthdance for $10 each.
Our Fees Explained
Earthdance offers a sliding scale payment for participation in this event, please take a moment to reflect as you decide on where you best fit.
Your level of contribution is self selected and does not need to be advocated for. However, we invite you to remember this contribution is currency and we ask that you stretch where you are able so that those who cannot stretch as far of a financial distance may also have potential access to community events. As you choose your rate please consider the following factors:
Your access to income and wealth, as connected to family and partnership, both currently and anticipated in the future.
The historical, systemic impacts of wealth accrual based on culture, race and other intersection marginalizations 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.
Earthdance is a community and rental funded organization which recently, historically and uniquely through the Covid-19 pandemic has struggled to have viable income.
Although we’re not able to offer any full scholarships this year, we’re excited to offer up to 3 Discounted Tickets to individuals who feel part of an underrepresented and/or marginalized groups. 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.
For those who do not identify as marginalized and are in a represented group, we invite you to stretch in your payment to help support those who cannot stretch and create a more diverse jam experience for all.
Note: While Earthdance is making efforts to better support Equity & Access at all its events, the event offers particularly strong support for diversity, equity, and inclusion through:
Reduced pricing offered to people self-identifying as being underrepresented and/or marginalized.
Classes and discussions that aim to bring up the level of 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 during the jam.
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 during the jam.
Commuter Tickets
You will have access to the event including 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 participants.
Refund available up to 14 days (October 13th) before the event less a $75 processing fee.
No refunds available less than 14 days 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.
COVID Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. However, ALL registrants are required to take an antigen test on the day of before arriving on Friday, October 27th at Earthdance. If you need a test, Earthdance will have them available to purchase for $10 each.
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!
Dancer and Teacher of Contact Improvisation. Dedicated to the transmission of the C.I since 2013. I have learned from different somatic approaches such as: B.M.C, Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique and Topf Technique. Craniosacral Therapist and teacher. Practitioner of Butoh and Kinomichi (Japanese martial art), languages that are part of his experience and that also cross the way of teaching and sharing the practice.
I was manager and co-creator of various projects and festivals in relation to Contact improvisation and somatic disciplines, to name a few; Mueves: platform for the production of festivals and workshops in relation to the practice of C.I. (Year 2013-2018 Chile). Matriz: International Contact Improvisation Festival, Chile between 2014-2017. Cuerpo inteligencia: Dance Training Program (year 2016-2019 Chile). Movere: International Dance Festival (year 2020-2022 Mexico). Mazunte Contact festival: International Contact Improvisation Festival to be held in February 2022, México. Immersion: International Contact Improvisation Festival to be held in January 2023, México.
I shared my work in festivals, universities and independent spaces in the following countries: Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Mexico, Colombia and the United States.
The Winter Jam is one of the four main Earthdance seasonal jams. It often has around 100-140 participants, is open to all movement levels and backgrounds.
Ticket Options: We offer full jam, commuter, camping and drop-in day options.
Drop-In Days: We are offering 2 drop-in days (no overnight) on Saturday, December 30th and Sunday, December 31st Drop-Ins (15 ticket limit per day). This option is only available for folks who have been to Earthdance before. We ask that you check-in with ED staff when you arrive between 9-10am.
Nine Mountain retreat center is just across the field and is available once you purchase a Commuter Ticket with Earthdance. You will need to contact robyn@ninemountain.com to reserve a bed at an additional cost per night.***ALL participants staying at Nine Mountain MUST check-in at the Earthdance Farmhouse during registration times BEFORE settling into Nine Mountain. Thank you for understanding.***
Children: We are encouraging children to stay home for this jam. We are not providing child care, children’s programming, or kids pricing. Join us for the Summer Jam, which offers many children focused offerings!
Arrival, Onsite Check-In, Opening Circle, Departures and COVID Testing
Arrival and Onsite Check-In: The welcoming will commence for Full Jam participants on Wednesday, December 27th from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Dinner is at 6-7pm.
Opening Circle: Thursday, December 28th at 10am. We recommend that all Newcomers to attend this.
Mid-Jam Full House Clean: Saturday, December 30th from 12-1pm. All Participants join the Clean.
Drop-Ins: Arrive to check-in at the front of the farmhouse Saturday, December 30th and Sunday, December 31st between 9-10am. Only availablefor folks who have been to Earthdance before. If you arrive late, find Olive.
Closing Circle and Final Clean: Closing Circle is at 12pm, Lunch from 1-2pm and Final clean from 2-3 pm. All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Tuesday, January 2nd.
COVID Testing: Please make sure that you have tested for COVID on the day of arrival for Full Jam and Drop-In days. If needed, participants may purchase tests from Earthdance for $10 each.
Our Fees Explained
Earthdance offers a sliding scale payment for participation in this event, please take a moment to reflect as you decide on where you best fit.
Your level of contribution is self selected and does not need to be advocated for. However, we invite you to remember this contribution is currency and we ask that you stretch where you are able so that those who cannot stretch as far of a financial distance may also have potential access to community events. As you choose your rate please consider the following factors:
Your access to income and wealth, as connected to family and partnership, both currently and anticipated in the future.
The historical, systemic impacts of wealth accrual based on culture, race and other intersection marginalizations 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.
Earthdance is a community and rental funded organization which recently, historically and uniquely through the Covid-19 pandemic has struggled to have viable income.
Equity & Access Tickets
Although we’re not able to offer any full scholarships this year, we’re excited to offer up to 14 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.
Application deadline is Closed.
For those who do not identify as marginalized and are in a represented group of CI, we invite you to stretch in your payment to help support those who cannot stretch and create a more diverse jam experience for all.
Note: While Earthdance is making efforts to better support Equity & Access at all its events, this jam offers particularly strong support for diversity, equity, and inclusion through:
Reduced pricing offered to people self-identifying as being underrepresented and/or marginalized in CI.
Classes and discussions that aim to bring up the level of awareness and inclusion at the jam as a whole
Affinity spaces (jams, discussions, etc.) for particular groups of people to connect, share CI space together, and rest from the pressures of being in a minority status at the jam.
Housing Options
Gratitude Lodge at Earthdance Tickets
Includes a bed in the Gratitude Lodge, Jam offerings, and food during the jam.
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 Jam cost. Beds are available on a first come basis.
Camping Tickets
Includes a spot to camp at Earthdance, Jam offerings, and food during the jam.
Commuter Tickets
You will have access to the Jam offerings including food for the event.
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 Jam participants.
Nine Mountain (the retreat center next door to Earthdance)
You will need to contact Robyn at robyn@ninemountain.com to reserve a bed AFTER you’ve registered for a Commuter Ticket with Earthdance.
Dorm bed (first come, first serve – includes sheets with kitchen and hot tub access at Nine Mountain)
$60 per person, per night
NOPrivate Rooms Available
***ALL participants staying at Nine Mountain MUST check-in at the Earthdance Farmhouse during registration times BEFORE settling into Nine Mountain. Thank you for understanding.***
$100 – Drop-in (Includes 3 meals and entrance to the Jam. Only 15 tickets available per day due to capacity limitations and only for those who have been at Earthdance before. Thank you for understanding.)
Refund available up to 14 days (December 13th) before the event less a $75 (full jam) & $30 (drop-in) processing fee.
No refunds available less than 14 days (After December 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.
COVID Precautions
ALL registrants are required to take an antigen test on the day of before arriving on Thursday, December 27th (Full Jam), Saturday, December 30th (Drop-In), and Sunday, December 31st (Drop-In) at Earthdance. If you need a test, Earthdance will have them available to purchase for $10 each. 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!
Born & raised in Greece, first fell in love with Contact Improvisation in Argentina 8yrs ago – their desire to deepen in this practice, in nature & community, led them to Earthdance for a summer as a work exchanger 6yrs ago, and the 5 cold long winters that came after that have not yet managed to make them go away.
Katerina has been exploring movement and touch on land and water for the last 8yrs, is currently running a practice of therapeutic bodywork & somatic coaching in Boston,MA, and is part of the Contact Improvisation Jamaica Plain team.
Katerina loves researching what’s accessible when we come together in our bodies, while cultivating awareness of self & relationship, and often dreams that these practices might be part of what one day lead us to world peace. Some of their background: Esalen & Thai massage, Aquatic Dance, Aguahara aquatic bodywork, Authentic Movement, Feldenkrais, Somatic Self Compassion.
Kiori Kawai
Kiori Kawai (Japanese, b. 1978) is a dance performer/choreographer, interactive installation artist and an educator. As a dance performance artist/choreographer, she started her career in New York, she has worked with Carman Moore/Skymusic Inc., Elaine Summers Dance and Film, Lincoln Center, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Brooklyn Museum, Serraves Contemporary Museum (Portugal), Mesa Arts Center (AZ), Transformation Festival (Denmark/U.S), Megaron (Athens, Greece), Sharjah Biennial (U.A.E), New York University Abu Dhabi Arts Center (U.A.E), touring nationally and internationally. She’s built up her own improvisatory movement vocabulary based on the techniques of meditation, Kinetic Awareness, Contact Improv, yoga, and various dance/movement trainings. This led her to designing interactive installations that include human body movement within kinetic sculptures.
In 2011, she founded Purring Tiger with Aaron Sherwood. Purring Tiger is a multi- cultural, multimedia, interactive installation/performance group dedicated to bringing people together in the context of Art, in a subtext of Wonder. Their pieces have been commissioned and appeared at Burning Man Arts Festival, Brooklyn Museum, Federation Square (AUS), Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Telfair Museum, Cameron Arts Museum, Scottsdale Public Art and many more. Ignite.me magazine said “Not only does their art challenge us…, but it’s also beautiful.” She teaches performance workshops, Improvisation/Contact Improvisation based classes in US, Europe, Middle East and Asia. Her approach of Improvisation/Contact Improvisation is as a Meditative Movement Practice. It is based on observing breath and bodily sensations, placing the awareness to every part of the body, and integrating this awareness with movement. A practitioner of meditation and improvisational movement, Kiori Kawai’s approach employs observation of conscious and unconscious choices through stillness and movement, using kinesthetic awareness as a conversation to explore connection between self and environment. Her workshops focus on various thematic movement methods, such as “Body Climate”, “Arriving Score”, and “Sleep Dance Lab.”. Workshops often culminate in a site-specific performance as sharing and exchanging ideas with each participants’ view point.
She has taught at New York University-Abu Dhabi (UAE), Alpine Dance Academy/ Wave Festival (CO, USA), Tinkuy (Copenhagen, Denmark), Wrong Movement Studio (Athens, Greece), New England Dance Camp (New Hampshire, USA), Transformation Festival (U.S.A-Denmark), Deakin University/Federation Square (Melbourne, Australia), Savannah Arts Academy/ Telfair Museums (GA, USA), Dancing Water (TX, USA), Azule Dance Theater (NY, USA), Rinyou Temple (Japan) and more. http://kiorikawai.com/
In this workshop, led by Frieda Kipar Bay and Dana Iova-Koga, we immerse ourselves deeply into the inquiry of how to relate to the ecologies on either side of the skin. Drawing from the practices of contact improvisation, qigong, body weather*, wild tending, and deep observation (including tracking, plant ID, and internal states), we will delve into the question of how to dance – and be danced by- a landscape. In stretching the definition of CI fundamentals (such as ‘sharing weight’ and ‘entering a dance’) to include our environment, we open up new possibilities of how to be human here.
Our days will be spent in deep observation of the landscape, including wild tending and native plant walks and in the studio practicing deep observation of ourselves through qigong, CI, and bodyweather practices.
As part of this workshop, we will participate in land-stewardship activities that will support the forested watershed surrounding Earthdance. This work will also serve to ground our explorations in a practical application of what it means to have an embodied dialogue with place.
“Body Weather is a Butoh practice stemming from Min Tanaka (whom Dana studied/lived with for 5 years.)
Arrival and Onsite Check-In: The welcoming will commence for participants on Thursday, November 2nd from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Dinner is at 6-7pm.
Opening Circle: Friday, November 3rd at 10am.
Friday, November 3rd and Saturday, November 4th Drop-In Days: Arrive at 8am and Departure at 10pm day of.
Weekend Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Sunday, November 5th.
COVID Testing: Please make sure that you have tested for COVID on the day of arrival for weekend and drop-in days. If needed, participants may purchase tests from Earthdance for $10 each.
Our Fees Explained
Earthdance offers a sliding scale payment for participation in this event, please take a moment to reflect as you decide on where you best fit.
Your level of contribution is self selected and does not need to be advocated for. However, we invite you to remember this contribution is currency and we ask that you stretch where you are able so that those who cannot stretch as far of a financial distance may also have potential access to community events. As you choose your rate please consider the following factors:
Your access to income and wealth, as connected to family and partnership, both currently and anticipated in the future.
The historical, systemic impacts of wealth accrual based on culture, race and other intersection marginalizations 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.
Earthdance is a community and rental funded organization which recently, historically and uniquely through the Covid-19 pandemic has struggled to have viable income.
Although we’re not able to offer any full scholarships this year, we’re excited to offer up to 3 Discounted Tickets to individuals who feel part of an underrepresented and/or marginalized groups. 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.
For those who do not identify as marginalized and are in a represented group, we invite you to stretch in your payment to help support those who cannot stretch and create a more diverse jam experience for all.
Note: While Earthdance is making efforts to better support Equity & Access at all its events, the event offers particularly strong support for diversity, equity, and inclusion through:
Reduced pricing offered to people self-identifying as being underrepresented and/or marginalized.
Classes and discussions that aim to bring up the level of 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 during the jam.
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 during the jam.
Commuter Tickets
You will have access to the event including 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 participants.
Refund available up to 14 days (October 19th) before the event less a $75 processing fee.
No refunds available less than 14 days 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.
COVID Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. However, ALL registrants are required to take an antigen test on the day of before arriving on Thursday, November 2nd at Earthdance. If you need a test, Earthdance will have them available to purchase for $10 each.
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!
Frieda Kipar Bay is a weaver of knowledge, overlapping different threads to better understand the whole. Movement is the primary lens that she uses to see into life, and she works in depth with plant medicine to navigate health and disentangle from oppressive overcultures. Some of the threads she currently weaves with: Daoist medicine, qigong, five element theory and diagnostic practices, wild tending and native plant restoration, tracking, writing, performance art experiments, somatic experiencing and trauma resolution, The Work That Reconnects facilitation and grief processing, and equity practice. She finds that beautiful things get made when she weaves with many perspectives. Find out more at www.friedakiparbay.net.
Dana has been a polymorph since an early age. She could never choose between dance, theater, art, photography and writing. Luckily she managed to study them all at the Experimental Theater Wing at NYU. Her formative training in movement was with Japanese dancer Min Tanaka. She lived and worked for several years with him on his farm in the countryside of Japan- dancing, farming and studying nature of all kinds.
Since that time Dana has continued to explore and discover the connections between body and landscape. She has been a member of dance/theater company inkBoat and has been teaching “Dance on Land” with her partner, Shinichi, since 2006. She has been blessed with some of the highest caliber teachers and mentors one could hope for. She had the great fortune of working with dance pioneer Anna Halprin. Dana has studied Chinese Internal Martial Arts for over a decade and is a 17th generation Wudang San Feng Pai lineage holder through her Shifu David Wei of Wudang West. Most recently has been mentored by Jozef Frucek and given the honor of becoming an “Inspired by FM” teacher through Fighting Monkey. She is thrilled to be joining forces with Frieda Kipar Bay as Elemental Vessel. Together they practice researching the elements in the body and the body in the elements.
Dana is forever inspired by the complexity and diversity of life in all its forms, is fascinated by the phenomenon of creativity, and above all enjoys playing in the space occupied by the questions. These days you may find her in the studio, in the garden, on the stage, in the classroom, over the books, with the words, in the water, in the woods, in the kitchen, with her people, among her thoughts, under the sky. www.danaiovakoga.net
Come together for a unique celebration, a four-day journey from Thursday, November 23th to Sunday, November 26th. During this extended weekend, we invite you to revel in the joy of feasting, dancing, and expressing gratitude, sensitivity and awareness. Expect an abundance of contact improvisation classes, jams, and an array of other delightful offerings to indulge in. On Thanksgiving Day, we’ll share a collective potluck feast!
Thanksgiving is a special time for us, a moment to purposefully nourish and cherish our gratitude, to awaken to the blessings in our lives. At Earthdance, we are especially grateful for the resurgence of life and the profound sense of connection within our vibrant community.
Thanksgiving, rooted in the harvest season, calls for gratitude for the Earth’s boundless abundance. We are sustained in countless ways by this living planet – through the air we breathe, the pull of gravity, the sustenance it provides, and the deep spiritual and relational connections it offers. It beckons us to embrace our inner completeness.
Amidst our gratitude in Earthdance, located in Nipmuc territory, we want to bring our attention to the reality that Thanksgiving day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of Native people, the theft of Native lands, and the relentless assault on Native culture, therefore we also carry feelings of sorrow, perhaps for the sense of disconnection from this fact, from our Earth and the loss of biodiversity. When we would like to deeply acknowledge this grief to allow the natural flow of gratitude.
In the practice of contact improvisation, the Earth itself becomes our primary partner. We are forever held within its gravitational field, constantly returning to its reliable support. Can we extend this practice to maintain a vibrant, joyful connection to the Earth even when grief is present? Can we release our grip on the dance of life and move toward a secure attachment to our primary partner: this ever-present lover, the Earth itself?
Join us for an extended weekend filled with dance and delight, movement and serenity, fullness and release. Together, we will come alive, forging connections with ourselves, each other, and the nurturing Earth that sustains us.
*** Earthdance is happy to donate 50% of this jam’s proceeds to the Ohketeau Cultural Center. 948 Conway Road, Ashfield, MA 01330. https://www.ohketeau.org/
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?
Jam Details
An average of 40-60 people will attend this COCO jam and is open to all movement levels & backgrounds.
We have a single day drop-in option on Saturday, November 25th for folks who have been to Earthdance before.
If you have never been to Earthdance, we ask that you only sign up for either Thanksgiving Day or the full jam (either Thanksgiving Day through Sunday or Friday through Sunday). This will allow us to better welcome you and orient you to Earthdance.
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.
This will be a very self motivated jam, bring your ideas! Be ready to co-create! – 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.
Thanksgiving Potluck: Arrival/Check-In on Thursday, November 23rd from 4-7pm front of the Farmhouse. Potluck is at 6-7pm.
Opening Circle: Friday, November 24th at 10am.
Friday-Sunday Jam: Arrival/Check-In on Friday, November 24th from 8-10am front of the Farmhouse.
Saturday Drop-In (Only for folks who’ve been to Earthdance before): Arrive Saturday, November starting 8am. Departure at 10pm day of.
Final Clean: Sunday, November 26th at 2-3pm.
Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Sunday, November 26th.
COVID Testing: Please make sure that you have tested for COVID on the day of arrival for both Full Jam and Saturday Drop-in. If needed, participants may purchase tests from Earthdance for $10 each.
Our Fees Explained
Earthdance offers a sliding scale payment for participation in this event, please take a moment to reflect as you decide on where you best fit.
Your level of contribution is self selected and does not need to be advocated for. However, we invite you to remember this contribution is currency and we ask that you stretch where you are able so that those who cannot stretch as far of a financial distance may also have potential access to community events. As you choose your rate please consider the following factors:
Your access to income and wealth, as connected to family and partnership, both currently and anticipated in the future.
The historical, systemic impacts of wealth accrual based on culture, race and other intersection marginalizations 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.
Earthdance is a community and rental funded organization which recently, historically and uniquely through the Covid-19 pandemic has struggled to have viable income.
Although we’re not able to offer any full scholarships this year, we’re excited to offer up to 6 Discounted Tickets 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.
For those who do not identify as marginalized and are in a represented group of CI, we invite you to stretch in your payment to help support those who cannot stretch and create a more diverse jam experience for all.
Note: While Earthdance is making efforts to better support Equity & Access at all its events, the jam offers particularly strong support for diversity, equity, and inclusion through:
Reduced pricing offered to people self-identifying as being underrepresented and/or marginalized in CI.
Classes and discussions that aim to bring up the level of awareness and inclusion at the jam as a whole
Affinity spaces (jams, discussions, etc.) for particular groups of people to connect, share CI space together, and rest from the pressures of being in a minority status at the jam.
Housing Options
Gratitude Lodge at Earthdance Tickets
Includes a bed in the Gratitude Lodge, Jam offerings, and food during the jam.
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 Jam cost. Beds are available on a first come basis.
Camping Tickets
Includes a spot to camp at Earthdance, Jam offerings, and food during the jam.
Commuter Tickets
You will have access to the Jam offerings including food for the event.
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 jam participants.
Refund available up to 14 days (November 9th) before the event less a $75 processing fee.
No refunds available less than 14 days 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.
COVID Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. However, ALL registrants are required to take an antigen test on the day of before arriving on Thursday, November 23rd, Friday November 24th or Saturday, November 25th. If you need a test, Earthdance will have them available to purchase for $10 each.
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!
Funda is an adventurous explorer of movement who has delved into various disciplines on a captivating spiritual and intellectual journey. She began her exploration in the world of Aikido in 2005, which ignited a passion that shaped her path. Along the way, she also immersed herself in Systema, where she honed her skills as an instructor-in-training. Funda’s attraction to spirituality led her to complete a transformative 500-hour teacher training program in the Krishnamacharya lineage of Yoga, where she discovered the power of personalized and adaptable practices.
Since 2016, Funda has been deeply involved in Contact Improvisation as a student, teacher, and facilitator. She collaborates with esteemed dancers to organize engaging workshops and events, including a memorable workshop by Nita Little in the heart of New York City. Drawing from her background in Yoga and Martial Arts, Funda effortlessly tailors her teachings to suit the diverse needs and abilities of her students. Her goal is to create an inclusive space for movement exploration guided by the profound philosophy that “Function Creates the Form.”
Beyond the studio, Funda is dedicated to uniting the vibrant NYC Contact Improv community. Alongside fellow enthusiasts, she hosts inspiring performances enriched with live music. These events not only elevate the beauty of Contact Improvisation but also support organizations committed to combating climate change. In this realm, her spiritual practice takes flight as she strives to understand and experience the interconnectedness of nature and ourselves through the ‘Way of the Universe’ and the concept of ‘Oneness.’
In addition to her movement endeavors, Funda pursued a degree in Mathematics at Stevens Institute of Technology. Today, she channels her intellect and creativity into her work at an innovative AI company, where she is revolutionizing online math education to support students who lack access to math education.
Some of Funda’s leading teachers that she has tremendous gratitude towards are: Ayhan Kaya, Edgars Cakuls, Vladimir Vasiliev, Guta Hedewig, Richard Webb, Nita Little, Tres Hofmeister, Dan Messisco, Chuck Weber.
AARON BRANDES (aka Brando)
MSW, M.ED is a founding member of the improvisational dance company: Set GO and teaches and performs internationally. His dance videos have collected over a half million views and can be viewed via his website, BodyandBeing.net. In 2009, Brando established CI Ground Research, an annual conference for the pedagogical and embodied research of Contact Improvisation.
He continues to host a bi-weekly CI event in Northampton which explores the relationship between improvised music and dance. Brando is a licensed psychotherapist, is nationally certified in Structural Integration (SI) and is a certified Kripalu Yoga teacher. He has integrated aspects of SI bodywork, movement, and clinical social work in his therapeutic practice.
When was the last time you underwent a meaningful transformation?
When was the moment you embodied the presence of a powerful Queen, or emerged as a regal King, only to then transform into the playful dance of a Clown?
Transformation is the catalyst for healing, inspiration, and enlightenment, finding its perfect medium in the captivating realm of masks. Masks have always held an intricate connection to the depths of the human psyche, a tangible bridge to archetypal images and centers that are within us all.
Journeying into the realm of archetypes, a profound facet of human consciousness, opens doors to unexplored dimensions, experiences, and wisdom. Whether you’re stepping onto this path for the first time or you’re a seasoned traveler in the realm of archetypes, our workshop promises an immersive experience tailored to your unique quest for knowledge and creative self-discovery.
Prepare to immerse yourself in the intricate tapestry of archetypes using the esteemed Brahe-Davis method of MASK. Embark on a journey that transcends various schools of thought, allowing you to embody these archetypal forces through this medium. As you delve deeper, you’ll unravel the threads that connect these archetypes to the fabric of our culture, media, and collective consciousness.
Disney’s “The Lion King” is intentionally interwoven with archetypal imagery and messages that may miss the eye before it’s pointed out. So- YES We’ll discuss the Lion King as a template for understanding archetypes and how these universal patterns captivate and educate us through various media lenses.
With over 15 years of immersive experience, teaching over 10,000 students, Akil Apollo Davis’ profound expertise will be your guide, offering you a meticulously curated weekend: “Archetypes & the Metamorphosis-Masquerade.” His guidance will lead you to unearth your innate ability to metamorphose through archetypes. His unique Balinese crafted masks will serve as the key to unlocking the archetypal center within you, allowing you to transform from the inside out. Discover the gifts they bestow upon you and witness how a deeper understanding can magnify the richness of your everyday life.
Are you ready to take this enthralling leap? Here’s a glimpse of what awaits you during this weekend:
🌟 Engage in evening embodiment sessions with masks and music, planting the seeds for your archetypal exploration.
🌟 Immerse yourself in micro gestures and compression techniques to enhance your transformation.
🌟 Participate in archetype mask lectures and embodiment exercises to uncover the essence of these powerful archetypes.
🌟 Join the Costume Bazaar to select the attire that will become the vessel of your metamorphosis.
🌟 Experience engaging play, improv, and story time sessions that weave the magic of archetypes into your narrative.
🌟 Culminate your journey with the grandeur of the Metamorphosis-Masquerade, where your transformed self will be celebrated.
Prepare to reflect, integrate, and ready yourself for the journey home on the final day.
***Bring your personal costumes, accessories, and pieces to fully embody your transformation for the night of the Masquerade!
***Bring extra pieces if you want to support the activation and transformation of your fellow participants!
Spaces for this extraordinary experience are limited! Only 22 spots available. Secure your ticket for a weekend that promises to reshape your perception of storytelling, culture, and the art of self-expression.
Arrival and Onsite Check-In: The welcoming will commence for participants on Thursday, November 16th from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Dinner is at 6-7pm.
Weekend Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Sunday, November 5th.
COVID Testing: Please make sure that you have tested for COVID on the day of arrival for weekend and drop-in days. If needed, participants may purchase tests from Earthdance for $10 each.
Our Fees Explained
Earthdance offers a sliding scale payment for participation in this event, please take a moment to reflect as you decide on where you best fit.
Your level of contribution is self selected and does not need to be advocated for. However, we invite you to remember this contribution is currency and we ask that you stretch where you are able so that those who cannot stretch as far of a financial distance may also have potential access to community events. As you choose your rate please consider the following factors:
Your access to income and wealth, as connected to family and partnership, both currently and anticipated in the future.
The historical, systemic impacts of wealth accrual based on culture, race and other intersection marginalizations 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.
Earthdance is a community and rental funded organization which recently, historically and uniquely through the Covid-19 pandemic has struggled to have viable income.
Although we’re not able to offer any full scholarships this year, we’re excited to offer up to 3 Discounted Tickets to individuals who feel part of an underrepresented and/or marginalized groups. 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.
For those who do not identify as marginalized and are in a represented group, we invite you to stretch in your payment to help support those who cannot stretch and create a more diverse jam experience for all.
Housing Options
Gratitude Lodge at Earthdance Tickets
Includes a bed in the Gratitude Lodge, workshops, 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 event cost. Beds are available on a first come basis.
Camping Tickets
Includes a spot to camp at Earthdance, workshops, and food during the event.
Commuter Tickets
You will have access to all workshops including food for the event.
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 participants.
ABOUT THE MASKS
These wooden masks are hand-carved in Bali by a Priest/Brahman, require 40-70 coats of paint and a traditional sacred cleansing ceremony for their completion!
The Masks differ from the traditional Balinese canon. The only similarity is that the Brahe-Davis Masks are made with the same process and carving method of the traditional Balinese Masks, but these are NOT “Balinese Masks”
The Image the Masks are carved from are channeled from Akil or Per Brahe’s (the founder of the work) to intention and imagination. The Masks are then placed on participants and they are allowed to explore transformation.
It is also important to note that these masks differ, in the extreme, from the traditional Commedia dell’arte Masks which dominate Europe and Western/American Culture. While Commedia masks aim to put the body in the position or gesture of the character- frequently using a mirror- The practitioners of the Brahe-Davis Mask technique are generally NOT allowed to SEE or KNOW what Mask they have. These masks don’t work your mind, these masks work your BODY through the power of image and transformation and your body’s natural ability to be sensitive to the image in the mask!
HOW THE MASKS WORK
90% of the time participants aren’t even allowed to see or know what the mask is. This keeps them from Pre-acting in a wrong direction. And even though people don’t see the mask or know what it is- they will still DO what the Mask is. This is the body’s natural sensitivity.
In a nutshell- If you pluck the string on one guitar, the same string on another will vibrate… this is how the masks work with your body.
The image of the mask activates the chosen center in the body and transformation happens.
On the way into transforming, the body clears blocks to the archetype through somatic and emotionally expressive movement. Thus, the masks have a healing effect while getting you into the images in YOU! You can transform into anything.
“Nothing human is foreign to me” -Terentius
Cancellation Policy
Refund available up to 14 days before the event less a $75 processing fee.
No refunds available less than 14 days 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.
COVID Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. However, ALL registrants are required to take an antigen test on the day of before arriving on Thursday, November 16th at Earthdance. If you need a test, Earthdance will have them available to purchase for $10 each.
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!
Akil Apollo Davis is a full time Performing Artist and Theatre Professor. Akil grew up with Hip-Hop dance in the everyday culture of Memphis TN (watch “House Party” the movie) and began theatre at 12 years old, and got his Bachelors in Theatre from the prestigious NYU TISCH School of the Arts. During that time his dance, music, and performance training and practices intensified dramatically.
He is the teacher of an extremely rare form of Mask work: only 3 human beings teach it. The Masks are designed by Akil and/or his mentor, Per Brahe. After being hand carved from wood and painted by a Balinese Mask-Making Brahman (Priest), they are taken through a cleansing ceremony in a special temple. In this work, the Masks use the power of image to aid in transformation.
Akil is an avid and professional dancer. He has received extensive training in 4 forms of Balinese dance, 3 forms of Thai Classical dance, Modern, Butoh, African, Ballet, Jazz, Butoh, multiple styles of Fan dancing, contact improv and Acro yoga.
He is a an award-winning playwright and director (NYC Fringe Festival “SUMMER BLUE”: Winner: most innovative production) an MC, poet, and educator.
Akil is also a lyricist, freestyle rapper (improvisational verse) poet and composer. He has collaborated with many musicians to create music and video content for himself and his alter-ego “Diamond Adronica De La Funk”.
Akil has taught Theatre and Dance all over America, in over 12 countries, and is now a Professor of Mask and Art Aesthetic at William Esper Studio (previously NYU and SUNY Purchase).
He has trained with Brahmans, Witches in the East Village and Monks in Thailand and works to bridge the gaps between classical knowledge and esoteric education. This has led to inspiring collaborations and panel discussions with psychologists at Pace University, University of Memphis, and NYU on emotional development, Suicide prevention and awareness, and the power of image.
Join us this fall to nourish ourselves with our CI practice. As nature transitions towards its resting season, let us too find ways to release, reflect, and rejuvenate. What does it take to find ease and enjoyment at an extended contact improvisation jam? To gather in a community of people, some we know well, some who are strangers, and engage in a practice centered around physical touch? How can we create a container that can respond to potentially competing needs?
The answer is in the practice itself! At this jam we will connect the wisdom of CI to more broadly applicable skills, especially those that focus on self- and community-care. “Resourcing” is a main theme of this jam. What do you need to be well resourced? What do we need as a community in order to be well resourced?
Tune into your nervous system’s needs and wants, moving on your own body time, in an environment built for differing needs, from quiet space for rest to padded areas for high-intensity dancing. We hope this will foster a supportive space for taking care of our varying needs, following our embodiment, and nurturing ourselves, both individually and collectively.
Attendance: An average of 70-100 people will attend this jam and is open to all movement levels & backgrounds.
Jam Options: Full Jam, Post Jam Lab and Saturday Drop-In (Post Jam Lab and Drop-In Day is available only to folks who have been to Earthdance before).
What is a “Post Jam Lab”? After our traditional Fall Jam, and to cultivate the deepening of our shared practice, we are offering participants the opportunity to stay on for a few more days till Tuesday, October 24th for a Post-Jam Lab and Integration days. During this time participants will be able to enjoy our beautiful facilities and explore CI and other movement practices through self organized labs, workshops and jams. Food will be served as normal so you can also decide to just stay and relax giving your self time to integrate all the rich experiences from the Fall Jam itself. Those who did not attend the Fall Jam weekend are welcome to join the Post Jam Lab, however only if you have been to Earthdance before.
Newcomers: If you have never been to Earthdance, we ask that you only sign up for the Full Jam. This will allow us to better welcome and orient you to Earthdance.
Full Jam: Arrival/Check-In on Thursday, October 19th from 4:00pm-7:00pm front of the Farmhouse. Dinner is at 6-7pm.
Opening Circle: Friday, October 20th at 10am.
Saturday Drop-In (Only for folks who’ve been to Earthdance before): Arrive Saturday, October 21st at 8am. Check-In from 12-1pm in front of the Farmhouse. Departure at 10pm day of.
Final Clean: Sunday, October 22nd at 2-3pm.
Full Jam Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Sunday, October 22nd.
Post Jam Lab (Only for folks who attended the Fall Jam OR who’ve been to Earthdance before): Arrive/Check-In on Sunday, October 22nd between 4-7pm in front of the Farmhouse. Dinner 6-7pm.
Post Jam Lab: Depart on Tuesday, October 24th after Post Jam Lab ALL house clean 3pm.
COVID Testing: Please make sure that you have tested for COVID on the day of arrival for both Full, Post Jam Lab and Saturday Drop-in. If needed, participants may purchase tests from Earthdance for $10 each.
Our Fees Explained
Earthdance offers a sliding scale payment for participation in this event, please take a moment to reflect as you decide on where you best fit.
Your level of contribution is self selected and does not need to be advocated for. However, we invite you to remember this contribution is currency and we ask that you stretch where you are able so that those who cannot stretch as far of a financial distance may also have potential access to community events. As you choose your rate please consider the following factors:
Your access to income and wealth, as connected to family and partnership, both currently and anticipated in the future.
The historical, systemic impacts of wealth accrual based on culture, race and other intersection marginalizations 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.
Earthdance is a community and rental funded organization which recently, historically and uniquely through the Covid-19 pandemic has struggled to have viable income.
Although we’re not able to offer any full scholarships this year, we’re excited to offer up to 6 Discounted Tickets 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.
For those who do not identify as marginalized and are in a represented group of CI, we invite you to stretch in your payment to help support those who cannot stretch and create a more diverse jam experience for all.
Note: While Earthdance is making efforts to better support Equity & Access at all its events, the jam offers particularly strong support for diversity, equity, and inclusion through:
Reduced pricing offered to people self-identifying as being underrepresented and/or marginalized in CI.
Classes and discussions that aim to bring up the level of awareness and inclusion at the jam as a whole
Affinity spaces (jams, discussions, etc.) for particular groups of people to connect, share CI space together, and rest from the pressures of being in a minority status at the jam.
Housing Options
Gratitude Lodge at Earthdance Tickets
Includes a bed in the Gratitude Lodge, Jam offerings, and food during the jam.
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 Jam cost. Beds are available on a first come basis.
Camping Tickets
Includes a spot to camp at Earthdance, Jam offerings, and food during the jam.
Commuter Tickets
You will have access to the Jam offerings including food for the event.
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 jam participants.
Refund available up to 14 days (October 5th) before the event less a $75 processing fee.
No refunds available less than 14 days 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.
COVID Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. However, ALL registrants are required to take an antigen test on the day of before arriving on Thursday, October 19th, Saturday, October 21st and Sunday, October 22nd at Earthdance. If you need a test, Earthdance will have them available to purchase for $10 each.
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!
Kellyn is a dance artist, community builder, and dance/movement therapist. She attended Nancy Stark Smith’s January workshop in 2020, and has stayed fervently committed to continuing the research and practice in Chicago since. She has facilitated Underscore talk throughs and experimented with it in a variety of contexts, including how it may be a frame for the psychotherapeutic process. Kellyn is currently exploring CI in the context of performance, particularly in fostering both performer and audience agency. She is interested in cultivating the subtle and complex skills that build resilient, responsive, and poetic contact improvisers. Kellyn is curious about the dualities that emerge within the CI context, such as inclusivity/exclusivity, safety/risk-taking, process/performance, and personal responsibility/collective care. Some of her other influential teachers include Guru Suraj, Erica Kaufman, K.J. Holmes, Kathleen Rea, Kirstie Simson, Adrianna Michalska, and Margaret Paek.
Hawley Brett
Hawley Brett is a dancer and event organizer based in Cambridge, MA, where she has a coaching and bodywork practice. She was introduced to Contact Improvisation shortly before the start of the pandemic, truly learned the meaning of the having the floor as one’s first partner, and has avidly practiced the form with other souls since dancing started up again. Entering the world of CI in this way has given it particular resonance for her as a healing practice, and she is especially interested in how CI connects us somatically, socially, psychologically, and spiritually. Hawley previously worked in politics and technology, and served as the National Data Developer for the Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign, and is interested in how to bring the wisdom of healing arts to political organizing spaces now having worked in both.
Welcome to the 2023 Queer Jam. A gathering for queer CI community to expand in a container that holds and honors the multitudes of the magic that you are and are becoming. Marie Murry & Lex Grotesque are excited to ground into time and space as co-collaborators. They dance in collaboration in the world through queer healing arts and performance with their passion project, the Grotesque Burlesque.
Unfolding into the union of dance with the invitations to play, to love, and to grieve in tender fierceness, this jam will follow the fluid flow of the present emergence of energy into form. We will also offer Parts work via Drama Therapy & Internal Family Systems character play, Creative writing and storytelling with the body, drama and Dance Therapy group work, and Contemporary Dance for creative expression and emotional healing. Honoring uniqueness and difference with hearts centered in the call towards connection and compassion, we welcome those who feel a longing to commune in creativity together!
***This space is for creating expansive explorative space for queer dancers to support growth and safety for queer community in contact improv. Allies can support by considering attending another jam hosted at Earthdance, sharing this event and/or making a donation to help support and resource queer people to attend this event. LGBTQIA+ is an abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more. These terms are used to describe a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. If you question if you fit into any of these identities, please take a look at the broader descriptions here.
An average of 40-60 people will attend this jam and is open to all movement levels & backgrounds.
We have single day drop-in options for folks who have been to Earthdance before.
If you have never been to Earthdance, we ask that you only sign up for the full jam. This will allow us to better welcome you and orient you to Earthdance.
Arrival and Onsite Check-In: The welcoming will commence for participants on Thursday, August 31st from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Dinner is at 6-7pm.
Opening Circle: Friday, September 1st, at 10am.
Friday and Saturday Drop-In Days (Only for folks who’ve been to Earthdance before): Arrive at 8am, check-in with Olive during lunch, and Departure at 11pm day of.
Weekend Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Sunday, September 3rd.
COVID Testing: Please make sure that you have tested for COVID on the day of arrival for both Full and Half Jam. If needed, participants may purchase tests from Earthdance for $10 each.
Our Fees Explained
Earthdance offers a sliding scale payment for participation in this event, please take a moment to reflect as you decide on where you best fit.
Your level of contribution is self selected and does not need to be advocated for. However, we invite you to remember this contribution is currency and we ask that you stretch where you are able so that those who cannot stretch as far of a financial distance may also have potential access to community events. As you choose your rate please consider the following factors:
Your access to income and wealth, as connected to family and partnership, both currently and anticipated in the future.
The historical, systemic impacts of wealth accrual based on culture, race and other intersection marginalizations 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.
Earthdance is a community and rental funded organization which recently, historically and uniquely through the Covid-19 pandemic has struggled to have viable income.
PRICING
GRATITUDE LODGE
$550 – Financially Wealthy
$475 – Financially Abundant
$400 – Financially Stable
$325 – Financially Coping
$275 – Financially Strained
CAMPING
$525 – Financially Wealthy
$450 – Financially Abundant
$375 – Financially Stable
$300 – Financially Coping
$250 – Financially Strained
COMMUTER
$500 – Financially Wealthy
$425 – Financially Abundant
$350 – Financially Stable
$275 – Financially Coping
$225 – Financially Strained
Drop-In Day Options(Only Available for those who’ve been to Earthdance before)
Although we’re not able to offer any full scholarships this year, we’re excited to offer up to 5 Discounted Tickets 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.
For those who do not identify as marginalized and are in a represented group of CI, we invite you to stretch in your payment to help support those who cannot stretch and create a more diverse jam experience for all.
Note: While Earthdance is making efforts to better support Equity & Access at all its events, the Queer Jam offers particularly strong support for diversity, equity, and inclusion through:
Reduced pricing offered to people self-identifying as being underrepresented and/or marginalized in CI.
Classes and discussions that aim to bring up the level of awareness and inclusion at the jam as a whole
Affinity spaces (jams, discussions, etc.) for particular groups of people to connect, share CI space together, and rest from the pressures of being in a minority status at the jam.
Housing Options
Gratitude Lodge at Earthdance Tickets
Includes a bed in the Gratitude Lodge, Queer Jam offerings, and food during the jam.
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 Jam cost. Beds are available on a first come basis.
Camping Tickets
Includes a spot to camp at Earthdance, Queer Jam offerings, and food during the jam.
Commuter Tickets
You will have access to the Queer Jam offerings including food for the event.
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 Queer Jam participants.
Refund available up to 14 days (August 17th) before the event less a $75 processing fee.
No refunds available less than 14 days 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.
COVID Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. However, ALL registrants are required to take an antigen test on the day of before arriving on Thursday, August 31st at Earthdance. If you need a test, Earthdance will have them available to purchase for $10 each.
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 Summer 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!
Marie Murry (fae/they/she) is a song weaver, dream druid, death doula, shapeshifter & cosmic clown creature of the northeastern forest. They love creating community ritual, mapping the mythic, and embodying the bard! Both a contact dancer & vocal improvisor, the union of movement and sound is at the core of her practice of somatic instrumentation. Passion projects include The Grotesque Burlesque, Touch & Play, and Tender Spot. Marie Murry is so delighted to play and pray with you all!
Lex Parent 35 years old, Mother, Teacher, Artist, Activist, Anarchist, Visionary, Manifesting Generator, Theater Company Director, Choreographer, Coordinator, Co-creator, Integrative Healing Arts Facilitator
Join Loom Ensemble at EarthDance this summer for an immersive experience of collaborative, interdisciplinary dance-theater creation and performance! During this weeklong residency, participants will train daily in dance, theatermaking, and performance techniques in the morning. In the afternoon, Artistic Directors Neva Cockrell and Raphael Sacks will work with participants to devise ensemble dance-theater performances. Participants will then publicly perform these pieces, as a fully-integrated part of Loom’s professional touring show, “Tell Me How You Breathe: Dance-Theater for Collective Liberation” Performances at Earthdance will take place Friday and Saturday nights, August 4th and 5th. The show will then move to Boston for a Sunday evening performance on August 6th, which the Earthdance Ensemble is invited to be a part of!
This is a rare opportunity to train, create new material, rehearse and refine the material, and then perform it… all in one week! Loom has been building the other elements of this show “Tell Me How You Breathe” over the course of the last year, and is now touring with a professional team of 9 artists. This unique model allows us to add in community-based movement ensembles in each location. The show is touring to 10 different cities across VT, MA, and NY. There will be an ensemble in each state… and this is your chance to JOIN THE MASSACHUSETTS MOVEMENT ENSEMBLE!
Who is this for
This residency is open to all levels of movement and performance experience, and all bodies. We will be devising the pieces, so each person will be able to tailor it to their body and ability level. While we may have some moments of scored improvisation, we will mostly be creating and setting material, so it is useful to be able to remember set movement sequences.
This is a body positive, queer, anti-racist space. The work is explicitly political, leaning into raw conversations, but centering wellbeing and respect for the artist throughout.
About the show “Tell Me How You Breathe”
This summer, Loom Ensemble is bringing together a racially diverse team of professional dancers, musicians and theatermakers, to invite you into an outdoors experience of Dance Theater for Collective Liberation. Loom’s newest piece “Tell Me How You Breathe,” brings us to a world where climate crisis has progressed slightly more than our present day, to play out the interrelationship of institutional power structures and ancestral healing practices. Playful humor, live music, and beautiful storytelling help us lean in to meet these pressing issues.
The story centers on the lungs, as the site of interconnectedness and the organ of grief. “Who gets to breathe freely, fully, with ease,” is a necessary question for our time, right at the intersection of eco-activism, social justice, and public health. With the nourishment of participatory ceremony and song, Loom grounds this political conversation in the physical body, to incite the radical act of collectively imagining a more just and beautiful world.
Testimonials
“Neva and Raffles facilitated a space that felt inclusive, liberating and autonomous. I felt that I belonged and I was able to arrive as myself. Each offering invited freedom of movement, self expression and sharing.” -Erica, Residency Participant, New York
“Powerful and unique… Don’t miss it!” -Gulf News, Performance Review, Dubai UAE
“Such a beautiful performance tonight! Provocative, sensual, heart-wrenching, and dreamlike, but ultimately hopeful, with so many textured layers. I loved the fact that the performance was both rough and graceful.” -Gretchen, Audience Member, Vermont
Sample Schedule July 31 – August 6 (actual schedule TBA)
Monday: Arrivals and Introductions. Dinner at 6-7pm
Tuesday – Wednesday: Dance-Theater Trainings and Rehearsal
Thursday: Dance-Theater Training and Dress/Tech Rehearsal
Friday – Saturday: Rehearsals and Performances
Sunday: Optional Travel to Boston and Performance in Boston
Includes a bed in the Gratitude Lodge, workshop offerings, and healthy delicious 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 in Earthdance’s wooded areas or grass field, workshop offerings, and healthy delicious food.
PRICING
Our Fees Explained
Earthdance offers a sliding scale payment for participation in this event, please take a moment to reflect as you decide on where you best fit.
Your level of contribution is self selected and does not need to be advocated for. However, we invite you to remember this contribution is currency and we ask that you stretch where you are able so that those who cannot stretch as far of a financial distance may also have potential access to community events. As you choose your rate please consider the following factors:
Your access to income and wealth, as connected to family and partnership, both currently and anticipated in the future.
The historical, systemic impacts of wealth accrual based on culture, race and other intersection marginalizations 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.
Earthdance is a community and rental funded organization which recently, historically and uniquely through the Covid-19 pandemic has struggled to have viable income.
Although we’re not able to offer any full scholarships this year, we’re excited to offer up to 8 Equity & Access Discounts to individuals who feel part of an underrepresented and/or marginalized group and have a relationship with CI, performance or dance. 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.
For those who do not identify as marginalized and are in a represented group, we invite you to stretch in your payment to help support those who cannot stretch and create a more diverse event experience for all.
Note: While Earthdance is making efforts to better support Equity & Access at all its events, this training offers particularly strong support for diversity, equity, and inclusion through:
Reduced pricing offered to people self-identifying as being underrepresented and/or marginalized.
Classes and discussions that aim to bring up the level of awareness and inclusion at the event as a whole.
Affinity spaces (jams, discussions, etc.) for particular groups of people to connect, share space together, and rest from the pressures of being in a minority status at the event.
BIPOC Spots
This is retreat is a body-positive, queer, anti-racist space.
By offering a sliding-scale program fee, work exchange opportunities, “Equity and Access” discounts, and two *FREE* BIPOC spots, we hope to make this retreat accessible to all.
Refund available up to 14 days (July 16th) before the event less a $75 processing fee.
No refunds available less than 14 days 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.
COVID Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. However, ALL registrants are required to take an antigen test on the day of before arriving on Monday, July 31st at Earthdance. If you need a test, Earthdance will have them available to purchase for $10 each.
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.
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!
Loom has been devising interdisciplinary theater for culture shift for 13 years from NYC blackboxes to stone monasteries in Italy, repurposed industrial warehouses in Dubai and to the fields and forests of Vermont.We use our performances to open difficult conversations, and then facilitate community discussion to unpack the emotional vulnerability and cultural taboos of each show. In that shared space, the social value of art made from a place of deep integrity becomes clear: our actions matter, new ways of living are possible, together we can build a more loving world.
As a direct response to broken patriarchy, lonely individualism, and shame-inducing capitalism, our performances call audiences home to themselves and their communities. Our work is to reconnect with the earth, with emotional integrity, and with each other.
Loom Ensemble devises “dance-theater” in the most literal sense, using character, story, and dialogue to ground abstract dance in emotional specificity; and using full-bodied contemporary choreography to deepen the resonance of our narrative storytelling. Mix in group songs to connect the body of the performer with the hearts of the audience, and you’ve got Loom Ensemble’s interdisciplinary approach to live theater.
Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.
Contact Improvisation and the Argentine Tango are two improvisational forms and emerging dance vocabularies gaining worldwide popularity. They have vastly different roots, and yet have many interesting intersections which offer opportunities for dancers of each form to expand their social consciousness and movement skill sets. They are both forms which have performing arts and social trajectories, offering their dancers a wide range of explorations in which to build dance as both an art form and a social container.
In this Workshop, Eliana and Daniel will explore some of the overlapping commonalities and distinctive differences of the two forms. They hope to encourage dancers to widen their improvisational vocabularies and overcome any confusions about how these two divergent forms of improvisational dance can inform each other. And we will have fun doing it.
Arrival and Onsite Check-In: The welcoming will commence for Friday, July 14th from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Dinner is at 6-7pm.
Opening Circle: Friday, July 14th at 7:30pm.
Friday Class and Dance Evening ONLY: Arrive at 7:30pm, Departure is at 12am.
Saturday Dance Evening ONLY: Arrive at 7:30pm, Departure is at 12am.
Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Sunday, July 16th.
COVID Testing: Please make sure that you have tested for COVID on the day of arrival for both Full and Half Jam. If needed, participants may purchase tests from Earthdance for $10 each.
Bring loose fitting clothes, leather dance shoes or socks to dance in.
***Please do not wear high heels or tight fitting clothes. You will be dancing Contact Improv influenced by Tango, not strictly Tango!
Housing Options
Gratitude Lodge Tickets
Includes a bed in the Gratitude Lodge for 2 nights, workshop offerings, and healthy delicious 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 for 2 nights in Earthdance’s wooded areas or grass field, workshop offerings, and healthy delicious food.
Earthdance offers a sliding scale payment for participation in this event, please take a moment to reflect as you decide on where you best fit.
Your level of contribution is self selected and does not need to be advocated for. However, we invite you to remember this contribution is currency and we ask that you stretch where you are able so that those who cannot stretch as far of a financial distance may also have potential access to community events. As you choose your rate please consider the following factors:
Your access to income and wealth, as connected to family and partnership, both currently and anticipated in the future.
The historical, systemic impacts of wealth accrual based on culture, race and other intersection marginalizations 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.
Earthdance is a community and rental funded organization which recently, historically and uniquely through the Covid-19 pandemic has struggled to have viable income.
Equity & Access Tickets
Although we’re not able to offer any full scholarships this year, we’re excited to offer up to 3 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.
For those who do not identify as marginalized and are in a represented group of CI, we invite you to stretch in your payment to help support those who cannot stretch and create a more diverse jam experience for all.
Note: While Earthdance is making efforts to better support Equity & Access at all its events, the Summer Jam offers particularly strong support for diversity, equity, and inclusion through:
Reduced pricing offered to people self-identifying as being underrepresented and/or marginalized in CI.
Classes and discussions that aim to bring up the level of awareness and inclusion at the jam as a whole
Affinity spaces (jams, discussions, etc.) for particular groups of people to connect, share CI space together, and rest from the pressures of being in a minority status at the jam.
Cancellation Policy
Refund available up to 10 days (July 4th) before the event less a $50 processing fee.
No refunds available less than 10 days 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.
COVID Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. However, ALL registrants are required to take an antigen test on the day of before arriving on Friday, July 14th at Earthdance. If you need a test, Earthdance will have them available to purchase for $10 each.
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.
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!
Eliana began her path in movement improvisation at 15 through the Aberastury System. Her training includes contemporary dance, ballet, tango as well as yoga, eutony and somatics theater and clown. She likes to experiment with hybrid/juxtaposed languages on scene, and has choreographed dance-theater pieces, aerial dance, dance for children and also made site specific and street performances.
She fell in love with Contact Improvisation in 1987, at Daniel’s first workshops in Buenos Aires, and began teaching CI four years later. She has been a CI teacher at the School of Artistic Education (ESEA) since 2012. She is a co-creator of Eimcila, Latin America CI Teachers Meeting in 2011, co-organizer of the Buenos Aires CI-50 Celebration, as well as ongoing Jams in her city. Another passion of hers is to work in heated water. She gives Aguahara sessions and facilitates @milon.gota mixing CI and tango in water.
She loves simple things, like practicing yoga at the seaside, cooking or collecting grapefruit in my neighborhood, and sharing time with my beloved 20 year old son.
Daniel’s first introduction to Improv and Contemporary Dance was with Bill T Jones, at the American Dance Asylum in 1975. He began his own Jazz Improv group in 1978 and has been involved with Contact Improv since 1980, first with Steve and Nancy’s cohort on the East Coast, and then with the men of Mangrove on the West Coast.
He travelled widely in the 1980s teaching Contact, BMC, Tap, and Contemporary Dance. His travels led him to Argentina in 1987, where he taught at the State School of Contemporary Dance for the next 7 years, and began his tango obsession, one which eventually redirected his career. He has become one of the prime movers in Tango’s modern revival, helping create the Tango tourism industry in Buenos Aires, and the first Tango store in North America. He is one of the founding cohort of Earthdance, senior faculty at DNE, and a co-owner of CTT.
He resides in Northampton, MA, where he is the owner of a co-living experimental dance house, and Tango Archive.
