Biodanza was “discovered” by Rolando Toro Araneda, a Chilean Medical Anthropologist , Psychologist, artist. It was a slow , maturing, discovery from the mid ’50s till 2010 and continues evolving. Rolando was always interested in connecting with the “humanity” of each and every person. He started in life as a teacher and created Art Exhibitions with the children’s work in the late ’50s. He created music bands with the youth and led them into nature to learn about the ocean and forests.
In the ’60s he recorded in his notes of many “trips” of Art students with LSD and realized that these wonderful visions had to be integrated within a reality; instead of “finding paradise ” in a fantasy world rather access this wonderful state in daily life in connection with our close loved ones. After continuous research, he created the Biodanza Theoretical Model which we still today follow in each class of Biodanza.
Biodanza is a form of community dance in the sense that “dance” represents movement as an expression of emotions. The difference with other forms is that the Biodanza Facilitator invites the class to simple, everyday movements such as walking, breathing , resting as a group activity. Everyone is “INVITED ” to participate in their own way, in feedback with others. You are free to accept or not. You may dance with others or alone but there is always a real happy disposition to share.
Of course there is NO CONSUMPTION of ANY substances in Biodanza. Most of the dances respect the natural organic state of the body, for every euphoric , expressive dance there is time to rest and integrate. Biodanza is a beautiful invitation to move to music that speaks beyond words, its effects are immediate, it aims to integrate and promote health and well being within togetherness.
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Event Details
Workshop: 6 -8pm
Potluck: 8pm
PRICING
Workshop: $40 – $160 sliding scale
Potluck: Bring a dish to share!!!
Sauna and towel rental: $10
***If you find that you are struggling financially or there are other circumstances that are making it difficult to join this special workshop, please email programming@earthdance.net with your situation so that we can create a way to have you join us.***
If you wish to extend your visit and stay overnight: A dorm bed in our Gratitude Lodge is $40. (Rental of sheets and towel is $15) * Includes access to the sauna and kitchen use but does not provide food.
Refund available up to 10 days before the event less a $15 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.
Health Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. Please take adequate measures to limit your exposure in the days before arriving. If you are feeling sick, or have a known close exposure to someone with COVID in the past 5 days, please sit this one out to keep the community well.
COMMUTERS:We ask that you please use caution when commuting and limit, if possible, to just commuting to and from your home and Earthdance, staying away from large crowds to maintain the health and well being of the other Summer Jam participants.
I have been in Biodanza since my teens and have facilitated Biodanza in South America, where I lived , then I moved to United Kingdom where I took Biodanza and from there spread to Europe, France, Belgium, Germany, Norway, Sweden, then the big jump to Southern Africa, where I lived for 23 years, working with Biodanza beyond language and culture.
I am now passing on all my legacy of Biodanza to talented social professionals in Rhode Island. A total honour for me.
Authentic Movement, is a practice grounded in the relationship between a mover and a witness, was developed by Adler in the early 1980s, evolving from her studies with Mary Whitehouse and John Weir, as well as her early work with children diagnosed with severe autism. Different teachers of this early form of Authentic Movement offer their evolving perspectives in unique and diverse ways.
Being seen, seeing oneself, seeing another, movers and witnesses grow toward a vital experience of wholeness. – excerpts from “A Brief Description of the Discipline of Authentic Movement” by Janet Adler
Workshop
A mover and a witness. The mover closes their eyes and opens to the possibility of learning from the wisdom of the body’s psyche, soul, history, mystery…
The witness, with eyes open, holds the space of consciousness and presence.
The intention for both mover and witness is to be present with what is, without any expectation of what should happen. There is no prescribed way to move, there is no wrong way to move. The invitation is to discover what is available to us when we have no agenda.
Quite simply, it’s about listening to the body. In this short time together, you’ll have an opportunity to experience both roles as mover and witness. One needs to be curious, open, and interested to feel and move with whatever is present in the moment. Included in the process is time to speak, draw, and write from our experiences. So the magical mystery tour begins…
Potluck : Please bring your favorite dish or donation of $10-15
Sauna and towel rental: $10
***If you find that you are struggling financially or there are other circumstances that are making it difficult to join this special workshop, please email programming@earthdance.net with your situation so that we can create a way to have you join us.***
If you wish to extend your visit and stay overnight: A dorm bed in our Gratitude Lodge is $40. (Rental of sheets and towel is $15) * Includes access to the sauna and kitchen use but does not provide food.
Refund available up to 10 days before the event less a $15 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.
Health Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. Please take adequate measures to limit your exposure in the days before arriving. If you are feeling sick, or have a known close exposure to someone with COVID in the past 5 days, please sit this one out to keep the community well.
COMMUTERS:We ask that you please use caution when commuting and limit, if possible, to just commuting to and from your home and Earthdance, staying away from large crowds to maintain the health and well being of the other Summer Jam participants.
HOST BIO
Carolyn Shakti Sadeh
I began this journey with Janet Adler in 1981. This has been my root practice for over 40 years. For these past years, I have been leading labs, workshops, trainings, and working with students individually. My background also includes teaching yoga and Action Theater. In the past 15 years much of my energy has gone into teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) to adult immigrants and refugees. I began teaching A.M. at Earthdance many years ago, and I am delighted to return after a long hiatus.
The NC is an itinerant school for the principle study and application of The Axis Syllabusⓒ. Rather than a festival, or celebration, The NC is what it’s title suggests, an intensive study context. The study of the AS is meant to empower the individual to defend and promote their own health and the health of those they might be responsible for, in other words to sponsor responsible autonomy.
Our Philosophy is:
Conscientiousness towards commitments, self organization and voluntary participation. As below, so above.
As organizers, we seek to adapt and integrate the NC into the local conditions we find at the venue. The living and working conditions we search for are as low cost as possible, to permit as many people as possible to participate for as long as possible. These options usually entail communal living, which offers an opportunity to practice practical coordination/collaboration, mutual respect and the mature maintenance of hygiene. Participants arrive with the awareness that they are expected to take initiative to alter their circumstances if unsatisfactory, to conserve their health and strength for the intensive demands of the study of The Axis Syllabusⓒ and adapt to the challenges inherent in sharing spaces and resources. If people have the means, they are always welcome to organize living spaces for themselves.
At the NC, we organize a few pre-scheduled extra curricular events. Our idea is to leave time open for spontaneous initiatives. Alternative meetings, conferences, jams or performances can be organized on a consent basis with/among the participants during the NC.
The participants registration is considered a binding contract, which should only be altered or broken in case of serious illness or acts of God. Once the registration has been confirmed, the participant may not change class or request reimbursement if they change their minds on impulse later.
Participants who go through the process to confirm their registration, but do not keep their commitments later, will be asked to pay all chosen class fees the following year or risk being banned from future editions of NC.
True to our ethic of sponsoring responsible community behavior, as well as maintaining the NC prices low, all participants will be expected to participate in general clean up and maintenance of the common areas. We generally choose our team members from participants who are the most helpful and responsible.
Class time (and possibly meals) are the ONLY organized obligatory time, giving the participant full license to organize social moments, offer each other their healing expertise or practical counsel, hang out or exchange with whomever they choose.
The 2-week curricular arc of the NC usually starts with details and micro moments, gradually becoming longer and more demanding motifs and phrases, and ending with a renewed look at detail, and a creative laboratory meant to give time and space for the guided development of a personal practice or performative ideas.
Femina Kinetica: The Female Body in the Motion of Contact-Improvisation is an intensive workshop tailored to explore the nuances of the female body through the practice of Contact-Improvisation. This immersive experience is ideal for those looking to enrich their understanding of movement and connectivity, emphasizing the expressive potential of the female form in motion.
Designed by Valerie Sabbah, Femina Kinetica is an invitation to engage deeply with the singularity of your female body, discovering how its unique biomechanics influence your movement, presence, and interaction with your Contact-Improvisation practice.
In Femina Kinetica, you will engage with Contact-Improvisation as a powerful gateway for getting closely acquainted with your personal physiology and kinetics. Carefully curated sessions will blend theoretical knowledge of female biomechanics with the playful study of weight, gravity and moving bodies notorious to Contact-Improvisation.
Your body, in this context, becomes the landscape and architecture for a deliberate and precise self-study—encouraging a respectful and curious engagement with its capabilities and learning to read its signals and adapt accordingly. This personal journey not only enhances your practice in CI but also fosters a greater appreciation and understanding of your female body.
Although assembled as a deep solo study, the female-body group container of Femina Kinetica will naturally give rise to essential collective insights. This support will lead your solo towards the pathways of optimizing a heightened and autonomous lucidity of expressiveness, efficiency and creativity within your female-bodied dance.
Femina Kinetica leverages the benefits of a female-body container to deepen the study of the female body in motion. It is specifically designed for those with female bodies, creating a nurturing and empowering environment that highlights the diversity, strength, and fluidity inherent in the female form. The shared experience of like-bodied participants enriches the learning process, enabling a deeper, collective exploration of movement that is tailored specifically to female biomechanics.
Femina Kinetica is a call to those who are inspired to dive into a transformative exploration and deep study of The Female Body in the Motion of Contact-Improvisation.
We hope this to be a nourishing and liberating experience for those who identify or have identified with womanhood or being female-bodied. We welcome and encourage cis-women, trans women/men, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people. We want to be transparent that this space will offer a focused workshop on only the female anatomy in CI. If you do not have female anatomy, you are welcome to explore how your body is connected to the female anatomy in this workshop. This is a space for those who feel comfortable in spaces centering female body identity to join us. Cis-men, we ask that you not attend this event.
If you have any specific questions about this offering, email Valerie at valeriesabbah@gmail.com
“Femina”, Latin for “woman” in Latin, referring to female humans. “Kinetica” is derived from “kinetic,” relating to motion. “Femina Kinetica” could be interpreted as “the study of the woman in motion” or “the dynamics of the female body.”
Arrival, Onsite Check-In, Opening Circle, and Departures.
Arrival and Onsite Check-In: The welcoming will commence for participants on Friday, August 2nd from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Dinner is at 6-7pm.
Opening Circle: Friday, August 2nd at 7:30pm after dinner.
Full House Clean: Sunday, August 4th at 2-3pm (after Lunch from 1-2pm).
Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Sunday, August 4th.
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 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.
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, event offerings, and food.
The Gratitude Lodge (a.k.a. the Earthdance dorm) is the main lodging facility, connected to the Farmhouse by a short wooded trail. The lodge includes large and small rooms featuring dormitory-style bunks and beds (twin & queen size) and is included in the base event cost. Beds are available on a first come basis.
Camping Tickets
Includes a spot to camp at Earthdance, event offerings, and food..
Commuter Tickets
You will have access to event offerings including food, but no housing accommodations.
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.
Nine Mountain is NOT available.
Cancellation Policy
Refund available up to 14 days (July 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. We do not offer refunds if you catch a cold, the flu or COVID after cancellation dates.
Health Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. Please take adequate measures to limit your exposure in the days before arriving. If you are feeling sick, or have a known close exposure to someone with COVID in the past 5 days, please sit this one out to keep the community well.
COMMUTERS:We ask that you please use caution when commuting and limit, if possible, to just commuting to and from your home and Earthdance, staying away from large crowds to maintain the health and well being of the other 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!
Valerie Sabbah is a Montreal-based choreographer, teacher, and psychosomatic therapist. Her 17-year CI practice and research draws specifically from FIGURE SPACE, a 4 year-training with Steve Paxton (Material for the Spine) and Lisa Nelson (The Tuning Score). This profound training has reshaped her approach to viewing the body in motion, embracing a 360-degree and spherical perspective that captivates her curiosity about the body’s natural reflexes and how the body will or will not respond in states of perceived urgency.
At the heart of Montreal’s CI scene, she curates dynamic CI programming at White Wall Studio. Her offerings include varied-level weekly classes, engaging jams, and master class intensives featuring celebrated guest teachers like Mark Young, Kristen Lewis, and Stu Philipps.
Attuned to guiding women toward grounding back into their bodies and developing personal strength, as a somatic psychotherapist, Valerie’s sessions weave together CI, BMC, Cranio-Sacral Therapy, and Art-Therapy. With CI as her focus, her movement therapy work encourages women to anchor themselves in their physicality and cultivate resilience and autonomy.
Intrigued by the essence of spontaneous composition, Valerie explores how performance environments can deepen the practice of Tuning, promoting an intense, embodied experience that enhances creativity through the body’s innate survival instincts. She instinctively creates fertile playgrounds for artists to meet, gather, create, collaborate, and showcase their work. Her curatorial approach proposes a highly visual and surrealistic universe, centered on the expression of the female body: stereotypes, clichés, oppression, the feminine, the wild, and the infinitely complex and multifaceted forms it can take.
Currently, Valerie’s research in Contact Improvisation focuses on how intimate familiarity with one’s biomechanics and unique structural nuances can transform the CI dance into playful, rigorous, and expansively responsive state. She is captivated by how understanding your own body’s interactions with gravity, space, and other moving bodies can revolutionize personal expression within the art form.
Her workshops and classes are designed to be immersive experiences, where participants are encouraged to explore their boundaries and develop a nuanced appreciation of their own bodies in motion. Deeply dedicated to psychosomatic wellness, her teaching approach resonates with profound societal themes. She advocates for healing through movement and self-expression, inviting individuals to delve into her world of motion, emotion, and transformation, whether through teaching, therapeutic sessions, or artistic projects.
Join us for EarthSing, a co-creative gathering of song, ritual, and embodiment. Our workshops and shared practices include improvisational singing, somatic practices, folk songs, song circles, invocations, and musical embodiment. Singing together in this way can open the heart, the voice, and get the creative channels flowing!
Singing together is a ritual, and song has been part of collective ritual practice across time and place. In this gathering, we will explore the capacity of the voice to connect us more deeply to ourselves, each other, and the land.
Each morning we will ground into our bodies and the earth through somatic practices and connection to land, followed by a group morning session with a master song leader. Throughout the day there will be workshops and jams from facilitators and community members, with encouraged flexibility for integration, play, and personal practice. The evenings will feature our collaborative rituals and fireside music jams.
Come sing and play together this Summer! Everyone is welcome, from experienced singers to complete beginners.
10% of our profits will go to Ohketeau Cultural Center, a Native founded and run cultural center in Western Mass.
Arrival, Onsite Check-In, Opening Circle, and Departures
Arrival/Check-In: Thursday, August 15th from 4-7pm front of the Farmhouse. Dinner is 6-7pm. Workshop at 7:15pm.
Opening Circle/Introduction: Friday, August 16th at 10am. We request that ALL participants attend the Opening Circle.
Saturday Drop-In: Registration check-in and breakfast at 8-9am, departures after 10pm on August 17th.
Closing Circle: Sunday, August 18th 12:30pm-1pm, Lunch 1-2pm.
Final Clean: Sunday, August 18th at 2-3pm.
Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Sunday, August 18th.
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, yet we’re excited to offer up to 3 E&A Discounts to individuals who feel part of an underrepresented and/or marginalized. 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, 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.
Classes and discussions that aim to bring up the level of awareness and inclusion at the jam as a whole.
Housing Options
Gratitude Lodge at Earthdance Tickets
Includes a bed in the Gratitude Lodge, event offerings, 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, event offerings, and food during the event.
Commuter Tickets
You will have access to the event 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 event participants.
Cancellation Policy
Refund available up to 14 days (August 1st) before the event less a $75 processing fee.
No refunds available less than 14 days (After August 1st) from the start of the event.
Partial refunds might be given if a cancellation takes place under extenuating circumstances (e.g. a death of a 1st or 2nd degree family member, serious non-preventable illness or accident requiring hospitalization). Refunds in such cases remain at the discretion of the local organizers and will be decided on a case to case basis according to the timing of the cancellation and other factors. We do not offer refunds if you catch a cold, the flu or COVID after cancellation dates.
Health Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. Please take adequate measures to limit your exposure in the days before arriving. If you are feeling sick, or have a known close exposure to someone with COVID in the past 5 days, please sit this one out to keep the community well.
COMMUTERS:We ask that you please use caution when commuting and limit, if possible, to just commuting to and from your home and Earthdance, staying away from large crowds to maintain the health and well being of the other participants.
Participant Community Support
Earthdance runs as a community, thus part of the participation is that all individuals contribute to 1-2 work shifts (typically meal cleans) throughout the event and participate in a final house clean on the last day of the event. These are great ways to connect more with your fellow participants and Earthdance staff, and to feel more at home in the Earthdance buildings & grounds. Your contributions to this collective caring of this space are invaluable!
Emmett Charno is an educator, facilitator, interdisciplinary artist, performer, and producer bringing magic and play to everything they do. They create events and spaces that are committed to radical self expression and inclusion, especially for those often held in the margins. Emmett has been facilitating group vocal improvisation for over ten years, and has trained with master teachers Bobby McFerrin, Meredith Monk, and Rhiannon among others.
They create and collaborate on movement, vocal music, harp, looping, costume, and narrative installation. In the daytime, Emmett is a reading specialist in NYC teaching elementary school age children to read in private practice and in schools. In the nighttime, Emmett performs and produces interdimensional narrative drag and character based improvisational vocal looping. Emmett is passionate about science fiction, sex positivity, social justice, literacy, fairy houses, outsider art, and magic.
IG: @excessmaterials www.charnoeducation.org
Leela/Lu Kelley
Leela/Lu Kelley is a somatic practitioner, astrologer, ritualist, song catcher, and witch clown.
Leela brings a nurturing, creative, embodied, trauma-informed and playful energy to all her offerings, including workshops, rituals, and 1:1 work. She loves the intersection of deeply rooted somatic awareness with expansive states of magic and transformation. She has a background in contact improv, clowning, ritual performance, burlesque, and somatic healing.
Lu loves to sing and make sounds, to catch songs coming from the land as an act of reciprocity with Source. As part of the organizing team for EarthSing, she will be leading somatic/movement practices and facilitating song witchery.
You can learn more about her at leelakelley.net or IG @5th.house.venus
Marie/Murry
Marie/Murry is a song weaver, dream teacher, death doula, & cosmic clown. They paint space with ruminative, playful and etheric sonic strokes. Both a contact dancer & vocal improvisor, the union of movement and sound is at the core of their practice of somatic instrumentation.
Hailing from the Northeast woodlands of Western MA, Marie/Murry carries the gentle & fierce landscapes of the forest in her voice. Involved with several musical projects, most dear to her heart are Tender Spot, her witchpunk project, and Eerie Muse, her folk project, both streaming on Bandcamp. Marie/Murry’s passions include poetry, forest bathing, singing with the wind, dream interpretation, herbalism, queerness and clowning. Marie/Murry is part of the organizing team for EarthSing.
IG: @maythemuses
SONG LEADER BIOS
Paris Kern
Paris’s musical journey took a significant turn in 2011 when she attended a weeklong Circlesinging workshop led by Bobby McFerrin. She continues her studies with two of his collaborators from his group Voicestra, Judi Vinar and Rhiannon. Prior to this, she had been immersed in traditional Anglo Celtic and folk music, performing in coffeehouses and concerts. However, the experience of Circlesinging opened her eyes to the joy of improvisation and the unique sense of community it fostered. This newfound freedom of expression led her to co-found VoiceExchange in 2013, an a cappella group dedicated to leading monthly Circlesinging sessions in the Baltimore and Washington DC area.
Even amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Paris and her group found innovative ways to continue their musical journey. They adapted by improvising and recording Circlesinging sessions, maintaining their connection with participants through biweekly online circles for over a year. Those recording will shortly be released as an album”Full Circle”.
Their journey exemplifies the transformative and healing power of music and the resilience of community in the face of adversity.
Now residing in Vermont, Paris continues to lead Circlesinging sessions in Putney and occasionally co-leads circles in Boston with other vocal improvisers.
Jordan is a musical facilitator, community songwriter, ritualist, and prayerful activist. His father taught him that you never need a “reason” to sing besides the joy of it. Improvisational music spaces shifted his understanding of music from something to be witnessed to something to be experienced. Through songleading in social movement spaces, he saw how lifting our voices together can create unity, trust, and presence. And a growing “apprenticeship” in grief work has shown him how singing can guide us into and out of the depths of the soul.
He is a co-founder of Boston-Area Singing Circles, where he leads circles and rituals that inspire deeper connection to ourselves, each other, and the Earth. His life work is to use song as a tool for personal, collective, and spiritual liberation. http://www.bostonareasingingcircles.com/
Aya Mares (she/they)
Workshop Co-Facilitator “Sonic Ecology: Intimacy w/Earth Through Sounding”
I’m a steward of the earth and I’m realizing that part of that stewardship is song. I know there was a time when earth sang louder and more multitudinously than earth sings now. I understand there’s no going back and I’m curious about adaptation in this time of collapse. Part of my schema of adaptive modalities inside of collapse is collective sounding as a way to channel earth through our earth bodies with sound. Where do I see this going? Channeling trees in places where there are no trees (so we become the overwhelming memory of trees), channeling water in places where there needs to be a flood. I’m currently seeding these possibilities as a co-facilitator of an experimental sounding space called Storm Hag that gathers monthly in so called Greenfield, MA. I live near there as a renter of white settler colonial descent who’s committed to connecting to my way back ancestors of the british isles to support me in joining a vast mycelial effort to hospice* the current crumbling capitalist colonial project of this place. *Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira
Amy Mares (they/them)
Workshop Co-Facilitator “Sonic Ecology: Intimacy w/Earth Through Sounding”
My imagination is folkloric. I’m deeply committed to the power of story and pedestrian theater as a way to arrive again and again in our bodies. I’m a perpetual gardener which
I experience as an extension of my archetypal librarianship- listening, gathering seeds, planting the seeds, and encourage their unfurling into the world. I’m a co-facilitator of Storm Hag, an experimental sounding space.
This workshop is designed to introduce participants to some of the basics of this captivating movement art-sport that is Contact Improvisation.
In this workshop we will ask the question “what makes a satisfying dance?”
We will research some of the underlying principles which lead dancers to move with more nuance and listening so they can enhance the possibilities within their dance.
Whether you’re an experienced dancer or new to movement practices, “Layers of Presence” welcomes participants of all backgrounds and skill levels. Come and refresh your dancing with clear practice and insight into what makes CI a unique form. See you there!
If you wish to extend your visit and stay overnight in our Gratitude Lodge dorm bed is $40. (Rental of sheets and towel is $15) Or, camping which is $30. * Includes access to the sauna and kitchen use but does not provide food.
***If you find that you are struggling financially or there are other circumstances that are making it difficult to join this special workshop, please email programming@earthdance.net with your situation so that we can create a way to have you join us.***
Cancellation Policy
Refund available up to 10 days before the event less a $20 for workshop, $10 for jam 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. We do not offer refunds if you catch a cold, the flu or COVID.
COVID Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. Please take adequate measures to limit your exposure in the days before. 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.
Olive Frank loves a good contact improv dance. After 9 years of dancing contact improvisation in various countries and communities, she is still researching what makes a good CI dance so satisfying. And, she is eager to research that with you.
Tal Shibi
Tal Shibi is a native Jerusalem choreographer, improvisor, performer, and teacher of dance, CI, and somatic awareness. He is continuously curious in exploring collaborations between different art forms, and widening the perceptions of performance and dance. talshibi.com
For those who are longing for a deep and durational dive into CI research, pedagogy, and professional training, you’re invited to gather with us for three weeks from January 6th through 26th, 2025.
Hello to all the seekers, curious minds, artists, dance enthusiasts, actors, performers, public speakers, and those looking for healing, self-discovery, and self-expression!
Akil Apollo Davis once again is bringing this incredibly unique, powerful, and magical form of Mask Work to Earthdance. He’s one of only three Master teachers of The Brahe-Davis Method of Mask in the world. Masks have always held an intricate connection to the depths of the human psyche, serving as a tangible bridge between image and our ability to transform.
Whether you’re stepping onto this path for the first time or you’re a seasoned traveler in the realm of masks, this will be a unique and immersive experience on your quest for knowledge, creative self-discovery, and transformation. This is an opportunity for a journey of Self. Open new doors to unexplored dimensions and experiences. Revel and reflect on new inspiration and knowledge.
Join us to unleash your inner shapeshifter and immerse yourself in the power of Mask Work. This is NOT a mask “making” class. In this class YOU will be donning Masks and exploring your ability to transform.
The Artistry Behind the Masks
Originated by Per Brahe, a visionary Theatre Director, and expanded by Akil Apollo Davis, a distinguished Theatre Professor & Performing Artist. This unique method fuses psychology, philosophy, dance, and esoteric practices. The result? A transformative experience that defies convention.
Dive into the enchanting world of masks—each a masterpiece of its own. Over 500 original masks, each drawn during a special meditation by Per or Akil, are intricately hand-carved through the traditional Balinese mask-making process. These masks are more than just appearances—they’re vessels of intention and transformation. The Brahe-Davis Method of Mask is a transformational and explorative journey. Unlike most mask work, which operates from the outside in, these masks engage your BODY.
Unlock your incredible power to transform using music, movement, Mask Work and new gems of knowledge.
HEAL through somatic movement and powerful Healing Masks that will support you in safely releasing blocks.
Gain practical insights into the science of masks.
Engage in hands-on exercises that reveal the power within these masks.
Connect with a community of seekers and practitioners.
For Beginners and Veterans Alike: Whether you’re new to the world of masks or looking to deepen your practice, this event caters to everyone seeking to ignite change and activate their hidden power and capabilities.
Here are some benefits you can expect:
Seekers and the curious: Dive deep into your SELF, exploring images, thought patterns, and cultural influences that both hinder and empower you. This is about unlocking your transformational potential.
Actors and Performers: Experience astonishing expansion in physicality and find new dimensions of inspiration.
Movers & Dancers: Enhance and enrich your expression, adding a unique “transformation” to your dance journey.
Healing: Akil reveals a fascinating insight – “Did you know that trauma is close to the German word for ‘dream’? It’s an image that isn’t present, yet it’s like it’s still happening.” This underlines the power of images. The Mask work helps you excavate negative images and replaces them with positive images, facilitating profound change from within.
Play and Exploration: The Masks liberate! Akil’s workshops create a space for intentional exploration. It’s a space for unleashing your inner child, creativity, and self-expression. It’s invigorating, joyful, and enlightening.
Arrival, Onsite Check-In, Opening Circle, and Departures
Arrival/Check-In: Saturday, May 25th from 8-10am front of the Farmhouse.
Breakfast: 8-9am
1st Mask Introduction Session: 10am – 1pm
Lunch: 1-2pm
2nd Mask Introduction Session: 2:30pm – 5pm
Departure: All participants will depart after 5pm.
Reserve your spot for this special workshop that will bridge the gap between inspiration, image, and tangible transformation. Tap into your innate power to transform through the art of Mask Work. Unmask your potential and step into a world where images and intentions create profound shifts.
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
SATURDAY WORKSHOP(Includes Breakfast, 1st Session, Lunch and 2nd Session)
$450 – Financially Wealthy
$325 – Financially Abundant
$250 – Financially Stable
$175 – Financially Coping
$125 – Financially Strained
Cancellation Policy
Refund available up to 14 days (May 10th) before the event less a $50 processing fee.
No refunds available less than 14 days (After May 10th) from the start of the event.
Partial refunds might be given if a cancellation takes place under extenuating circumstances (e.g. a death of a 1st or 2nd degree family member, serious non-preventable illness or accident requiring hospitalization). Refunds in such cases remain at the discretion of the local organizers and will be decided on a case to case basis according to the timing of the cancellation and other factors. We do not offer refunds if you catch a cold, the flu or COVID after cancellation dates.
COVID Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. Please take adequate measures to limit your exposure in the days before. 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!
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.
We reside in a living world shaped by reciprocity. Nature responds to every single thing we do. In this 4-day, immersive workshop, we will center these deep connections between how we move and how we relate to the ecologies we are a part of. We will begin by asking “how do we dance a landscape?”, and “how are we being danced by our landscapes?” Investigations will occur inside the studio and out, in the beautiful weather of late summer, and we will draw from several primary sources as inspiration.
We will practice:
Qigong to attune our listening and understand the fractals at play.
Dynamic and rigorous Body Weather crossings to challenge our memory, proprioception and coordination.
Improvisational movement scores to play with universal movement principles.
Contact Improvisation to deepen our understanding of physical reciprocity.
Tracking and plant ID walks on Earthdance to meet the landscape with deeper understanding.
Garden work in the ED Garden to practice integrating theory into practical application (while participating and contributing to the ED community).
In recent years, much attention has been paid to the practices of Mindfulness and Embodiment and they are widely accepted as being beneficial in our aspirations of being vibrant, compassionate, responsive human beings. But what about the practice of relating to our environments and landscapes with attention and reciprocity? While equally as vital, it has not yet entered the mainstream consciousness to the same degree. We will investigate this relationship with place – emplacefulment; it’s not a word, but it’s what we’ll be practicing anyway.
“We know ourselves by knowing the web – the terrain and the weather that we live inside. Think of the body as a landscape, the landscape as a body, and lean in.” Frieda Kipar Bay
“It is inside a place, and in relation to a place, that we learn to hope.” Anna Badken
Arrival, Onsite Check-In, Opening Circle, and Departures
Arrival and Onsite Check-In: The welcoming will commence for participants on Friday, August 30th from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Dinner is at 6-7pm.
Opening Circle: Saturday, August 31st at 10am.
Saturday/Sunday Drop-In: Please check-in with an ED Staff person upon arrival between 8-10am. Breakfast is 8-9am.
Full House Clean: Monday, September 2nd at 2-3pm (after Lunch from 1-2pm).
Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Monday, September 2nd.
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 4 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.
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, event offerings, and food.
The Gratitude Lodge (a.k.a. the Earthdance dorm) is the main lodging facility, connected to the Farmhouse by a short wooded trail. The lodge includes large and small rooms featuring dormitory-style bunks and beds (twin & queen size) and is included in the base event cost. Beds are available on a first come basis.
Camping Tickets
Includes a spot to camp at Earthdance, event offerings, and food.
Commuter Tickets
You will have access to event offerings including food, but no housing accommodations.
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.
Nine Mountain is NOT available
Cancellation Policy
Refund available up to 14 days (August 15th) 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. We do not offer refunds if you catch a cold, the flu or COVID after cancellation dates.
Health Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. Please take adequate measures to limit your exposure in the days before arriving. If you are feeling sick, or have a known close exposure to someone with COVID in the past 5 days, please sit this one out to keep the community well.
COMMUTERS:We ask that you please use caution when commuting and limit, if possible, to just commuting to and from your home and Earthdance, staying away from large crowds to maintain the health and well being of the other 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!
Frieda Kipar Bay is a weaver of embodied knowledge, overlapping different threads to better understand the whole. Movement is the primary lens that she uses to experience life and she works in depth with plant medicine to navigate health and disentangle from oppressive overcultures. She has been a professional performer and choregrapher since 2001, working with Sara Shelton Mann, Body Cartography, Melecio Estrella, and Scott Wells, among others. In 2008 she pursued training as a clinical herbalist, botanist, and animal tracker and is a registered clinical herbalist with the AHG. She has studied Daoist Medicine diagnostic practices and qigong, wild tending and native plant restoration, and somatic experiencing and trauma resolution. The interface between reading the body and reading the landscape deeply informs her work as a traditional medicine practitioner, activist, and artist.
Find out more at www.friedakiparbay.net
Dana Iova-Koga
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.
Originating in post-WWII Japan, butoh is a potent and revolutionary dance form. Butoh uses the body brazenly as a battleground to attain personal, social, or political transformation. In its early forms, butoh embraced and referenced Western artistic movements: German Expressionism, Dadaism, Surrealism, Existentialism, and Fluxus, all of which pervaded the Tokyo underground and the avant-garde art scene at that time.
The co-founders of butoh, Tatsumi Hijikata, and Kazuo Ohno trained in German Modern dance, which was integral to the development of German Expressionism. But, eventually, they took opposite approaches to their dance-making. Hijikata’s work became known as ankoku butoh (dance of utter darkness); he embraced the grotesque and the absurd, exploring themes of sacrifice, struggle, and death. Ohno’s butoh was playful, humorous, and filled with light and life. Today’s butoh is influenced by both Hijikata and Ohno and wrestles to balance those contrary approaches.
Like many other Japanese concepts, butoh is defined by its very evasion of definition. It is both theatre and dance, yet it follows no choreographic conventions. It is a subversive force, through which traditions are overturned. As such, it must exist somewhere on the social periphery. It is a popular spectacle, unlike the classical theatre of Noh with its elaborate gestures. Yet it is esoteric. It is a force of liberation, especially within the conformist Japanese social structure, yet it is born out of extreme discipline. In a culture of exceptional visual harmony, it employs a vocabulary of ugliness.
Workshop Description
During the workshop, participants will investigate the anatomical possibilities of their natural, everyday bodies, including floating, hanging, and various qualities of movement or stillness. Exercises from Noguchi Taiso water body practice and each of the “13 Aspects of Butoh” (see below) will help remove customary societal and cultural behaviors, guiding dancers toward bodily emptiness, a pre-expressive state. Without the constraints of old habits, the unconscious body can freely respond to its sensations, forces, and emotions, to become the fully expressive body. Dancers will be instructed with lessons from all 13 Aspects of Butoh, to expand their range of movements, including the subtle body, the avant-garde body, the fading body, the animal body, and the unleashed body.
“The materials that constitute our body are undoubtedly of this Earth and have participated in and experienced the creation process of the Earth. Therefore our body, living here and now, includes the entire history of the Earth. What is called “live”, “body” and “mind” indicates the phases of change and flow of the Earth. There is no absolute standard for all things. Every standard comes into being within ourselves, freshly, here and now, through relationships. Awareness of these relationships allows you to truly become one with original nature itself. You develop a clearer understanding of how your mind/body operates and a greater appreciation of the involvement of your thought process in all your physical acts.” – Michizo Noguchi, founder of Noguchi Taiso
Noguchi proposes that natural effort-free movement does not fight gravity but embraces it, using its force to assist the movement. A main principle of Noguchi Taiso is movement as a reaction. Instead of moving intentionally, the practitioner creates the conditions for the movement to arise as a natural response. Noguchi Taiso has been adopted by many butoh, dance, and theatre practitioners in Japan, especially for its ability to empty the body of various learned, superficial, and culturally derived behavior patterns, making it more transparent, and aligning it with the universal forces at play.
13 Aspects of Butoh
“13 Aspects of Butoh” is an ongoing research project designed by Julie Becton Gillum in order to discover the essential nature of butoh and how it differs from other dance and theater forms. Gillum has been creating and sharing workshops based on her personal research since 2010. Some of the “Aspects: such as “Space”, “Time” and “Force” are basic to all forms of dance. However some aspects are more specific to butoh and Japanese aesthetics, such as: “Ma,” “Jo-ha-kyu,” “Ghost of Self”, “Dance Like a Child,” “Every Dance is a Prayer,” “Masculine and Feminine.” Many of the “Aspects” began as quotes from my butoh mentors during training sessions. It is these, more obscure body concepts, that we will delve deeply into during our training at Earthdance. Transformation, interior and exterior space, sensation and presence will be at the core of our butoh investigations. I will explain the concepts of “Ma” and “Jo-ha-kyû” to give examples as to how they will be used in the workshop.
Guided explorations of concepts such as “ma” and “Jo-ha-kyû”encourage students to examine Japanese aesthetic principles through experience with movement timing, phrasing and forming.
Dancers, actors, martial artists, yoga practitioners and anyone interested in exploring their own personal capacity for movement expression is welcome to join Butoh and Noguchi Taiso Training. This training is appropriate for all levels.
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 FULL JAM Equity & Access Discounts to individuals who feel part of an underrepresented and/or marginalized group. 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, this 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 jam 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 this event.
Housing Options
Gratitude Lodge
Includes a bed in the Gratitude Lodge, event offerings, and food.
The Gratitude Lodge (a.k.a. the Earthdance dorm) is the main lodging facility, connected to the Farmhouse by a short wooded trail. The lodge includes large and small rooms featuring dormitory-style bunks and beds (twin & queen size) and is included in the base event cost. Beds are available on a first come basis.
Camping
Includes a spot to camp at Earthdance, event offerings, and food.
Commuter
You will have access to event offerings including food, but no housing accommodations.
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.
Nine Mountain is NOT available
Cancellation Policy
Refund available up to 14 days (August 29th) 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. We do not offer refunds if you catch a cold, the flu or COVID after cancellation dates.
Health Precautions
No specific requirements on vaccination status are needed to attend this event. Please take adequate measures to limit your exposure in the days before arriving. If you are feeling sick, or have a known close exposure to someone with COVID in the past 5 days, please sit this one out to keep the community well.
COMMUTERS:We ask that you please use caution when commuting and limit, if possible, to just commuting to and from your home and Earthdance, staying away from large crowds to maintain the health and well being of the other 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!
Julie Becton Gillum, artistic director of the 14-year-running Asheville Butoh Festival, has been creating, performing, and teaching dance in the US, Europe, Asia, and Mexico for over 40 years. She has practiced butoh for 27 years. Gillum was awarded the 2008-09 North Carolina Choreography Fellowship and used the funds to travel to Japan to study Butoh.
Since 2019, Gillum has been active in India, Serbia, Georgia, Greece, Mexico, and the USA. Recent performances at the Amsterdam Butoh Festival (October 2023), Seattle Butoh Festival (November 2023), NYU Abu Dhabi Art Museum (February 2024), and UNFIX Festival in NYC (May 2024) were well received.
Julie’s most influential mentors in butoh have been: Anzu Furukawa, Diego Piñon, Yoshito Ohno, Natsu Nakajima, and Seisaku. Noguchi Taiso has become equally important for Gillum whose studies with Mari Osanai and Emre Thormann have refined her practice. She has guided butoh for 25 years and Noguchi Taiso for 10 years.
