Our Summer Jam (F.K.A July 4th) is a special and epic yearly event… family-inclusive, outdoor inviting, camping centered, and full of opportunity to dance, play, swim, and simply be within a communal setting. With the warmth of the air and the green of the fertile earth supporting us, this jam invites us to feel and expand into aspects of interdependence, intergenerational play, and interconnection. A children’s program both supports the parents as well as creates a container for children to explore together as well as with adults.
Jam Theme from Freida and Eliana
Illuminating Gratitude
Gratitude is a practice of noticing, inviting curiosity, and evoking praise. This is echoed in the high summer landscape with lush growth, long light, and celebratory birds. After years of collective tension around how we connect, we invite the practice of praise into the shared dance. “Cultures of gratitude are cultures of reciprocity”, says Robin Wall Kimmerer. Reciprocity is fundamental to the practice of Contact Improvisation, so what happens when we center our gratitude in the dance? Come find out with us!
“To be alive in this beautiful, self-organizing universe — to participate in the dance of life with senses to perceive it, lungs that breathe it, organs that draw nourishment from it — is a wonder beyond words.” – Joanna Macy
Summer Jam Details
- The Summer Jam is one of the four main Earthdance seasonal jams, it often has around 100-140 participants and is open to all movement levels & backgrounds.
- We will have commuter, children, full and 2 half jam ticket options.
- Half Jam tickets will go on sale on June 5th.
- We are not offering a single day drop in for this jam.
- Please take a look at what to expect at an Earthdance Seasonal Jam.
- Scroll down to the “HOST BIOS” section at the bottom to check out what Malaika is offering for the children’s programming this Summer Jam.
- NEWCOMERS!!! It is highly recommended that newcomers attend the first half of the jam (Thurs-Sunday), we will be offering classes on embodied consent and CI fundamentals.
Arrival, Onsite Check-In, Opening Circle, Departures and COVID Testing
- Arrival and Onsite Check-In: The welcoming will commence for Full and 1st Half Jam participants on Thursday, June 29th from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Dinner is at 6-7pm.
- 2nd Half Jam Check-In: Arrive to check-in on Sunday, July 2nd between 4-7pm. Dinner is at 6-7pm
- Opening Circle: Friday, June 30th at 10am.
- 1st Half Jam Departure: Participants will depart on Sunday, July 2nd by 2pm (after lunch).
- Full and 2nd Half Jam Departure: All participants will depart after the final group clean at 3pm on Wednesday, July 5th.
- 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.
Equity & Access Tickets
Although we’re not able to offer any full scholarships this year, we’re excited to offer up to 8 FULL JAM Equity & Access Discounts and 6 HALF JAM Discounts to individuals who feel part of an underrepresented and/or marginalized group in CI and have a relationship with CI. We know that for those who come from marginalized populations showing up to spaces filled with primarily privileged groups can be a challenge, and can feel vulnerable.
“Apply” and see more details here. Application deadline is June 12th.
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.
Housing Options
Gratitude Lodge at Earthdance Tickets
Includes a bed in the Gratitude Lodge, Summer 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, Summer Jam offerings, and food during the jam.
Commuter Tickets
You will have access to the Summer 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 Summer Jam participants.
***If you would like to stay at Nine Mountain, you will need to contact Robyn at robyn@ninemountain.com to reserve a bed at an additional charge after registering with Earthdance.
Cancellation Policy
Refund available up to 14 days (June 18th) 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, June 29th (Full Jam) and July 2nd (2nd Half Jam) 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!
Earthdance’s buildings are ADA accessible. More info here.
HOST BIOS
Eliana Bonard
Eliana Bonard – Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Since I was a child, dance has always meant pleasure, health and freedom. At age fifteen I began my path in movement improvisation through the Aberastury System. My training includes contemporary dance, ballet, tango as well as yoga, eutony and somatics, I also nourished my practice with theater and clown.
I like to experiment with hybrid/juxtaposed languages on scene. I have choreographed dance-theater pieces, aerial dance, dance for children and also made site specific and street performances.
I fell in love with Contact Improvisation in 1987 and I began teaching CI four years later. I have been a CI teacher at the School of Artistic Education (ESEA) since 2012. I was co-creator of Eimcila, Latin America CI Teachers Meeting in 2011, co-organizer of the Buenos Aires CI50 Celebration, as well as ongoing Jams in my city. Another passion of mine is to work in heated water and I give Aguahara sessions and facilitate @milon.gota mixing CI and tango in water.
I love 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.
Eliana Bonard – Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Desde pequeña concebí la danza como placer, salud y libertad. Comencé a los 15 años mi camino en la improvisación de movimiento a través del Sistema Aberastury. Me formé en danza contemporánea y ballet como en yoga, tango, eutonía y somáticas. Nutrí mi práctica con actuación y clown.
Me interesa la experimentación escénica en el cruce de lenguajes. Realicé varias obras coreográficas de danza teatro, danza aérea, danza para niños y performances en espacios no convencionales.
Me enamoré del CI en 1987 y lo comencé a enseñar cuatro años más tarde. Dí clases en varias ciudades y festivales internacionales en América y Europa. Soy profesora de CI en ESEA, profesorados oficiales de danza desde 2012. Soy co-creadora de Eimcila, Encuentro internacional de maestros de CI en Latinoamérica en 2011, co-organizadora de Celebración 50 CI Bs As, y actualmente coordino Jams en mi ciudad. Otra de mis pasiones es trabajar en agua climatizada dando sesiones de Aguahara y facilitar la @milon.gota, lab en el agua cruzando CI y tango.
Amo las cosas simples como hacer yoga en la playa, cocinar, cosechar pomelos y paltas en mi barrio y compartir tiempo con mi amado hijo de 20.
IG: @eli.bonard
Frieda Kipar Bay
Frieda Kipar Bay has been a dancer since before she can remember. Movement is the lens that she uses to see into life, and contact improvisation is one of her fundamental practices. She’s been studying this form since 1998, worked as a professional dancer for several years in San Francisco (Scott Wells, Sara Shelton Mann, BodyCartography,etc.), and has taught CI with Melecio Estrella and as a solo teacher since 2006. She has also deeply investigated BMC, feldenkrais, compositional improvisation, bodyweather practice, and qigong. She recently transplanted from Sonoma County, Ca. to Montague, Ma. with her partner and two kids, and works as a clinical herbalist and movement teacher. Website
Malaïka Bittar-Piekutowski
Children’s Summer Jam Host – Malaïka lives in her beloved Montreal with her husband and two daughters. She is a psychotherapist, loves springtime, baking, connecting with other humans and is afraid of ticks. She discovered the summer jam at Earthdance in 2017 and has attended every one since. She’s been coordinating the children program there since 2019.
The children’s program is a childcare space held by five staff members and a coordinator. We welcome children as of 3 years old all the way up to teenagers (who can assist facilitation if they’re interested in gaining such experience). The program starts every morning at 9:15am with an opening circle for parents, kids and staff. During the circle each staff presents what activities they’ll be facilitating that morning, and at the end of the circle, the parents entrust their child to the staff of their choice. The kids are grouped based on their interests, not according to their age. The activities range from arts and crafts, to walks in the forests, role plays and dance parties, face paint, sprinkles and slip and slide. Children are invited to express their desires and creativity to help co-create the activities, obviously within the constraints of our budget, staff ratio, basic safety and gravity. The program ends at 1pm which is also the start of lunch..and don’t forget kids have priority in the lunch lineup so go get these hungry kids’ bellies full! We also offer special “off the schedule” activities like pizza-making, S’mores, afternoon dance party and whatever else we’ll come up with this year.