Immerse in the Practice and Philosophy of a Transformative Practice
Join us at Dreaming Stone Arts and Ecology Center in the mountains of NC! For an immersive Contact Improvisation fundamentals weekend.
September 12-15th
Five 2.5 hour CI classes, discussions of the history and philosophy of CI in the evenings and over delicious meals, jams, and swimming in the river– what more can you want? It is a great opportunity to get your CI practice started for the first time or to deepen your engagement with the form.
About Dreaming Stone
Dreaming Stone Arts and Ecology Center is a new home for Contact Improvisation, located in the mountains of North Carolina founded by long-time CI dancer, performance artist, and activist, Tevyn East. Joining institutions like Earthdance in Western Massachusetts and The Field Center in Vermont as a home for residential CI and related events, Dreaming Stone also embodies a strong commitment to restorative justice and permaculture programming, year-round programming for the local community, and interfacing with issues unique to the Southern United States and Appalachia. Dreaming Stone features a large round studio with windows on all sides, beautiful common areas for cooking, eating, and connecting, and is the steward of 50+ acres of land, including a swimmable river with rocks for lounging~ very inviting during this late-summer time of the year!
Event Activities – Contact Improv Intensive Workshop and Study
The event is structured around the five 2.5 hr intensive classes led by CJ O’Reilly of CI Groundswell and Toni Craige of the Living Arts Collective. Additional learning opportunities include watching videos of important practitioners, guided discussions, and jamming allow you to “take in” the form and understand your relationship to it in a variety of ways. There will be plenty of space for rest, reflection, informal connection, and time with (and in!) the river (very nice at this time of year).
Schedule
Subject to minor changes
Thursday:
- Arrive as early as 3:00 to wander and explore— we have maps to share!
- 4-6pm: Registration/Check-in
- 4-5:30pm Guided tour of Dreaming Stone with founder,Tevyn East
- 6-7:30pm – Dinner
- 7:30-9pm – Embodiment practice, meeting each other, watching and discussing some archival CI footage.
Saturday
- 8-9am Breakfast
- 9:30am-12pm Morning Class
- 12-3pm Lunch/Break with optional discussion group or river activity
- 3-5:30pm Afternoon Class
- 6-7:30pm Dinner
- 8-10pm Open Jam with Guided Warm-Up (potentially with live music!)
Friday
- 8-9am Breakfast
- 9:30am-12:00pm Morning Class
- 12-3pm Lunch/Break with optional discussion group or river activity
- 3-5:30pm Afternoon Class
- 6-7:30pm Dinner
- 7:30-9:30pm Structured Jam (incorporating creative prompts, mixer activities, etc)
Sunday
- 8:30-9:30am Breakfast
- 10am-1pm Morning Class and closing circle
- 1-2pm Lunch
- 1:30-4pm – You are welcome to linger on the land, swim, etc.
Work-Trade and Accessibility
- We are offering a sliding scale pricing system to facilitate accessibility. Please pay the highest amount you can afford.
- There is work-trade available for:
- Extra kitchen support at $15/hour.
- Other options on a case-by-case basis for things like photography and video documentation, childcare, etc.
Meals:
All meals and snacks are provided and we can accommodate your dietary preferences. Abundant, locally sourced, and delicious!
Sleeping:
There are guest bedrooms in the main house, additional residential spaces on the land, and plenty of space and utilities for campers. Camping is included in the general costs. If you want a bed, you can save money by sharing a room with another, or pay more for a private space. If you would like to stay nearby, we can equip you with additional local options.
Registration:
Any logistical questions about the retreat itself can be directed to Dreaming Stone (dreamingstonenc@gmail.com).
About the Teachers
Toni Craige
Toni’s work as a dance artist has been influenced by her professional experience in healing arts and psychotherapy, as well as her longtime practice of Contact Improvisation, Body-Mind Centering, and Authentic Movement. As a dance-maker, she integrates set choreography with improvisational scores to create work that communicates the performers’ subjectivity and facilitates a deepened experience of community and humanity for audiences. Toni holds an M.F.A from Smith College, where she received a full scholarship and Teaching Fellowship. Her current focus in dance is teaching Contact Improvisation via the Living Arts Collective in Durham, NC. In addition to her teaching, she also curates classes by other teachers and has co-created a robust program of somatic education, providing trauma-informed, fun, healing, and community-oriented movement classes to over 80 students per week.
CJ O’Reilly
I have been dancing CI since discovering through an improvisational dance class as a dance major at CU Boulder in 2006. The form resonates deeply with my life philosophy and is a practice that I return to a cherish for its profound embodiment of those philosophies. I have been teaching since my teenage years and love the exploration of pedagogy and guiding others to proficiency and discover in a wide range of forms from martial arts, swimming and dance to language. I am committed to the WNC region and excited to continue supporting a robust community in this broader area.
