BAREFOOT DANCE EXETER

Introducing Gidleigh 2024 ...

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Nourishing the Heart

Moving together through turbulent times

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Barefoot community warmly invites you to journey with us, using the map of Movement Medicine as our guide. 

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"Active hope is waking up to the beauty of life

on whose behalf we can act. We belong to this world"

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“I think the most important thing we need to hear

is the voice inside us which connects us to all beings and to the whole web of life. That is needed now to

counteract the crippling of the modern self.” 

Joanna Macy

 

For many of us these are troubling times. 

 

It is all too easy to feel overwhelmed and confused as we navigate our personal and collective lives.

 

How do we make space for the full spectrum of our humanity to be felt, whilst still showing up to the needs of daily life?

 

I often think of the heart as the earthly sat nav to the soul. One of the most effective ways I have found to reconnect to this innate intelligence is through conscious movement and dance; through awakening the heart of the dancer who lives inside.

 

Movement Medicine as a practice gives us a map, the territory is made up of our lives, our longings, and who we can become in kind supportive community. 

 

This retreat will be woven with practices and simple ceremonies that align our bodies, open our minds, and bring nourishment to our hearts. 

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This practice is an integral part of Movement Medicine, but you do not need to be familiar with Movement Medicine to attend. You will learn the basics of the map we work with experientially.

 

There will also be time to immerse yourself in the nature around us, including quiet time and self-reflection exercises. There will also be time off just to be and nourish and resource in whatever way feels right for you. Maybe a wild swim or a walk on the moors.

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Facilitated by Benjamin Tree and supported by 

the barefoot community

at Gidleigh Village Hall

from 5pm Friday 31st May to 5pm on Sunday 2nd June 2024

(you can arrive anytime from 2pm)

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Cost: £140 for the weekend  (ask about concessions if needed). 

This includes all food, camping fees and facilitation.

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Open Invitation for the Barefoot Friday Night (31st May 2024).  

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There is an open invitation for all barefoot dancers to join us for supper at 6.00pm and a Barefoot dance (at 7:30pm) on the Friday evening. Supper will be provided. We suggest a donation of £7 if you are just coming on the Friday evening to help cover our costs. (This charge does not apply to people who are staying the whole weekend). Please note there is no limit to the number of people able to come along on the Friday evening, however we are unable to offer you a space to stay overnight as we have a limited number of spaces which are allocated for those staying for the whole weekend. 

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Please note: If you book a place on the weekend, we strongly encourage/request that you attend all sessions on the Saturday and Sunday.

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Contagious diseases: We have reflected on how to create a safe space for the whole community. We ask that you do not attend if you are unwell. 

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Cancellation policy: If you cancel up to 4 weeks in advance we will offer a full refund. If you cancel after then if we have people on the waiting list you will have a full refund. However if we can't fill your place we will retain half of the money to cover our costs. 

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Programme 2024

​​​Friday 31st May

 

from 2pm onwards - arriving and setting up 

 

6:00pm Supper - provided (bread, soup, cheeses, salad)

 

7:30pm - 9:30pm Opening Circle and Welcome

followed by a dance journey led by Benjamin (1).

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Saturday 1st June

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Breakfast provided

 

10am - 1pm Session with Benjamin (2)

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1pm - 4pm Lunch (provided) and free time

 

4pm - 6:30pm Session with Benjamin  (3)

 

Supper provided

 

Sunday 2nd June

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Breakfast provided

 

10am - 12:30pm Session with Benjamin (4)

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Lunch provided

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2pm to 3:30pm Session with Benjamin (5)

 

3:30pm Clearing away (6) 

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5pm Leave ... 

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Further information

 

​Here are a few other details about the weekend, which you might find useful:

 

Please arrive anytime between 2pm and 6pm on Friday 31st May 

Directions to Gidleigh Village Hall are included at the end of this page. If you are camping you will need time to pitch your tent and settle in, so do allow time for this. 

 

The hall has a fully equipped kitchen and toilets and a shower so you do not need to bring, for example, any of your own cooking gear – your tent is simply to sleep in. Please note there is just 1 shower!!!! If anyone has a camping shower it could be a useful addition.

 

On the Friday evening we will eat together around 6:00pm ….  all the food for the weekend is provided and will be vegetarian and if you have any other special dietary requirements please let Karen know by email.

 

If you have a special diet which requires you to eat meat then we will make arrangements for you to cook with us using separate pans and utensils.

 

At 7:30pm we will hold an opening welcome circle followed by a dance session with Benjamin.

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We hope that everyone will pitch in with cooking and clearing up over the weekend so that we can all enjoy it. All food will be provided but any contributions of home baked cakes welcomed!

 

We are asking that everyone attends all the six sessions. At other times you are able to please yourself, to walk on the moors, swim in the nearby stream or sit around the fire (if we have one) and, of course, help with the preparation of the meals and clearing away.

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Over the course of the weekend we aim to build trust within the group as the sessions progress. Because of this it is not possible for people not signed up for the weekend to drop in on the Saturday or Sunday this year.

 

Quick reference checklist (things you might like to bring):

 

Pen, paper / journal

Cushion / sheepskin /blanket to sit on

Outdoor all weather gear - we plan to move out of doors at some stage

Loose comfy clothes to dance in, perhaps layers you can put on and off as you get hot and cool down.

Sunscreen and a hat if sunny

 

Here are some directions to the hall:

 

Gidleigh Village Hall is about 40 minutes from the centre of Exeter by car. It is on the edge of Dartmoor. For more details: www.gidleighvillagehall.co.uk

 

If you have a sat nav the postcode is TQ13 8HR.

 

The grid reference is: SX 672 883 ….

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What 3 Words:   https://w3w.co/swift.reconnect.subjects