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Emerging Hearts

Contact Improvisation Dance Camp UK

The Heart of Community and The Heart of Dance

DATES FOR OUR 2025 CAMP

Monday 23rd June – Monday 30th June 2025

Redwood Farm, Near Frome, Somerset (UK)

We're thrilled to announce our 2025 Contact Improvisation Dance Camp is returning to the beautiful landscape of Redwood Farm. After the incredible success and your wonderful feedback from the 2024 camp, we’re excited to extend the camp to a FULL 7 DAYS for 2025.

What’s New for 2025

An Extended Camp: More time to dance, connect, and immerse yourself.

Themed Days: Each day explores a unique aspect of Contact Improvisation, giving you a deeper dive into the practice.

Beginners Support: Dedicated guidance to ensure everyone, no matter their experience, feels supported.

More Reduced-Priced Tickets: Volunteer & save while supporting the camp.

Easy Instalments: Spread your ticket cost into manageable instalments.  Please visit our instalments page to set this up.

Larger Sauna Area: More space to relax, unwind, and connect.

More Veggie Protein Options: More options in our meals to keep you nourished and energised.


Dance, Connect & Contribute

Emerging Hearts is more than a dance camp—it’s a thriving, co-created community. We offer many volunteer opportunities with reduced ticket options, making it easier for you to be part of this beautiful gathering while helping create the magic.

Here are some of the ways you could be involved...

Kitchen Crew – Help prepare nourishing meals

Welcome Team – Greet and settle in new arrivals

Workshop Leader – Share your skills and creativity

Setup & Pack Down – Bring the camp to life and wrap it up

Fire & Sauna Keepers – Keep us warm and toasty

Camp Care – Help maintain a clean, welcoming space

Visit our Volunteers or Workshops page to find out more...


Here's a look back at last year’s camp – big thanks to Patrick Morrow for the beautiful video...

 I had an AMAZING time at the camp, coming back filled with love, peace, and warmth. I felt very cared for by the amazing core team, volunteers, and the rest of the participants, and I went home with only amazing buzzing feelings! I was so impressed by the organisation of things and how everything ran super smoothly. The atmosphere created had a lot to do with how the space was held by the organisers and the teachers that were there. - ALBA

 EMBODIMENT. CREATIVITY. COMMUNITY.

explore the somatic wonders of contact improvisation

loads of dance, creative, nature and sound-based experiences

within green fields, wild meadows, old woodlands​, lakes, amazing skylines and the rolling hills ​​of the countryside

includes wood fire sauna, bodywork space, live music, delicious food, co-creative community

The Essence of the Camp…

 
  • Contact Improvisation is a practice that brings wonder and endless possibilities to the world of movement and connection. Through the exploration of weight-sharing, responding to impulses, and surrendering to the present moment, participants embark on a captivating journey of discovery.

    It is a dance form that breaks down barriers and allows for genuine connections to be forged. The wonder of Contact Improvisation lies in its ability to take us beyond our preconceived notions of movement, inviting us to tap into our intuition and engage in a deep conversation with our bodies and the bodies of others.

    The benefits extend far beyond the dance floor. This practice offers a unique opportunity for personal growth and self-expression. Through the physicality of the form, dancers develop strength, flexibility, and body awareness.

    Furthermore, Contact Improvisation promotes a sense of trust, collaboration, and empathy. As we navigate the weight and movement of our partner, we learn to surrender control and embrace the unknown. This enhances our ability to communicate non-verbally, fostering a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. It is through this process that the transformative power of Contact Improvisation unfolds.

    Not only is Contact Improvisation a powerful tool for personal growth, but it also holds the power to create communities and foster a sense of belonging. As dancers come together in the spirit of exploration and shared experience, bonds are formed that transcend conventional boundaries.

    Contact Improvisation provides a space where diverse individuals can come together to engage in meaningful movement dialogues, breaking through societal norms and promoting inclusivity. It is within this collective exploration that the power of Contact Improvisation shines, reminding us of the inherent interconnectedness of all beings and the potential for transformation that lies within each of us.

  • At Emerging Hearts, we believe in the power of community and the value of every individual's contribution. Our Contact Improvisation camp is built on the principle of active involvement, where everyone has a role to play in creating an inclusive and vibrant experience.

    By offering reduced tickets to the majority of participants, we aim to make the camp accessible and affordable for as many people as possible. We recognise and appreciate the diverse talents and efforts of each person involved, whether it's building the camp, leading workshops, or lending a hand in the kitchen.

    Together, we shape the heart and soul of our camp, supporting the practice of Contact Improvisation and creating enriching experiences on and off the dance floor. Join us in co-creating an unforgettable journey where your unique contribution makes all the difference.

  • Our Camp is supported so wonderfully by the surrounding land that we dance upon. Rain or shine, the community can be found sprawling on the grass, walking in the woodland, or finding peace in the hammocks under a canopy of trees. The elements around us remind us of our connection with all living beings and our inherent desire to dance.

    The landscape offers a vast and diverse playground for movement exploration and Contact Improvisation, it’s varied terrain, textures, and grounding presence awaken our senses delightfully.

    Spending five days on the land offers us the chance to immerse ourselves fully in the present, encouraging a stronger sense of community and a deeper bond with the dance.

 

 In Their Words…

The Experience…

  • Deeply Human Experience

    Inside us all there is an innate desire to be seen, to be felt, and to have our surging, somatic-emotional world met by another. When our experience actually feels held, contained, and allowed, we naturally come to a place of rest.

    Emerging Hearts offer you this place to fully be who you are, to feel a deeper sense of freedom, for your experience to be what it is and for you to bring the gift of your presence to see one another within these unique experiences. In essence when you feel this way then your heart can truly emerge.

  • Let’s Come Together

    Many of us are naturally drawn to dancing and being together. To sit around a warm fire under a starry sky. To be curious about a life that can be explored through our bodies and to enjoy the simple pleasures of eating, laughing, and playing together as friends.

    Let’s come together to dance once more. Where we can enjoy the wonders of these embodied experiences that bring closeness, intimacy, and connection on a deeper human level.

  • Our Emerging Community

    We are social creatures wired for connection and often feel most alive when we are both deeply rooted in ourselves and feeling held within community. We need community… when we feel connected and seen, loved and appreciated, involved and included, supported and nurtured, we experience a deeper connection to ourselves and a remembering of who we are.

    At the camp, the community experience is as important to us as the dance. We will eat together, gather around the fire together, look after the camp together, and of course dance together - living as a community, with space, holding and support.

  • A Safe Space to Explore

    We are here to practice a form of dance that in our eyes is incredibly enriching. It offers us the space to explore both our physicality and our humanity whilst deeply connecting to one another.

    We place great importance on creating a space that is safe, kind and respectful for all, in which your growth and development can easily occur. We do what we can to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible, and in doing so we invite you to read through our Community Guidelines and Group Agreements to find out more about how you can also support this process.

  • Meeting Your Needs

    The camp is designed for you to create your own flow through the workshops & experiences, and we fully support you in following your own needs as this evolves throughout the camp. We are offering you an excellent range of experiences from intimate connections to spacious wanderings, where you can dance inside marquees, amongst the trees or even around the fire.

  • Curious, New & Seasoned Dancers

    Whether you’re curious and new to Contact Improvisation or a seasoned dancer, the structure of the workshops and programme will give you every opportunity to fully immerse yourself into a heartfelt 7 days of incredible dance.

    New dancers have no fear, we offer a super welcoming and supportive dancing environment made up of every level of dancer from complete beginners right through to teachers. We guarantee that you’ll find your feet and make lots of new friends in no time. You can always find out more about this practice on our Info for Beginners page.

What’s included in your ticket…

  • Loads of Contact Improvisation

    A full immersion into the somatic wonders of the embodied practice of Contact Improvisation with some of the UK’s best teachers. 60 Hours of Contact Improvisation sessions over 7 days.

  • Live Music

    Incredible live improvised music for our evening Contact Dance Jams.

  • Amazing Selection of Workshops

    Ecstatic Dance, Dance in Nature, Partner Dances, Authentic Movement, Embodied Sharing Space, Drawing through Movement, Singing Circle, Drumming, Yoga, Meditation, Gong Bath.

  • Wood Fire Sauna

    The perfect way to relax those tired muscles after a day of dancing and include in the cost of your ticket. (find out more)

  • All Meals

    Delicious vegan & veggie breakfast, lunches and dinners cooked with love by our experienced chefs and kitchen team. (find out more)

  • Great Spaces

    Great selection of spaces to dance, hang out and share as well as all the essential camping facilities to make your experience warm, dry, comfortable and easy. (find out more)

  • Co-creative Community

    At the camp, the community experience is as important to us as the dance. We will eat together, gather around the fire together, look after the camp together, and of course dance together - living as a community, with space, holding and support.

  • Get Involved

    Be part of the working community with our volunteering options in exchange for cheaper tickets. This a great way to support both yourself and the camp. (find out more)

  • The Land

    The 2024 camp found a beautiful new home in the rolling Mendip Hills near Frome, Somerset.

    The site features a lush, flat green field with stunning views, secluded woodlands, and serene lakes—perfect for immersing yourself in nature. (find out more)

  • Bodywork Sharing Space

    Each evening, our geodome chill-out space transforms into a warm and inviting environment for participants to engage in the sacred act of bodywork. Our intention is to create a safe and supportive space where everyone feels comfortable to join, and where personal boundaries are respected and honoured. With a cosy fire and plenty of cushions, this space provides a nurturing atmosphere for deep relaxation, healing, and connection.