At-the-ECJ Details

Daily Schedule

• 8:30 to 9:30 am: A simple breakfast

• 10 am: Morning jam, with a volunteer-led warm-up followed by an open jam.

• 12:30 to 1:30 pm: Lunch

• 1:00 to 2:00 pm: Town Meeting, to go over plans, questions, suggestions, etc.

• 2:30 to 6:00 pm: Open jamming, structures, and exploration. We invite proposals before and during the jam for activities around which we for dancing, including open jamming, peer education scores, Underscores, Authentic Movement, and so on.

• 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm: Dinner

• 8:00 pm onwards: Evening jamming

All daily-schedule activities are optional - not mandatory, but opportunities to play and explore.

Throughout the day you can take a sauna and cool dip in a small shack across from primary dance space. See Sauna and Cool Dip, below.

Dance Barn: The Octagon

Most jamming happens in a dance barn that's around ½ mile countryside walk from Mansion residence. It's a pretty, 15-minute walk or a quick and simple drive. There's also a dance space in the mansion for smaller jams and other dancing.

• Mansion to Dance Barn Walking Map 

Meals

Delicious vegetarian meals are part of the package. They include a simple breakfast and full lunch and dinner.

Indoor Residence

We stay in shared dormitory-style rooms of a Georgian style brick mansion - see the "Staying at the Mansion" section of Claymont's guest-rooms page.

There is internet Wi-Fi in the mansion and dance barn, but it can be uneven.

Bedding is provided but bring a sheet and towel if you prefer to avoid a $5 towel/sheet rental add-on charge.

Camping

• Signing up as a camper entitles you to a discount. Changing your mind, including needing to crash indoors to escape weather means you'll need to pay the difference for a full mansion stay. Please note that this is only an option when there are beds still available, as Claymont is not allowed to have people overnight in common spaces.

• Campers can choose spots almost anywhere across an extensive rural estate.

• Many choose spots around a large field that constitutes the Mansion's backyard. There are also woods of various densities nearby and scattered across the estate grounds.

• Campers have full access to the mansion for everything except their own bed for sleeping.

Sauna and Cool Dip

Throughout the day volunteers from the group keep a wood-fired sauna going. It's located across from the primary dance space, so jammers can drop in at any time to toast and sweat, interspersing dips in the chilly spring-fed rock pool directly below to consolidate the relaxation.

Clothing is optional.

For sauna visits bring a towel and some drinking water.

Duties

• Balance payment: The organizers send balance info soon after you register, and balance in-full is due at least a week before the jam starts - or earlier, if you wish!

• Dishes: We get a substantial group discount for cleaning our own dishes and helping with meal set-up and take-down (see Community work hour, below).

• Community work hour - Each jammer signs up for ~one hour slot - usually less but never more. Most work slots are meal set-up or take-down.

Things to Bring

This list is not nearly complete – just some suggestions including items that might otherwise be overlooked

• Of course, Dance clothes, lots of socks, knee pads if you use them

• Water bottle and backpack

• Rain gear and mix of clothes for warm and cool climates

• Boots, jacket, hat, umbrella if you use one

• The walk between the mansion and dance barn is substantial, so provide for walking on muddy paths in case it rains.

• Sleeping gear and toiletries

• Blankets and pillows are provided, but sheets and towels cost a small added fee, which you can avoid by bringing your own.

• Bring a towel (whenever you travel - HHGTTG (-: ), maybe two if you want a separate one for the sauna

• Musical instruments - anything that lends itself to improvising

• Eagerness to dance!

Weather

The jams happen during season change, so it can sometimes be warm and sometimes quite chilly - sometimes both in the same day.