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Winter Dance Camp 2012 took place December 14-16 and was another wonderful, cozy, connecting and rejuvenating event. Stay tuned for news about our next weekend event!

Every December, NCDC hosts a weekend getaway at Monte Toyon Retreat Center, near Santa Cruz. We always have a lovely, sweet, and deep time at this beautiful retreat center in the redwoods. Sometimes it is rainy or misty, and we spend our time indoors, taking classes during the day or sitting around the fireplace and singing songs, and dancing at night in the beautiful lodge. When the sun peeks out, we take hikes up to the ridge for wonderful views of the ocean. Photos from past camps are here.

Take a break from the hustle and bustle -- join us for this delightful retreat between the holidays!  Winter Dance Camp provides space for connecting with others as well as connecting more deeply with yourself.  It's a rejuvenating event that gives time to reflect as well as expand and celebrate through dance and expressive arts in community, surrounded by the beauty of nature. What else heals the heart and feeds the soul better than community, dance, creative expression and nature?

Enjoy classes in Biodanza, 5 Rhythms, Blues, Contact Improv, Expressive Dance (voice, movement, art and theater) and Qigong with amazing teachers in a playful, cozy, connected community.  Express yourself at the freestyle boogies deejayed by our wonderful DJ’s. (See the full class schedule below, class descriptions here. and teacher biographies here.) 

Share your talents at the Open Mic!  If you are interested in performing your musical, poetic, dance or dramatic talents on Saturday night just before the evening boogie, please contact Nicki at .

New this year: group discounts - get six or more adults together from the same city and register for the weekend, and everyone takes 10% off the price!

Also there will be a raffle for a free day at Summer Dance Camp, so sign up soon and join the fun!

Registration options

Children under 3 are free. Single Day registration is for adults only.

Please note: due to the quirks of our online registration system, if you pay by Paypal, the number that shows up in your statement may actually be a few cents less than what it says in this chart, not a round dollar figure.

Quad - 2 bunk beds in each room to fit a total of four people. These rooms do not always fill up. If the event does not sell out, there may be only two or three people in a quad room. The bathrooms are in the building, on the same floor and hallway as the quads.

Dorm - 3, 4, or 5 bunk beds in different rooms to fit 6, 8, or 10 people. These rooms do not always fill up. There will probably be fewer people in each room. The bathrooms are a very short walk (outside) from the dorm rooms.

Commuter - You are attending the entire event from dinner on Friday evening through the afternoon class on Sunday. You do not sleep on the premises. Breakfasts are *not* included. You may arrive at 9:30am Saturday and Sunday.

Single day - Saturday only -- from breakfast (8:30am) through the Boogie (midnight or later). Partial attendance is not offered for any other part of the event, other than the Saturday night dance. The first class is at 10:00am on Saturday if you can't make it for breakfast. We wish you could be there for the whole weekend, and once you get there, we bet you'll wish you could too!

How to register

Click HERE to register. (If you have not already done so, use that page to create an account for yourself; then log in and register for camp.)

Questions? Contact our registrar at

Payment policy

Registrations are not considered complete until payment is received. We expect to receive payment within 5 days of signing up online. If you sign up but do not pay, you are not considered registered, and you may be bumped to allow someone else to register.

If you have already registered, but not yet paid, you cannot enter the registration system again to pay through PayPal. To make payment and complete your registration, you may either:
1. Send your funds to by logging in to PayPal through your browser (you will need a PayPal account to do this); or
2. Mail a check to NCDC at #254, 1442A Walnut St, Berkeley, CA, 94709.

Registration Changes

Request changes by emailing the registrar (see above). We will honor requests for additional days or persons only if there is room. If we change your registration, your revised fee will be calculated using the fee schedule in effect on the date of the change - not the date of your original registration. See below about refund policy.

Substitutions

One person may not be substituted for another on a registration. Cancellations must go through the registrar, and someone from the waiting list will be notified of the opening.

Cancellation policy

If you cancel your registration by November 26, 2012, we will refund your payment minus a $50 processing fee. Cancellations after November 26 will not be refunded.

Class Schedule for Winter 2012

Housing and Accommodations

Our housing options and arrangements are very specific at Monte Toyon and somewhat limited, so we will be filling them on a first-come, first-serve basis. There are approximately 18 four-person rooms (see pricing on registration page). The rest are dorm rooms with bunk beds, housing 6 to 10 people -- this will be a cozy event! If you'd like, pull together a group of friends and register together to share a room. There will be no private rooms this year. Some camping and RV (no hook-ups) spaces are available for the same price as dorm rooms -- just remember that the weather in December is unpredictable. Mattresses are provided in the rooms but you must bring your own pillows, bedding and towels.

Arrival and Overall Schedule

Arrive after 4 p.m. Friday and expect dinner around 6. We'll have a boogie that night, classes and meals together on Saturday, along with a rockin' boogie, and another yummy day on Sunday with two meals and two class periods, finishing around 5 p.m. We'll have that satisfying mix of deep and sweet movement modalities NCDC's known for, pulling from the Bay Area's rich well of high energy and inner-directed teachers of Contact Improv, Soul Motion, Body Tales, and ethnic dance. Classes are geared to all levels; come ready to fling yourself into a delirium of dance!

Food

The in-house cooks at Monte Toyon (with menu and ingredient input from NCDC) will be providing primarily vegetarian meals for us and will make accommodations for vegan, non-wheat, and other dietary needs. Please let us know of any special needs when you register.

Child Care

Child care will be provided for children 3 to 12 years of age if enough kids are registered. Please register children by November 15 so we know how to plan for them, and encourage other families to attend as well! Contact for information.

Work Exchange

A small number of work exchange positions will be available, so inquire early. Contact for more information.

Community Service

Since Monte Toyon is providing the food for us, our needs for community service will be minimal. Dance, relax, drop in and recharge (and pitch in when necessary!).

What to Bring:

• your own bedding (sleeping bag, sheets, blankets, pillows) and towel
• layers of warm clothing for nights that can be cold -- coat, sweater, gloves, hat, etc.
• fun, festive clothing, costumes, etc.
• dance gear, dance specific clothes and footwear, kneepads for contact improv, yoga mats
• a labeled water bottle and a flashlight
• personal toiletries (unscented please for those of us who are scents-itive!), healthcare supplies and earplugs
• anything else that will aid your well-being, good health, and comfort at camp

Things to leave at home:

• your own food (there is no storage space)
• pets
• preconceived notions
• alcohol
• non-prescription drugs
• perfumes and other scented products
• candles and incense

More Information

Want more information or inspiration?
Email:  
Message Phone: 510.496.2722 (email strongly preferred)

See you in the redwoods in December!

Directions to Monte Toyon

On Highway 1, eight miles south of Santa Cruz, take the State Park Drive Exit. Turn left, go over the freeway, and proceed towards Aptos. Turn right at the traffic light onto Soquel Drive. Continue through Aptos. Turn left onto Trout Gulch Road - crossing over the railroad tracks. Take first left onto Cathedral Drive at the Monte Toyon Camp sign. Monte Toyon is 1-1/2 miles along Cathedral Drive. Look for the Monte Toyon Camp sign on left. The next left is the main parking lot.
Travel Time From San Jose: 1 hour; from San Francisco: 2 hours

PDF Map and Driving Directions Here

Register at http://register.ncdcdances.org