Contemplative Contact Retreat

CONTEMPLATIVE CONTACT RETREAT (CCR)

Quinta Ten Chi, Sintra, Portugal

1 – 8 November 2025

​​​

CCR is a simple yet powerful invitation.

Silence · Dance · Meditation

A week of intimacy with Silence, Breath, and the Body.

CCR is a refuge from the fragmented, fast-paced modern world. It is a space to cultivate a mind–body that is collected, whole, and aware — in the dance and in life.

We work within the empty-full form that is Contact Improvisation, supported by contemplative stillness and movement practices:

• Silent Group Meditations
• Contemplative Dance Practice (CDP)
• The Discipline of Authentic Movement
• Scored & Focused Jam Spaces

Empty hours are part of the gift: time to harvest the summer, listen, reflect, and to witness the small everyday miracles that reveal themselves when we are empty to receive.

​

​

Contact Improvisation as a Contemplative Practice

The invitation is to bring a contemplative lens into the dance.

Contemplative here means an orientation toward stillness, depth, and awareness. The word comes from the Latin contemplari — “to gaze attentively.” In Aristotle’s terms, the contemplative life is one focused on truth, wisdom, and inquiry.

​

Schedule

The Skeleton – a clear structure to support the individual and collective process

• 07:30 Silent Group Meditation
• 08:30 Breakfast
• 10:00 Contemplative Dance Practice into CI
• 13:00 Lunch & Rest
• 16:00 Authentic Movement
• 19:00 Dinner
• 20:30 Scored Focus Jam

The Space

Quinta Ten Chi is nestled in the forested landscape of Sintra’s lush green micro-climate.

A space for embodied arts, movement, and meditation — and also the home of our families.

We share a large wood-floored dojo surrounded by nature.

Participants

We invite participants with a background in movement and/or meditation, and curiosity about silence and embodiment.

• This is not a beginner-focused retreat; there are no “technique classes.”
• Guidelines will be introduced at the start to clarify the non-verbal agreements of Contact Improvisation.
• The retreat is open to all levels, with the Dance as our teacher and Silence as our beginner’s mind.

Price

Basic Costs (food & accommodation, no income for organisers):

• 280 € – Own Tent / Van
• 310 € – Shared Dorm

+ Suggested Contribution for organisers:

100 – 300 € (sliding scale from low-income to generous supporters of our work & families)

Any Questions?

📧 contemplativecontact@gmail.com