Camp Kaleidoscope 2024 - Fusion residential

Camp Kaleidoscope is back!

So you want to spend a week dancing in a castle, surrounded by friends old and new, with good food, campfires and time to really dive into levelling up your dancefloor skills? You're in luck!

Camp Kaleidoscope is all that and then some. We're hiring out an actual castle just a stone's throw from Bristol, and the amazing Flouer Evelyn is going to take us on a journey through our dancing to help us explore and develop together. We'll also have gentle morning movement classes, evening practicas, social dances and non-dance evening activities for when it's time to just cwtch up and hang out on the sofas.

Camp Kaleidoscope is all-in, meaning we're also providing accommodation and mountains of delicious food, masterminded by your favourite local kitchen heroes. And as always, we're conscious of making our events as financially accessible as possible, so look out for sliding scale options at registration!

It's gonna be WHOLESOME y'all.

Get on the mailing list for all the updates. 

WEEK A vs WEEK B

Our first Camp went so well that this year we are running it TWICE. 

Which week should I choose?

Our goal for camp is for everyone to have a stretching experience in class. To do that, we're splitting the two weeks by dance skill and experience. Considering that the vast majority of our attendees last year had at least 5 years dance experience (and most of them a lot more)*, we're not considering either of them a beginners level! We're expecting a lot of really fantastic dancers both weeks.

We anticipate that anyone ready to dive into an immersive week like Camp Kaleidoscope will already be able to dance in a range of holds - close embrace, closed, hand to hand - and smoothly transition between them. You'll be able to dance groovy, more stationary dances, smooth travelling ones and maybe some close micro too.

We're going to be real with you for a minute - it's really common for people to jump in and try to join tracks at a higher level than we might expect. We love the enthusiasm! BUT, even if you're up for the challenge, skipping a level and trying to dive right into a more advanced track impacts the experience of everyone in that group, not just you. So, please be honest with yourself when picking your week. If you're still not sure, then get in touch at hello@kaleidoscopefusion.com and we'll help you figure out which week is best for you! We'll keep an eye on registrations, and might get in touch if we think you'd be better off in the other week. That said, if you're newer to fusion but very experienced in other partner dance stylesl talk to us about joining Week A ;) 

 

*Time isn't a great measure of skill or experience! It's less about years and more about how many pairs of dance shoes you've worn out. That's why our levelling is less about numbers and more about the hunger.

 

Week A:  Super nerd - 3rd to 8th March

At this level, we expect that:

• You're a very experienced dancer, who struggles to get a lot out of classes at most fusion events you attend.
• You know exactly what you're currently working on and when watching your favourite dancers can pick out what it is in their technique that makes them excellent
• You're always ready to learn, and as well as workshops and classes in fusion or other styles will do practice sessions alone or with friends
• You are very happy leading AND following and dancing with you is a conversation - when following you have voice and as a lead you're listening and making space
• You can fluidly switch back and forth between roles multiple times in a phrase
• You have plenty of range and can adapt your dancing to the music whatever the genre
• You regularly attend international fusion events and are usually in the top fifth of dancers there
• You are one of the most experienced dancers in your home scene, and may teach locally or internationally

 

Week B: Dance lover - 11th to 15th March

At this level, we expect that: 

• You are an experienced fusion dancer, or have some fusion experience backed by skills in other partnered dances.
• You have some ideas of things you want to improve and recognise dancing you admire
• You're motivated to keep learning and regularly attend classes in fusion or other styles
• You are comfortable in at least one dance role, and have some skills in (or are excited to learn!) the other
• You are able to switch roles during a song
• You can adapt your dancing across a few music genres
• You regularly attend international fusion events and are able to have enjoyable dances with nearly anyone there
• You are one of the more experienced dancers in your home scene

Kaleidoscope XXL

We're focusing on the classes and daytime stuff at Camp, with relaxed social dancing and a couple of parties scattered through the week and plenty of time to unwind. If all that isn't enough dancing for you, never fear! We're planning a weekend full of big late-night parties to put your new skills to good use in between Weeks A and B - 8th to 10th March, so watch this space!

Kaleidoscope XXL

Camp Kaleidoscope is a collaboration between us and you

Flouer is curating a dance journey through the week, so that you can really nerd out and build your skills. Team Zankie are planning a menu of meals that will make your mouth water - and provide comfort and sustenance whatever March brings. The rest is up to you!

We'll always have a dance space available and will throw open the doors through the week for sweet house party vibes. We'll also share some options for other ways to hang out and connect over the week, with board games, country walks, a pub trip or jam sessions but it's down to you to choose your own adventure.

Keeping things as financially accessible as possible means we don't have an army of staff on hand, and instead ask you to do your bit! Everyone will take a turn or two supporting our chefs in the kitchen or doing dishes and it's all hands on deck for get-out on Friday. No free rides, but kitchen crew just might turn out to be the highlight of your week.

FAQ

BASICS

How do I get there?

Just get your ass to Bristol, we'll do the rest! We're putting on a bus to and from the venue so that you can use public transport as much as possible. The transfer times for each week will be confirmed by New Year, but we are aiming at:

• Week A: Pick-up 4pm Sunday, drop-off by 4pm Friday
• Week B: Pick-up midday Monday, drop-off by 7pm Friday (with a little after party in Bristol Friday night!)

If you can't make the transfer, Lydney train station is a 15 minute drive from the venue.

Parking is very limited and goes first to organisers, and then to those for whom having their car is an access need. If there are spots left over it's first come first served, but be prepared to park a little way off from the castle.

 

Tell me about access

This is the least accessible event Kaleidoscope runs for those with mobility needs. The main venue is a castle with a lot of narrow winding staircases which are unavoidable as the dance space and eating/hangout spaces are on different levels. If this makes it a "maybe" for you, then reach out - we're happy to share more.

For other needs, we'll ask at registration if there is anything specific that would make the event more accessible for you.

 

Can I bring my child?

No. We don't have what it takes to make Camp Kaleidoscope a child friendly space. We will have parent passes available for Kaleidoscope XXL though, so that two care-givers can share the load and join in the fun.

 

MONEY

How much does it cost?

At Camp, we're providing all your meals, 4/5 nights of accommodation, 10+ hours of intensive teaching, plus group work, practicas, morning movement, evening dances and activities, and transport to and from Bristol. 

To make the event as accessible as possible, we offer a sliding scale and will give as many discounts as we can afford, plus a limited number of free passes. This is made possible by the generosity of people who can afford to pay a little more!

We sometimes update the sliding scale options during registration if we need to in order to cover our costs. Early registrations get the best rates. 

For Week A (five nights) that looks like:

• Default rate: £300 - this is how much we need to average to break even
• Support our community: £450 - we think we're offering something worth at least this much!
• Low income: £225 - we'll offer as many of these as we can afford
• Sliding scale: £? - for the high rollers and broke bitches who want to offer a custom amount

For Week B, we're cramming almost the same amount of content into 4 nights, so it's a tiny bit cheaper:

• Default rate: £275 - this is how much we need to average to break even
• Support our community: £425 - we think we're offering something worth at least this much!
• Low income: £200 - we'll offer as many of these as we can afford
• Sliding scale: £? for the high rollers and broke bitches who want to offer a custom amount

Plus, we're giving you a bundle deal on the weekender - Kaleidoscope XXL, three nights of epic parties - with a 30% discount on XXL tickets for Camp attendees!

 

What's your financial model?

We do a whole lot with very little. We're all about making our events as financially accessible as possible - for everyone. That means organisers need to pay their bills too!

There will always be sliding scale options and we haven't yet had to turn anyone away who needed a discount, BUT this is only possible with the generosity of our community! If you can afford the Feeling Flush option (or more) perhaps you want to know where your money goes?

• First, we cover the basic costs of the event
• Then, we offer subsidised tickets and free passes to those who need them
• Then we add in a few luxuries (last year this was hot tubs)
• And if there is anything left over it will go to organisers or be reinvested in e.g. more equipment (right now we have our eye on some more lights)

Honestly, we think that even our feeling flush options are great value.

This year, the basic costs of the event includes a small percentage to organisers. Camp takes literally months of labour to create, plus your freelance organiser has to take 3-4 weeks unpaid time off over the event itself to make it happen and would like to keep a roof over her head at the same time.

 

Can I have a payment plan?

Sure! Get in touch and agree a plan with us ahead of registrations opening. It's payment upfront to secure your spot this year, so we'll help you figure out what options to pick at registration if you speak to us before.

 

ACCOMODATION

What's the accommodation like?

Sleepover-style! Good, solid bunk beds with cosy bedding provided in rooms that mostly take 8-12 apiece.

We'll make sure there are some quiet rooms and gender-grouped rooms if that's a thing that people ask for at registration.

 

Can I pay extra for a smaller or private room?

Nope, this isn't that event. We looked at fancy venues with private rooms but just couldn't find the enthusiasm for running something that bougie - and pricey to attend.

 

Can I sleep in my van?

No. We thought long and hard about this one, but part of running a sustainable dance event is making sure that we treat our venues well, and that we are good neighbours so we can return in the future. For Camp Kaleidoscope, that means we’re asking attendees not to sleep in their vans in St. Briavels. We are staying in a small village, where parking is limited and outside of castle walls. We are providing transport to and from Bristol as part of the entry fee, and really encourage as many people as possible to take us up on that!

A personal comment from your organiser - as an occasional van-dwelling dirtbag myself, I know how nice it is to have your own space to curl up in at the end of the day. Thing is, one person in their van is very different from a whole influx of vans taking over small, sleepy village, so we're being strict on our limits for vans. 

 

OTHER

Are you looking for staff for the event?

All our priority staff spots are taken ahead of the event going live. If you're reading this, they're gone!

If you need a discounted pass, and want to offer a skill in lieu of all or part of the fee then speak to us about what you'd like to offer. You will still need to register - this isn't a way to skip the queue if there's a waitlist. Think of it more like your gift to the event as a thank you for the sliding scale options we offer anyway.

 

What's your cancellation policy? 

Cancellations made in 2023 get a full refund. After that, we can give refunds up to our default payment rate up to a month before the event as long as there are people on the waiting list to transfer to. In the last month, we're happy to support DIY ticket transfers if you want to pass on your spot but won't automatically be refunding as our costs are locked in and we'll be snowed under with last minute preparations.

Registrations now OPEN!

Grab your tickets below <3