The Winter Artist
Facilitated by Hanna Satterlee
with co-facilitation from Neva and Raffles
February 2nd-4th, 2024
When separated from life, creativity can seem unattainable- like a task or a chore, or something else on the to do list to try to make time for. Often, the pressure increases to have to make something brilliant if we are going to go to the studio, since it feels like there is such little time in our day-to-day lives. But the truth is, being able to tap into our unique expression is not separate from survival. Art is a vital force that can support how we show up in relationships, to our jobs and families, and the way in which we participate in community. We are all innately creative- and we are all unique artists that have so much to express. Finding our voice, and understanding our inner world, is critical to the way we participate in life.
This weekend retreat honors the complexity of creating, and provides a fun, restorative and supportive atmosphere to make, experiment, and create, without any pressure of it being “good” or “right.” Over this weekend, the correct path of creation and expression will be the one that is filled with a sense of light, the path that feels available to follow and discover, right here and right now. Scribble for an hour? Dance wildly and collapse to the floor? Compose the chorus to a new song? Whatever you make & do here is yours to keep, or yours to release. The chances of you magically starting the beginning of a new piece are equal to the chance of making something that feels useless but helps you jump over a previous hurdle.
We will spend time both bringing ourselves into internal contemplative and creative practices, as well as creating, and potentially, sharing with new colleagues across the group. Artists will be guided in accessible movement sessions, creative and reflective exercises, compositional prompts, and upbeat tactics of release. To be an artist is to experiment, to make time to try, fail, succeed and surrender. This is the weekend to let go and trust in yourself, that whatever arises is what is meant to be expressed.
Our instructor, Hanna Satterlee, is an interdisciplinary dance-based artist, and always honors the physical form first, treating our body as the sanctuary, the temple, the place of devotion and adoration. Thus, many of the practices will be movement-forward, but the bulk of the creative time is meant for artists of all genres to create through their own medium, or to try something new. Bring any materials you may need to experiment and play.
“Hanna Satterlee has been an exceptional advocate for artists for over 20 years and a prolific creator, performer, and educator in her own right. I have been fortunate to know Hanna as a dear friend, generous human, and skilled art leader for over a decade and I am grateful that she is always pushing [artists] in connective, compelling, and expansive ways.”
– Julian, Dance Artist
“I came away from my time working with Hanna feeling stronger, more confident, refreshed and relaxed. Her way of guidance led me to a gentle, grounding acknowledgement and expansion of what I see as possible, honoring the rewards, as well as the challenge. With Hanna’s down to earth presence being so relatable, I came to feel as though I was doing it with her, as she transforms a collaborative spirit and environment into action.”
– Adrian, Visual and Installation Artist
“Hanna is warm, expressive, and open to diversity in all forms. She is very attentive to what the team needs both individually and as a whole. Her experienced leadership is something to admire.”
– Melissa, Theater Artist
Sample Schedule:
Friday- Ground Hog Day
3-4pm: Arrivals!
4:30-5:30pm ooey gooey post travel group Movement session
6pm Dinner + Clean up
8-9:30pm Ecstatic Dance party w DJ PJ
Saturday:
8-9am coffee/silent breakfast
930-1045 Contemplative Dance Practice
11-11:30 Seed Planting Writing Session
12-1pm Lunch- social gathering, enjoy.
1-2pm Rest- on own or connect with others, rest/ woods walk/ play in snow/ free time
2-4pm Afternoon creative session- opening circle facilitated by Hanna but artists work on own
4-4:30pm Take a break! coffee/tea + snack available
4:45-6pm OPEN STAGE Evening share out- bring something you are working on to share, or show what came through today. You are not required to share.
6:30pm Dinner
8pm Bonfire!
Sunday:
8-9am Group meditation and sing
9-10:30am Brunch and dream! Group conversation.
10:30-11:30am Mask / Crown making
12-1pm Final Fire: Ritual of Response. Gratitude for what has been enlivened in you. Release of what is ready to be let go.
1:15pm Lunch
2pm clean up- main spaces, your cabin/room, yourself
Depart by 4pm
Frequently Asked Questions
What to bring?
Comfy clothes for movement- layers for warmth that are not restrictive
Outdoor gear for woods walks/snow play
Journal and Pen
Slippers/indoor shoes
Costumes & accessories that inspire you for the final fire
Fun dance party clothes
Instruments, art supplies, as you like- bring them all!
Toiletries (earplugs if you need them if sharing a room)
Do I need to be an artist?You do not need to be a trained artist, but do need to give yourself the permission to call yourself creative. If you enjoy sessions of creative play and self-discovery, this retreat is for you! Conversely, if you have a creative project you are already working on, feel free to think of this weekend as a time to dive deeper into its content to discover more.
What’s up with the friend discount?
In an effort to build community, we are excited to offer a discount to you and a beloved friend to enjoy the retreat together! Who is that person that you keep meaning to see? That friend that you love to spend time with, but life always contradicts your connection? Come together and each receive 10% off. You will be placed in a double occupancy room together, unless you specify otherwise upon registration. You and your friend do not need to collaborate or work on the same creative material throughout the sessions.
Why spend time and money on myself?
Perhaps you could think of this retreat as a recharge, a gathering of your strength, brilliance and power, a connective session to source. Spending time diving deep into your own wells of fear and trust will ultimately help you steer forward with a clearer sense of self; with a renewed vision and regained strength. Our world needs this of you! You are worth it. Remember: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead
A note on food
We are able to accommodate most diets. We serve meat and dairy daily, and always have vegan and gluten-free options available. If you send us your dietary preferences in advance, we will do our best to make sure there is good food for you at each meal! All living accommodations have access to a full kitchen (separate from the main/commercial kitchen). We will provide breakfast groceries for you to prepare and eat on your own. Lunches and dinners are communal shared meals. Drinks include: coffee and tea, dairy and non-dairy milk, lemon and lime juice for water, red and white wine.
Facilitators
Hanna Satterlee creates performance experiences and conceptual artworks for stage, site and film. Hanna holds degrees and certifications in dance therapy, psychology, performance, choreography, vinyassa/yin/restorative yoga, non-profit management and arts integration. Hanna shares these passions as an intergenerational educator, interdisciplinary performer + collaborator, experimental curator and event producer.
Hanna holds a double BA in Dance/Psychology with a concentration in Dance Therapy from Goucher College, and a Masters in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College. Since 2006 Hanna has been a dancer in many US companies and collaborative performance groups, has worked internationally as an independent artist, choreographer, and movement and mindfulness teacher, and has received many grants and awards to support her performance, dance film and curatorial work. From 2010-15 Hanna served as the Director of Professional Programming & Director of Teen Jazz at the Contemporary Dance & Fitness Studio in Montpelier Vermont, and has been a guest lecturer at Johnson State College and Middlebury College, and adjunct faculty at Vermont Law School, the University of Vermont, Northern Vermont University and currently at Saint Michael’s College.
In May ’17 Hanna founded the Vermont Dance Alliance, and served as the Executive Director through June 2021. Hanna just launched ANIMAL Dance, a performance and production company based in Burlington Vermont, with the INSTINCT Experimental Dance Festival in its first year! In continuous conversation as a curator, an educator, a choreographer and a performer, Hanna is as passionate for the form of dance as she is in connecting people to it.
Raphael Sacks (they/them) is a singer, dancer and theatermaker born and raised in NYC. They have been dancing CI around the world for more than 10 years.
Raffles has performed internationally with the English National Opera in London; Loom Ensemble’s annual performance season in Dubai, and with the Art Monastery Project in Italy, Belgium, Stockholm, and Berlin. New York highlights include Lincoln Center with Urban Research Theatre, New York Philharmonic with Constellation Chor, BAM with Meredith Monk, and La MaMa with Loom Ensemble.
Raffles is particularly proud of their role in devising, producing and performing in “Bootstraps: An American Fable” which toured the US in 2017 and 2018, combining dance-theater and anti-racism workshops; most recently Loom Ensemble’s “Twenty Twenty / Twenty Twenty-one” which included participatory ritual for grieving racist police violence, and guided audiences to imagine their own role in cocreating a more just future.
Co-Director of Loom Ensemble since 2010, co-Director of the Art Monastery from 2014 to 2022, “500-hour” certified Yoga Teacher, and dharma student since 2010, Raffles believes in the artist as a whole human, and advocates for integrity in all the little choices of daily life.
Neva Cockrell is a professional dancer and interdisciplinary artist. She has been dancing CI for over 10 years, and teaching it for 7 years.
She danced and toured with Pilobolus from 2016-2019 and began serving as Dance Captain in 2017. With Pilobolus she has toured to Germany, Switzerland, Austria, China, Mexico, Israel, Dubai, and within the US. She is also a writer/director/choreographer who uses dance-theater as a tool for social change. In 2010 she co-founded her own interdisciplinary company, Loom Ensemble, which has toured across the US, Europe, and UAE. In 2012, she joined the Art Monastery, and served as a co-director from 2014-2021. Her life path is deeply grounded in communal living, body-based activities, art-making, being outside, and contemplative practice.
She has been teaching dance, theater, and embodiment practices for over a decade, including opening Physique 57’s first international studio in Dubai and developing her own movement technique, Catalyst. Her diverse background in gymnastics, partner acrobatics, contact improvisation, Capoeira Angola, and Yoga inspire her unique style of Contemporary Dance in both her choreography and her classes. She is yoga teacher certified through Simple Yoga with Eric Stewart, and is deeply passionate about the overlap of somatic work and breaking down systems of oppression.
Retreat Location
WildHeart is located on 46+ beautiful acres in the Hudson Valley. Retreatants will have the option to stay in a single room, double room, dorm, or camping in either our main retreat center or in private two-bedroom cabins. All options have access to shared kitchens and bathrooms. Daily events will take place in the studio, shared common spaces, and outdoors. Retreatants are welcome to enjoy the lawns, walk in the forest, and swim and boat in the lake during their stay! More info about directions and transportation options HERE.
Retreat Costs
(Program Fee + Accommodations/Food Free)
WildHeart is body-positive, anti-racist, queer magic.
By offering a variety of housing options and two free BIPOC spots, we hope to make this retreat accessible to all.
If you have any questions, concerns about pricing, or need assistance attending, please do not hesitate to reach out.
To register for a free BIPOC spot*, please email us directly info@wildheartcenter.art
Program Fee
Your retreat fee includes:
All guided sessions
- Housing
- Food / Beverages
- Walking in the forest
- Campfires
- Cold plunging in the private lake
- Facilitated spaces
- Access to the land and spaces
Single Room (Food, Housing, Program Fee): $520
Double Room (Food, Housing, Program Fee): $440
5-person Dorm (Food, Housing, Program Fee): $380
Camping (bring all your own supplies, access to shared bathroom and kitchen) (Food, Housing, Program Fee): $380
Offsite housing (participate in all sessions, stay off site): $280
*For this program we are offering 2 FREE BIPOC spots.
Refund Policy: The first $100 of payment is a nonrefundable deposit. The fee minus the deposit is refundable up to 2 weeks before the first day of the workshop, after which time no refund will be given. Full refunds will be given if the workshop is canceled by the host.
Covid and Illness: Please also do not come if you are having cold / flu symptoms.
