Orsolina28: The Hidden Dance Haven in Rural Italy
Koi fish pond at Orsolina28. Photo by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.
I attended GagaEden at Orsolina28 from October 16-19, 2023.
Orsolina28 is an amazing dance campus and haven situated in the hilly village town of Moncalvo, Italy. Despite its large physical coverage, it’s still unknown to many outside the dance industry (and even those within the dance industry), having been founded very recently.
If you search up Orsolina28 online, you’ll find picturesque images of rolling hills, green-as-clover fields, and miles and miles of open space. The campus is a magnificent ecological blend of technology and nature.
In this article, I’ll introduce the main amenities on site.
The Name & The Place
The story behind the name, as we learned from our time at GagaEden, is that the place used to be home to 28 nuns, a monastery for the Orsoline Sisters of Moncalvo (Our vision (linkedin.com)). Incidentally, there were also 28 tents for accommodation when we were there, although they’re planning on building more.
It was founded in 2016 by Simony Monteiro, originally from New York City. She had Italian grandparents with property in the area; thus, Orsolina28 was borne. Simony often sat in on our Gaga classes in The Eye.
Orsolina28 is not easy to get to. I took a flight to Milan from Berlin, an airport shuttle to Milano Centrale Station, the #2 metro to Milano Porta Garibaldi, a train to Asti, and, finally, a shuttle bus the school organized to Orsolina28. I promise you, though, the trek is worth it.
Photo by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.
The Eye
The Eye is the main training space in the centre of Orsolina28. It’s a proper dance studio shaped like an eye, though you can really only see this from above.
The dancefloor area is made circular by blocking off the pointy edges of the structure with door-walls that lead to washrooms, water fountains, and a makeshift backstage/changing area.
The engineering of The Eye — specifically, its doors — is the best I’ve ever seen. Why did the doors amaze me so much? Well, if you’ve ever wondered what pushing and pulling on a huge panel door without any effort or sound feels like, give The Eye a visit.
Overlooking The Eye. Photo by Ioana P.
Inside The Eye. Photo by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.
Outdoor Stage
The second main training area is the outdoor stage, located atop a nearby field. It’s vantage point gives you the perfect view of the surrounding landscape, which is why it also serves as the performance site for shows at Orsolina28. Who needs backdrops when you have that scenery all around you?
Next to the outdoor stage is another studio space. You can take the winding stairs nearby to reach the roof and gaze out at the setting sun. I went back another day by myself to fully immerse, and I was lucky to catch the fading twilight sky while there.
Outdoor stage. Photo by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.
Panoramic view from the studio. Photo by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.
Glamping Tents/Accommodations
The glamping tents were probably my favourite part of the whole experience. They’re located in two main areas, one in the woods behind The Eye, and the other in a smaller open field next to the chicken farm. We were grouped into tents based on a questionnaire the school sent us after registering. I was in no. 7 with 4 other young girls. There are 6 beds in each tent.
I almost cried that first night, snuggled up safe and warm under the covers. After solo travelling for the first time for over a week beforehand, I could finally let go. I didn’t have to be on such high alert anymore. It does wonders what sharing a space with people gathered for a common purpose can do for you. And in the mornings, opening my eyes slowly to the gentle light, hearing the breath of those around me… Pure bliss.
And the late-night girl talk? THAT was funny.
I’ve never been a camper; I tried staying in a tent at another retreat one time and promptly moved into a regular dorm the next day. Glamping, however, I really liked.
The tents come equipped with heaters, all the bedding you could need, floor rugs, and a small clothing rack. The outside toilets/showers are located behind each tent in their own little pods. Everything was pleasantly clean. The only thing I found a bit odd was that there was a curtain-less porthole right opposite the shower. I ended up hanging my shirt over it to obscure the view.
Interestingly (and quite enviously), the tents by the chicken farm had wooden walkways directly connecting the toilet/shower to a back flap of each tent. That would’ve been so nice to have when I stumbled out into the chilly, dark night at 3 AM for a bathroom break.
One night as I got up to go, I encountered a strange man outside our tent, but that’s another story.
Photo by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.
Swimming Pools & Onsen
Everyone LOVED the onsen. When we weren’t dancing or eating, we spent all our time here. In my opinion, the onsen looked more like a regular hot tub at your community centre, but it was relaxing just the same.
The onsen is located in a large glass building atop the restaurant, next to the indoor swimming pool. Outside on the sunbathing deck is another outdoor pool.
There are lounge chairs next to the onsen, and next to that, dry and wet saunas!
The changing room is unisex. There are multiple private showers and toilets here, with blow-dryers too. Many of us showered here instead of in the outdoor shacks.
The onsen turned out to be a great communion area for meeting people. Something about water always manages to bring out the best in people.
Below photos by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.
Restaurant
Most of the ingredients used are from their own organic vegetable gardens; absolutely no pesticides at all! We ate real food, and in an age of sugar capitalism and preservatives, that is a luxury indeed.
The restaurant is a huge space also surrounded by glass panes. At night, the glass reflects back the lights from inside, resulting in a romantic, gentle feel.
Breakfast and lunch were buffets. Waiters and chefs served dinner and cleaned up after us, which was different from my previous retreat experience, where we moved away from a “hotel” mentality and did our own dishes.
What can I say? It was delicious.
Breakfast included oatmeal, bread, fruits, pastries, eggs and cold-cut meats. Lunch usually was salad and/or pasta. Dinner often included pasta or pizza, some meat protein, and always dessert. Vegan or vegetarian options are available upon request (unfortunately, while the questionnaire asked us to list any dietary restrictions, I found the kitchen staff will not bring you the modified course unless you ask each time in person. After all, they don’t know your face). If you want wine, you’ll have to purchase it.
Some people couldn’t stand the taste of the broccoli-made vegan brownies, but I loved them. Not a far reach when you consider my favourite foods are edamame, cabbage, and broccoli.
I just wish there had been more protein. I’m fine with ample vegan protein, but there didn’t even seem to be much of that. It was mostly carbs and fibre. Food for thought — literally.
You don’t have to eat in the restaurant. There are multiple picnic tables outside on the terrace, or you can just pick a spot and sit down. Meals are served at specific times, so make sure you know the cut-off if you want to eat.
Below photos by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.
Vegetable Gardens
The school offers garden and site tours, so you can learn more about their sustainability practices. We met some of the staff who work the grounds and how their unique water filtration and irrigation system reuses every drop of water on site, including from the toilets.
On my tour, the guide and head horticulturist encouraged us to try raking soil for their latest plot of seeds, prompting a very reluctant attempt from a friend in all white. The horticulturist and gardeners, on the other hand, had no qualms over getting their hands or clothes dirty.
The main gardens are terraced outside the restaurant, open to the elements. There’s a covered greenhouse on the edge of campus growing more varieties.
Below photos by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.
Chicken Farm
There’s a small chicken farm near the second tent area. I hopped over one day to get a closer look. My grandma owns a little chicken coop in her mountain house, and I found myself feeling a little wistful watching them peck away at their grub.
Pretty cute.
Greenhouse Garden & Pilates Studio
This is an entirely separate greenhouse garden from the ones I’ve mentioned before. Dedicated to large, ferny, extremely tall plants and trees, this garden is housed in its own building near reception. You can take the stairs and wraparound walkways to discover the whole place, provided you don’t get knocked over by a large, leafy branch first!
On the first floor of this garden is another smaller dance studio. It’s the most calming place to practice, for sure.
On the top floor is a connection to the Pilates studio, with state-of-the-art machines.
Below photos by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.
Dance Studios & Screening Room
Yet more dance studios! These ones are externally located, further from the main campus site. Unlike in The Eye, there are barres here for ballet. It seems this is where young students enrolled in the regular programs go to train. One of the studios also serves as screening room. For GagaEden, some of the participants stayed to watch Mr. Gaga, a documentary introducing the founder of Gaga and one of our instructors himself, Ohad Naharin.
Photo by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.
Fields, Fields, Fields
I have to give the fields their own nomination here. The Italian countryside is absolutely stunning. It looks straight out of a Google image.
Orsoline28 is surrounded on all sides by fields of vines, berries, grass, etc. If you follow the back path from the woods upward, you’ll come upon a crossroad leading to Hostel Le Magnolie in one direction and a bird’s eye view of neighbouring land in the other. Hostel Le Magnolie is where the Batsheva dancers stayed during GagaEden.
There are no fences guarding the locals from school grounds. In a place as remote and charming as Moncalvo, I’d imagine there isn’t much crime in the first place. You can see some neighbours’ houses in the distance, and, in fact, the sharing of space probably lends itself to greater collaboration with the community.
I gave myself a Sound of Music moment when I dragged a friend with me to run across a grassy plain just for the sake of it. I always get that urge in vast open spaces.
Below photos by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.
Toilet-Accessible
You might think, It’s a school; of course there are toilets! But what I’m talking about is the supreme number, quality, privacy, and cleanliness of the toilets at Orsolina28.
If you’re anything like me and need to go to the toilet frequently, you’ll understand the importance of having one nearby no matter where you are, especially in unfamiliar environments.
For this, I give Orsolina28 5 stars.
Reception & Gift Shop
What’s a thriving organization without a gift shop, right? While the merch aspect did take me out of the retreat experience a bit, I did give in to buying a terry cotton hoodie, using the October chilliness as an excuse.
It cost me €75 (pricey!), but someone told me terry cotton is the best material for sweatshirts. I comforted myself with this (hopefully) true fact, but I wouldn’t buy merch again if I can help it — not from Orsolina28, not from anywhere. It’s easy to get sucked into tourist ambitions abroad, but do you really need that extra shirt just for the logo? Probably not.
The back of reception is the managers’ main office space. You can find someone here for help if you need any.
Other
Orsoina28 is vast and accommodates more amenities and facilities than I can describe. Here are some other features on site:
Ping pong table in the woods
Disco ball and stage in the woods
Koi fish pond
Common laundry area
Employee parking lot
Stray (or not?) cats! I saw a lucky black one massaging itself in the twigs one day.
One can only imagine the amount of time, money, and effort it took to build Orsolina28. This was a passion project for sure. Skip the usual tourist sites and take a program here; you won’t regret it.
Orsolina28. Photo by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.