Passion, Play, and Pleasure: Dance Retreat in Southern Portugal
7 days of fun, sun, and everlasting love
Photo by Lonely Girl, Lonely World
Passion, Play, and Pleasure is a dance retreat held at Monte da Orada¹ in southern Portugal. Facilitated by Alvin Collantes, Evan Swisher, and Evgenia Chetvertkova, the annual retreat started in 2022. Using Gaga (a dance method developed by choreographer Ohad Naharin)², meditation, and experimental play, this retreat is all about connecting to your body’s inherent wisdom — in other words, the dancing body and the human body! Everyone is welcome, even if you don’t consider yourself a dancer (which might change by the end of it). The second edition of PPP took place June 10-16, 2023.
I’ve spent hours thinking of how to describe the Passion, Play, and Pleasure dance retreat, and I still can’t encapsulate it. It really is one of those things you just have to do in order to understand. No words can exemplify how mysterious, enlightening, and magical this experience was.
It was… special. So, so special.
In light of that, I’m going to start with my post-retreat testimonial:
I had no doubt this retreat would be amazing, but it went far beyond anything I could've dreamed of. From day one, I was tearing up; I felt so light and connected to my passion. As the days went on, I became even closer to my inner child. That truest self who'd been struggling to break free all these years was finally allowed to come alive. Seeing everybody dance and play and just be the best versions of themselves was such a delight. Everyone brought something unique and different to the table. Nothing could ever compare to this special week shared with such special people, drawn together by the sun and the moon and the stars above. The universe works in mysterious ways~ Perhaps I won't be able to bring all of that freedom back with me into my daily life (at least not yet), but I can sense a massive shift within me.
I'm more confident and self-assured, and I've started seriously looking at opportunities to change my life to follow my dreams. My fellow retreat participants and forever friends have given me that courage. I've realized that there is so much more potential in me than I ever imagined. This retreat is for the stargazer, the nature lover, the dancemaker, the passion player, the pleasure lover, and that hidden child in the depths of your heart, waiting to come out and play.
Wow.
Looking back on this now, seven months after the retreat, I can say that this all still rings true. The time apart has only strengthened my appreciation and gratitude for this open space where I could fully be myself.
For a tour of the space: https://youtu.be/r9g3tA7gXyQ
S P A C E
One of the key elements of the retreat was how much space we had to just be. Albert Einstein said time is relative, and it certainly felt relatively gracious for us! Far from the responsibilities of work and city life (depending on who you ask; some people actually had to work!), we had ample time to swim, read, talk, breathe, and still fit three meals in one day plus one or two dance sessions and an extra activity. All day, every day, we truly lived — by ourselves and in harmony with each other.
For a glimpse of what “slow living” in Orada might look like, see my video below:
Plus, you don’t have to attend anything you don’t want to. The schedule is a suggestion. If you feel you need some alone time or would just rather take a hike than dance, that’s all up to you.
Some other activities during the retreat included a trip to the beach and an evening concert under the stars. For an idea of what the retreat entails, see 2023’s daily schedules below (please note the second image has a typo; it should be “Monday, June 12”):
S A F E S P A C E
A space to breathe and let go is always good, but a truly safe space? Now that’s rare. A space is not safe just because someone says it is. You’ll know it when you feel it, and that’s when the magic starts.
(An important thing to note is that our formal dance sessions were strictly no-cameras-allowed except for archival purposes.)
Of course, the first two days we were a little tentative. Everyone came with their own baggage (I’m not talking about luggage!). Some sweat, dancing, and good food later, though, you’d never have thought we’d just met each other less than 48 hours ago. There were lots I had yet to learn about my fellow participants, but the level of comfort we had in each other’s presence was incredible.
As the days went on, each and every one of us came alive. We blossomed together like roses in summer. The health glowed through us as we lifted each other up and built our collective nest.
And here’s something you might not expect once you establish a safe space:
It. Was. Sexy!!!
When you can feel yourself through and through and have free reign over your body, identity, and expression without fear of judgment, an inner radiance shines through that puts any amount of makeup or skincare to shame.
Eyes sparkling, sweat dripping… It was sexy in the purest way. It was beautiful.
(I’m also just realizing how sexy of a name “Passion, Play, and Pleasure” is… wink.)
The below photos were taken by Lonely Girl, Lonely World:
F O O D
I’m a meat eater. But, if all vegan or vegetarian food tasted like what we had in Orada, I could be a vegan for life.
I’ve never been super impressed by the vegan or vegetarian options touted by local chains in the city, and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to acclimate to the food at the retreat. I shouldn’t have been. It was delicious.
Breakfast usually included overnight oats or porridge, bread, eggs, oat milk, coffee, and tea. I fell in love with the Bio oat milk they used. Lunch was usually a salad with ingredients picked from their garden, soup, and/or pasta. Dinner was similar to lunch with the addition of a different dessert every night! Fruit was available 24/7 from the countertop. Any cheese was made out of tofu.
A note about the tap water: it’s ok if you drink it, but it’s best to use the filtered water from their dispenser in the restaurant.
Apart from one meal on Thursday that was a bit too bitter for my taste (though bitter foods are very good for your gut!), every meal was so healthy and filling. That entire week, I never felt hungry between meals. Fiber, am I right?
And, yes, it is a sober retreat!
D A N C I N G
I would be doing the retreat an injustice if I didn’t mention the dancing!!! Gaga focuses on skin, flesh, and bones as part of its method of moving for pleasure. Alvin also integrated his signature Dose of Pleasure dancefloor meditations to some very groovy music! The anthem of the week was collectively agreed upon as “Electric Dream” performed by Bien.
Whatever dancing there was, though, I believe the true highlight was having Alvin as our facilitator. I’m very fortunate to have attended one of Alvin’s Gaga sessions years before this retreat. One moment in his class, Alvin made eye contact with me, grinned, and gave a word of affirmation. I was hooked. I’d already observed that he was a teacher who threw himself into his dance wholly and completely — sweat dripping off him in buckets! — but the joy and openness in his eyes was unprecedented.
There are a great many teachers in this world, but it takes a very singular kind of teacher to bring out the best in you. I’ve never had any teacher before who so readily embraces you for who you are, who is available to support you through whatever leg of your journey comes next. I feel like Alvin sees right through to your soul, and I would follow him anywhere.
Having that one-off experience taking his class is what made me so confident in signing up for the retreat. And to think this second year almost didn’t happen!
A couple months into registration, we received an email warning us the retreat might be cancelled due to low demand compared to the first year. A couple weeks after that, Evan updated us again that they’d decided to go ahead anyway, trusting that “the people who are meant to be there, will be there.”
He was right.
I’d wanted to attend the first year but couldn’t due to changing political landscapes at the time, so I was adamant in attending the second one no matter what. Now, I can’t imagine having done it with any other group of people.
I said during our closing circle that we’ve become a family. They are my loved ones for life now, despite the distance between oceans. I know I’ll cherish these memories forever, and in my darkest days and low points, the time I’ve shared with them will be my strength and courage to keep going.
I’m sure everyone has their own slightly different interpretation of events, but I think we can all agree…
It was perfect just the way it was.
The third edition of Passion, Play, and Pleasure takes place June 16-22, 2024.
More about Alvin: Alvin Collantes
¹Monte da Orada is an eco-retreat centre located in Alentejo, Portugal. For more information, visit their official website at Monte da Orada Retreat Center | Alentejo, Portugal.
²For more about Gaga and Ohad Naharin, check out the documentary Mr. Gaga on Netflix.
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Photo by Lonely Girl, Lonely World