Harbin Dance Immersion
  • The Latest
  • Overview
  • Features
  • FAQs
  • Photos
  • Stay in Contact
1. What are the sleeping arrangements?
Sleeping at the Conference Center is included in the price of the mini-retreat. You have your choice of nesting on the indoor sleeping deck (sleeping pad and sleeping bag), nesting in the main hall after dance quiets down, setting up a tent on the beautiful grounds around the Conference Center, or staying in your camper/van in the parking lot. For a separate cost, you can arrange to rent a private bedroom at Harbin mainside--please contact Harbin reservations directly for that: www.harbin.org


2. Does Dance Immersion include meals?
Catered meals are not included. We will have a scrumptious potluck dinner together the first evening and potluck leftovers for lunch on the second day. Participants supplement with their own meals for the rest of their stay by going to the Harbin Restaurant, getting food at the Harbin Market, or preparing food up at Fern Community Kitchen (a 10 minute walk). We do provide complimentary coffee/tea service on the morning of the second day.

3. What if I want to stay longer than two days and a night? Can I extend my stay at Harbin?
Yes! It's common for Dance Immersion participants to extend their stay at Harbin before and/or after our retreat. Extending your stay can be arranged directly with Harbin. Camping extensions can be handled on-site at the welcome kiosk. If you want indoor accommodations, we recommend you book them in advance as Harbin often sells out their rooms.

4. What is the cancellation policy?
This policy is intended to be fair and also to keep Dance Immersion sustainable. This policy applies for all cancellations no matter the reason.
  • Registrations are not transferable to another person nor to a future retreat.
  • Cancellations up through 72 hours before the retreat check-in start will receive a refund minus a $25 nonrefundable deposit/administrative fee. Cancellations 72 to 24 hours before check-in start will receive a refund minus a $50 nonrefundable deposit/administrative fee.
  • There are no refunds for cancellations within 24 hours of the retreat start time or for no-shows.
  • To cancel, you must send an email to: harbindanceimmersion@gmail.com

5. Is there nude dancing at Dance Immersion?
Indoors at the Conference Center we dance clothed, with both tops and bottoms. During Ecstatic Dance sometimes participants go topless. Outside in the pool for Dolphin Dance it's clothing-optional.


6. Could I provide a dance class, movement activity, performance, or some DJ'd music at Dance Immersion?
We truly appreciate the offer, but we actively reach out to facilitators whom we believe to be the best fit for our particular vision each month. We use facilitators and DJs whom we already know well and have a solid established following within the SF Bay Area conscious dance community. And we don't add extra activities to the established retreat structure--each Dance Immersion is thoughtfully planned in advance and the schedule is full.


7. What are all of the participant logistics for the gathering?
You can find details and suggestions on our Participant Info page.

8. There are so many activities--how do we do all of them (and also fit in meals)?
Dance Immersion offers a menu of scheduled activities, but it is not a tightly structured retreat. Not everybody chooses to participate in every scheduled activity. This is a flexible retreat with options—each participant ultimately manages their own time and flow between the Conference Center and Harbin mainside.

9. What if I can't afford to miss two days of work mid-week (for Wednesday-Thursday retreats)?
Many Dance Immersion participants come up late Wednesday afternoon after work for the tail end of our potluck dinner (by 6pm) or to settle in before the opening circle (by 7:00pm), and then stay at Harbin with us through Thursday evening. So you would only miss one day of work and still get more than 24 hours at Harbin and all of the main Dance Immersion activities.

10. Are children allowed at the gathering?
As a gathering that endeavors to build community, we are welcoming of children. Each child of walking age or older will need to be registered and paid in full. (So sorry, but Harbin doesn't give us a discount for children so we can't offer a discount for children. And frankly, children take up space at the retreat as much as adults do.) Parents must take full and active responsibility for their child's behavior (and volume) so as not to disrupt the experience of the other participants, whether in the pools, at the dances, during yoga, or when people are trying to sleep-- so we suggest you only consider bringing children who you are confident will weave well into the fabric of a retreat setting. Parents will also be expected to familiarize themselves with Harbin's rules regarding children, which can be found on this page: www.harbin.org/reservations/before-your-visit/

11. Why is the price higher for the Sat-Sun retreats than for the Wed-Thu retreats?
Our costs to produce Dance Immersion are significantly higher for Sat-Sun retreats. Our rental fee to Harbin is 20% higher on weekends. In addition, we hire more teachers for more dance sessions on weekends.


12. I'm getting a room to stay in or I'm already going to be a guest at Harbin that week--could I pay a reduced fee to just take some of the classes?
Sorry, registration for Dance Immersion is "all or none". But even if you have a room at mainside, the low cost of Dance Immersion is still a good deal to take all of our movement classes and to spend time in community with us at the Conference Center.

13. I'm a Harbin Resident--is there a discount?
As space allows, we have some discounted spots for Harbin residents. You must sign up and commit in advance. Please email us at HarbinDanceImmersion@gmail.com for more information.