Oh, Oregon! Oh, Breitenbush!

Thanks, Karen Jaffe, for the above photos of the landscape at Breitenbush, at the 2009 Contact Improvisation Spring Jam.

JAM - Jazz After Midnight; Breitenbush Hot Springs

Guto, a reader from Brazil recently commented on my 9/27/08 blog posting on the words JAM and Jamming. 'JAM was an acronym musicians used to mean Jazz After Midnight,' Guto said. Yet another cool definition. There's magic after midnight, don't you think? Closer access to our dreams. A rawness of emotion. Thanks for sharing, Guto!
I just got back from the contact improvisation dance event at Breitenbush Hot Springs. (Friends dancing--before midnight--in the picture to the right.) (If you don't know what 'contact improvisation' is, Google it! It is very cool and can be life-transforming.)
Breitenbush is a beautiful hot springs retreat center in the mountains of Oregon. The 28-year old spring contact improv jam is the oldest multi-day contact jam in the world!
One of the traditions is to have an "ALL-NIGHTER," where people try to stay up the whole night and then finish with a hot soak at dawn, in the rock-lined pool overlooking the snowy mountains and the rushing river. Though I only lasted until 2:30 am this year, in past years I've made it through the whole night. Intense stuff always happens after midnight. Confessions, revelations, revealings (of skin, of feelings, of conflicts).
Try hosting a party or get-together some time with the intention of staying awake all night. You will not be bored by the results!

(In the picture: Elio Scudieri of Santa Cruz, California, wearing pink and orange, and Laurie E. of San Rafael, California in grey pants. By the way, Elio makes amazing dance-pants and citywear--www.tdama.com)
(Breitenbush details: Contact Improv Jam Producer is Joint Forces Dance Company, www.jointforcesdance.com. Breitenbush Retreat Center is at www.breitenbush.com)