Rachel Kurtz is 'resident' teacher, and we invite other guest 5Rhythms® teachers from the UK and abroad.
Teachers' biogs & links are HERE.
WaveDance Cumbria
5Rhythms® through the year
Events Details
This page has all details of forthcoming events, registration forms, where to stay, etc.
Scroll down to read all ...
Diary in Brief
Scroll down this page to read event details and registration.
Do contact us with any queries or requests you have regarding registering:
Essential Information: click section to read
Venues, Accommodation and Visiting
Our venues vary, they include Threlkeld, Penrith, Mungrisdale, Thirlmere, Askham, in the Northern Lakes. Each listing will have the details. At some venues you are able by arrangement to stay overnight afterwards in the hall. A Friday evening dance is great to begin a weekend in the Lakes, or if you've travelled a distance. For further local information, including about the venue, where to stay etc, contact
Teachers & Organisers
Organisers are Robin Duckett (website management & booking queries) and Helen Davies (venues and local queries.) Other dancers contribute to general promotion.
Prices and Payments
Registration is essential to enable the sessions to work well and be enjoyable - it is not possible to turn up 'on the door.' The booking forms are below.
Under 18s' Discount: we have a 20% discount for all under 18's including the the season ticket. Apply code ' WDCU18 2022 ' if you are under 18, to get the discount when you register.
The payment options for evenings are:
♥ Pre-paid set (four evening sessions for £45) This voucher is available only at the start of a four-session season, and is the cheapest and best for regulars. You will automatically be registered for the four forthcoming season's sessions when you pay for the set.
♣ Single session pre-paid registration - £16.
We are now using Paypal in order to streamline payments management; payment is part of the payment process. If you do not have a paypal account don't worry, just follow the link anyway and 'checkout as guest' with your card details. Paypal then send the payments into our WDC Bank Account, so that we can simply pay teachers, venues and other costs.
Event Details & Registration
Life Force in the Garden. Delcia McNeil. www.delciamcneil.artweb.com
"Energy moves in Waves. Waves move in patterns. Patterns move in rhythms. A human being is just that - energy, waves, patterns, rhythms. Nothing more. Nothing less. A dance." Gabrielle Roth
The five rhythms of Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and Stillness combine in a harmonic vibrant sequence of the danced Wave. Come and connect your head, heart and body, in joyous company. Newcomers are especially welcome.
| Event Date | Friday July 18th |
| Capacity | 36 |
| Registered | 18 [View List] |
| Available places | 18 |
| Individual Price | £16 |
| Teacher | Liz Collier |
| Times | 7 - 9.30pm |
| Location | Thirlmere Recreation Hall |
Life Force in the Garden. Delcia McNeil. www.delciamcneil.artweb.com
"Energy moves in Waves. Waves move in patterns. Patterns move in rhythms. A human being is just that - energy, waves, patterns, rhythms. Nothing more. Nothing less. A dance." Gabrielle Roth
The five rhythms of Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and Stillness combine in a harmonic vibrant sequence of the danced Wave. Come and connect your head, heart and body, in joyous company. Newcomers are especially welcome.
We have reserved 5 Friday eve places for weekend dancers: please email
Playing with Fire!
There will be a remarkable weekend workshop following this evening dance, led by Mark, including an encounter with the fire element, led by Helen Davies. See EVENT for details and registration.
| Event Date | Friday August 15th |
| Capacity | 36 |
| Registered | 21 [View List] |
| Available places | 15 |
| Individual Price | £16 |
| Teacher | Mark Austin |
| Times | 7 - 9.30pm |
| Location | Rosley Village Hall |
The Fire Within. Susan Graham
Join us for this magnificent weekend of 5 Rhythms dancing with Mark Austin, where Staccato and it’s corresponding element, fire, will be the theme. On the 5Rhythms elemental map, fire is the rhythm of Staccato — the rhythm of clarity, direction, and connection.
"Earth is solid and sensual; fire ignites and consumes. It is yang, it is passion and it awakens these energies within us."
— Gabrielle Roth
In this workshop, we will explore and embody fire as a force that can transform our rigidities: even steel can be reshaped in fire — and the same is true of the stuck patterns in our bodies, hearts, and lives.
Using the 5Rhythms Waves map, we will explore what we hold back, where we need form, and how to move forward with intention.
This is a grounded, embodied enquiry supported by music, movement, and the shared energy of the group.
Saturday includes a full day 5Rhythms workshop, followed (weather permitting) by an outdoor fire dance and the opportunity to firewalk at twilight, guided by Helen Davies who is a qualified fire-walk teacher.
On Sunday, the workshop continues with a session focused on celebrating and integrating the weekend. We will move together, reflect, and carry forward what has been stirred or ignited. Time in nature (again, weather permitting) will also be part of Sunday, offering space for quiet reflection and connection with the land.
The fire-walk is a unique opportunity to really connect with the wisdom of the fire and dance across a glowing bed of hot coals! Whether you choose to dance the fire or bear witness for others, you will reap the transformational benefit of this elemental experience.
Fire walking has been practiced for thousands of years across many cultures, symbolising bravery and transformation. It connects us with our internal fires of passion, desire and the spark for life. Fires’ wisdom connects us with what we want in that moment, and its dancing flames show us that this can change too.
Our fire dance, embodying the movement of Staccato, will be an opportunity to connect with this wisdom. There is never any pressure to walk (dance) the coals, sometimes the bravest thing to say is "no" or "not now", remembering, this may change a moment or so later. Helen Davies
| Event Date | Saturday August 16th |
| Event End Date | Sunday August 17th |
| Capacity | 36 |
| Registered | 5 [View List] |
| Available places | 31 |
| Price | £130 |
| Earlybird Price | £120 (Until Wed Jul 23, 2025 8:00 pm) |
| Teacher | Mark Austin |
| Times | Sat 10 - 4; 7 - 9.30 / Sun 10 - 3 (tbc) |
| Location | Rosley Village Hall |
ELEMENTS
A 5 Rhythms® Retreat with Andrew Holmes
Earth, fire, water, air ~ the essential elements of all creation. And an enduring map of the way things are. Moving with these energies we remind ourselves that we too are part of the natural order. By aligning with their qualities, we recover a sense of ourselves as a natural process ~ powerful, beautiful, and simple: our feet on the ground, fire in our bellies, fluid in our sensibility, our dreams touching the sky.
The Lake District is a special place, where the elements are intimately present ~ the rock and water, the wind and sun. In the natural power and beauty of these surroundings, we’ll create a supportive community for deep, healing work. Inspired by the landscape that surrounds us, we’ll relax, breathe deep, and dance together, exploring how each of the elements lives in us, and how they can move through us.
We’ll look for a graceful balance of their energies, and the wisdom we receive from resting in their holding. And we’ll move in search of the rich, deep aliveness that comes from embodying each of these elements, as we drop ever deeper into the dance.
Practical Details & How To Book
Cost: £320 (£275 if booked by April 30th with a £150 non-refundable deposit, £295 by June 30th)
Plenty of accommodation nearby, inc B&B, youth hostel & camping
To book or with any questions: please contact Julie at
| Event Date | Friday September 5th |
| Event End Date | Tuesday September 9th |
| Capacity | Unlimited |
| Individual Price | £320 (£275 if booked by April 30th) |
| Location | Borrowdale Institute |