Aerial Dance Retreat Patagonia Argentina 2027
"An invitation to step away from the mirrors, trust the elements, and capture your movement in an authentic audiovisual work at the edge of the world."
THE ART OF FLIGHT IN NATURE
An immersive laboratory of aerial dance, somatic research, and screen dance creation in Patagonia, Argentina. Welcome to an experience designed to transcend the four walls of the traditional studio. This retreat is far more than technical training; it is an artistic expedition where the body enters into direct dialogue with the wind, rock cliffs, ancient forests, and glacial waters of southern Argentina. Pioneered in 2020, this immersion gathers an intimate cohort of movement artists to explore harness technique in site-specific environments. Throughout the week, our somatic research and site explorations will culminate in the on-location production and filming of a collaborative dancefilm, transforming your movement into a timeless work.
CORE PILLARS OF THIS RETREAT
Site-Specific Aerial Flight: Safe, specialized rigging of harness suspended from ancient trees, mountain faces, and a sailboat on the Nahuel Huapi Lake.
Somatic Inquiry & The A.W.A.K.E. Method™: Grounding somatic practices designed to dismantle repetitive patterns, unlock creative flow, and return to the root of what moves us.
Dancefilm Production & Screen Dance: Directing movement for the camera and executing a film shoot set against the raw Patagonian landscape.
Intimate Community: A shared week of creative immersion, collaborative exchange, and deep connection with fellow artists.
Dates: January 17 – 22, 2027 (6 Days / 5 Nights)
Location: Villa La Angostura, Neuquén, Patagonia Argentina
Arrival Airport: San Carlos de Bariloche Airport (BRC)
Where & When
The Setting: Villa La Angostura
Known as the Garden of Patagonia, Villa La Angostura is an alpine village nestled in the northern sector of Nahuel Huapi National Park. Surrounded by turquoise glacial waters, ancient native Coihue and Arrayanes forests, and granite mountain peaks, it provides a protected, pristine sanctuary for site-specific aerial exploration, sailing, and audivisual creation.
Schedule:
Day 1: Welcome Brunch & Lake Reset
• Group arrival and opening welcome brunch.
• Afternoon gentle stretching and somatic relaxing session to release travel tension and ground into the landscape.
Day 2: Mountain/Forest/Sailboat Immersion - Part I
• Morning somatic preparation and rigging orientation.
• Technical harness and aerial exploration on site.
• Directed camera movement and on-location dancefilm shoot.
Day 3: Mountain/Forest/Sailboat Immersion - Part II
• Somatic warm-up and technical apparatus work.
• Site-specific choreography and aerial investigation.
• Dancefilm scene capture and artistic documentation.
Day 4: Mountain/Forest/Sailboat Immersion - Part III
• Collective aerial laboratory and improvisation prompts.
• Final site-specific movement sequences.
• Concluding shoot for the collaborative dancefilm.
Day 5: Beach Restoration & Raw Footage Screening
• Morning mindful movement and relaxation session on the beach.
• Rest, lake plunge, and integration time.
• Group screening and pre-editing review of the recorded raw footage.
Day 6: Farewell Breakfast & Closing Circle
• Celebration breakfast.
• Closing artistic reflection, feedback circle, and group departures.
Note: The precise rotation between mountain, forest, and sailboat across Days 2, 3, and 4 is adapted dynamically to local weather and wind conditions to ensure optimal artistic output and structural safety.
What’s included:
Airport Transfers: Round-trip shuttle transportation between San Carlos de Bariloche Airport (BRC) and Villa La Angostura.
Mountain Lodge Accommodation: 5 nights lodging in a cozy, scenic Patagonian mountain cabin.
All Meals & Beverages: Full board included throughout the entire retreat (daily breakfasts, lunches, afternoon teas/snacks, and dinners).
Local Ground Transportation:
All internal transfers between the lodge and our natural site-specific training and filming locations.
Aerial Dance & Movement Labs: Guided site-specific sessions across mountain, ancient native forests, and aboard a sailing vessel on Lake Nahuel Huapi.
Professional Equipment & Rigging: Complete technical aerial gear, harnesses and certified rigging systems for all activities.
Dancefilm Production & Footage: Direction, on-location shooting, and access to the dancefilm project.
What’s not included:
Airfare / flights to and from Bariloche (BRC).
Personal travel & medical insurance.
Personal expenses or extra activities outside the itinerary.
Meet the team
Gigi Bostjancic
Founder & Artistic Director of Épica.
Performer, instructor, and movement researcher with over 20 years of experience. Her background seamlessly bridges physical theatre, body expression, yoga, and circus aerial disciplines , including lyra, hammock, trapeze, and chinesse pole. In 2014, Gigi’s artistic vision was recognized internationally when she was awarded an Emerging Choreographer fellowship to participate in the prestigious International Aerial Dance Festival ( A D F ) hosted by Frequent Flyers in Colorado. As the creator and founder of Épica, Gigi designs high - end artistic and pedagogical experiences that integrate art, health, and human connection. A pioneer in site - specific aerial research, she has spent years exploring how natural elements — from her early exploration with a local ensemble on a 30-foot sailboat in Buenos Aires and deep movement research aboard a 40-foot vessel in Brazil, to Patagonian mountains, ancient forests, Lake Nahuel Huapi, and the open waters of South Florida—reshape the aerial body and unlock authentic artistic identity. Currently based in South Florida, Gigi’s life mission is to untether artists from the repetitive mirrors of traditional studios, reconnecting them with raw nature to strip away technical noise and return to the very root of what moves us.
Mariana Pereyra
Contemporary and aerial dancer artist based in Villa La Angostura. For approximately 8 years, she has been developing an in-depth movement inquiry within aerial dance, seamlessly integrating the body, natural landscape, improvisation, and immersive experience. Her first approach to aerial dance began at age 15, discovering this physical language at the Brenda Angiel Aerial Dance Academy in Buenos Aires. Years later, she deepened this journey by traveling to Portugal in 2018 to study under master instructor Magalie Lanriot. In 2020, she expanded her international training through a month-long intensive with the pioneering vertical dance company BANDALOOP in Oakland, California. Since then, she has developed an independent, self-directed path in Patagonia, introducing harness aerial dance to her local community and founding the project Danza en el Bosque (Dance in the Forest)—an initiative investigating the relationship between movement, nature, and presence. Her practice encompasses aerial dance explorations suspended from trees, rock walls, and sailboats, as well as immersive retreats within the Andean Patagonian forest. She also actively participates in regional cultural workshops and has created interdisciplinary works such as Ave Fénix and CUBO, presented at regional festivals and contemporary art spaces. These pieces merge dance, live music, improvisation, and scenic performance language.
Investment & Booking Policy
Early Bird: $1,750 USD
(Book by October 15)
Regular: $2,000 USD
(Starting October 16)
50% Deposit: Required to confirm and secure your spot (non-refundable, applied toward total balance).
50% Balance: Due on November 30 (flexible pre-retreat installment options available upon request).
Zelle (USD)
Bank Wire Transfer (USD or ARS at the agreed exchange rate at the time of transaction)
Cash (USD)
Accepted Payment Methods
Note: Capacity is limited to 6–8 participants to ensure individualized aerial coaching, safe rigging, and dedicated movement exploration for our collaborative dancefilm.
