What is Turtle Dance?
The Night Turtle Dance is a ceremony of love, devotion and gratitude for Mother Earth. We come together under the full moon every year to sing and dance upon a turtle altar. We do this not for ourselves, but simply to sing and dance our prayers of love and gratitude. The altar honors Grandmother Turtle, Mother Earth, the stars, and the four elements of water, air, fire and earth.
Where is Turtle Dance?
The ceremony takes place near Arlington, WA, on the traditional lands of the Stillaguamish People. The land is a 300 acre parcel. The exact location will be emailed after registration. Please know that the land is not serviced by public transportation and requires a vehicle or a ride share.
What is the schedule of events for Turtle Dance 2024?
Friday, July 26th - Dancers and supporters can arrive any time between 4:00pm-6:00pm, giving you and your families time to pitch tents, settle in, connect with the land, eat dinner, greet community, and enjoy a leisurely arrival before the ceremony commences.
Those who wish to participate as dancers must be at the Opening Prayer at 6:00pm. If you can’t be at the Opening Prayer, you can still participate as a supporter by the altar.
Saturday, July 27th At some point we will join together in a purification dip in the river, where there is a calm-water swimming hole. Then the dancers work together to create the beautiful, 50-foot wide turtle altar that we will dance upon.
Sunday, July 28th – Together, we dress the altar with the finishing touches, and dancers are introduced to the sacred geometric formations and the songs that have been dreamed forward for Grandmother Turtle.
On Sunday night, we dance from dusk until dawn to the beat of the drum and songs, and there are periods of time to rest your feet as well. It is a simple dance, which only requires you to follow the dancer in front of you, with lead dancers guiding us through sacred patterns across the turtle shell. If you don’t wish to dance but want to participate in the ceremony, you can participate in the prayer by the altar.
Monday, July 29th - Upon completing our dance at dawn Sunday morning we clean up the altar together before enjoying a feast and sharing circle. After the circle is closed, participants are free to take a rest before leaving the land. Everyone should plan to depart by Sunday evening.
What does participation look like at the dance?
There are three ways to participate in this ceremony:
Holding the Turtle: This commitment is for those who wish to devote themselves deeply into the heart pulse and prayer of this ceremony. For this you will commit to dance every round, and you will not leave the Turtle’s back between rounds unless you need the bathroom or a refreshment. Between rounds you may sit, stand or lie on the cedar placed around the edges of the Turtle’s shell, with a blanket. Those who are Holding the Turtle are in complete quietness all night (except to sing while dancing of course ☺!), anchoring the ceremony’s prayers for Grandmother Turtle.
Dancing the Turtle: Your commitment will be to dance, at minimum, the first round (at sundown) and the last round (just after sunrise)—although most dancers end up dancing most if not all of the seven rounds. Those who are Dancing the Turtle will leave the altar during the breaks to join your fellow dancers at a community fire, where you can rest and attend to your comfort. We recommend this for the young children and their parents, those who may have physical challenges, or those who may find energetic dancing difficult during their moontime. This commitment leaves the option open for you to dance every round, or if need be, to step out for one or more rounds. Note: If you wish to dance, we request that you arrive for the Opening Circle and attend through the entirety of the weekend.
Supporting the Turtle: If you wish to sing and pray with Grandmother Turtle, without dancing. Like the dancers, you can contribute an item to each elemental altar and sing and pray with your Turtle Dance community. You can be at the altar as much or as little as you desire, seated with a chair or standing, at any or all of the elemental altars, pouring your love and prayers of gratitude and support, and taking breaks at the community fire or sleeping whenever you need. This is a great way to enter into the ceremony for those who cannot attend for the whole weekend, have physical challenges that prevent them from dancing, or who wish to simply learn more about the ceremony.
What are accommodations like while on the land?
Everyone camps in tents. There are port-o-potties and a limited number of flushing toilets. There is a river on the land with a swimming area that is about a 10 minute walk from the camp and ceremony site. If you choose, you can participate in the community kitchen, which provides breakfasts, lunches and dinners for a fee of $150/person for the entire weekend. If you choose to provide meals for yourself, you’ll need to bring food AND all cooking supplies as the kitchen will not be available for private cooking.
What is the COVID protocol for Turtle Dance 2024?
This will be updated in accordance with current guidelines
What should I bring?
Participants bring camping gear, swimsuits (for purification and playing in the river). You should also bring white clothes that are worn for visibility during the ceremony. A list of items to bring for the altar is emailed after registration.
Will there be cell service or internet?
No. There is no cell service or internet, but there is a landline used in emergencies.
Are kids welcome and what will their participation look like?
Absolutely! The Night Turtle Dance is a ceremony for the love of earth and our hope for the future. Children are a most joyful and precious part of that prayer. The children love helping put together the altar, learning the songs, and playing in the natural splendor of our location. Opportunities are provided for the children to create and add their own special offerings upon the altar. The ceremony itself begins with a special round and songs just for the children. Children are welcome to dance as much or as little of the night as they are ready for.
Parents are solely responsible for their own children, as we cannot provide childcare. We highly recommend that families with children plan on coming with two adults who can help each other with childcare, setting up camp, and tag-teaming dance practices and time at the altar.
What is the difference between Turtle Dance and the Night Turtle Dance Foundation?
The Turtle Dance is a once a year ceremony where we dance from sundown to sunup in the Puget Sound Region. The Night Turtle Dance Foundation is the 501C non-profit associated with running the finances for supporting the ceremony that additionally provides scholarships for individuals and organizations bringing ceremony and ceremonial teachings to a larger audience.
How did the dance come to be?
The Night Turtle Dance is the realization of a vision experienced by Sarah MacLean Bicknell, a powerful teacher, healer, and shamanic practitioner who walks the mystical path with practical feet. Several years ago while on a vision quest, Sarah received a beautiful vision that would not go away: She saw dancers all clad in white flying over the grass like geese on the back of a huge turtle. She shared this vision with a few people and they began to pester her to bring it into being. Finally, in 2009, she made it happen in the woods of Duvall a few miles east of Seattle, Washington. It worked. Despite the sudden arrival of rain, thunder, and lightning, the dancers moved in perfect formation all night long in a series of patterns, with a stamina that surpassed even their own hopes and dreams.
