Gina Patterson's Rivers & Roots – Artist Development Retreat in Grand Teton National Park

Summer 2027

Nourish the athlete, artist, and soul.

Reinforce or reframe the relationship with your art.

I extend my passion, experience, and care to you.

Be a part of a delicately woven creative process as your
foundation for expansion and renewal.

These unique retreats provide an immersive experience with personal, continued, and in-depth experiential place-based learning.

With 42 years of professional experience in the art form —
as a dancer, choreographer, director, educator, coach, mentor, leader,
and trusted friend,  I’d love to share my knowledge, and morsels of wisdom,
to help guide you in your development –
at any stage of your dance life.

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I can’t begin to describe how impactful today was for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for you, for your kindness, compassion, & the collective spirit of that room. I’m grateful to your dancers & the spirit of the movement to remind me the beauty of empathy. Your work is critical to the elements of life. I’m blessed our paths aligned.

~ Margo Caslavka – Community Participant ( former professional ballet dancer ), Jackson WY

Expand your learning – rooted by your connection to this incredible landscape

Please join me in this extraordinary land of Jackson Hole as you retreat into an immersive, interdisciplinary dance experience that is personalized for select small groups. I offer this personal experience as an invitation.

You will be part of a creative process that is developed to deepen your artistry and open to your own, authentic voice. These retreats dig into passionate and deep curiosity, wherever you are along your dance journey.

Without the pressure of working toward a performance, process being the product, you gain the freedom to more fully connect to your intuition, trust, and to the moment — realizing the cradle it provides.

A tree doesn’t wish to be anything other than a tree.
Who are you?
Unlock your own voice—
Not in the likeness of another, but
Speak, Create, Dance
from your soul!

This Summer 2027 Retreat will be for a cross-section of backgrounds.
The retreat will meet you where you are.
Whether you are:

a young professional that wishes to reach beyond technical training with help transcending the student, deepening your artistry.

someone who would like to be a part of a rich creative process, curious about choreography, or seeks more personal guidance.

a seasoned artist that wants personalized coaching and a rich experience breaking the mental and physical routines of company life and culture; someone who wants to expand their life experience, drawing from an inspired and enriching creative process and approach.

anyone in a transition period and doesn’t want to be stagnant.

just wanting to dance in a nurturing environment. To explore your own questions. To re-examine. To re-new.

dancers, choreographers, other disciplines welcome!

In July 2025, I had the unique opportunity to be a parent of one the Rivers and Roots dance intensive participants as well as one of the guest Nature connection instructors. I experienced first hand the level of engagement of the dancers and the power of time spent in wild spaces. Whether dancers are already comfortable in the mountains and forests of Grand Teton National Park, or new to spending time in the woods, Rivers and Roots is always supportive and encouraging. I continue to understand how my deepening relationship with Nature is such an amazing source of Joy, Peace, and when need be, Healing. Gina Patterson has helped me and the dance participants to understand Nature as a powerful source of creative inspiration.

~ Kevin Taylor – Nature Instructor and Parent of Participant, Jackson WY

Connect to your rivers and roots

In a nurturing and empowering environment, your retreat will be comprised of open-minded lovers of dance that can work well in an intimate group as you experience the program. My wish is that you leave feeling inspired, full, joyful, and revitalized – more connected to your art!

A note about the images on this site

Commune

Process

Jenny Lake

Kevin Taylor at Fire Presentation

A moose visit at our place

London (2025) at Taggart Lake

Studio work

Connect

Kevin Taylor – medicine pouch making

Stories

Participants share some takeaways from the Artist Development Process

I would definitely come back or be interested in 1 on 1 programs! I think you could take this program one million times and it would be different each time, and you would take something different from it each time as well.

~ Lo – Jackson, WY

I have a newfound motivation to truly nurture the soil, my soul, and society. I have learned to follow the paths that make my heart sing instead of the ones that expectations set for me. Just as nature endures, forest fires lead to new growth, and mountains stand tall, I too can endure in times of struggle and let go of the fears that stop me.I hope to use my own gifts and the inspiration I’ve gained to impact my own community. I also gained an appreciation for how all of the things that surround us can provide inspiration for the creative process.

~ Gwynevere Deterding – Blue Springs MO

Being in the mountains has been so inspirational and although I didn’t realize it, this is exactly what my soul needed. I feel so nourished and rejuvenated and I cant wait to take everything we’ve done here this week back to my creative practice back home.

~ London Lack – Austin TX

This retreat could not have been at a more perfect time for me. I didn’t know that I needed this experience until I had left, answering my burning question from the rest day of: “why did I get here?”. The amount of attention and awareness, gratitude and awe that I now better have for our earth, for dance, and for my life brings me such joy.

~ Anna Lindsey – Birmingham AL

I loved the housing accommodations and being near the Tetons. I appreciated the open and creative process, and the opportunities to collaborate and gain ideas from nature. I loved collaborating with all of the different age groups and artistic backgrounds. I loved the spontaneity of running in the rain! I discovered new methods to find connection with my body, breath, the land, and the community.

I left Rivers & Roots with a vey strong sense of self. I am so grateful for this time and this process. My commitment to myself is to keep showing up with a joyful spirit!

~Candace Rattliff – Fort Worth, TX

I’ve rediscovered the love of being in community, especially amongst other creatives and people dedicated to doing their inner work. And I’m so grateful for the genuine kindness, compassion, and friendship from such new connections. Being in this space has felt healing on an inner child level.

~Emily Tam – Jewelry Artist, Designer, Sculptor – Point Arena, CA

I was impacted so greatly by this experience, it is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my dance career and beyond.

~Montana Pastore – Pittsburgh PA

Freedom itself can be so powerful. It can create a new level of joy that someone has talked about before but never felt its true form until they let themselves let go.

Look up. Not just look at the steps being taken, rather than where they are taking you. Look around and savor, connect and feel.

~Summer Maestas – Jackson WY