SANCTUARY

5Rhythms Dance at the Gorge Pavilion

Step into a monthly journey of music, movement, and presence — 5Rhythms® Dance at the Gorge Pavilion.

SANCTUARY

5Rhythms Dance at the Gorge Pavilion

Once a month, we dance in a treetop pavilion that bridges history, water, and wild presence—5Rhythms Dance at the Gorge Pavilion: where freedom meets form, and every body is welcome. 

We’ll come together in the Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion—a stunning, light-filled, Japanese-inspired sanctuary perched on the Gorge Waterway, with floor-to-ceiling windows, cedar beams, and sweeping views of water and gardens.  It sits at the edge of Esquimalt Gorge Park, itself home to North America’s first Japanese Garden, designed in 1907 by Isaburo Kishida.  This beautiful space bridges tradition and presence, inviting us to dance in the now.

5Rhythms is a movement meditation, a full-body workout, and a wild, grounding journey—all at once. It wakes up every part of you: body, emotions, instincts, and creativity. Here, there are no steps to learn, no choreography, only the space to move in your own way.

In this circle, we travel through the five rhythms—Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, Stillness®—each a different landscape of movement, each a doorway into connection, release, presence. The music is wide-ranging, soul-stirring, and mixed live, carrying us deeper into the rhythm of our bodies and the arc of the dance.

These gatherings are equal parts medicine, adventure, and permission—to show up exactly as you are, alongside others doing the same.

• No experience needed. Just your curiosity, your body, your breath.

• All bodies, abilities, and ages (15+) welcome.

WHEN:

2025 Dates:

Thursdays: November 13, + December 4, 2025 | 7pm-8:30pm

These evenings have been selling out, so it’s best to book ahead. If something changes, you can cancel up to three days before.

2026 (SAVE THE) Dates: 

Thursdays: January 15, February 12, March 12, April 16, May 14 +June 18, 2026 | 7pm-8:30pm; Registration not yet open for 2026 dates. 

WHERE:

Esquimalt Gorge Pavilion is located at 1070 Tillicum Road in Esquimalt Gorge Park. Nestled beside the Gorge Waterway and the Japanese Garden, the Pavilion offers a beautiful and serene setting. The venue is fully accessible, with elevator access, plenty of free on-site parking, and designated accessible parking stalls. Please join us in the Upper Level Pavilion Hall.

PRICE + HOW TO REGISTER:

These sessions $25 per class and are offered in partnership with the Esquimalt Recreation Centre. Registration is required and quick:

1. Click here: Register Here

2. Sign in with your Esquimalt Rec account, or create one in just a few steps.

3. Find Sanctuary 5Rhythms® Dance at the Gorge Pavilion, select your date(s), and reserve your spot.

Good to know:

• The classes sold out with a wait list, so booking in advance is recommended.

• You can cancel up to three days before class through the Rec Centre system.

• If you’d like to pay in person with cash, or if you have any questions, call the Esquimalt Recreation Centre at 250-412-8500. They’re open daily from 5:30am to 10:30pm.

Spots are limited, so booking in advance ensures your place in the circle.

For those with limited income: Esquimalt Recreation offers an Access Pass (formerly the LIFE Program) for low-income community members. You are welcome to apply. If you hold an Access Pass, you are warmly invited to use it for this class, and your participation is fully honoured.

POINTS OF PRACTICE:

This class is held within a shared container of agreements. [Read the Points of Practice → HERE]

Land acknowledgement.

We dance on the traditional, unceded territories of the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. With gratitude, we honour the people, the land, and the waters that hold us.