We would like participants to, at minimum, be familiar with the kyoku (main) phrases of ELEVEN. If possible, familiarity with the kime phrases will also be beneficial.

The workshop is intended for people who have experienced taking a workshop with Kaoly or from someone who has learned directly from her. kaDON will also lead a virtual Zoom session prior to the event for preparation before the in-person portion (see below).

In tandem with preparing participants for the Ft. Wayne Cherry Blossom event, we will host a kaDON Live online event to help participants prepare for “ELEVEN.” We will also have practice videos and other materials available.

All intensive participants are welcome to participate. The pacing of this prep session will geared towards people who have not played “ELEVEN” before, with the goal of becoming familiar with the structure. This is optional and supplemental. Information will be emailed at a later time.

Thursday, May 22nd.

Check-in starts at 10:30 A.M. The workshop begins at 11:00 A.M. and ends at 6:00 P.M.

The workshop will be followed by dinner and community building activities, which will end at approximately 8:00 P.M. with the option of continuing into the late evening.

Lodging and lunch are self-organized. Please bring your own lunch or snack if needed.

Ypsilanti is a college town! There are markets, cafes, and restaurants in the area. Some nearby cafes include Hyperion Coffee Co., Vertex Coffee Roasters, and Cafe Liv. Local spots for food (also offering pick-up) are Bellflower, Ma Lou’s Fried Chicken, Ypsi Alehouse, and Plant Based Coneys. Ypsilanti Food Co-Op offers fresh produce, a hot bar, and pre-prepared refrigerated items.

While it is possible to dine out, the safest option is to bring your own food, as we will have at most 1 hour set aside for lunch. A refrigerator and microwave will be on-site for storing and re-heating.

We will be taking pre-orders that can be picked up at the retreat. Shipping charges are waived for all pre-orders, so this is a great opportunity to coordinate purchases for other members of your ensemble who do not plan to attend the workshop intensives.

We’ll send a note to registrants when the pre-order window opens. You can browse the kaDON store kaDON store for items, or you can request items from Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten’s entire catalog by emailing info@kadon.com.