Wren is celebrating his 24th year dancing in partnership and loves serving humanity as a somatic permissionary. Teaching partner dance internationally as a practice for mindful, authentic living, and enlivening communities by facilitating his signature modality, Cocréa, is his joyful service now for over a decade. Using this potent synthesis, Wren provides navigational assistance to humans nurturing a curiosity in gaining more access to the power and potential of their bodies. Using movement as a vehicle, he guides people towards right-relationship through listening and responding to, as well as inviting, allowing and embracing change. He is a celebrated TEDx speaker, featured author in “ReInhabiting the Village” and ardent proponent of pioneering a new renaissance through authentic connection and consensual touch. 

Wren is a cis-gender, able bodied white male residing and working on the traditional ancestral lands of the Muwekma Ohlone people (Los Gatos, CA). As a non-binary identified, 11th generation American descended most recently from artist and blue collar working class parents, Wren is in a deep reckoning with the numerous and nuanced aspects of self that influence how we navigate interpersonal relationships and cultural identity on the journey into right-relationship.

As a Danyasa trained facilitator, former Awake at Work program facilitator, certified Attunement Therapy practitioner, Do Good Things with Power program graduate, Trauma-Sensitive HeartMath course graduate and holder of a BA in Drama and Dance from the University of Washington, Wren promotes collaborative, mindful movement as an embodied approach to spirituality and medicinal salve for our modern ailments of disconnection and dislocation. He serves as an addiction recovery counselor at the Los Gatos based recovery clinic, Embodied Recovery and is available for private embodied movement sessions.

Brenée is a birth doula, trained CPM (Certified Professional Midwife), and is a developing preconception coach assisting people in intentionally conceiving babies. She has studied how to hold this sacred container of ushering in new expansions of the human experience since 2013. Learning the wisdom of being a gatekeeper of life has created a nuance on “midwifing” people within their personal processes from birth and beyond, knowing it is all interconnected.  

Dance always came naturally to Brenee, even as a child. As a young teen she attended dance classes to deepen her connection to movement, but found herself uninspired by choreography, or a dance regime. In time, she began exploring her “Yes!” through authentic movement on whatever dance floor she could. Eventually majoring in concert dance floor sessions, as well as fire dance performance, she outgrew her roots in Maine. Drawn to travel the states, she eventually landed on the west coast. 

She first journeyed with 5 Rhythms in 2012, and that catapulted her into the world of the human genius within ecstatic dance, dancing freedom, contact dance and then into the world of transformational festivals. Her teachers became those whom she danced with, knowing every person had their own story and gem to be offered within that shared moment of movement. She learned to deeply listen to what someone’s body was saying in the smallest of nuances by deeply attuning to their flow, allowing a transmission of invitation, permissioning and surrender. She gained insight into how to move like water with most people at any level of dance, informing how she grew as a dance partner. 

She discovered Cocréa at Beloved 2018 finding a home within its practice that was innate in her personal practice. She began her training to become a Cocréa Mindful Partner Dance instructor in the fall of 2019. After the long pause COVID inflicted on the training, Brenée is excited to be sharing this body wisdom once again as the first graduate of Cocréa‘s facilitator training.

I am Myriem. French utopian, recently baptized “badass mama”, living in the jungle of Costa Rica.

Born and raised in the middle of Paris, I grew up with a strong contrast between modern city lifestyle and the ancient Berber wisdom transmitted by my Mum born in the mountains of Algeria, in the « Kabyle » tribe. She taught me the main indigenous values to face life’s changes: Trusting in life and in people—the importance of relationships to help each other and the intimate connection to art and dance.

Even if I never took any proper classes, I’ve always been passionate about dancing – first as a child with my Mum in parties, then in front of my mirror in my room as a teenager, to all the bars & night club I could find from the age of 14, then to animate seminars or to create a good morning flow in community project guiding people twerking before breakfast. I’ve also performed as a circus artist, ice skating dancer and English boxer (also a dance!).

My other passion has been gathering people and creating spaces for connection & magic and celebration of course! After doing it as training manager for L’Oreal luxury brands and supporting community based project such as Carpe Diem or Momentom Collective, I initiated Dreamland three years ago, receiving an immense feeling and intuition in my body that it was time to act and co-create new ways of living, transforming our society.

I am only 29 years old, and I have already lived through many transformations. Quitting my corporate successful careers, backpacking worldwide on my own, moving from Paris to the jungle, becoming a social entrepreneur and a Mum, birthing my child at home in the jungle, and finally… my biggest lesson: Losing both my parents and grandparents; accompanying them to their last breath.

Community living and Dance has been my main medicina on this path. Now that I complete my Cocréa facilitator training, I can clearly see how all this comes together. Both my personal journey and my professional expériences as a training manager, community leader, and event organizer led me to create transformative spaces and embodied journeys. Being a bridge to guide and support people in their process. Allowing each of us individually and collectively to create new stories for a co-creative society.

Jackie loves to play, dance, sing, laugh, cry, smile, and share deep connections with herself, others, and nature!

Her embodiment journey started while working as an accountant when she realized she needed to radically change her life and leave her desk job to explore how she could share and deepen the joy she feels while dancing! This led to a profound inquiry into body wisdom, lots of new learning experiences, expressive arts therapy schooling at Tamalpa Institute, and Laughter Yoga Leader certification!

Along her journey Cocréa was patiently waiting for her and when she finally got to experience a Cocréa workshop it changed her life and opened up a new world of possibilities and opportunities! A few years later after soaking up as much Cocréa as she could, Jackie joined the Cocréa facilitator training and greatly enjoyed all she learned from these rich and empowering teachings!

She is so excited to continue her Cocréa journey as a facilitator and looks forward to sharing this playful magic with the world!

Heidi Light is all about creating transformational spaces for people to discover their Juicy Embodiment and their Free and Authentic expression.

In her own need for healing she was driven to explore many disciplines, focusing on healing the conflict between Spirituality, Sexuality, and the Inner Child.

Through her extensive studies in Essence Work, Tantric Arts, Expressive Arts Therapy, Body-Mind Centering, and Sexological Bodywork she developed herself as a Tantra and Intimacy Coach, and has had a thriving practice for 10 years.

Today she is thrilled to be merging her Intimacy and Relationship Work with Partner Dance, helping people feel the safety and permission to be in their vulnerability and feel the sweetness of connection.

Antje Schaefer is a master facilitator of connection, embodiment and inclusive communities and culture.  As the co-creator of Cocréa Mindful Partner Dance, she shares deep wisdom and facilitates connection through partner dance and embodiment as a path to self-discovery and relational healing. Her appetite for lifelong learning has led her to seek certifications in mindfulness, Integral Circling and Authentic Relating practices, Realization Process embodiment meditation and Hakomi somatic therapy. Antje synthesizes these skills to deepen her clients understanding of the mind-body connection and helps them create a holistic, relational approach to their transformation, grounded in presence and truth-seeking. She coaches and consults with individuals, teams, organizations and communities. One of her greatest joys is to create inclusive spaces that foster growth, vibrant community and creative expression as a practice ground for learning about self and relationship. She currently produces Nectar Fusion, a community dance event in Portland Oregon which she founded in 2014. www.antjeschaefer.com

Early on Bethany fell in love with the grace of dancers but was unable to afford classes. Self taught for the most part, she explored what dynamic motion and acrobatics were available to her. Now she has a Passion for teaching those very things, as well as injury prevention and Giving a firm and early foundation to Young Dancers.

Feeling the real healing effects of dance lead her to study further into Psychosomatics for therapeutic movement which opened up her practice and many opportunities to help others like her. With the skills and experience coming from being self taught and the later learning of Fundamentals, She has Not only A deep Intuition but also a Passion for Dispensing Knowledge and technique To children and people of all ages.

I have always been in awe of the Body’s magical capacities. As a “neurodiverse” individual in a culture stressing conformity, I was called to live into all my magic in order to flourish.

A Seer and Body Intuitive, over 3.5 decades I became viscerally well-versed in consciousness, brain science, energy, body awareness and movement. My daily practices have included Nia, Mindfulness, Hatha, Ecstatic Dance, Contact Improv, club and years of nightly West Coast Swing. I am most happy and integrated in the midst of improvised partner dance.

As a performer and writer, I studied and learned to embody expressive ways of Being that allowed me to flourish mentally, creatively and emotionally. I have shared these ways through these arts and also through bodywork, as a trainer, teacher, event creator, healer, consciousness facilitator (Extreme Paradigm Shift) and through offering counsel.

Over a 5-year period, using intuition and gifts developed over this lifetime in “mind-body” realms, I was able to rehabilitate my mother from a massive stroke. Moving through Space in Joyful Embodiment is a glorious gift. Come play!

Alaris discovered the vast joy of partner dancing when she learned to swing dance at 12 years old, the first of many partner dance styles she would fall in love with. Since then, she’s been on a deep journey of uncovering her sense of belonging, safety in her own body, and in relation to others. She sees social dancing as much more than a fun hobby; it is a means to be in a conscious and co-creative relationship, a non-verbal container for healing, transformation, expression and discovery.

When she encountered Cocréa, she had explored a wide range of somatic, mindful, healing, movement, spiritual and relational practices, in a range of therapeutic to festive environments. Cocréa is the first umbrella she’s encountered that reflects all of her core values, and also supports her gift of being a permissionary for people’s full expression. She wishes to offer spaces where people can realize the profound medicine and magic that exists where we hold the most resistance or fear, and to deeply dive into the experience of being in bodies with one another.

Ethyl is a mover and shaker from the midwest, that lives deeply within the seasons. Kin’s heart thrives best in a community of Earth love, dance and song 🎵♥️🌎

Ki believes that embodying our expressive selves and reconnecting with other humans from that embodied place is absolutely PROFOUND.

Ethyl is exuberantly excited to continue kins journey of spreading the philosophy and dance of CoCrea in the microcosm of the collective.

Ethyl also has a budding interest in circus movement arts such as aerial silks, acro yoga, dancing with an apparatus and slacklining; as well as a quirky fashion style! Ki helps steward the land at Lost in the Woods Farm and Winery in Gosport, Indiana.

A forever student, Natasha (or Taj) has been practicing and teaching yoga for the last decade. Her yoga journey has included Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin and Goddess flow certifications.

Through movement practices, she’s experienced her most profound moments of realization and emotional breakthroughs. Naturally she enjoys helping others tap into something new, be it emotions, sensations, or thoughts through the modalities she’s most familiar.

She believes yoga is a lifestyle and that lifestyles often ebb and flow with life. As she continues to grow and change, so does her practice as it incorporates traditional and nontraditional ideas, topics, music and more.

Usha Rose is a Somatic Sex, Intimacy, andRelationship Coach, Workshop Facilitator, Dance and Yoga Teacher, and Licensed Massage Therapist. She is trained in the Somatica™ Method of Sex and Relationship Coaching and is a graduate of the International School of Temple Arts Practitioner Training. She also spent three years studying closely with Sonika Tinker and Christian Pederson in the LoveWorks Relationship Training Mastery Program, including two years in the Assistant and Leadership Program.

She is the co-founder of Foothills Fusion Dance, a weekly, social dance in Grass Valley, CA and co-founder of Convergence, an annual Ecstatic and Fusion dance mini-festival in Northern California. She is also the Production Manager and Facilitator for Cocréa, a mindful partner dance company that produces transformational dance retreats and workshops around the globe.

Usha discovered the conscious dance community in 2010 when she started attending Ecstatic Dance Oakland. Since then she has studied SoulMotion™ with Vinn Marti and Zuza Engler, completed the JourneyDance™ Teacher Training with Toni Bergins and continues to be inspired by the many teachings of Contact Improv and 5Rhythms™.

She took her first partner dance class (Salsa) in 2005, although she was first introduced to partner dancing as a young child in her living room with her grandmother who was an avid Lindy Hop dancer. It was around 2010 when Usha discovered Blues dancing, and soon thereafter fell in love with Fusion dancing. She has studied several other partner dance forms including Salsa, Tango, Swing and Zouk, to name a few. In addition to teaching locally, she has taught dance at several events around the country including Enchanted Forest Gathering, Jumpsuit Family Gathering and Northern California Dance Camp.

Joe has been a professional dance performer and teacher for nearly two decades. In his studies and world travels he has developed a unique style with influences including hip hop, breaking, contact improvisation, and fusion partner dance. Joe fuses these forms together in a dynamic and distinctive style. His love and passion for dance has enabled him to perform at major events for Sony, Pixar, Oracle, and more. He has presented several workshops at universities including University of San Francisco, Stanford, and Sonoma State University.

Joe has began cultivating a new aesthetic for partner dancing called Hip Hop Fusion and has led workshops at Symbiosis Global Eclipse Gathering 2017 and Sonic Bloom 2018, and will be presenting at Lucidity Festival 2019.

He is excited to collaborate with like minded artists and to help the community embrace the power of performing arts.

Joe believes that dance is in our DNA. At the core of our being, everyone is a dancer. We are dance, and dance is life.