Welcome to the virtual home of what was Beach Dance 

Beach Dance was an extraordinary experience where music, movement, mother nature, and community merged.  It was created by Lila Danielle out of love for the ocean, ecstatic dance, and human connection.  It began in June 2008 on a cool and cloudy day along the north Oregon coast with fifteen dancers.  For twelve years, over two thousand people participated in Beach Dance events. For the first four years, weekend events were held during the summer months in Cannon Beach, Oregon. In January 2012, Beach Dance began on Maui, Hawaii and events were offered year-round.

The last public Beach Dance held by Lila was on Sunday, February 9, 2020 and eighty-two people were in attendance along with three special canines. This experience as it had been known came to a beautiful end filled with much celebration and love on Valentine’s Day 2020 with a sold out special event.

The next evolution of Beach Dance is here…

~Salt Water Alchemy~

Embodied & Expressive Experiences for your Being and Healing

How Beach Dance Worked

During events, each person was equipped with a waterproof iPod and headphones that contained an identical playlist of songs.  After turning on the devices simultaneously, participants moved to an hour of music that was specifically curated to include different rhythms, beats, and genres of music.

No previous dance experience was necessary. The only steps you needed to follow were your own. Before every dance, a comfortable and welcoming space was created for all participants through brief introductions and a bit of inspiration.  While safety considerations and technological tips were provided before the events began, minimal instruction was given. Bodies move the way they want to move. Each participant created their own dance.  

At the conclusion of the event, iPods and headphones were returned and a brief closing circle took place in which participants were welcomed to share their thoughts about the experience if desired. Altogether, the event was approximately 90 minutes in length.     

Beach Dance events were kept to a maximum of fifty people and iPods were distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Due to the unique listening experience, participants were encouraged to arrive 15-30 minutes prior to the start time of 9:00 a.m. to insure receipt of an iPod.  After 9:00 a.m., late-comers were welcomed to join in the dance, however, oftentimes all 50 iPods had already been claimed prior to that time. Participants were welcomed to bring their own devices and dance to their own music. Events were open to men and women of all ages and children over the age of twelve were welcomed with parents’ permission.  The weekly dance was free of charge and donations were gratefully accepted.  

~how to know if you're a dancer and an artist~

you have a body.

your body knows how to move.

moving your body is a dance.

dance is art in motion.

and now you know. 

About Lila Danielle...

I believe creative self-expression, imagination and improvisation are key ways to tap into and allow one’s true nature and spirit to be set free.  Twenty-five years ago when I was first introduced to ecstatic dance, I had no idea then how it would change my life and impact the lives of others.  I’d always loved to dance, but had never taken formal lessons nor made it a habitual practice. The more I danced, the better I felt and it soon became something I wholeheartedly embraced.  Dance was no longer something I did. Dance became a part of who I am.

I am… a passionate advocate for speaking one’s truth, being empathetic and kind, and grieving wholeheartedly.

I think… these are a few things most people want out of life; to love and be loved, to see and be seen, to listen and be listened to, to feel safe and feel free, and to be acknowledged and remembered.

I know… life is short, everything can change in an instant, and love is the reason we’re here.

I have danced and/or studied with Gabrielle Roth, Vinn Arjuna Marti, Anna Halprin, Adam Barley, Cathy Ryan, Zuza Engler, Michael Molin-Skelton and many other incredible teachers of conscious movement, theater arts, and creative expression over the last two and a half decades. I owned a free-form dance studio for a year along the north Oregon coast. I have facilitated movement-based events and experiences for over twenty years.

I enjoy supporting people to feel and express their emotions.  I am both astonished and honored to witness and hear others’ experiences when they are moved by their own dance. As a facilitator, I provide support and guidance that’s encouraging, inclusive, and real.  As a movement artist, I participate as deep and as wide as I facilitate.  I am both teacher and student and there is much to learn from each other and our interactions. 

I trust those who are meant to meet, know and learn from one another, do.  

After a four year hiatus to grieve the end of my marriage and the life as I once experienced it, I am now offering grief work services and experiences to support others in their own healing process and personal transformation.

Being the expression of who you really are.

What is embodied movement?

There are other aspects to dancing that go beyond just moving our physical selves into a state of pleasurable bliss. People who make dance a weekly habit, a daily practice, or a life-long exploration know there's a lot more available to be in touch with while dancing. As multi-layered human beings, there is a vast amount of territory we can delve into and be with.  Our bodies are not just the physical structures that are moving, but everything that is held within our bodies; our stories and histories, our previous experiences and future dreams, our personal and collective beliefs, our broken hearts and mended bones are moving as well. We bring all of this and more not only to our dance, but to our daily lives. With all of this "stuff" to dance and live with, dance and live into, and dance and live through, there is much we can learn about who we really are from how we move in the world. 

How do you move in the world? 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Are the ways in which you move your body an expression of what you stand for,
why you're here, and who you really are?   

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

How might the world move differently if you did? 

What if every time we danced, we discovered and remembered that beyond all that "stuff" we carry within our bodies, we really are limitless, free, and a powerful presence of love? Perhaps your dance might change. Perhaps your life might change.  Perhaps even the world might change.  Embodied movement uses the body as the means to sense, feel, and experience the only dance you can claim - your own.

At Beach Dance, the expression of who you really are
was welcomed, encouraged, and celebrated.