Dance Meets Tantra: The Wild Edge @ Earthdance, a 4-day Retreat

Who do you become when you stop holding back—when you let yourself play, connect, and be seen?

Welcome to The Wild Edge.
Four days where the masks come off through shadow play and silliness, depth and vulnerability, boundaries and permission.
Where your body, your heart, your eros are invited forward without their armor.

Most of us spend our lives holding it all together—performing the version of ourselves we think we're supposed to be, while something more alive in us waits for permission. The Wild Edge is what opens when you stop performing and let yourself be met: tender places, shadow places, places you didn't know were yours.

Together we explore the edge of Aliveness. Tenderness. Expression.

Together we listen to the Earth and remember our eros…

This is an invitation into your own becoming and unbecoming. Over four days, we move together in dance, stillness, contact, and breath. We grieve what's been waiting for a room big enough to hold it. We play, juicy and unguarded, in authenticity and life. We meet our shadow and our radiance in the same hour. We let what is finished die. We birth ourselves, individually and as a community, into something freer than what we walked in carrying.

Dance Meets Tantra is returning to Earthdance in Western Massachusetts after a wildly beautiful, potent Dance Meets Tantra in 2024 and 2025. We cannot wait to see who will join us in 2026 at this majestic venue and time of year.

HAVE YOU BEEN FEELING THE CALL?

• For Dance to evolve and embrace sensuality and eros?

• For Tantra to be more playful and embodied?

• You intuitively know something incredible is possible when embodied movers come together with full permission to express, connect, and share their magic.

We are coming to let go of our masks, build our capacity and explore the vulnerable, messy, sweaty, beauty of our bodies, hearts, & souls. Led by an attentive and experienced facilitation team, we will establish a foundation of consent, attunement, and self-responsibility to allow us to connect and play with our greatest capacity for embodied authenticity, sensuality, and creativity.

Held in a deeply relational, caring, attuned, and trauma-informed space, This is an opportunity not only to express and connect, but to broaden and deepen your skills and capacity across the spectrum of dance, neo-Tantra, sacred sensuality and the movement arts.

During the 4-day immersion, you will be guided through a rich tapestry of experiences. Explore transformational rituals, meditation, breath work, and temple arts, all interwoven with the beautiful waves of dance practice.

Our experienced facilitators will create a safe and nurturing container for your journey. They bring together deep experience in both dance and guiding transformational group tantra journeys, infusing their guidance with compassion, wisdom, and a deep reverence for the alchemical power of embodied movement and sacred connection.

Join us in this profound exploration of body, heart, and spirit. Awaken your sensual aliveness, ignite your creative fire, and cultivate a deeper sense of self-love and acceptance.

Dance Meets Tantra: The Wild Edge is a creation by Dance Meets Tantra, an emerging body of work created in 2021 in Boulder, CO and being shared around the world. You can check out our website here: www.dancemeetstantra.com

Note: for us - Tantra is the practice and art of being fully alive. Our intention with Dance Meets Tantra is to support people in coming into greater love, respect and relationship with themselves, each other, and the earth. We believe that dance, eros and tantra are fundamental aspects of being alive, empowered, and creative - so we invite various explorations in support of liberating our creativity and life force.

Dance Meets Tantra is a space of:

໑ Vulnerability: to be fully alive we need to get real. We create safer spaces to compassionately own and get present to the full range of our emotions, fears, blocks and discomfort.

໑ Permission: to be the full expression of ourselves - including our sensual and erotic nature - however that looks.

໑ Safety: boundaries, consent, attunement, and self-responsibility are essential and foundational to navigating safer space together.

How do I know if Dance Meets Tantra is for me?

໑ You have read this far and are feeling excitement

໑ You are an experienced ecstatic dancer and curious to explore more eros and sensuality in your practice

໑ You may be experienced with tantra and want to explore how dance and dance can enhance your practice in a profoundly beautiful and transformational container

໑ You are new to the world of dance of Ecstatic Dance, or neo-Tantra and are curious to dive in!

During our time together, you will have the opportunity to:

໑ Discover and explore the magic and potency of Ecstatic Dance

໑ Explore eros and sensuality alongside and amidst dance with the support and guidance of an attuned and powerful facilitation team.

໑ Foster authentic connections and deep intimacy with self and others.

໑ Unleash your creativity and learn to trust your body's innate wisdom.

໑ Rediscover your vulnerability, innocence and wildness in a space of trust, permission and play!

໑ Develop the capacity to take responsibility for your boundaries, desires and needs, through self-attunement and clear present moment-based communication.

໑ Discover new pathways to sensual pleasure and expanded states of consciousness.

This workshop is open to individuals of all experience levels, genders, and relationship orientations. Whether you are new to Dance / Ecstatic and Dance Meets Tantra or have previous experience, we invite you to come with an open heart and a willingness to explore.

About Dance Meets Tantra: Born in Boulder, CO and now traveling around the world, Dance Meets Tantra has been a sold-out monthly immersion bridging the worlds of conscious dance, transformational neo-tantra, contact improv, shadow work, and relational intimacy.

Diverse Representation Partial Scholarship: we understand that various forms of privilege can play a role in financial access to our containers. We believe that diversity is an important aspect of building a truly transformational journey and we desire to impact and support all people with our work. We are providing some partial scholarships for people from diverse backgrounds who may not otherwise be able to afford the full ticket price.

Apply here: Diverse Backgrounds Partial Scholarship Application

Your Facilitation Team:

Atilla Çıdam, Lead Facilitator

Atilla Çıdam, PhD, is a soul catalyst, transformational leader, relationship coach, and writer devoted to awakening our capacity to make ecstatic love to the full spectrum of life. Bridging psychology with the mysteries of soul, eros, and death, he creates playgrounds of permission where what is ready to die can dissolve, and what is most vital can emerge. Through tantra, dance, grief rituals, conscious kink, sacred medicine, and shadow alchemy, Atilla helps people remember the wild magic of their purpose. His work invites intimacy with life through intimacy with death. He is a founder of Dance Meets Tantra, Love, Sex, & Death, Emergence Brotherhood, and is faculty with ISTA & AVATARA.

He has a doctorate in social psychology, and has spent prior lifetimes designing large scale social programs that empower millions to lead fully aligned lives in collaboration with UNICEF and the World Bank.

Sweetness of truth, ruthlessness of love.

www.atilla.life
www.dancemeetstantra.com

Dance meets Tantra - immersive retreats exploring the intersection of movement arts, shadow work, kink and contact improvisation.
Erotics of Impermenance - intimacy with sex, death, heart-break and ecstatic leadership during civilizational collapse.
Emergence Brotherhood - Ecstatic leadership training for men to lead fully alive aligned and abundant lives.
'Till Death - coaching and immersions for couples and polycules to deep dive into relating as a transformational path.
Soma Kambo - a somatic based joutney into peeling away layers to truth through the sacred medicine of Kambo.
Temple culture - organizing and facilitating intensives to contribute my spark to the emergent temple culture tapestry.

Stephanie Soma, Co-Facilitator

Stephanie Soma is a somatic practitioner, facilitator, DJ, and ceremonialist devoted to guiding the return home to embodied aliveness. Since beginning her embodiment studies in 2009, she has immersed herself in dance, somatic experiencing, tantra, yoga therapy, and conscious relating. She lives as an embodied invitation—welcoming your fullest expression, from the fierce to the gentle. With a tender heart attuned to the innocence within your naturalness, Stephanie creates spaces where curiosity, warmth, and a touch of the ethereal invite you home to yourself.

Stephanie grew up in Texas in a conservative, religion-focused household and was homeschooled until high school. Medical trauma in childhood set her on a journey of healing and coming home to herself—reclaiming her aliveness and reconnecting authentically to experience more meaningful relationships. Before opening her practice in Austin, she spent eight years working in tech startups as a product manager in NYC. Now her aim is to help others feel safe enough to do the same: to connect authentically and build a life aligned with their values. She guides individuals and groups, and offers workshops nationwide.

https://www.instagram.com/stephaniesoma_/

LaVina Iyana, Apprentice Co-Facilitator

LaVina Iyana is a trauma-informed Somatic Practitioner, Contact Beyond Contact Facilitator, and Intimacy + Embodiment Coach. Her offerings are designed to empower individuals and groups in returning home to their bodies through somatic exploration, nervous system regulation and authentic expression. In 2017, she co-founded Dance Medicine Philly (ecstatic dance community in Philadelphia) where her study in community building was originally seeded. Her work in the world is rooted in supporting the evolution of soul culture, and relational healing through intimacy + embodiment.

LaVina’s path has led her through many initiatory trainings in the realms of spirituality, somatics, sacred sexuality, field dynamics, and shamanism.
In 2025, she birthed her signature offer : VESSELHOOD Living Alchemy: a 3-month transformational program for women desiring to delve into the waters of intimacy, eros, temple mystery arts + Sacred Union. She also holds Sexual Shamanic healing journeys for men, women + couples.
LaVina is devoted to the awakening + remembrance of our shared humanity, and our return to wholeness.

To learn more visit: www.lavinaiyana.com and www.instagram.com/lavina.iyana/

Yosef Hayim, Apprentice Co-Facilitator

Yosef dances between the worlds of men’s initiation, sacred sexuality, and devotional partnership. He holds a master’s degree in education, along with advanced certifications in group field dynamics and somatic coaching. His offerings weave together grief, eros, embodiment, circle work, and land connection. The common thread through all of his work is the medicine of intimacy - guiding individuals, couples, and groups into deeper authentic connection.

To learn more visit: https://www.instagram.com/yosef__hayim


Kaviar Dragon, Organizer

Kaviar Dragón is a lover, a dancer, a vessel for transmitting and expanding consciousness, and a creator. With a background in medical sciences and anatomy, Kaviar then found yoga and Tantra. His spiritual path became his true calling, as a wanderlust, change maker, and community organizer. Based in Mazunte, Mexico and born & raised in Brooklyn and Queens, New York; Kaviar is a facilitator, organizer and presenter at trainings, festivals and events across Latin America, the United States and Europe. Kaviar teaches and guides in the realms of embodied movement and dance, including Contact Beyond Contact, sensual connection & inner/outer intimacy, Tantra, Hatha Yoga, heart-centered spirituality, s-positive sacred sexuality, conscious consent & boundaries, and trauma-informed emotional release and processing.

Certificates and achievements are held in Tantra and Hatha yoga (400hr RYT), ISTA Practitioner Graduate, Contact Beyond Contact (Level 2); and experienced with facilitating across various practices and techniques--Osho, Thai Yoga Massage, Contact Improvisation, Hridaya Meditation, Touch&Play practices. In addition, Kaviar also lives his purpose of being a vehicle in service of others, functioning as a 1:1 space-holder and sacred bodyworker.

Kaviar continues to offer vectors for healing and expansion with a heart to the divine.

To learn more visit RitualSacrednessTantra.life and on Instagram: @KaviarDragon

Testimonials for Dance Meets Tantra:

"DMT is a beautifully, well-oiled offering. The container is created with an immense amount of care, intention, and trauma-informed awareness. Atilla, Spencer, Gemma, and all of the assistants cultivated a space of permission, of grace, of courage, of trust, of exploration, of depth, of joy, of love, and of acceptance. Whether you are brand new to the worlds of tantra and dance, or a devotee of these ways of life, DMT has something to offer everyone. Thank you for an incredible experience that re-sparked inspiration in my entire being!" ~ Brooke Alexander

"Having taught Tantra for 30 years, I know when a container is pristinely created and held and was impressed with how Spencer and Atilla build and held it. Before contact in the dances, they led us through 3 "Puja" stations that integrated the wisdom shared earlier of connecting first in our energy bodies with breath and, only with presence, going to touch. These experiences prepared this experienced dance community to move into contact from outside the auric field first, so settling to the nervous system of us empaths. I felt the contact more deeply for this Tantric approach to it that I left supremely satisfied."

"The instructional embodied ease of the facilitation was amazing! Their ability to create a safe container to go deeper or be wildly playful as a participant was amazing and appreciated! Their ability to speak directly and precisely with clear energy and boundaries, combined with inner wisdom and strength, supported me in being more open and trusting!" ~Candy James

"It's rare that I go to something that is truly life-changing & empowering, and our Dance Meets Tantra day together was exactly that. It was one of the greatest days of personal growth, fun, and sensual exploration I've ever had." ~ Jason Lamb

"It’s truly hard to put into words the profundity of what took place at the dance meets tantra retreat. There was an undeniable intelligence moving through each day that organized the field in the exact ways it needed. Moving through layers of shadow and alchemizing them into wholeness. Each person brought a piece to the puzzle that was incredibly important and the collective healing that unfolded was beyond anything I have ever been a part of. This container allowed it all to be there - tenderness, pleasure, joy, grief, beauty, pain, ecstasy, heartbreak, heart opening. I felt deeply safe in the space (and it takes a lot for me to feel safe) and a huge reason for that is the high quality presence and care each of the facilitators brought. It really was such a special experience that I will forever hold in my heart with deep gratitude and reverence." ~Anaia Sundara

Feel free to check out our website for many many more testimonials <3

Schedule Outline:

*Note: this is just an estimate for planning purposes.

Thursday:

• 1-3:30pm Arrive & Settle In
• 5-6pm Orientation & Opening Container
• 6-7pm Dinner
• 7pm Evening session

Friday

• 8-9am Breakfast
• 10am - 1pm Morning Session
• 1pm-2pm Lunch
• 2pm-3pm Break
• 3pm - 6pm Afternoon Session
• 6pm-7pm Dinner
• 7pm-8pm Break
• 8pm Evening Session (optional)

Saturday

• 8-9am Breakfast
• 10am - 1pm Morning Session
• 2pm-3pm Lunch
• 3pm-4pm Break
• 4pm - 6pm Afternoon Session
• 6pm-7pm Dinner
• 7pm-8pm Break
• 8pm Evening Session (optional)

Sunday

• 8-9am Breakfast
• 10am - 1pm Morning Session & Closing
• 1pm-2pm Lunch
• 2pm-3pm Pack up & Depart

Logistical Info

DATE & TIME:

Arrival: Thursday, September 24, @ 1-3:30pm

Departure: Sunday, September 27, @ 3pm

LOCATION:

Earthdance Retreat Center

252 Prospect St, Plainfield, MA 01070

https://www.earthdance.net/

COST & DETAILS:

*Registration includes all food and dorm room or personal camping accommodations*

*Upgraded room options with either Queen bed or in a larger more spacious dorm room are available in the adjacent, spacious and home-like Nine Mountain Retreats space. Enjoy a larger room and bed, with semi-private living room areas at the center, which features a private kitchen, sitting areas, living room, hot tub, and lawn. The house is a short walk across an orchard field to the main Earthdance space.*

*(if you prefer private lodging, we recommend staying offsite and ask to book a 'Commuter' option)

CANCELLATION POLICY

Please take a moment to review the cancellation policy. All questions are warmly welcomed.

• If you cancel more than 8 weeks out of the event start date, 70% of the full payment will be refunded.

• If you cancel between 4-8 weeks of the event start date, 50% of the full payment will be refunded.

• If you cancel between 2-4 weeks of the event start date, 30% of the full payment will be refunded.

• If you cancel within 2 weeks of the event start date, or if you withdraw from the event after the start of the first day, no part of the payment will be refunded.

TO REGISTER: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/dancemeetstantra/1280010

CONTACT US:

Feel free to contact organizer Kaviar Dragón if you have any questions about the event:

E-mail: DanceMeetsTantraNY@gmail.com

FAQs:

What type of accommodations are included in the cost?

Dorm style accommodations are included in the price of your ticket. You will sleep indoors in a beautiful, clean space on a bed.

You are also welcome to camp at Earthdance. There are many beautiful spaces for camping on tent platforms.

You can also upgrade to shared or private lodging at Nine Mountain, the beautiful sister property next door to Earthdance!

 What type of food is provided?

Also included in the cost of your ticket is 3 meals per day with tea and light snacks. A variety of beautiful, delicious food will be prepared by the chef. Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten Free options are all available. The retreat is meat-free. If you require or desire meat for your diet, please bring your own self-prepared or pre-cooked.

What is the recommended travel to the Venue?

Please check out the Earthdance website for details. https://www.earthdance.net/directions/

The closest airport is Hartford/Springfield. The closest bus station is Northampton, MA

Many participants will be driving and sharing rides and rental cars from Boston, New York City, and elsewhere!

Please use our ride share document to share rides with fellow participants. Ride share document will be sent out in registration email.