VELA

A 4 day intensive dance retreat & filmmaking experience in Berkeley, CA

August 21st-24th

A movement space exploring the wild.

The wild holds us by the hand & brings us to many unexpected initiations & destinations. She has us running farther then we knew we could, swimming deeper, navigating winding paths, to then arrive at a mountain top of clarity and connection with the soul. This is the wild nature of reality. Filled with life giving passion, brutality, bringing tears of joy and pain, devastating, yet incredibly alive, precious & beautiful.

In this project ‘VELA’, we gather in reverence & honoring to the spirt of the wild. We will dance our blessings and our pain, honoring it all. We will explore nature in all forms through dance, touch the depth of the wild earth, & remember the wild feminine within each of us. She is untamable and we show up in trust of her plan and dance for her any way.

For those looking for

-a container to be in sync with like minded women

-a call to be fully seen in your unique muse and gifts

-a immersive experience to support expanding in dance technique

-a way of creating where we honor our ancestors through intention & movement. Where we give thanks to the elements & the earth with art.

-a feminine earth paced approach to a movement space. a space that puts the feminine body first while tuning our awareness to a deeper listening and conversation with the body.

Story Telling Though Dance & Visual Media

In this 4 day retreat & dance journey we will dive into choreography and freestyle movement that explores concepts such as our ancestors residing within the flame, honoring the earth in her full spectrum, our embodiment of wild nature, & coming together in sync to tell a deeper collective story by witnessing each others unique experience.

‘VELA’ means candle in Spanish & in relation to this project represents the connection to self and our ancestors that we always carry within, no matter what is happening in our external world.

This experience was carefully crafted with love and intention to bring the participant on a journey exploring the concepts above through dance, choreography, elemental practices, & intention.

We will work with Earthbased Media to create a short dance film of the choreography we learn in our time together & explore assorted freestyle practices with film. Each dancer will be credited in the dance piece & sent a folder with a group reel and photos to be able to share after the video is complete.

Something powerful happens when women gathering with a collective intention, when we come together to be in sync magic is in the air. I can’t wait to gather with you here ~

Why Choreography? Choreography has always been my favorite way to learn & expand as a dancer. It is meditative & rewarding getting in the rhythms of repetition of dance & movements that starts out unfamiliar to then watch it all come together like a puzzle. Also not to mention the beauty of when women sync up in motion with a similar collective prayer or intention.

Apply Here

Something powerful happens when women gather with a collective intention or goal. When we come together to dance in sync we harmonize. I cannot wait to meet you here.

LOCATION: Berkeley CA

What is included:

3 night & 4 day stay at Anza Retreat Center
8 farm-to-table meals brought to you by Healing Hearth
15+ hours of Dance Training
Group Video Project with Earthbased Media
Folder of group photos and videos to share

What is not included:

Prices do not include transportation.
Prices do not include clothing. You will be expected to buy, thrift, or borrow something that matches the mood board and stying sheet. There are very inexpensive ways to do this and I have styled entire shoots by just thrift store finds or fabrics. I will also send a list of brands and pieces that would work if you prefer to buy a piece.
This immersion has very limited spaces to offer dancers an intimate and meaningful learning experience, to ensure your spot receiver as soon as possible.

Feel free to reach out to jadeeyemoon@gmail.com with any questions.

Is this experience designed for all levels?

If you are brand new to dance I encourage you to come challenge yourself. There will be enough preparation in the zoom class to really get familiar with the movements. This experience is more about the process of coming together to make something special as a group. It is less about doing the choreography perfectly but there will be allot of time to practice and learn it.

If you are already a seasoned dancer I invite you to attend! I created this choreography to train and challenge myself. It is designed to bring inspiration, new perspective , and new movements into your dance vocabulary. It’s always so special to see a choreography danced through different bodies & I hope you enjoy this dance as much as I loved creating it.

In most of the group dance videos I have put out into the world it is always a mixed level group that I work with. Every body is different and I find that so beautiful.

About Jade

Jade Sanchez is an Mexican/American dancer, choreographer, creative director, filmmaker, and multimedia artist with Aztec & Irish roots. Born and raised on the California coast, she is passionate about collaboration with the intention of bringing women of unique gifts and backgrounds together through movement & art. Her message is to live closer to the earth. She is located deep in the Appalachian forest and travels often to bring perspective, diversity, and culture into her work and dance. Jade is passionate about holding movement based spaces where those partaking in a project can explore the voice of earth that moves through each person individually. These dance projects feature a global network of dancers from all around the world. Through her art she explores using choreography as a medium of embodying that voice while also celebrating the resilient feminine spirit.

Anza Retreat Center

Tucked into the hillside at the edge of Wildcat Canyon, Anza is a retreat space offering privacy, natural beauty and modern amenities. Named for its meaning—“a dwelling among the elder trees”— this hidden gem invites deep connection with the land, ideal for day visits or extended stays.

The sunlit main house features updated mid-century modern design with cozy sleeping quarters and expansive spaces designed for gathering and movement. Outdoor decks overlook rolling hills, with a Japanese soaking tub, cold plunge, and sauna built into the open landscape. Trailhead entrances surrounding the property's perimeter make stepping into the wilderness effortless.

The land itself—nestled in the folds of the Berkeley Hills—offers a quiet, generative stillness that’s unique to this area. Thirty minutes from San Francisco, and two miles from UC Berkeley, the space is ideal for team-building, offsites, yoga intensives, ceremonies, weddings and concerts. Anza offers exclusive, immersive experiences carefully designed for rest and renewal.

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Cost of Retreat

Total cost of retreat-

Spacious and serene, each king room features a plush king-size bed and a private en-suite bathroom, offering the most privacy. Towels, bath soap, and bed linens are provided.
Each shared room includes two plush twin beds and shared access to the upstairs bathroom. Each Standard Room has an additional door that opens up to a shared balcony overlooking the canyon. Towels, bath soap, and bed linens are provided. This accommodation comes with a shared bathroom.
Sleeps up to 4 guests with two full-size beds and a twin bunk bed setup. This room is ideal for groups or families, with a cozy, communal layout and easy access to the downstairs bathroom. Towels, bath soap, and bed linens are provided. This accommodation comes with a shared bathroom.
Named for the golden light that pours in through its west-facing windows. With wood flooring and ample natural light this room will be used a shared sleeping quarters for five guests.
With tatami mats, floor futons, and light bedding provided. Towels and bath soap are included, and guests have access to the upstairs shared bathroom.

Note In some moments we may use this room for a secondary movement space as well. The tatami mats can quickly rolled up each morning and laid out again in the evening to transform the space from a gathering area back into sleeping quarters.
Guest will be asked to bring a sleeping bag and pillow.

The cancellation and refund policy for this retreat is in place to guarantee the fair allocation of slots in the program to students who have been accepted and are ready to commit.
Your registration payment to Brianna (Jade) Sanchez is not refundable, returnable, or transferable to a future workshop or to another person. No exceptions. Even in the case of medical or family emergencies, natural disasters etc. Because there is an application and selection process, students cannot ‘sell their spot’ in the program to another person.
Please register with full awareness of the agreement you are entering into. Payment , as well as this ‘Mandatory Waiver Form’ must be completed upon acceptance in the given time period to guarantee enrollment in the Intensive sessions.
Health/Safety: Student agrees to inform Jade Sanchez of any health conditions or important medications they are taking. Student assumes full responsibility for her/his safety and all risks of participating in this training and while enrolled in the program. We hold no responsibility for any such illness or injury that a student sustains while enrolled in the program.
Students who cancel will not be eligible for refunds as per our official cancellation policy.
By completing your payment, you have agreed to our refund terms and conditions already.

*** If by some unforeseen events or happenings (due to illness, weather, natural disaster or political upheaval, etc) & Jade Sanchez cancels the training, we will refund all deposits and payments, minus an administrative fee. We cannot however compensate airfare or travel costs incurred to come to the training. To cover these risks, we recommend you purchase travel insurance (the best way to protect yourself from unforeseen circumstances like weather, natural disaster, lost baggage, medical expenses, etc).
Payment plan available through Moon Clerk upon request* note there will be a slight up charge to account for fees. See below.
King Room- For payment plan option through Moon Clerk a $170 fee is added for a total of $2,020.
Standard Shared Room- For payment plan option through Moon Clerk a $130 fee is added for a total of $1580.
Bunk Room- For payment plan option through Moon Clerk a $123 fee is added for a total of $1473.
Sunset Room-For payment plan option through Moon Clerk a $89 fee is added for a total of $1039.

Earthbased Media

Earthbased Media is a Multimedia Production company based in Asheville NC. It is the lovechild of Cinematographer and Electronic Music Artist Summit Jaffe & Creative Director & Dancer Jade Sanchez. Through nature, travel, soul-led visions, & intention, Earthbased Media presents a surrealistic style of filmmaking that transports the viewer into a realm of ceremony & connection with the earth.

Food brought to you by The Healing Hearth~

Ruthie is a holistic chef, herbalist, functional nutritionist, ritualist and grief tender. She runs The Healing Hearth, a botanically-forward and gluten-free friendly, farm to table private chef service in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Ruthie orients towards food as medicine, ritual and a daily opportunity to court deeper intimacy with the living ecosystems we belong to. Ruthie is passionate about Nourishment as an integral pathway in supporting the human capacity to show up resourced and embodied in these times of Great Turning and finds great joy in alchemizing local ingredients and medicinal herbs into edible art.

Ruthie weaves extensive knowledge from training in Functional Nutrition, Ayurveda, Vitalist Herbalism, Community Grief Ritual and Somatic Trauma Resolution into her custom menus and Way.

When not tending the Healing Hearth, Ruthie can be found wildcrafting medicinal herbs, supporting community grief rituals, serving as a Hospice Care Volunteer with the Zen Caregiving Project in San Francisco, gathering with her beloved earth based jewish community or resting deeply and enjoying the beauty of her coastal hometown.