About
Shauna
“It is my greatest honour and pure joy to offer spaces for people to move and express themselves. I deeply trust in the power and potency between body and beat, there is transformative potential inherent in movement and rhythm.
Our bodies in motion create magic and medicine.
It is my mission to make dance & movement available to all parts of society. The universality of dance, and our unique embodiment and expression in the dance, has the capacity to empower individuals from diverse backgrounds and circumstances. I aim to create environments of acceptance, courage and authenticity, where individuals can explore and honour their true selves through movement.”
“After two decades of bringing people together to dance, my enchantment for each opportunity remains as fresh as ever. I weave my love of music, movement, nature, ritual, writing, art, and circle into spaces that become powerful paths to wellness, self-awareness, belonging, creativity, and embodiment.
Every time I dance and gather with others, I witness humanity in motion—our joy and our pain intertwined, hand in hand, moving through each layer of what it means to be fully human.
Our bodies hold our life's experiences and our physical expressions
can be a way to navigate and understand the wholeness of our being.”
MORE ABOUT SHAUNA
At 17, her passion for guiding others through embodied experiences was ignited when she became a ski instructor. On the mountain, she learned how to warmly encourage and spark curiosity in students as they ventured beyond their comfort zones. Around the same time, she discovered Latin partner dance, and fell madly in love with the dance floor.
These experiences set the stage for the future path of her life’s work.
Stepping into her first 5Rhythms movement class, she felt an undeniable sense of belonging, authenticity and dove deeply into it as both a personal practice and a community, finding profound fulfillment in the freedom of expression, connection and healing that it offered. The next chapter of her life was revealed.
For the last 20 years, Shauna has been deeply committed to creating spaces for people to come together and dance—as a 5Rhythms movement teacher, resident DJ with Dance Temple, Embodiment Coach, as well as working in many community settings, with Dance Your Ability Therapeutic Movement Foundation, a non-profit organization she founded - providing inclusive, outreach based movement & dance programs, and a facilitator training, for all abilities & ages.
Rooted in nature and creativity, her journey has been shaped by more than 25 years of raising a family, a decade immersed in dance and culture in the Dominican Republic, many years of working professionally with textiles and in service - all experiences that have grounded her holistic and courageous approach to both life and the dance floor.
With gratitude, she acknowledges her tutelage under many teachers, including:
Banafsheh Sayyad (Dance of Oneness), Kathy Altman (Open Floor), and Gabrielle Roth (5Rhythms)
Based in British Columbia, Canada, Shauna gratefully lives in the Gulf Islands
with her partner and a blended family of 5 kids & 3 cats.
• Certification of Embodiment Coaching with Embodiment Unlimited 2023
• The Way of Council with Circles of Resilience
Practicing since 2006 - Level I 2023
• Elements of Truth: BEFORE RECONCILIATION kinSHIFT 2021
• Care Through Music Level I Music Care 2020
• Trauma Informed Practice Kim Barthel 2019
• Yoga Outreach CoreTraining™ 2014
• 5Rhythms® Accredited Teacher with Gabrielle Roth & Faculty 2010/11 - Practicing since 2005
• Zumba Instructor 2008
• Dance of Oneness with Banafsheh Sayyad ongoing study 2006
• BA in Latin American Studies & Spanish 1996
-with a Direct Studies on the Merengue Dance
• Level I & II Ski Instructor CSIA 1988 & 1991
• A student of guitar, frame drum, herbalism, and photography.
CERTIFICATIONS & TRAININGS:
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"Shauna Devlin is a great gift to both the conscious dance community and to this world.
She is generous, passionate and kind as well as being fun and very sassy. She has one of the biggest hearts I know, she cares deeply for others and is committed to making a difference. Her grounded and gentle presence encourages and inspires healing, growth readiness for change in those around her. "
-Anne Marie Hogya
Occupation Therapist & 5Rhythms Teacher -
"She is such a blessing to all of us and I cannot recommend her enough.
Shauna has been gracious enough to host a 5Rhythms class for women who have suffered sexual violence, and I have to say that although it is heartbreaking to see so many women in the same room with such heartache and grief... She has found a way to make all of our hearts sing and to lift us up in dance and connection."
-Margaret -
"With Shauna's guidance and selection of great music, I explored the untamed and wild woman within me and she was happy!
I noticed during Untamed Body and Mind I was still often in my head. During the Untamed Soul day, my soul finally danced freely. The sharing circles were fulfilling, reflection time much appreciated. Thank you for everything Shauna!
-Saskia de Q