✤ Learn the Art of Embodiment & Facilitation Skills ✤

→ Have you ever attended an Ecstatic Dance and wondered how the cohesive & potent feeling of community is created?

→ Have you been running conscious dance events yet feel that there is something missing, that your dancers want more?

→ Do you possess mad leadership skills, but lack embodiment training or the confident to hold the beginning/end of the dance?

 If you answered yes to any of these questions we invite you to join us in Spain this spring!  

The magical quality of Ecstatic & Conscious Dance is created in large part by the person who facilitates the dance. This role is called by many names: "Ceremony Leader", "Space Holder" or "Dance Facilitator". Regardless of the name, the role is the same: to guide the dancers, in an embodied way, into a musical set and when it has finished to guide them back out again, helping to ground and integrate the dancers journey.

✤Combine your own unique skill set with potent facilitation & embodiment tools designed to build community and get dancers into their bodies ✤

3 Pre-Training Modules (pre-recorded videos)

→ You will receive pre-recorded three hour classes: 3 modules for you to watch in your own time

→  Complete assignments/homework from these modules in the course manual before arriving in Spain.

→ This will give you the opportunity to learn the theory of facilitation so we can dive straight into the practice at our in-person training

6 Days In Person in Spain @ AMARA VALLEY RETREAT (2-7 May)

→ We will spend 6 days & 5 nights immersed in an interactive learning environment.

→ We will dive deep into the content of our 5 middle modules and teach you the 5 Pathways of Facilitation.

→ And much MUCH more. Read on below  to find full details.

3 Integration Sessions (online via Zoom on Wednesdays/May 24, June 14, June 21st)

→ We come together 3 more times (once a month) for online for a 3-hrs sessions via Zoom. We do this in order to integrate our learning. 

→ In these three session we will deliver  additional content, to track your progress, support each other & contine the learning with more assignments/homework (fun ones!) 

→ There will be lots of time for questions, discussion and of course a graduation ceremony as you  blossom into certified DTM facilitators.

The following is a brief outline of our curriculum which is delivered in 3 different formats:

3 PRE-RECORDED TRAINING MODULES 

✤ Module 01 - EMBODIMENT 

→ Explore the science of dance/movement and the psychosomatic intersection between body & mind

→ Learn why dance & music are so effective at creating meaningful community experiences and how to harness this potential

→ Use visualisation to make explicit your individual leadership skill-set and make a plan of how to meld them with embodiment practices

✤ Module 02 - CONTAINMENT 

→ Explore the role of facilitator; from the moment you walk into a venue until you walk back out into the street at the end of the dance

→ Move from the theoretical into the practical by discussing what is necessary to contain the spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual space of a dance event in real life, tangible ways

→ Discuss no-nonsense methods to deal with everyday joys and struggles which are common in conscious dance environments (an example: how to get people to not talk)

✤ Module 03 - HOMEBASE

→ Explore the role of facilitator; Holding a reverent opening and closing and what is important to consider during the musical set. 

→ Create a foundation for the role of facilitator with tangible skills to stay grounded and present even when things don’t go as planned. 

→ Discussion about practical ways to prepare your facilitation ideas and create timelines

6 DAYS IN-PERSON (2-7 May • Amara Valley Retreat Centre in Spain)

✤ Module 04 - BODY EXPLORATION

→ Learn the principles of Facilitation ‘Homebase’, the foundation you can return to, time and time again

→ Begin to explore DTM's 5 Pathways starting with Body Exploration, the most straightforward of all the pathways

→ Tips and tricks to explicitly draw attention to body parts, movements, sensations, impulses. In other words to "get dancers into the body" 

✤ Module 05 - PSYCHO-SOMATIC EXPLORATION

→ Explore the second of the 5 pathways which uses the entry points of emotions and emotional responses/experiences to build a bridge between body and mind

→ Discover how to use shared human experiences to encourage connection, coherence and community

→ Apply the principles of feeling our emotional "feelings" within the body as physical sensations, postures and movements ― the foundation of embodiment

✤ Module 06 - VISUALISATION

→ Discover the magic of the final of the DTM's 5 pathways, which taps into the imagination where we move beyond time, space, and ability and are limitless!

→ Visualisation techniques that encourage dancers to take what they have visualised and translate it into the physical body through movement

→ Explain how to create just enough structure to ignite the imagination but no more, allowing the dancer's to fill in as many of the blanks as possible

✤ Module 07 - SOCIAL ACTIVATION

→ Discuss humanity's need for social activation, to set aside individuality and move collectively from passive to active in confronting oppression and encouraging connection

→ Explore the uncomfortable side of social activation; encouraging dancers to take a stand; and the comfortable side, encouraging connection, dyads/triads/pods, and play!

→ Get real about our role as community leaders in encouraging collective action while staying non-political

✤ Module 08- RITUALIZATION

→ Demystify the base meaning of the word "ritual" and reveal how its essence is simply to make the ordinary extraordinary!

→ Model the use of gestures, words, actions, and/or objects within sequences to give it meaning and evoke a connection to something beyond our individual selves

→ Get real about how to ritualize without using religion, dogma, or resorting to appropriation

3 INTEGRATION SESSIONS (Via Zoom/Dates to be decided after in-person training)

✤ Module 09 -INTEGRATION 01 (May 24)

→ Integrate the information already delivered and build your knowledge bases with new content and core principles not yet covered. 

→ Speak with a special guests who has years of experience creating safe and fruitful containers for movement practices

→ Go over assignment/homework from Mod 08, discuss what was learned and receive the next assignment with roughly a month to complete it. 

✤ Module 10 -INTEGRATION 02  (June 14)

→ Integrate the information already delivered and build your knowledge bases with new content and core principles not yet covered. 

→ Speak with a new special guests who also has years of experience but in a different modality and with a different way of facilitating. 

→ Go over assignment/homework from Mod 09, discuss what was implemented and receive your final assignment.

✤ Module 11 - ONWARD (June 21st)

→ Offer you our final top tips and words of wisdom!

→ Give you a chance to ask the questions which have been left unanswered

→ And end our time together with our very own graduation ritual as you leave us as Certified DTM Facilitators ♡

Our in-person program is a blended training which consists of a total of 60+ hours of training as follows:

→ 3 x 3-hr pre-training modules (video recordings) before we come together in person
→ 6 full days/5 nights of in-person training
→ 3 x 3-hr integration modules (via Zoom) after the training
→ Dancing, live training sessions, small group discussion/support, opportunities to practise the skills you are learning, special guests with lots of time for Q&A
→ 200+ page manual including assignments, worksheets & resources
→ 6-month access to the recordings of the online sessions (Modules 01, 02, 03, 09, 10, 11)
→ A designated Facebook/WhatsApp group to continue weekly discussions, share resources and maintain connection with your cohorts and teachers
→ A graduation certificate & some extra goodies
→ A support network of fellow Certified DTM Dance Facilitators

 YOUR TEACHER

✤ BERNICE RAABIS (Nelson, BC - Founder of Dance the Medicine)

While now an experienced teacher of Ecstatic Dance Leaders, Bernice began humbly in a small dance studio nestled in the Kootenay Mountains of Western Canada. Here she ran bi-weekly events for over 8 years; Dance Church, a multi-generational Sunday morning dance, and Dance The Medicine, a conscious dance class based on Soul Motion, Movement-based Expressive Arts and Relational Somatic Therapy. By 2016 Bernice was working beyond her local community, co-founded Ecstatic Dance International and began hosting successful trainings and events in locations such as Amsterdam, Guatemala and Portugal. In addition to having DJed many Ecstatic Dances around the globe, she was also at the helm of our hugely popular Ecstatic DJ Conference this past May, gathering 200+ aspiring and professional DJs from all over the world. She is on a mission to infect the world with dance in hopes that everyone, everywhere, will one day have a place to dance in community.

SUPPORT TEAM

✤ Sophie Auber (Ecstatic Dance Montpelier)

✤ Renée Lacroix (Ecstatic Dance UK & Lisboa)

✤ Alex Sevilla (Ecstatic Dance Madrid)

✤ Esta Polyesta (Ecstatic Dance Amsterdam & Goa)

Amara Valley, located 15 minutes from Banyoles Spain, is the ideal place to retreat and connect with yourself, with nature, and with a vibrant conscious community. As a project dedicated to holistic health and well-being, Associació La Vida Verda supports everyone who comes here on their personal journey of healing, learning, and personal growth. 

This magical retreat centre is surrounded by oak forest, has a fully-equipped complex with a 120 m² dance space, meditation room, swimming pool, sauna, dining room, professional kitchen and several options of accommodation. (more on this below)

Regeneration of all aspects of Life and  sustainability is their of our main focuses. Amara is 100% off-grid, using renewable solar energy and contributing to the shift in human consciousness for a greener planet.

There’s nothing better than a recharging sauna session after a whole day of dancing and learning, followed by a jump into our stunning swimming pool with views over the Vall de Biert!

The lodging at Amara is comfortable and modern. You have the choice between a private suite, shared double rooms, a dormitory, glamping, camping or staying in your own van. 

Please see below for a more detailed description of each accommodation type. When you register for this training you will make your choice of accommodation. The cost of the accommodation will be added at check out. 

The Amara Kitchen will open up a new perception of healthy food! Your Full Meal plan includes; a large morning brunch; a substantial mid-day snack with smoothie; And finally a delicious hearty dinner. Meals are vegetarian and mostly gluten free. 

We choose this 2 big meals with one smaller in between to support digestion given the flow of our program. BE assured that no one goes hungry at Amara, snacks, teas and other beverages are always available. 

Amaras chefs are renowned for the outstanding quality of their dishes, and their attention to detail. Their menus are designed around seasonal, locally produced ingredients and we create dishes bursting with flavour, colour and nutritional goodness.

While allowances can be made for special diets and allergies, e.g. wheat-free, gluten- free, celiac, nut allergies etc.) if the kitchen is informed prior to arrival about your needs Amara cannot guarantee a kitchen suitable for severe celiacs. 

ADDRESS

Amara Valley Nature Retreat

Masía Can Coll, Carretera Pujarnol 14

17834 - Porqueres - Girona

Google Maps

• 15 mins from Banyoles

• 45 mins from Girona

• 100 mins from Barcelona

CLOSEST AIRPORTS

• Girona International Airport

• Barcelona International Airport

BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

There are reliable bus services running daily from Barcelona and Girona to Banyoles. You can find the timetables from Barcelona here.

Barcelona - Banyoles

Daily buses from c/ Pau Clarís, 117

One way trip - 14€

Girona - Banyoles

Daily hourly buses from RENFE train

One way trip - 2,65€

From Banyoles to Amara

Taxis cost 19-21€ per trip (depending on time of day and week) and should be booked 24-48hrs in advance. You can contact them directly:

Martí 679 745 257 

Eli 639 006 601

Pere 629 624 584

Sussi 609 284 872

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE

We ask you to arrive between 15:00-17:00 on May 2 to allow time to check-in, explore the grounds and settle in before we start. The training will start with dinner at 18:30 and will end at 14:00 on May 7.

WHAT TO BRING

- Headlamp (also known as head torches, these are really useful to walk around at night)

- Clothing suitable for dancing (every day we will dance)

- Clothing suitable for being in nature (every day we will be in nature)

- Comfortable outdoor shoes (lots of nature to explore) 

- Ear plugs (if sharing accommodation) 

- Toiletries (natural & biodegradable products please)

-Towel (unless you're booking a private room)

PAYMENT

A non-refundable deposit is required to book and secure your place. Balance due 30 days before retreat starts. Please carefully read our T&Cs as by booking on this training, you become legally bound by these terms.

FAQ’s

→ I'm coming from abroad. What are the current travel restrictions for entering Spain? As of 21 October 2022,  incoming travellers no longer need a negative test or proof of vaccination to enter Spain.

→ Will this training cover DJing? No, this is exclusively a Facilitator training. We will speak about music as many facilitators also provide musical soundscapes as part of their facilitation but we will not speak about the technical side of DJing. We DO however offer a DJ Training & a large collection of on-demand videos.

→ Will I receive a certification? If you complete the full training, absolutely!

→ For how long will the recordings be available? The videos will be available for you to watch for a period of 180 days from the day you register to the platform that hosts the videos.

→ I'm not sure which path is right for me. Can you advise me? Absolutely. Simply send us a message or email us at info@dancethemedicine.com 

→ What's your cancellation policy? In case of cancellation from your side, we don't offer any refunds, no matter the reason.

"Absolutely incredible. I loved this training course. I have learned so much that is applicable not just in terms of facilitating conscious dance, but about embodiment and the wider aspects and benefits of it. Also the importance of the role a Facilitator has both in a wider context (healing for humanity) and a smaller context (healing for the self and individuals) and even a little bit of physics! Ultimately I feel a part of something, a growing community and I cannot wait to contribute to this by taking this training forward.

→ Carli Thorpe - England

"Dance the Medicine prepared me with the tools to grow as an Ecstatic Dance leader and warrior! The container held, even online, was potent and full of space to explore the building blocks for the foundation of my dance. It was an honour to be a part of this community of conscious dance leaders. I now feel fully equipped to go out and infect my communities with the medicine of Dance!

→ Elissa Eskridge - Costa Rica

"Bernice and the DTM team are a knowledgeable, grounded and experienced group of teachers. They REALLY care about their students and it's obvious when you experience the quality of the production and information they share. They attract a huge variety of students and the opportunity to network during the course is high."

→ Rafaél Suvaii - Canada

"This was my second training with DTM. They have an amazing team of creative, down-to-earth and compassionate beings who succeed in creating such wonderfully supportive containers to meet everyone wherever they may be on their journey. It's personally been such a joyful ride so far and I have been given a great foundation to launch my own dance projects. Highly recommend you dive right in!

→ Venetia Clarke - Wales

"This training was outstanding. The content was very well thought out, relevant and rich. It filled in a lot of questions I've long held around how to do a great job leading conscious dance, but also provided examples of many different approaches. I loved connecting with people from all over who are passionate about the same thing as me."

→ Sarah Hall - USA