Are you ready to take the leap from playlist creation to professional DJing? Join us at DTM Ecstatic DJ Training! Knowing which songs to use, where to put them, and how to get from one song to the next while creating a compelling journey is what we teach! If you're eager to move beyond iTunes or Spotify and explore Traktor DJ software, you've found your match.
In this course, we cover a lot of ground! By the end, even reluctant beginners will be capable of DJing a set, ready to create enchanting musical journeys. The training starts with a thorough introduction to the basics of Traktor Software and DTM's unique Set Creation Model. From there, we'll take you on a step-by-step journey, mixing theoretical and technical sessions with practical sessions that provide an opportunity to put knowledge into practice, while always making time for group discussions, live demos, and, of course, dancing! Topics we’ll cover include;
→ Library management
→ Track sourcing
→ Waveform analysis
→ Understanding the beatgrid
→ Counting music & phrasing
→ Customising your DJ software
→ Using DJ controllers
→ Foundational transition skills
→ And much more
Some sessions get very hands-on and include individualised 1-on-1 sessions for each student, ensuring a rock-solid foundation, no matter where you are on your journey. Overall, we adapt our teaching to your cohort's skill level, interests, and specific requests, while maintaining the objectives of our established DTM DJ Training Curriculum. Our end goal is to create a unique and meaningful learning experience that helps you feel confident while having a lot of fun. Your journey into the art of DJing starts right here!
✤ Is our Beginner Ecstatic DJ Training Right for You?
→ Do you want to be a DJ?
→ Have you attended an Ecstatic Dance and wondered what it takes to create such a set?
→ Are you a conscious dance facilitator using iTunes/Spotify, ready to level up?
→ Do you organise Ecstatic Dance events and seek confidence to DJ at them?
→ Or perhaps you are an Ecstatic Dancer who would like to get more involved in the community?
→ Do you already work with Traktor software and want to go beyond the bare essentials?
→ Eager to learn alongside peers that understand the unique skills needed to DJ conscious dance, often overlooked in traditional DJ academies?
→ Do want to learn to DJ in a kind, supportive environment where you feel safe to risk asking those potentially “stupid” questions?
If the answer to any of these questions is YES! Join us in this Online Ecstatic DJ Beginner course designed specifically for conscious dance music professionals!
If you already know how to use DJ software and are interested in learning with the DTM Team, check out our ECSTATIC DJ CAMP (Oct 2023), our ONLINE INTERMEDIATE ECSTATIC DJ TRAINING (Apr 2024), and IN-PERSON ECSTATIC DJ TRAINING (Jun 2024)
✤ What to Expect at the Beginner Ecstatic DJ Training?
This 9-module training will take place on Wednesdays over a period of 9 weeks starting on 15th November 2023 and ending on 24th January 2024 (with a 2-week break on 20th and 27th December). Each 3-hour module blends lectures, mini dance sessions, assignment reviews, group discussions, and solo practice with personalised guidance from our DJ mentors.
You'll receive a 200+ page printable manual and workbook, rich with practical and theoretical knowledge, alongside spaces for your insights and those of your peers. Each module offers a homework task to enhance your understanding. You’ll be armed with knowledge and confidence to step behind the DJ booth and start crafting magical dance journeys.
✤ Times
→ Central European Time (UTC+1) 18:00-21:00 (Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin)
→ Western European Time (UTC+0) 17:00-20:00 (London, Lisbon)
→ Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5) 12:00-15:00 (New York, Montréal)
→ Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8) 9:00-12:00 (Los Angeles, Vancouver)
All sessions will be recorded and released within 48 hours to allow participants to catch up on any missed sessions and stay on track with content and assignments.
✤ Our Live Training Format is for you if...
→ You seek a vibrant learning cohort and future colleagues
→ You thrive when learning within a group setting
→ Your schedule is aligned with our live training hours
→ You value interaction with both instructors and fellow students
Our 9-module curriculum is designed to transform you into a confident DJ with strong foundational skills. Even a complete beginner will feel prepared to deliver magical music sets by the end of the course. Our expert team will guide you every step of the way, learning theory and technical skills, with each module building upon the last while we mix in interactive group discussions with your cohorts and our DTM DJ mentors, with loads of Q&A opportunities to quench your curiosities.
Notably, in modules 04, 06, and 08, the learning is very hands-on. Each student benefits from a 20-minute 1-on-1 session with a DTM DJ Coach, meeting you exactly where you are at and addressing challenges that prevent you from moving forward.
✤ Module 01 • THE BIG PICTURE (15 Nov)
→ Introduction to the team, your cohorts and first small group check-in
→ DTM's Conscious/Ecstatic Dance Set Creation Model (aka the 'The Magic Carpet Ride')
→ Demystify DJ Software: an introduction to Traktor Pro3 DJ software
✤ Module 02 • IMPORTING + PREFERENCES (22 Nov)
→ Importing: Best practices for getting your music into Traktor
→ Group continuity: Making sure everyone is ready for the technical part of the course
→ 1-on-1 with DTM DJ Coach + group practice with DTM DJ Mentors
✤ Module 03 • SET CREATION + BROWSER (29 Nov)
→ Introduction to set creation, with focus on crafting the ‘Body of the Set’
→ Exploring set creation tools, and what determines the energy level of a track
→ A deeper dive into Traktor browser, library organization, and file management
✤ Module 04 • CONTROLLERS + INTRO TO PRE-CUEING (06 Dec)
→ DJ controller/console 101: A basic intro to the Traktor S2 MK3
→ Intro to counting music
→ 1-on-1 with DTM DJ Coach + group practice with DTM DJ Mentors
✤ Module 05 • TRACKS + DECKS (13 Dec)
→ Tracks! When to use them, how to find them and where to buy them!
→ Demystifying track formats and golden tips for track selection
→ Deck layout, track decks, waveform
✤ Two Session Break (20 & 27 Dec)
✤ Module 06 • INTRO TO TRANSITIONS (03 Jan)
→ Introduction to the phrasing
→ Group check-in, mini-lesson, and practice instructions
→ 1-on-1 with DTM DJ Coach + group practice with DTM DJ Mentors
✤ Module 07 • FOUNDATIONAL TRANSITION SKILLS + MIXER (10 Jan)
→ Intro to three basic transitions: Intro/Outro, Drop on the 1 and Syncing
→ Top tips, shortcuts and lowering stress, so you can have more fun!
→ Deep dive into the mixer section of Traktor Pro 3 and your controller
✤ Module 08 • MORE TRANSITIONS SKILLS (17 Jan)
→ Stacking transition skills to create seamless mixes
→ Group check-in, mini-lesson, & practice instructions
→ 1-on-1 with DTM DJ Coach + group practice with DTM DJ Mentors
✤ Module 09 • ONWARD (24 Jan)
→ Filling in the gaps: Best practices to step into the world as a DJ
→ Final bits of wisdom from our DJ Coaches: Top tips + Q&A
→ We will end our time together with a graduation ritual ♥
Opt for our Self-led Online Ecstatic DJ Training and gain immediate access to a comprehensive 200+ page manual paired with engaging video content. The course is structured into 9 modules, culminating in a total of 24 hours of video learning. Furthermore, for a span of 9 months, you'll have unrestricted access to video content. To slightly personalise your learning experience, we also offer a free 45-minute 1-on-1 coaching session with a teacher of your preference.
✤ The Self-led Training Format is for you if…
→ You enjoy learning at a pace that suits your personal needs.
→ You absorb knowledge better when studying independently
→ Your schedules make it challenging to attend our live training sessions? (to the Aussies and Kiwis out there!)
→ You are seeking a more cost-effective learning opportunity
→ You don’t require/desire certification
If this sounds like you, then there is no need to wait. Gain instant access to our Self-Led DJ Training program and start your DJ journey today!
✤ BERNICE RAABIS • Founder of Dance The Medicine
Having begun humbly in the Kootenay Mountains of Western Canada, Bernice is now a respected mentor for Conscious Dance Leaders across the globe. Her journey started with hosting Dance Church for over ten years, where she harnessed her expertise from training in various disciplines, including Soul Motion, Movement Based Expressive Therapy (The Life Art Process), and Relational Somatic Therapy. These were brought together to nurture her local multi-generational dance community, which flourished and surpassed even her most ambitious expectations.
In 2016, she stretched her wings co-founding Ecstatic Dance International, facilitating successful leadership trainings in the US, the Netherlands, Guatemala, and Portugal. Driven to incorporate DJ and dance facilitation skills into available trainings, she used the name of her unique practice, and founded Dance The Medicine, a collective of accomplished conscious dance professionals determined to infect the world with dance.
While Bernice loves DJing and creating transformative events, her deepest fulfilment comes from facilitating deep somatic processes using a combination of dance, art, and ritual; to help dancers find freedom through connection to self, community and humanity.
✤ ALEX SEVILLA • Resident DJ @ Ecstatic Dance Madrid & Co-teacher @ DTM DJ TRAINING
After more than two decades behind the decks as club DJ, Alex stumbled upon conscious dance. This encounter reshaped not only his personal life but also his profession. He soon traded in his career as a computer engineer to become a conscious dance entrepreneur, sharing his passion for dance, music, and consciousness with the world. Stepping into his new life, to become a resident DJ at Templo del Baile, a monthly conscious club in his hometown Madrid, regularly attended by over 200 dancers. Two years later, an invitation to play Ecstatic Dance Madrid, enabled him to take his sets to the next level.
During the pandemic, it became Alex’ mission to help the worldwide Ecstatic Dance community by navigating the technical challenges of live-streaming dance and music events as we all struggled to fulfil our need to dance during lockdown. Post-restrictions, he facilitated in-person dancing again by offering donation-based sessions in the streets of Spain, giving birth to a monthly gathering known as La Plaga del Baile (The Plague of Dance) In May 2020, Dance The Medicine recognized Alex’ talent and generous nature recruiting him as a teacher and tech guru during their first Ecstatic DJ Conference. He has been with us ever since, lucky DTM!
✤ FABIO FREDDI (DJRonin) • Ecstatic Dance DJ, Dance Facilitator & Founder of Ecstatic Dance Italy
Fabio, or DJRonin, brings over a decade of professional DJing experience, starting as a turntablist, competing in international scratch competitions, and touring with Italian hip hop artists. However, a profound awakening revealed music as a transformational force for healing and personal growth, and drastically altered his course in life.
He pursued studies in transpersonal psychology and shamanism, and ultimately fused these insights with his DJing expertise. Now, he masterfully merges his knowledge, skills, in facilitation and DJing for Conscious and Ecstatic Dances and mentors DJs and musicians tap into their intuitive power and combine it with technical know-how.
After participating in the DTM Leadership Training in 2018, Fabio established Ecstatic Dance Italy. Aside from his musical leadership, Fabio excels in group settings, serving as a transpersonal counsellor and Biotransergetics facilitator. His unique blend of music, psychology, and spiritual insight, Fabio places him as a forward-thinking and transformative leader in the conscious dance scene. Since DTM’s inception, he’s been an integral member, representing Italy within our international ranks.
✤ AMRIT DHILLON (Amritaji) • DTM DJ Coach, Founder of Ecstatic Dance Milwaukee & Resident DJ @ Ecstatic Dance Salt Like City
✤ MICHELLE MALOU (MALOU)• DJ Mentor • Event Organiser, Resident DJ @ Ecstatic Dance Coimbra & Founder of Devotional Dance
As curator of ecstatic experiences, MALOU extends a loving invitation to a deep exploration of emotions and senses. Her music—a globally-inspired fusion of organic and ethno-futuristic frequencies—provides an aural vision of unified, evolved humanity. Known for her surprise-filled Ecstatic Dance sets, MALOU harnesses the power of sonic alchemy to foster connection, catalyse healing and promote pleasure.
Her musical journey starts In 2016, when a burnout led her to the healing power of dance, and she embarked on a journey into the world of embodiment that would change her life forever. After actively participating in the global Ecstatic Dance community, she founded one of South America's first Ecstatic Dances in 2018. Transitioning traditional DJs to Ecstatic Dance DJs proved challenging, leading her to embrace the unexpected calling to become a DJ herself. When 2020 disrupted the world, she went to Portugal and continued to follow her dream underground.
Since then, cleverly fuses her talent for event production, leadership, marketing, DJ-ing and facilitation to craft high quality transformative experiences, while consulting conscious entrepreneurs globally. Eventually, during a spiritual quest in the Brazilian jungle in 2023, she serendipitously connected with DTM through digital means, completing the Dance Facilitator Training later that year.
→ How do I know if I am a beginner or an Intermediate student?
If you know how to use DJ software well enough that you could play at a dance or a party comfortably while improvising, this is likely not the course for you. If you have played at parties or at a dance with a playlist created in iTunes or on a streaming service, then this IS the course for you. The main difference between the two courses is how well you can use DJ software. Even those who have been using it for years but only know the bare essentials would benefit most from joining the beginner course. If you would like to talk to someone who will help you decide, please email info@dancethemedicine If you feel you would be better served in an intermediate course, check out our IN-PERSONECSTATICJ CAMP (Oct 2023), ONLINE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL ECSTATIC DJ TRAINING (Apr 2024) & IN PERSON ECSTATIC DJ TRAINING (Jun 2024)
→ Will I receive a certification?
Only those taking the training live via Zoom will be certified and receive a certificate. We do not certify those who take the course self-paced, as we have no way of knowing whether they have completed the course and homework. If this is an issue for you, please contact us, so we can discuss it.
→ What gear/software do I need?
You will be required to download and install the latest version of Traktor Pro 3 (software). If you wish to purchase a controller (hardware), we recommend Traktor Kontrol S2, which comes with Traktor Pro 3 software. It is an entry-level controller and likely the easiest DJ controller to learn on; however, you can use any brand/model of DJ controller that is compatible with Traktor Pro 3 for this training. While you are not required to have a DJ controller/console for this course, you will get far more out of the course if you do have one. We offer our students a 25% discount on all Native Instruments' Traktor products.
→ For how long will the recordings be available?
The video recordings will be available for you to watch for a period of 9 months.
→ I'm not sure which path is right for me. Can you advise me?
Absolutely! Simply send us a message here on WeTravel or email us at info@dancethemedicine.com
→ What's your cancellation & refund policy?
In case of cancellation from your side, we don't offer any refunds, regardless of the reason.
"The Beginners DJ School not only fulfilled my dream of being a DJ, but it allowed me to develop and create my own music/dance medicine flavor for the world to experience. I'm so excited about what is ahead for me, and I know that I am in good hands: the people I met are so incredible, we will forever be connected and follow each other's journey, and that in itself is a gift!"
→ Maïté Azarov • San Francisco, USA
"Overall, it went beyond my expectations. I thought I would just learn how to be a DJ. But I found a community, support, and courage to be strong, daring and me! This training gave me balance in my daily life, allowing me to incorporate music, dance and DJ sessions. I improved fast and am shocked at where I am today: having released a first set. Now I am thrilled and scared to be on my own for my DJ journey, even though I feel the support still present from DTM and the whole group. So much advice on “do it your own way” “get inspired by others but remain yourself” “just do it!” “Some might criticize or judge, but they are not doing it, you are!” still resonates and allows me to feel that I can do it and that my music is worth being heard and dancing to! I don’t have to be the perfect expert or the greatest musician to be allowed to create sets and share them with people willing to dance to it. I am thankful for the diversity in our group, of age, gender, race and styles, countries and cultures. It was so great to meet all those people, not even knowing what job they might have, but knowing what music they dance to!"
→ Héloïse Ferber • Bagnolet, France
"For me, the training gave me more than foundation skills for DJing, but led me to bust through some self-conscious patterns. It was a rewarding journey on many levels, and I wasn't expecting that! Everyone in the group, the teachers and assistants are just so lovely and unpretentious, it made participating so much easier. I couldn't have wished for better people to learn these skills, and I'm already using them out here in the world, so it's very exciting. Thank you, DTM!"
→ Venetia Clarke • Wales, UK
"This course was an amazing experience. I am so grateful to the teachers who share the technical and artistic aspects beautifully - even online - which is no easy task! They are so understanding of what it feels like to be a beginner with this technology and take the time to break things down in a fun, gradual way that helps you actually get it! The welcoming environment helps you feel comfortable to relax into your own learning style/pace, and also digest the content and ask questions as needed. I felt like we all bonded deeply, and it was delightful to cheer each other on as we each launched our first recorded mixes."
→ Joy Balsam • Santa Fe, USA
→ The full experience: Live classes, interactive breakout groups, DJ demos, somatic based activities, and comprehensive Q&A sessions
→ 9 content-packed modules, offering a total of 27 hours of learning
→ A robust +200-page manual complete with weekly assignments, worksheets, and vital resources
→ 12 carefully curated tracks to kick-start your collection
→ 25% discount voucher on Traktor hardware products
→ 1-on-1 sessions during training with a DTM DJ Coach.
→ Complete access to class recordings, available 48 hours after each live session.
→ An exclusive WhatsApp group to foster vibrant discussions, resource sharing, and networking opportunities with your classmates
→ A graduation certificate acknowledging your accomplishment
→ An enduring network of supportive, fellow Ecstatic DJs
→ Your graduation gift is a set evaluation from one of the DTM DJ Coaches. On request, any time until 6 months after graduation.