Our Ecstatic DJ School simultaneously offers a Beginner and an Intermediate track for you to choose from. If you're not sure which level is right for you, fill in this survey. 

This 9-module training will take place on Tuesdays over a period of 10 weeks (with a 1-week break before Easter). Training begins on March 22 and ends on May 24.

✤ Central European Summer Time (UTC+2) 18:00-21:00 (Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin)

✤ Western European Summer Time (UTC+1) 17:00-20:00 (London, Lisbon)

✤ Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4) 12:00-15:00 (New York, Montréal)

✤ Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7) 9:00-12:00 (Los Angeles, Vancouver) 

All sessions will be recorded and released within 48 hours to allow participants to make up any missed sessions and stay on track with content and assignments. 

BEGINNER CURRICULUM

 (scroll down for Intermediate level)  

✤ So you want to be a DJ? Join a small cohort of burgeoning DJs in our course designed specifically for conscious/Ecstatic Dance musicians & facilitators ✤ 

→ Have you attended an Ecstatic Dance and wondered what it takes to create and deliver a conscious dance DJ set?

→ Do you already put together an Ecstatic/Conscious playlists and are ready to take the leap to technical DJ software?

→ Are you a conscious dance facilitator or Ecstatic Dance organiser who is looking for more confidence about the musical side of things ?

→ Do you want to learn to DJ in a kind, supportive environment where you feel safe to risk asking those potentially “stupid” question? 

Knowing what songs to use, where to put them and how to get from one song to the next is what we teach! If you are ready to take the leap from iTunes or Spotify into Traktor DJ software then this course is for you. DTM’s Ecstatic DJ School teaches emergently. We plan and deliver curriculum by responding to your specific cohorts skill level, interests and requests, while fulfilling the learning objectives set out in our live DTM Ecstatic DJ Training.  

We will start with an intro into the basics of DJ software, moving on to deliver key concepts that build upon each other. Our end goal is to create a totally unique and meaningful learning experience that helps you feel confident as you begin this journey towards DJhood! 

WHAT WE WILL COVER

• DTM’s Unique Conscious/Ecstatic Dance Set Creation Theory
• Music Management, Library Organization & Browsing
• Tracks! : How to find them, where to buy them & when to use them
• Waveform, Counting Music and Phrasing
• 5 instructional classes covering both Theoretical and Technical content; lessons, discussions and QnA. Topics covered include:
  • Intro to DJ Software : Demystifying Traktor Pro 3
  • Building Setlists in Traktor Software
  • Intro to DJ controllers/consoles : The important buttons, knobs and sliders
  • Intro to Preferences : Learn to customize your DJ software
  • How to import, load & grid tracks (don’t worry, we will teach you what this means!)
  • Intro to looping, EQ’ing and cue points
  • Basic Transitions:
    • Intro/Outro 
    • Drop on the 1
    • Syncing
• 4 Transitions sessions: Every second module we will focus on transition skills
  • We will check in and have a mini lesson before we go into our:
  • 1-on-1's with a DTM DJ Coach (each students gets 2 during the training) 
  • Group Practice with DTM DJ Mentors
• And more! Our emergent style of teaching delivers a curriculum unique to your cohort over 9 modules within a supportive and fun environment.

INTERMEDIATE CURRICULUM

✤ For established DJs and conscious dance music makers. Join a small cohort of colleagues to up-level skills and fill in the blanks in your DJ tool kit ✤

→ Are you an Ecstatic Dancer and musician who wants to get more involved in the dance community as an Ecstatic DJ? 

→  Do you feel comfortable with the technical side of DJ software but are unsure how to put together an Ecstatic/Conscious set? 

→  Are you an established conscious Dance Facilitator or Ecstatic dance organizer looking to take your DJ skills to the next level and feel more comfortable behind the decks?

→  Would you like to learn alongside peers who understand skills specific to conscious dance DJing, which are not understood in a traditional DJ academy environment?

What makes conscious/Ecstatic DJ sets different from those played at regular dance parties or nightclubs? Mixed BPM/genre sets created with expansive intros and spacious outros allow dancers to move through a full spectrum dance journey; inward towards connection with self, outward into a dance practice among community, and finally, onward, into the world having been somehow changed by the dance. Knowing what tracks to use, where to put them and how to get from one track to the next is what we teach!

DTM’s EDJ School teaches emergently. We plan and deliver curriculum by responding to your specific cohorts skill level, interests and requests. While we aim to fulfill the learning objectives set out in our programming, our ultimate goal for the intermediate level is a uniquely curated group learning experience. We want you to leave this training with the skills you wanted to learn and having filled in the blanks you didn’t even know existed. 

WHAT WE WILL COVER

• DTM’s Unique Conscious/Ecstatic Dance Set Creation Theory
• Music Management, Library Organization & Browsing
• Tracks! : How to find them, Where to buy them & When to use Them
• Waveform, Counting Music and Phrasing
• 5 Instructional classes covering both Theoretical and Technical content; lessons, discussions and Q&A. Topics covered include:
  • Alex’s Traktor Pro 3 Top Tips: Streamline Workflow, Lower Stress & Have Fun!
  • Playing Live, Reading the Room and Improvisation
  • DJ Controllers : Learn what ALL the Buttons, Knobs & Sliders do.
  • A Deep Dive into Preferences: Getting your DJ software set-up just right!
  • Best Practices for Setting Cue/Load/Grid/Loop points & Beatgridding
  • Intermediate Transitions 
    • Seamless Mixing: Combining Basic Transition Techniques 
    • Filtering/EQ/FX
    • Looping: Why to pre-set them & how to set them on the fly
    • Harmonic Mixing
• 4 Transition/Practice sessions: Every second module we will focus on transition skills
  • We will check in and have a mini lesson before we go into our:
  • 1-on-1's with a DTM DJ Coach (each students gets 2 during the training) 
  • Group Practice with DTM DJ Mentors
• And more! Our emergent style of teaching delivers a curriculum unique to your cohort over 9 modules within a supportive and fun environment.

PROGRAM: BEGINNER & INTERMEDIATE

✤ 01 - BIG PICTURE (March 23)

→ Meet the team, your cohorts and check-in with your small group for the first time

→ DTM's Conscious/Ecstatic Dance Set Creation Model (aka the 'The Magic Carpet Ride')

→ Beginner: Demystify DJ Software: An Introduction to Traktor Pro3 DJ software 

→ Intermediate: Dive into Traktor Pro 3 DJ software to establish common ground and go over the basics

✤ 02 - TRANSITION 01 (March 30)

→ Group check-in, mini-lesson, & practice instructions 

→ Practice Time: 1-on-1 with a DTM DJ Coach + Group Practice with help from DTM DJ Mentors

→ An “Ask Alex!” Q&A session to end

✤ 03 - SET CREATION + BROWSER (April 6)

→ Reviewing Set Creation, with focus on creating the ‘Body of the Set’

→ Exploring Set Creation Tools & what determines the energy level of a track

→ A deeper dive into your Traktor browser including library organization & file management

✤ 1-WEEK BREAK FOR EASTER ✤

✤ 04 - TRANSITION 02 (April 20)

→ DJ Controller/Console 101: A basic intro to the Traktor S2 MK2 and the S2 MK3

→ Practice Time: 1-on-1 with a DTM DJ Coach + Group Practice with help from DTM DJ Mentors

→ Q&A and an intro to counting music

✤ 05 - TRACKS + DECKS (April 27)

→ Tracks! When to use them, how to find them and where to buy them!

→ Beginner: Demystifying track formats plus Tips & Tricks for track selection 

→ Intermediate: Cue points, Loops & Beatgridding 

→ Deck Layout, Track Decks, Waveform & how it relates to counting music and phrasing

✤ 06 - TRANSITIONS 03 (May 4)

→ Group check-in, mini-lesson, & practice instructions 

→ Practice Time: 1-on-1 with a DTM DJ Coach + Group Practice with help from DTM DJ Mentors

→ An “Ask Alex!” Q&A session to end

✤ 07 - TRANSITIONS & MIXER (May 11)

→ Beginner: Intro to three basic transitions: Intro/Outro, Drop on the 1 and Syncing

→ Intermediate: Filtering, EQing, FX, Looping & Harmonic Mixing

→ Top tips: Practice makes perfect, short cuts and lowering stress so you can have more fun!

→ Deep dive into the Mixer section of Traktor Pro 3 and your controller

✤ 08 - TRANSITIONS 04 (May 18)

→ Group check-in, mini-lesson, & practice instructions 

→ Practice Time: 1-on-1 with a DTM DJ Coach + Group Practice with help from DTM DJ Mentors

→ An “Ask Alex!” Q&A session to end

✤ 9 - ONWARD (May 25)

→ Beginner: Filling in the gaps: How to step out into the world as “DJ” with best practices 

→ Intermediate: Playing Live, Reading the Room and Improvisation

→ Final bits of wisdom from DJ Coaches:  final top tips + Q&A

→ We will end our time together with a graduation ritual ♥

We will divide our 3-hour sessions between:

• Lectures and demonstrations following DTM’s step by step methodology. 
• Mini dance sessions
• Small group check ins, discussion and assignment review
• Solo practice in a group setting with 1 on 1 help available from DTM DJ Mentors
• Two 1-on-1 sessions with a DTM DJ Coach
• We make time each day for Q&A

YOUR TEACHERS

✤ BERNICE RAABIS (Founder of Dance the Medicine)

While now an experienced teacher of Conscious  Dance Leaders, Bernice began humbly in a small dance studio nestled in the Kootenay Mountains of Western Canada. Here she ran twice weekly events for over 8 years; Dance Church, a multi-generational Sunday morning dance, and Dance The Medicine, a conscious dance class based on a fusion of Soul Motion, Movement-based Expressive Arts and Somatic Therapy. By 2016 Bernice was working well beyond her local community, she co-founded Ecstatic Dance International and began hosting international trainings and events in 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 in May 2020, 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.  

✤ ALEX SEVILLA (Ecstatic Dance Madrid)

After more than two decades behind the decks, Alex stumbled upon conscious dance 5 years ago, and went on to change his entire professional life as  an engineer and entrepreneur to share his passion for dance and music.  His career began as a resident DJ at Templo del Baile, a monthly conscious club in his hometown Madrid, with over 200 dancers.  After 2 years, he was invited to play for Ecstatic Dance Madrid, where  he was able to take his sets to the next level. During the pandemic, his  mission was to help the Ecstatic Dance community worldwide by helping organisers to move to the challenging world of live-streaming. Once the  lockdowns were over, he set out to make people dance in person again by  offering donation-based sessions in the streets of Spain, a monthly event now known as La Plaga del Baile (The Plague of Dance). Dance The Medicine recruited him as a teacher  and tech support during their first Ecstatic DJ Conference in May 2020,  where he has been working ever since, sharing all his know-how and passion.

Q&A

→ What gear/software do I need? 

Beginner: 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 03 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. 

Intermediate: Our teachers will demonstrate and teach exclusively on Traktor Pro 3 software. While you are not required to download and install Traktor Pro 3 (if you use other DJ software), you will get far more out of this course if you do. If you wish to purchase a DJ controller (hardware), we recommend Traktor Kontrol S2 (which comes with Traktor Pro 3) as an entry-level controller, or the Traktor Kontrol S4 if you want to choose something more professional. You may use any brand/model of DJ controller/console you wish for the training.

→ How do I know which course (Beginner or Intermediate) is right for me? You will know best where you fit. Sometimes it is best to take a very basic  course in order to hone our skills and have an opportunity to feel  confident. At other times, we need to throw ourselves off the deep end  and jump before we feel ready. We are confident that anyone of any level could learn a lot for either of our courses. However, if you would like our input please take this survey and we will get back to you to discuss which course is right for you. 

→ For how long will the recordings be available? The video recordings will be available for you to watch for a period of 180 days.

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

TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR GRADUATES

"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 others' 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 myself! This training gave me balance in my daily life, allowing me to incorporate music, dance and DJ sessions. I improved fast and am shocked to 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 resonate and allow me to feel that I can do it and that my music is worth being heard and danced to! I don’t have to be the perfect expert or the greatest musicians 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. 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 (Sante Fe, USA)

Very much looking forward to meeting you!

Bernice, Alex & the DTM team