✤ Learn the art of embodiment and develop somatic skills to confidently guide people deeper into their bodies through the transformative power of dance.

Have you ever attended a conscious dance event and wondered how such a powerful and cohesive feeling of community is created? This potent group field is due, in large part, to the somatic skills of an embodied facilitator. This role is called by many names: "Ceremony Leader'', "Space Holder" or "Dance Facilitator". Regardless of the name, the role is the same: guide dancers, in an embodied way, into a dance journey, stay present with them throughout, and guide them back out again while grounding and integrating the experience.

Get ready for an immersive 7-day experience at the Quinta São José dos Montes. Here, within 20 hectares over the Albufeira de Castelo do Bode, we'll dive into an intensive exploration of the 5 Pathways, DTM’s flexible framework designed to simplify the creation of exercises and classes while inspiring new ideas to lead dancers in conscious dance sessions, including but not limited to Ecstatic Dance. This isn't just any training; it's a journey towards self-embodiment and an opportunity to hone the facilitation skills you already possess while learning new concepts to level up your offerings.

Imagine confidently stepping into the role of trusted facilitator, guiding others to let loose and experience healing, connection, and joy through dance. As part of our vibrant learning community, you'll enhance your existing skills with proven somatic tools and our 5 Pathways Framework, shaping you into a unique, embodied dance facilitator. In this fun and yet respectful environment, you'll not only develop your skills, but also build lasting friendships and a supportive network that extends beyond the training. You'll be joining a diverse cohort, from fellow dancers to DJs, psychologists, yoga teachers, and breathwork instructors, all eager to weave embodiment and somatic techniques into their work.

✤ Is our Dance Facilitator Training for you?

→ Are you a passionate dancer eager to become more involved in the conscious dance scene? 

→ Do you have mad leadership skills, but lack the embodiment training you need to confidently hold space for dance events?

→ Perhaps you're a seasoned dance facilitator looking to diversify your skills, be inspired, and find new opportunities?
→ Are you in the wellness or movement profession keen to deepen your connection with dance and embodiment?
→ Are you a therapist curious about integrating movement-based practices into your sessions?

→ Have you been running conscious dance events like Ecstatic Dance and feel the need to enhance the overall experience for your dancers?

→ Do you host events and want to boost your facilitation skills to capture that distinct feeling of containment for which Ecstatic Dance is celebrated?

If the answer is YES to any of these questions, join the DTM Dance Facilitator Training. Combine your own unique skill set with potent facilitation techniques and somatic tools designed to get people into their bodies, create transformative experiences, and build a sense of community and belonging. 

✤ What to Expect at our in-person Dance Facilitator Training?
Our 7-day In-Person Dance Facilitator Training is delivered in a harmoniously integrated structure:

Kick-off with 3 Pre-Training Modules:

8+ hours of pre-recorded content to lay a robust foundation in facilitation theory before we come together in person. Each module is paired with assignments from the course manual. We will recap this content together on the first day of the in person training. 

Deep Immersion, Quinta São José dos Montes Retreat Center in Tomar, Portugal (May 19 to 25, 2025):

For 7 transformative days and 6 nights, we immerse ourselves in an interactive learning environment. We'll deep dive into the essence of our 5 core modules learning experientially first, then later pulling back the curtain to explain in detail what was done during the facilitation and why. We call this time together the '5 Pathways Intensive'. Keep reading for a comprehensive overview. 

Round-up with 2 post-training sessions online via Zoom 

After the in-person portion of the training, we come together two more times in 3-hour online sessions. We do this to allow time to integrate the learning, provide fresh teachings and foster personal growth. This space also serves as a hub for ongoing support, enabling interactive discussions, addressing questions, and presenting further assignments to deepen understanding. Plus, we'll give you an access to the recorded classes so you have a valuable reference for the future. 

PRE-RECORDED TRAINING MODULES 

✤ Module 01 • EMBODIMENT

→ Explore the science of dance/movement and its intersection with the body-mind connection 

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

→ Uncover your unique leadership skill-set and create a plan to incorporate somatic methods and embodiment techniques.

✤ Module 02 • CONTAINMENT

→ Explore the role of facilitator; from the moment they walk into a venue until they walk back out again 

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

→ No-nonsense methods to deal with the everyday joys and struggles which are common in conscious dances (e.g. how to encourage people to remain non-verbal)

✤ Module 03 • HOMEBASE 

→ Explore the foundational role of facilitation, which is to hold a reverent opening and closing, while steering the collective experience during the dance journey.

→ Tangible skills to stay grounded and present even when things don’t go as planned.

→ Practical ways to prepare your facilitation ideas and create timelines 

7-DAY IN-PERSON TRAINING (@ Quinta São José dos Montes Retreat Center in Tomar, Portugal)

✤ Module 04 • BODY EXPLORATION

→ Introduction to DTM's 5 Pathways

→ Diving into Body Exploration, the most straightforward of the pathways

→ Ways to explicitly draw attention to body parts, movements, sensations, and impulses. AKA "getting dancers into the body".

✤ Module 05 • PSYCHO-SOMATIC EXPLORATION

→ Explore the second pathway, integrating body and mind by embodying emotions and key themes through dance.

→ Using shared human experiences to encourage connection, coherence, and community

→ Linking emotions to sensations, postures and movements—the foundation of embodiment

✤ Module 06 • VISUALISATION

→ Tapping into the realm of imagination to move beyond time, space, and abilities
→ Visualization techniques that encourage dancers to translate their visions into expressive physical movement 

→ Facilitation that ignites imagination, while leaving space for dancers to fill in the blanks 

✤ Module 07 • SOCIAL ACTIVATION

→ Explore social activation, its vital role in collective action and the universal need for human connection

→ The comfortable and uncomfortable aspects of social activation, acknowledging the need for both in a healthy community.

→ Facilitators as community leaders to encourage non-political community action

✤ Module 08 • RITUALISATION

→ Demystifying the base meaning of the word "ritual" and applying it to the act of facilitation
→ Using gestures, words, actions, and/or objects within sequences to create meaningful experiences and connection between community members
→ Getting real, and learning to ritualize without religious, dogma or cultural appropriation

✤ Module 09 • INTEGRATION 01 

→ Integrate learnings from the six days in Tomar

→ Review in-person experience, extract foundational principles, and receive post-training assignment  

→ Graduation ceremony

POST-TRAINING SESSIONS (Online via Zoom)

✤ Module 10 • INTEGRATION 02 (12 June)

→ Review assignment, discuss implementations, and Q&A

→ SPECIAL GUESTS! A panel of seasoned dance facilitators share insights and stories

→ Enhance your facilitation skills by filling in the gaps and addressing unexplored topics

✤ Module 11 • ONWARD 

→ Update and expand knowledge bases and Q&A

→ Final tips and words of wisdom

→ A final ritual to mark the end of our shared journey... or until we meet again in Level 02.

✤ 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!

✤ ESTA POLYESTA • Co-teacher @ DTM, Global Ecstatic Dance DJ & Dance Facilitator, Event Organizer & Resident DJ @ Ecstatic Dance Amsterdam & Ecstatic Dance Goa 

Introducing Esta, your globe-trotting full time professional DJ and ceremony leader from Amsterdam. While she found her passion for music and dance early in life, she waited until 2005 to share her talent with the world. Nearly two decades later, Esta is celebrated for her significant influence on global beats, world music, and Ecstatic Dance, extending her reach from Russia to Thailand, USA to India, and beyond. Her playful facilitation and adventurous sets invite expression, connection, and joy have enchanted crowds worldwide. 

Esta's expertise isn't confined to the decks; Her versatile skill set includes ritual design,  music production, and Trance Dance facilitation. She showed her entrepreneurial prowess by pioneering Ecstatic Dance at Odessa and co-organising both Ecstatic Dance Amsterdam and Ecstatic Dance Ruigoord. She further shapes the Ecstatic Dance scene by offering 1-on-1 mentorship of emerging DJs and conscious leaders and teaching in several DTM trainings.

Esta's collaboration with DTM stretches back to the very first live DJ Training when she was hired as DJ Coach after Bernice stumbled across her play on a pirate ship. As one of DTM's first team members, she's been instrumental in shaping its identity as professional, fun, and supportive, and remains a crucial team member until this day.

✤ SOPHIE AUBER • DJ Mentor & Founder of Ecstatic Dance Montpellier  

Meet Sophie, a DJ, Ecstatic Dance and Movement of Life facilitator, Yoga teacher, and Self-love coach who is passionate about the art of movement and music. As the founder of Ecstatic Dance Montpellier and Ocytocine (an outdoor silent disco Ecstatic Dance), she's been serving up captivating musical journeys that make the soul dance for several years. 

Having completed all three DTM trainings (Leadership, DJ, and Dance Facilitator), Sophie is one of DTM’s first triple graduates. She joined us with over 15 years of experience in the healing arts, empowering others to unlock their innate potential through dance, embodiment, and mindfulness.  

She inspires individuals to root themselves in their own lives, bravely embody authenticity, journey into unexplored dimensions of their being, love themselves unabashedly, and re-ignite the thrill of being authentic.

✤ IONA MCNIEL • DJ, Authentic Relating Facilitator, Event Organizer & Founder of Ecstatic Playground London
In her passionate journey to foster authentic and embodied connections between people,  Iona has sculpted a vibrant path steeped in dance and community engagement. This path became intertwined with dance more significantly in 2018 when she participated in the Ecstatic DJ Training in Portugal, followed by the Online Dance Facilitator Training. Her belief in the transformative power of dance, not only as a tool for self-development, but also community building, solidified during her Dance Movement Psychotherapy studies at Goldsmiths University.

During the pandemic, Iona's creativity combined with her resilience led her to host a series of online dance events and from the confines of kitchens, bedrooms, and gardens, people globally found comfort in her uplifting tunes and vivacious personality. Her vibrant sessions, ranging from Morning Gloryville's popular sober raves to 'Pop-up boogie' parties, even earned her a spot on a BBC News segment discussing her notable Madonna zoom party.

As the world gradually embraced normalcy, Iona founded Ecstatic Playground, a lively conscious dance event renowned for its playful twists and authentic connections. As a beloved facilitator of Ecstatic Dance, Authentic Relating, and Embodied Games, she now conducts a range of workshops at esteemed festivals like Wilderness. Moreover, she contributes her nick for creating connection and spreading joy through dance as a special guest at the DTM Dance Facilitator Training.

✤ GRANT (DJ ANAHATA) • DJ & Dance Facilitator • Manager & Resident DJ @ Ecstatic Dance UK 

Grant has spent his entire life immersed in music studios, which allowed him the privilege of working alongside some of his favourite artists, including Ed Sheeran, Mumford & Sons, and George Michael, as well as the enigmatic Tricky. However, over time, working in the music industry began to take its toll, leaving Grant feeling exhausted and in need of a change to preserve his health. He found himself increasingly physically stiff and turned to dancing for self-development and to break through the constraints of his own ego.  

His extensive background in music made the transition to DJing quite easy. Yet, it was the role of a facilitator, embedded in this new journey, that truly captured Grant’s heart and pushed him to deeper levels of personal work than ever before.

This shift has been immensely special for Grant. The combination of dance and embodiment practices has been transformative, enabling him to work on himself in profound ways and, most importantly, to reclaim himself. His journey is still in progress, but he confidently calls himself a dancer. 

"This training is for the big visionaries, event organisers, and executives of dance programs out there. It takes you through step by step how to create an Ecstatic Dance event. The best part is, you’re surrounded by super rad people who truly believe in the vision as much as you do, and who feel alive in sharing that vision. I feel absolutely honoured to be a part of this amazing group of dancers, organisers, and beautiful human beings. Showing up with my whole heart, it changed me, and I feel like I’ve grown a lot."

→ Carol Boccaccio • Canada

"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

"This online training has come at the right time, just when I felt the call to share the awesomeness of conscious dance with my people, after such a crazy year. I am amazed by the connections I have made during this training and the quality of its content, which was more than I expected."

→ Dounia Acef - Morocco

"Bernice, Renée 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

✤ ARRIVAL

On Monday, May 19th please arrive after 3pm but before 5pm to allow time to check in, explore the grounds and settle in before we begin. 

✤ DEPARTURE

The retreat ends on Sunday, May 25th. Following a final nourishing lunch together we will depart from Tomar.

✤ WHAT TO BRING

→ Clothing & other

- Headlamp or head torch to walk around at night

- Clothing suitable for dancing (we’ll dance numerous times a day, both inside and outside)

- Clothing suitable to bring outside
- Bring layers, especially if you are in a yurt. It can get cold at night!

- Swimsuit

- Comfortable and appropriate outdoor shoes to walk/dance outside (lots of nature to explore)

- Dress up for a fun night; not fancy, just fun. Bring something if you enjoy dressing up.

- Towel

→ Other

- Toiletries (only natural, biodegradable products please)

- Talisman (or sacred item) for the community altar

- Pens and markers

- Ear plugs (if sharing accommodation)

✤ PAYMENT

A non-refundable deposit is required to book and secure your place. Balance due 15 days before the retreat starts. Please carefully read our Retreat Terms & Conditions as by booking on our retreat, you become legally bound by these terms.

→ I'm coming from abroad. Do I need a visa to enter Portugal? 

Mostly likely you will not.  But to be sure, check with your own government and check your specific requirements. 

→ Can I come on my own?
Absolutely! Most of our participants actually come on their own, and many do not know anyone else who is coming. This training is inclusive, and we strive to create a culture of belonging. The program is designed to facilitate connections between one another with ice-breakers, group exercises and a daily sharing circle in small groups.

→ Will I receive a certification?
Yes, after successful completion of the in-person part of the training, you’ll be a DTM certified Dance Facilitator. While we offer a Level 02 and 03 these are continuing education opportunities and you have no need to complete them to be certified. 

→ Will this training cover DJing?
We have one module dedicated exclusively to music (what music is appropriate for conscious dance events? What structure is used to create a conscious dance musical journey? Etc.), but it is NOT a DJ Training, and we won't cover any of the technical aspects of DJ-ing. We do offer Online DJ Training for both beginner and Intermediate students. If you prefer to learn DJ skills, join us in one of our DJ specific trainings. 

→ What's your cancellation & refund policy? In case of cancellation from your side, we don't offer any refunds, regardless of the reason. We require a minimum of 15 sign-ups to go ahead with in-person events. We will issue you a full refund if we do not hit this number. Please make sure to insure any travel ticket as DTM can not be responsible for cancellation fees on travel. 

→ If I can no longer make it, can I transfer my booking to someone?

If you transfer your booking to someone else, there's a €50 admin fee. If the training is full, and you want us to sell your spot, we'll keep your deposit and refund the balance only if we find a full-paying replacement. 

In 2012 Quinta São José dos Montes Retreat Center was remodeled and adapted for a Tourism with an ecological aspect and a Retreat Centre. The breathtaking view from the main part of the Farm allows guests to observe various animals in their natural habitat, as well as peeking into the Castelo do Bode Lake. The retreat centre is situated 120km from Lisboa, 190km from Porto, 15km from Center of Tomar and 7km from Ferreira do Zezere.

Quinta São José dos Montes Retreat Center in Tomar, Portugal offers cosy 4 apartments, dorms and glamping with yurts. 

Its four apartments are arranged around a patio with a swimming pool, an old dovecote (pigeon house) transformed into a dining room, a tent for catering, a porch with barbecue and a saltwater pool for moments of pure leisure and fun in contact with Nature. There are also dorms for groups and a Glamping with Yurts – Mongolian Tents as accommodation, a wooden house as support and a geodesic dome for events. 

Further details of each accommodation type are provided below. Upon registration for the training, you can select your preferred lodging. The accommodation cost will be added at checkout.

✤ ADDRESS

Quinta São José dos Montes

Estrada Municipal 

530-1 nº 134, 2300-087 

Tomar

Google Maps

✤ CONTACT

(+351) 917 935 392

✤ CLOSEST AIRPORTS

Lisbon airport: This is the nearest airport and offers both domestic and international flights. It's about 88 miles from the retreat centre, or approximately 1.30 hour drive.

However, if you're travelling internationally or need more flight options, the following airport might be considered: 

Faro Airport: It's about 230 miles or roughly a 4 hours drive.