Start Your Summer with DTM as Ecstatic DJ School Returns to Italy

Join the DTM team to learn the art of conscious dance set creation and develop essential DJ skills. Whether you're a complete beginner, an experienced DJ, or a conscious dance facilitator wanting to learn DJ software, this is the course for you because it is designed specifically for dancers!

📍 Location: Miri Piri, Monte Pillerone, Italy
📅 Dates: June 22 to 28, 2025

An Immersive 7-Day Experience

Join us for a transformative 7-day immersive experience, where our professional team of successful international Ecstatic Dance DJs and Conscious Dance Teachers will guide you step-by-step through our proven curriculum that has been taught since 2019.

Our comprehensive 9-module program will give you the skills and confidence to become a DJ. You’ll learn the art of song curation, selection, and placement, mastering the technical aspects of DJ software to make seamless transitions and create the dance journeys you’ve always known you could.

Each participant will also receive a detailed technical training manual, complete with space for notes—ensuring it remains a valuable reference for years to come.

👉 View the Full Itinerary & Daily Schedule Here!

🎧 Can’t make it to Italy? Join us in Portugal this November for another DJ training opportunity

🌍 Can't make either date? Our online training starts this September—Early Bird pricing!

🎧 Why Take Your DJ Training with DTM?

We believe DJ training should be inspiring, immersive, and fun! Our goal is to boost your skills and confidence while keeping you dancing every day.

✨ What Sets Us Apart?

✅ Q&A Sessions & Live Demos – Hands-on group learning with breakout sessions for beginner & intermediate DJs.
✅ One-on-One Support – Personalized guidance from a DTM DJ coach.
✅ Expert Guidance – The DTM Team is an international collective of professionals → Click to Meet Us.
✅ A Proven Curriculum – Having taught this 17 times, we’ve helped many students launch successful DJ careers.

By the end of this 7-day training, you’ll have the confidence to create seamless, transformative DJ sets.

Beyond the training, we’ve built in downtime so you can relax, connect with fellow DJs, and soak in the beauty of Miri Piri—all while enjoying healthy vegetarian meals to keep you energized.

🎯 Who is This DJ School For?

🎧 Aspiring DJs – Always wanted to DJ but didn’t know where to start? This is for you!
🌀 Seasoned DJs – Looking to step into Ecstatic & Conscious Dance DJing
🎶 Conscious Dance Facilitators – Ready to move beyond iTunes/Spotify
💃 Ecstatic Dance Organizers – Want the confidence to DJ your own events
🎵 Anyone wanting to learn in a supportive space – No question is too small or “stupid” here!

If this sounds like you, join us in Italy for DTM’s in-person DJ school, created by conscious dance professionals for conscious dance professionals.

🎼 What to Expect at Our In-Person Ecstatic DJ School

Our 7-day DJ School is an immersive experience where dancers learn DJing in a vibrant, supportive environment. Together, we’ll explore music, movement, and connection while developing the skills to craft powerful dance journeys.

We start with a comprehensive introduction to Traktor software and DTM’s unique Set Creation Model. From there, we guide you step-by-step through both theoretical and technical aspects of DJing, with plenty of time for group discussions, live demos, individualized support, and dancing.

🎵 What You’ll Learn

🎚 Traktor DJ Software & Smart Library Management
🎛 Using DJ Controllers & Customizing Your Setup
🎶 Track Curation, Sourcing & Placement to build seamless Ecstatic Dance DJ sets and conscious dance soundscapes
📈 Waveform Analysis & Beatgrid Mastery for seamless transitions
🎼 Counting Music, Phrasing & Structure to stay in flow
🔁 Looping, FX, Filters & More to enhance your sound

With loads of personalized guidance and one-on-one coaching, we adapt our teaching to each group's skill level and interests. No matter where you're starting, you’ll leave with the confidence and tools to create unforgettable DJ sets.

📍 Join us in Italy—Whether you're starting out, experienced, or a conscious dance facilitator, this course will up level your music skills. 

A Step-by-Step DJ Learning Journey

Our 9-module curriculum is designed to equip you with the technical knowledge and hands-on practice needed to become a confident DJ with a solid foundation. Each module builds upon the last, combining Q&A sessions, dancing, and plenty of fun.

You'll also receive a personalized 1-on-1 session with a DTM DJ coach, ensuring tailored guidance for your unique growth. Whether you're starting from scratch or refining your skills, our supportive team will be with you every step of the way.

By the end of these 7 days, you’ll be ready to craft seamless, magical music sets with confidence!

✨ The 9-Module Curriculum

✤ Module 01 • The Big Picture

🎵 Meet your team & cohorts – build community from day one
🎼 Explore DTM's Conscious/Ecstatic Dance Set Creation Model (The Magic Carpet Ride)
💻 Demystify DJ software – an introduction to Traktor Pro 3

✤ Module 02 • Importing & Preferences

📂 Importing best practices – bring music into Traktor like a pro
⚙️ Fine-tune Traktor preferences & configure your setup
🎯 Ensure everyone is technically ready before diving deeper

✤ Module 03 • Set Creation & Browser Mastery

🎶 Crafting the ‘Body of the Set’ – learn the essentials of set building
📊 Set creation tools & energy levels – what makes a track work?
🗂 Deep dive into Traktor’s browser & smart library organization

✤ Module 04 • Controllers & Intro to Pre-Cueing

🎛 DJ Controllers 101 – fundamentals of the Traktor S2 MK3
🎧 Master pre-cueing – how to hear the next track before playing it live
🔢 Intro to counting music – building rhythm awareness

✤ Module 05 • Tracks & Decks

📥 Where to find great tracks – sourcing, formats & selection tips
🔎 Track selection secrets – choosing the right tracks for impact
🎚 Understanding deck layouts, track decks & waveforms

✤ Module 06 • Intro to Transitions

🎼 Mastering phrasing – understanding song structure for smooth mixing
🎚 Filter functions explained – create subtle, dynamic shifts in sound
🎧 Lowering stress & having fun! – top transition tips & shortcuts

✤ Module 07 • Foundational Transition Skills & Mixer Mastery

🔄 Three essential transition techniques – intro/outro, drop on the 1, and syncing
🎛 Deep dive into Traktor’s mixer & EQ section
📝 Live transition demo – using tracks selected by students

✤ Module 08 • Advanced Transition Skills

🔁 Stacking transition techniques – blending multiple skills seamlessly
♻️ Looping & FX mastery – make transitions more dynamic
🎚 Incorporating effects for next-level mixing

✤ Module 09 • Onward: Becoming a DJ

🚀 Filling in the gaps – best practices for stepping into the DJ world
🧠 Insider wisdom & personal pro tips from DTM DJ Coaches
🎓 Graduation ritual & final celebration! ❤️

📍 Your DJ Journey Starts Here!

By the end of this training, you’ll have:
✅ A solid technical foundation in DJing
✅ The confidence to craft transformative DJ sets
✅ Personalized coaching & a supportive DJ community

✤ 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. 

✤ FABIO FREDDI • Founder of Ecstatic Dance Italy and DJ Ronin 

Fabio has worked professionally as DJRonin for more then a decade. He began his career as a a turntablist, scratching and beat juggling while competing international scratch competitions and touring with Italian hip hop artists. Eventually he had an awakening when he realized the truth of the heart of music, the transformational power of sound and rhythm. Fabio then decided to end his career as a DJ and instead deepen this insight. He studied transpersonal psychology and shamanism. Now finding a way to blend all of his skills together in a new phase of his life! Fabio blends this new vision and his technics to organize, facilitate and DJ in Conscious and Ecstatic 

✤ 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.

✤ 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!

✤ AMRIT DHILLON (Amritaji) • DTM DJ Coach, Founder of Ecstatic Dance Milwaukee & Resident DJ @ Ecstatic Dance Salt Like City

Amritaji (Amrit Dhillon) has been enchanting global audiences since 2007 with her unique fusion of psychedelic worldbeat and bass music. Rooted in psytrance and infused with a love for trance-like states induced by Kirtan, she has a unique style of weaving traditional Eastern and indigenous music with deep bass lines and modern dance rhythms. Her music is more than an auditory experience—it’s a sonic space for healing, free and authentic expression, and most importantly, fun!

In 2016, she founded Ecstatic Dance Milwaukee, a venture that continues until today. Currently, she’s also a Resident DJ at Ecstatic Dance Salt Lake City and serves as an ambassador for Ecstatic Dance Records. Since 2019, she has been using her skills as a DJ coach with Dance The Medicine, offering support during training sessions and providing personalized 1-on-1 DJ lessons. Through her various roles, she persistently spreads her love for conscious dance and movement across the globe, thereby nurturing the global Ecstatic Dance community.

More DJ Coaches to be announced soon

"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 flavour 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 

“This school was amazingly well-thought-out and put together. A great balance of learning technique, theory, and practicing. The 1-on-1 time with experienced DJs was also extremely helpful. I ended this school experience feeling like my time and money was well-invested!” 

→ Stephen Wieber • USA

Miri Piri is a truly magical place, nestled in the hills of Piacenza and designed in perfect harmony with its stunning natural surroundings. This ancient rural village, now renovated using eco-friendly techniques, embodies a philosophy rooted in nature, sustainability, and holistic living. Located 450 meters above sea level within the protected area of Monte Pillerone, Miri Piri offers an enchanting landscape ideal for retreats, just an hour south of Milan (about 90 km), making it easily accessible while remaining immersed in the serenity of nature.

At Miri Piri, nature is at the heart of everything. From its zero-impact construction to its vegetarian meals, the venue’s commitment to sustainability is evident in every detail. The buildings are constructed using eco-sustainable materials, carefully chosen for their minimal environmental impact. These include stone, wood, seasoned lime, brown cork, and bio-bricks, all contributing to a space that blends seamlessly with the natural landscape. The roofs are insulated with sustainable materials, and the interior spaces feature handcrafted wooden furniture and natural, eco-conscious finishes that create a warm, inviting atmosphere.

The venue’s accommodations are designed to offer modern comfort while maintaining a deep connection to nature. Whether you choose a private suite, a shared double room (with one other person), or a communal dormitory (sharing with up to four others), each room is equipped with a private bathroom, independent temperature control, and handcrafted solid wood furniture from India. All rooms come with the essentials: sheets, duvets, pillows, wardrobes, and towel warmers, ensuring a restful and convenient stay.

Miri Piri’s commitment to sustainability extends to its meals, which are made from locally sourced ingredients from the Piacenza countryside. The food celebrates fresh, wholesome flavors that cities have long forgotten. Bread and cakes are homemade using local flours and spring water, providing an authentic taste of the land. All meals are vegetarian, ensuring a nourishing and balanced diet for all guests.

Whether you’re staying in a private suite, a cozy shared room, or a communal dormitory, Miri Piri’s accommodations offer a peaceful retreat where you can reconnect with nature, nourish your body with wholesome food, and learn in an eco-conscious environment.

IMPORTANT: When you register for this training, you will make your choice of accommodation by choosing an ADD ON option. The cost of the accommodation will be added at check out.

ARRIVAL
Please arrive on Sunday, June 22nd, anytime after 5:00 PM. You will be greeted with dinner and some gentle programming to help you settle in before the training begins.

DEPARTURE
The retreat concludes in the late afternoon on Saturday, June 28th. Please ensure that you can stay until the end. We recommend that you stay locally and arrange your departure from Milan on Sunday, June 29th. Contact us for suggestions on where to stay.

ADDRESS
Località Sborzani, 2, 29020 Pigazzano PC, Italy
[Google Maps Location]

CLOSEST AIRPORTS
The most common airport for those coming from other countries is Milano Malpensa Airport (MXP). Alternatively, you can fly into Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY) or Milan Linate Airport (LIN).

TRANSPORT TO MIRI PIRI
From any of the above airports, you can take public transport to Piacenza station, in the city of Piacenza, where we will arrange both carpooling and transport (there is an additional cost for this service).

FOR THOSE COMING BY CAR
Directions can be found HERE

→ Tech & Gear

- Laptop

- DJ controller—for questions, email [email protected]

- DJ headphones

- Bag or backpack to carry your DJ gear

- Cables, stands or gear you need to DJ 

→ Clothing & items

- 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. 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.

- Towelfro the pool

 
→ Other

- Toiletries 

- Talisman (or sacred item) for the community altar

- Pens and markers

- Ear plugs (if sharing accommodation)

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

It depends, please 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.

→ Do I need a DJ controller?

Yes, for this training you will need to bring a DJ Controller. We recommend the Traktor S2 MK3. If you need support with deciding which controller to acquire, please email [email protected]. We would also like to point out that our students get a 25% discount voucher for Native Instruments, the manufacturer of the Traktor software and controller.  

→ Is this a beginner's training? 

The DTM in-person DJ School offers training ideal for both complete beginners and conscious dance professionals with some DJ-ing experience. We provide personalised 1-on-1 sessions during the training and at times will divide participants into groups based on skill level. This approach ensures that everyone, regardless of where they are in their journey, is supported and leaves the training with new knowledge and a significant boost in confidence. 

→ Will I receive a certification?
Yes, after successful completion of the in-person part of the training, you’ll be a DTM certified Ecstatic DJ. Certificates are sent as a PDF on request.

→ What's your cancellation and refund policy? In case of cancellation from your side, we don't offer any refunds, regardless of the reason.

→ 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 €100 admin fee. If the retreat 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. Booking transfers and posts on our social media are allowed only when the training is fully booked.

→ Payment Terms

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.