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

BEGINNER COURSE: TUESDAYS

✤ 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?

→ Join us and 12-16  fellow budding Ecstatic DJs in training on this exciting new adventure!

This 9-module training will take place on Tuesdays over a period of 12 weeks (with a 3-weeks break for the winter holidays). We will come together each Tuesday for 3 hours. Training begins on Nov 9 and ends on Jan 25.

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

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

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

✤ Pacific Standard 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. 

CURRICULUM

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! 

DTM Ecstatic DJ School- Technical Beginner Track

• 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 containing lessons, discussion and theory
  • 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.)
  • Basic Transitions
    • Intro/Outro 
    • Drop on the 1
    • Syncing
    • Intro to looping, EQing, and cue points
• 4 Practice sessions with 1 on 1 help available
• And More! Our emergent style of teaching delivers a unique curriculum over 9 Modules which delivers the skills your cohort wants to learn
  

PROGRAM

✤ 01 - WELCOME & DJ SOFTWARE INTRO (Nov 9)

We will: 

→ Meet the Team, your Cohorts and Small Groups

→ Decide within the group what key points to focus on during the training together

→ Demystify DJ Software, this will be yourIntroduction to Traktor Pro3 DJ software.

✤ 02 - PRACTICE SESSION 01 (Nov 16)

We will: 

→ Begin together as a group to check in, discuss last week's homework and past course material.

→ Move Into solo practice time. Teachers will be available for 1-on-1 help.

→ End with QnA and group discussions specific to the upcoming course material.

✤ 03 - FOUNDATION: SET CREATION + TRANSITION BASICS 01 (Nov 23)

We will: 

→ Explore what constitutes an ecstatic/conscious dance set and review criteria DTM considers important when creating the dance journey

→ Begin to break down the most basic of transition skills.

→ Explore emergent curriculum, responding to your cohort's  skill level, interests and requests.  

 ✤ 04  - PRACTICE SESSION 02 (Nov 30)

We will: 

→ Begin together as a group to check in, discuss last week's homework and past course material.

→ Move Into solo practice time. Teachers will be available for 1 on 1 help.

→ End with QnA and group discussions specific to the upcoming course material.

✤ 05 - TRACKS: SET CREATION + TRANSITION BASICS 02 (Dec 7)

We will: 

→ The DTM team will share personal tricks and tips for set creation which you can adopt or modify for your own use.

→ Discuss and share tracks while reviewing DTM criteria for selecting tracks.

→ Explore emergent curriculum, responding to your cohort's  skill level, interests and requests.    

✤ 06 - PRACTICE SESSION 03 (Dec 14)

We will: 

→ Begin together as a group to check in, discuss last week's homework and past course material.

→ Move Into solo practice time. Teachers will be available for 1 on 1 help.

→ End with QnA and group discussions specific to the upcoming course material.

✤✤ 3-WEEK BREAK FOR THE HOLIDAYS ✤✤

✤ 07 - INTEGRATION: SET CREATION + TRANSITION BASICS 03 (Jan 11)

We will: 

→ Weave together the theories of  set creation and the practical skills of transitioning AKA introducing the concept of mixed genre/bpm DJing!

→ Hone and combine basic transition skills, while stepping into intermediate transition skills.

→ Explore emergent curriculum, responding to your cohort's  skill level, interests and requests.    

✤ 08 - PRACTICE SESSION 04 (Jan 18)

We will: 

→ Come together as a group to check in, discuss last week's homework and past course material.

→ Move Into practice time. Teachers will be available for 1 on 1 help.

→ End with QnA, group discussions and taking requests for Mod 09 curriculum.

✤ 9 - ONWARD (Jan 25)

We will: 

→ help you discover your own unique DJ Style and develop healthy DJ hygiene for the future.

→ The DTM Team will offer some  final top tips and words of wisdom, while delivering the final day of curriculum based on your requests. 

→ And end our time together with our very own graduation ritual as you leave us as the first cohort of DTM’s online Ecstatic DJ School ♥

YOUR TEACHERS

✤ BERNICE RAABIS (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 Somatic Therapy. By 2016, Bernice was working beyond her local community, co-founded Ecstatic Dance International  and began hosting successful 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 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.  

✤ 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? 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 (comes with free software) as an entry-level controller, but you can use  hardware of any brand/model that is compatible with Traktor Pro 03. 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 have one. 

→ 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

"This training is for the big visionaries, event organizers, 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 surrounding 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 as of dancers, organizers, 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 honor to be apart 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 in 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

"Through powerful visualization exercises, sharing of invaluable wisdom and experience, and creation of a supportive community, I now have the confidence and knowledge to go out there in the world and make an impact through dance. This training was everything and more that I needed..!"

→ Lien Kabelka - Belgium

"The leadership in 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

"Renée and Bernice - you two are the leaders we need right now. Thank you for this amazing opportunity!"

→ Nadine Guldimann - Switzerland

Very much looking forward to meeting you!

Bernice, Alex & the DTM team