Heart of Ecstatic DJ Training
Weaving a Conscious Dance Journey
14-18 October 2023 - Residential (Drenthe, NL)
Join us for a 4 day training into weaving a musical adventure for Ecstatic and Conscious Dance. It is easy to get lost as an aspiring DJ as there is an overload of the techniques and genres to explore and lose sight of why you DJ. We will therefore focus on the heart and the art of DJing so you can choose which skills to develop as a DJ. Our training starts with listening, rooting ourselves in the his/herstory and a firm understanding of the different stages of the journey. You will experience different styles and types of music, and its effect on the dancing body. We will dive in the practicalities and skills to create your own set, mix and improvise during a set - while listening to your crowd. With this knowledge you can use all the aspects of your craft to go beyond the mere technicality of playing songs and create magic on the dancefloor.
The Heart of DJ’ing, for us, is about the creation of a Dance Journey. Mixing, transitioning, selecting different genres - all is in service of the dance. Creating a dance journey is not just about placing tracks one after the other. It is about helping the dancers arrive in their bodies, lifting them over the threshold and into a deep surrender. It is also about supporting them to find their feet again and move back into their daily lives, yet transformed by the experience - together. In fact, as DJ’s, we are constantly tuning into our own bodies while staying present for the wider space (the ‘big body’) as well.
During this training, we will visit different Conscious Dance practices, like the 5Rhythms, which have developed ways to map the dance journey. These movement maps can help a DJ to navigate the musical landscape. We will also practice building a musical storyline from scratch using different storytelling techniques, like plot twists. With this know-how, we can start to use our own creativity, or go astray from the maps and lead the dancers into the wild.
This training is suited for every-body (both beginners or experienced DJ’s) with an interest in Conscious/Ecstatic dance, (movement) therapy, yoga, space holding, ceremony, community, social change and embodiment practices.
The Heart of Ecstatic Dance is an embodied vehicle for movement exploration and dance. We encourage everyone to bring and share their specific skills and wisdom, so we can build a collective toolbox and open up spaces to co-create. Besides offering technical information, we will also be creating opportunities for diving deeper into our listening ears, our practical skills plus our embodied knowledge.
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DATES: 14-18 October 2023
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CONTRIBUTION:
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During this residential training we wish to create an intimate dancing and learning community. We therefore have places for 25 participants. 10% of the income will be donated to an organization that supports vulnerable groups in these challenging times.
Training:
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650-750 euros (according to your income)
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The first four to register will receive a 50 euros discount!
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You can only register for the full training.
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Food (biological, vegetarian and mostly local):
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125 euro for food ( 3x breakfast, 4x lunch, 3x dinner)
Stay (3 nights), including use of venue:
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Double room: 130 euro (per person)
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Shared common room: 110 euro (5 people in a big room)
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Pipo wagon / Cabin (for single use): 220 euro (4 places only)
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Pipo wagon / Cabin (for a couple - there is only 1 bed): 275 euro
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Own tent / Caravan / Camper: 65 euro
Below are some pictures of the options:
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PRACTICALITIES:
Location
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Uelenspieghel is beautifully located in the midst of nature. You can find more info and photos of the center - click here.
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There is also the option to stay for a longer time at Uelenspieghel. You can then communicate this through email: info@uelenspieghel.nl.
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Food
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The food is vegetarian, biological and mostly local. We try to give the best food and nutrition, but we do realize that for some of us there are different needs.
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If you have your own specific food that you need, please bring for yourself. If you have allergies, please let us know.
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We offer food from Monday lunch until Thursday lunch (so no breakfast on Monday morning and no dinner on Thursday evening).
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We will cover the following material:
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His/her/our-story of music
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The DJ as a storyteller
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Music theory: structure of a song, camelot wheel, time signature
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Mixing different types of music genres into one whole
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Affect and Effect of different music styles on the dancing body
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Deep listening and sensing the atmosphere of the whole
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The skill of improvising and organising your music (plus where to find music)
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Beat mixing, key mixing and other form of transitions
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Well-being of a DJ: holding space for yourself first, working with feedback
The world is in need for music and dance today, music to release and ground, and dance to stir the sacred again in our lives. We feel passionate about sharing this DJ training, as we believe music and dance have a great healing capacity.
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The DJ training includes:
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a full learning environment with 3 professional DJ’s and Dance Facilitators with a combined experience of over 40 years in facilitating dance journeys
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a manual that will bring you from beginner to an advanced and a creative DJ
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How to prepare for the training:
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Bring 30 of your favorite tracks to create your own musical journey.
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A mixing program and a controller (of your own choice) are very helpful if you wish to go deeper into the practical aspects of DJ’ing. In the training, we will work with the DJ softwares of Traktor and Serato. The training is also accessible if you use other programs like Rekordbox, VirtualDJ and DJay - only we cannot go into detail with these programs.
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CANCELLATION POLICY
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Please let us know as soon as possible if something comes up and you cannot attend the workshop. Make cancellations by email. If you wish to cancel 3 weeks before the training starts, you will receive your down-payment minus 50 euro registration fee. If a cancelation happens after that time we keep the down payment (half of the price of the training). No refund is available for withdrawal once the workshop has commenced.