Would you like to...
In the Trance Dance Facilitator Training you can learn how to safely and wisely facilitate a Trance Dance.
7 day retreat program
4 day retreat program
You will:
Experience Trance Dance profoundly
Learn about the Spirituality of the Body & Trance
Learn about Psychology & Mysticism
Learn about Processes of Healing & Growth
Go on a Journey of Healing & Transformation
The two modules can only be taken together, and are required for obtaining the certificate. Central throughout this program, is your personal growth, especially in the first module. You will have a lot of experience with trance dancing, and have the chance to explore and heal deeply and profoundly.
Provided with a practical and theoretical framework in the first module, you will continue to study how to work with trance, music, rituals, meditation and processes of transformation. There is a gap of a few months between the first and a second module. We consciously choose a program with sufficient space in between modules to integrate, before we complete the process together.
When you can safely surrender to the dance, and allow yourself to be moved from the wisdom and true nature of your body, moments of insights, growth and healing can occur naturally and spontaneously. You learn about different kinds of safety, and how to create a safe environment that facilitates such a process.
In addition to in-depth experience with trance dancing, you will get acquainted with similar forms of trance- and bodywork and universal and contemporary rituals. You will also learn about the brain, neural networks, and other mechanics, to gain some perspective and understanding about these practices.
Breath is a powerful tool to balance and enhance the flow of lifeforce within you. In many spiritual traditions breathing techniques play an important role. We will explore different types of breathing, and you will learn how to utilize breathwork in your praxis as a facilitator.
In most of our trance dances, the dancers are blindfolded for one to one and a half hours, creating space for surrender, inspiration and transformation. In this training you will explore the effects of darkness in depth, and learn about the important role of darkness and sensory deprivation in shamanic praxis.
The essence of shamanic work, as a spiritual expert, is to move through trance states, to improve their quality of life, and that of others in their community. All cultures on the planet have some form of shamanic practice within their roots. You will learn about the essence behind these skills, and how they contribute to growth and healing.
Sound and music are the vehicle the dancer uses to induce trance, and direct the journey. Rhythms and melodies take the dancer on a journey full of inspiration and adventure. You will learn about the effects of music on the brain, and get the chance to experience and experiment with organic sounds, from simple instruments, as well as contemporary technology.
During trance journeys we often spontaneously connect to ancestors, guides, teachers and healers in the dream world we travel through. Like little children, this comes quite naturally to us, as these energies often present themselves in typical earthly forms, such as animals. You will learn more about this, and have the chance to cultivate a relationship with a personal guide.
You will learn about soul-loss, and soul-retrieval. We all suffer from different forms of ‘soul loss’, a shamanic term that means that we have disconnected from essential parts of ourselves to survive traumatic moments in our lives. In a trance dance we can reconnect to those lost parts so deeply, that something original, more authentic, more essential, can resurface.
In this training we provide a context in which science and spirituality meet. You will learn about psychology and quantum physics, and about shamanism and mysticism, at the same time, looking at how and where these worlds meet.
During your training you have one or more personal talks with the teachers. We pay attention to your personal development, and look at your individual needs and requirements.
You get homework assignments attuned to your individual background and motivations. Besides practicing with each other, you also get the chance to do an internship in practice. This way you get to know a vibrant community of trance dancers, whilst gaining practical experience.
Once you have completed all parts of the training program, and finished all assignments and the internship to satisfaction, you recieve a certificate of completion.
You will stay at the cosy retreat called Wellspring
located in the beautiful South Eifel Nature Park. Wellspring is surrounded by forests and streams that are fulll of wildlife.
There are different optins, with different prices, to choose from. You can stay in a single or 2p/3p room, or in a shared wigwam, or even in your own tent/van (all options depending on availability)
We serve healthy and vegetarian meals, mostly organic. Coffee, tea and refreshments during the breaks are included.
Aernoudt Knecht has over 20 years of experiece in the fields of psychology (MSc, Radboud University), meditation, trance- and somatic therapies and coaching, and is internationally renowned for his work in teaching and facilitating trance dance.
“With the Trance Dance Facilitator Training we share a wealth of knowledge, and decades of professional experience, in an experiential and theoretical framework on the psychological, somatical and spiritual aspects of trance dancing.”
Module 2: 4 days
Arrival 16-18 h, Departure 13 h
Module 2: 4 days
Arrival 16-18 h, Departure 13 h
Includes all teaching hours, materials, book/reader, personal coaching, and certification at the end.
The total amount can be paid in installments. With € 350 deposit, you reserve a place to participate.
All amounts are including VAT.
We will issue an invoice upon request.
Please note: the training price doesn’t include accommodation or meals.
Choose an accommodation option from the list below. All accommodation packages include all meals, coffee, tea & refreshments during the breaks, and the use of the facilities.
Self sufficient? Bring your own accommodation. Price includes all meals and refreshments, and use of facilities.
Lodging & Meals: €675
Sum (incl. training): €2475
A single bed in a large wigwam with 1, 2 or 3 others. Price includes accommodation, all meals and use of facilities.
Lodging & Meals: €825
Sum (incl. training): €2625
A single bed in a room with 1 or 2 others. Price includes accommodation, all meals and use of facilities.
Lodging & Meals: €975
Sum (incl. training): €2775
Ultimate privacy with a single or double bed in single room. Price includes accommodation, all meals and use of the facilities.
Lodging & Meals: €1125
Sum (incl. traingin): €2925
If you want to participate in the upcoming training, please fill out the sign-up-form below, and we will send you everything you need to know.
In addition to the first two basic modules, there are various Master Classes, for people who have completed the basic training (modules 1 + 2), to deepen your experience and understanding. Some of these programs are also open to others, depending on their background and experience.
Some examples:
Would you like to...