The Leadership Program

The Leadership Program is our most comprehensive course and the back bone of our DTM Teacher Certification Program. Rather than simply calling your dance “conscious,” this program invites you to build it consciously—with intention and care.

You’ll be supported to imagine, build, and nurture a successful dance community while learning the core foundations of conscious dance leadership, including facilitation and music skills. Whether you already run a community or are ready to build one from the ground up, this program meets you where you are and helps you translate your vision into practical, achievable steps.

Through tools and guidance on topics such as venue negotiations, budget projections, team building, marketing and ethics —areas often overlooked or treated as taboo within “conscious” culture—you’ll learn from leaders who have already walked this path and built thriving dance communities.

What Does Dance Leadership Look Like?

Successful dance leadership is both practical and relational. It requires vision, dedication and care, alongside the ability to respond to the real needs of dancers, teams, and communities.

In this program, we look at the foundational aspects common to all conscious dance settings, while supporting participants in discerning what will work best for the communities they are building. This includes discussing:

• How to attract and sustain a vibrant community over time

  
  

• Practical elements such as venue selection, team building, and marketing

• How to fine tune facilitation that creates a balance between containment and freedom of movement

• Financial planning, pricing, and sustainable models relevant to your region

• How to grow a community grounded in healthy ethics and consent culture

• Why some conscious dance communities thrive while others struggle

The most common community leadership questions—from finding the right venue and building a reliable team to creating financial sustainability—are addressed through real-world examples and lived insight from experienced leaders who have successfully built and sustained conscious dance communities.

Why This Training Is Different

Let’s face it: many who feel called to create meaningful conscious dance communities have little training in the practical, entrepreneurial, or event-production skills required to build and sustain them. These skills are often left out of conscious dance training curricula, where the focus tends to be on facilitation and musical skills—leaving organizers to figure out the rest on their own.

This program was created to address that gap. The Leadership Program centers the practical side of dance community building, while maintaining the experiential and somatically based educational approach Dance The Medicine is known for. It focuses on the logistical realities of running and producing events, while staying rooted in the values that inspire conscious dance change-makers.

The curriculum is structured to support both immediate application and long-term growth, including:

• Why dance is such a powerful tool for building community

• Figuring out the time of day, day of the week, and length of the dance that works

• Proven approaches to building healthy teams and attracting diverse participants

• Navigating venue hire, event logistics, and real-world operational realities

• Outreach, communication, and relationship-based marketing

• Working skillfully sound systems, and the technical aspects of event sound

• Creating financial models that support sustainability

• Foundational facilitation skills and ethics for community leaders

• Growing and evolving your community over time in ways that do not lead to burnout

Participants leave with practical tools, shared wisdom, and renewed confidence to build dance communities they are proud to be a part of—supported by an ongoing peer network within the Dance The Medicine community.

The Backbone of the Teacher Certification Program

The Leadership Program is an integral part of the DTM Teacher Certification Program and cannot be taken as a stand-alone course.

Designed to provide a solid foundation for conscious dance professionals, it is the glue that brings together the dance facilitation and DJ education offered in the teacher training. Whether you are building a new dance community or supporting an existing one, the program equips you with the knowledge and skills to help your community thrive.

For those embarking on the journey to become a Certified DTM Teacher, this program forms the backbone of the professional certification pathway.

Click here to learn how to apply for the Teacher Certification Program.

Training Options

We offer flexible ways to engage with this training:

• Online Courses Live A 12-month program with monthly three-hour Zoom sessions, that can be joined at any time. However acceptace to the DTM Teacher Certification Program is a prerequisite.

• Self-Led Course Structured modules you can follow at your own pace, complete with video lessons, a leadership manual, and tools for practice. For those who do not wish to take the DTM Teacher Certification Program.

Check out our DTM Teacher Certification Program here.

Who This Program Is For

This training is ideal for:

✔ People dreaming of starting their own Ecstatic Dance community 

 ✔ DJs and facilitators seeking a broader understanding of event and community building 

✔ Event organizers looking for sustainable and embodied approach to grow their existing community 

✔ Anyone drawn to creating thriving, embodied, connected conscious dance communities

✔ Those who have chosen to become Certified DTM Teacher

Graduates go on to host events, grow weekly dances, teach classes, and support conscious dance culture around the world. The proof of this course is reflected in our many successful alumni.

Next Steps

Explore the available formats and dates, and choose the option that best fits your timing and vision.

Still have questions about this training? Check out our Leadership Program FAQ!