Brighton School for Embodied Therapy

Tutors: Tim Brown and Clare Osbond

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4th/5th/6th October and 15th/16th/17th November 2024

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Dance of Awareness is a joyful and exciting exploration of what it is to be in a body, moving in response to inner awareness and outer connectedness. It is a group movement practice, based on developmental psychology and psychoanalytic theory. It draws on character styles, Authentic Movement, 5 Rhythms and mindfulness practice. It has different applications - from drop-in classes to more therapeutically oriented work with groups, both in community and clinical settings. DoA graduates are now offering classes and groups across the UK and beyond.

DoA works as a developmental cycle – we dance with music through the phases of sensing, grounding, expressing, releasing, connecting and completing. We explore the use of psychoanalytic (Reichian) character structure, mindful body awareness, somatic attunement, attachment bonding and empathic reflection in ways which can assist transformation and self-development.

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Our journey begins from birth when it is through movement, touch and non-verbal interaction that we first discover ourselves and make contact with our world. Neuroscience shows how important this process is in the creation of our sense of self as we learn to adapt to our environment, and how early body memories form the template for our adult selves. In DoA we consciously revisit this early body history, celebrate the embodied patterns that make us unique, and discover new ways of unfolding into being.

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Working with movement is key to the effectiveness of the practice. Much of our early history is pre-verbal and held out of awareness in the body. Movement work and embodied exploration offers a direct route to contacting our early relational patterns. It also has the potential to create a non-ordinary group experience where the transpersonal becomes vividly present and transformative. As we move and breathe together, we open more fully to self-awareness and a wider consciousness of our place in the world.

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Who is the training for?

It is designed for anyone who is looking for a therapeutic model to support working in non-verbal group settings – particularly movement work, group process, non-verbal interactions and conscious dance. We particularly welcome those already engaged in group or movement work who are interested in applying the DoA developmental model within different settings and client groups. We also welcome therapists who are looking to incorporate movement and body awareness more fully into their one-to-one client work.

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What to expect…

The training takes place over two weekends and during that time you will be both a participant and a trainee. Some of the time will be spent in immersion in the dance, as you experience Dance of Awareness first-hand. And some of the time will be spent learning about the theory underpinning DoA. The tutorials will be a mix of theory and experiential work, and will include the following: the psychoanalytic and developmental background to DoA, and the practical skills in group facilitation through working with movement and attunement in a predominantly non-verbal way. The curriculum and summary of the programme is shown below. Graduates will receive a certificate in DoA theory and practice, and be licensed to offer DoA classes.

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Curriculum

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 Background theory:

• Introduction to Dance of Awareness

• The role of awareness

• The developmental cycle

• Psychoanalytic theory (including Reichian character structure)

• Developmental and somatic psychology

• Spiritual vs developmental model

 

Holding a DoA group:

• Group safety

• Empathic reflection / mirroring

• Affect attunement, attachment and regulation

• Person positioning

• Group handling overview

• Choice and use of music

 

Summary programme

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You can expect to experience the following:

• Warm-ups

• Check-ins (group circle and small groups)

• Theory sessions

• Experiential work

• A full one-day DoA workshop

• Examples of shorter DoA forms
• Questions and feedback

Please note, about one-third of the time will be spent dancing /moving through the DoA cycle as a participant, one-third will be taught theory and one-third will be experientials. To qualify as a DoA practitioner, you must attend all six days of the training at the times given.

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How to apply:

1. First read this training page thoroughly;

2. If this model of working with dance, movement and somatic awareness appeals to you, a prerequisite for booking is for applicants to read the paper Dance of Awareness in Theory and Practice (2012) which is also on the Resources page of our website;

3. If you are still interested… read on! We assume you have an interest in working with group process, movement and awareness. Please apply by email, with a short paragraph telling us about (i) your relevant background and (ii) your interest in Dance of Awareness.

4. Once we have confirmed your place on the training, we will send you the bank details for booking.

 

Location: The Studio, 39 Whippingham Road, Brighton BN2 3PF

(Please note - this link opens as Pepperpot Nursery - The Studio is situated above the nursery).

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Dates: 4th/5th/6th October and 15th/16th/17th November 2024.

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​Times: 17.00 - 20.00 on Fridays; 10.30 - 17.30 on Saturdays; 10.30 - 17.00 on Sundays.

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​Cost:

£640 full price;

£590 early bird by 2nd September;

£550 super early bird by 27th May.

 

To book: Places are limited. Please apply as above prior to booking. A deposit of £300 is required on booking with the balance payable on the date of your chosen early bird, (see above). Please pay by bank transfer (email for bank details). On booking you will receive a booking confirmation. In case of financial difficulty, we are willing to negotiate a payment plan - please contact us. Our cancellation policy can be found here.

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​If you want to discuss anything by phone, please email us to arrange a time to call one of us.

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​We have run eight previous Dance of Awareness trainings. Many of our graduates are now offering DoA classes and workshops - see the Facebook Dance of Awareness (Core Group) page to see what they are up to.