Oct 30 – Nov 03, 2026

Quinta São José dos Montes

Tomar, Portugal

ABOUT THE IMMERSION

Come retreat with us. We call it an Immersion because that is exactly what you’ll do: allow the outside world to fall away and become fully immersed in dance, community, and a unique group-field experience facilitated in the way only the DTM Team can.

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The idea is simple: a group of people comes together with the intention to dance, focused on a central theme. We each bring our own medicine — our circumstances, desires, struggles, hopes, and curiosity — and dance with it all in relation to that theme. We dive deep into the group field created by a unique constellation of dancing humans and attuned facilitators, trusting the magic that unfolds.

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Each Immersion retreat is facilitated by Bernice and other members of the DTM Team. We will dance at least twice each day to impeccably curated music that is DJed live. We will also engage in non-dance practices and processes, each shaped by the specific team, location, and theme. While the Immersion format and method remain consistent, the combination of theme, place, and practices shifts — making this a living practice dancers can return to again and again to reconnect to themselves, their dancing family, and whatever infinite source they credit with their existence.

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This is a conscious free-form dance practice (often called Ecstatic Dance). There is no choreography or steps to learn. You do not need to identify as a dancer to join us. Each DTM Immersion follows a similar rhythm and includes a theme that shapes the experience; however, it is the group field — the shared creation of those who show up — that ultimately generates the transformative power of each Immersion. It will not be the same without you.

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IMMERSION THEME: LINEAGE

We will gather in the mountains of central Portugal at a potent time — a moment that marks the final harvest celebration and the midpoint of autumn, just six short weeks before the darkest night of the year.

Across cultures, this season is one of honouring ancestors. It is said to be a liminal time when the veils are thin, when contact with those who have passed and those yet to join us is most active. We will work with the themes of honouring those who have gone before us and calling in those we wish to walk alongside into the future.

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This immersion is for everyone, as we are all part of the great lineage of the human race. Let us come together and dance with intentionality — saying goodbye to the past and hello to the best future we can conjure.

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WHAT’S INCLUDED: 

5 Days of Dance & Live DJed Music Daily Morning Movement and multiple dance sessions throughout each day, all accompanied by curated live DJ sets

Professional Facilitation Dance-based and non-dance-based sessions aligned with the retreat’s theme including meditation, creative practices, nature immersion and group process work, all guided by experienced facilitators in a supportive environment. 

Accommodation & Meals The Immersion includes 4 nights accommodation in shared dorms, 12 nourishing vegetarian meals (using local, organic ingredients where possible) with vegan and special dietary options available. Private room upgrades offered. 

Community Living An intentional, well-held group experience rooted in conscious dance, open to both experienced participants and those new to Dance The Medicine.

Full details about the Immersion and registration can be found here: https://www.dancethemedicine.com/dance-the-medicine-immersion-portugal-november-2026

RETREAT RATES

The full tuition price for this training is €895, with several opportunities for discounted registration:

Early registration tuition fee – €795
(Available until 31 August 2026 – 60 days before start date)

​Portuguese nationals rate – €627 (desconto de 30%)
A Dance the Medicine reconhece os desafios financeiros enfrentados por muitos portugueses devido ao aumento do custo de vida e, em resposta, oferece um desconto de 50% nos seus programas de ensino exclusivamente para nacionais portugueses.

ACCOMMODATION 

Camping and dorm rooms are included in the retreat price, with dorm spaces distributed on a first come, first serve basis. It is possible to upgrade your accommodation for increased tranquility at an additional cost after the booking has been made (see below). 

Your Accommodation Upgrade options are:
 

ON THE LAND • Yurt • Shared Double 

A single bed in a yurt shared with 1 other. Wood burner heat. Nearby dry toilets, outdoor sinks, and hot showers. Access to a shared kitchen. Bedding & towel provided.

IN MAIN BUILDING • Room • Shared Double 

A single bed in a room shared with 1 other. The room has an en-suite bathroom. Access to a shared kitchen. Bedding & towel provided. 

ON THE LAND • Yurt • Private 

Your own private yurt. Wood burner heat. Nearby dry toilets, outdoor sinks, and hot showers. Access to a shared kitchen. Bedding & towel provided. 

IN MAIN BUILDING • Room • Private 

Your own well appointed private room with a double bed, a private en-suite bathroom and seating area w/access to a shared kitchen. Bedding & towel provided.

ON THE LAND • Deluxe Dome • Private 

A double bed in a deluxe dome with an ensuite bathroom and in-room bathtub. Access to a shared kitchen. Bedding & towel provided. Wood burner heat.

IN MAIN BUILDING •  Apartment • Private 

Your own studio apartment with a double bed. Full private bathroom (with bathtub) and kitchen.  Bedding & towel provided.

After booking and paying your deposit our student liaison will assist you in selecting accommodation. For any questions prior to booking, please email info@dancethemedicine.com. 

YOUR INSTRUCTORS 

BERNICE RAABIS • Founder of Dance The Medicine

Bernice is on a mission to spread conscious dance communities across the globe. In 2011, she founded Dance Church, a long-running and wildly successful conscious dance in the vibrant mountain town of Nelson, BC, Canada. There, she DJed and facilitated weekly, weaving epic soundscapes into transformative dance experiences that support freedom through connection to self, community, and humanity. In 2019, she set out to gather an epic team of conscious dance professionals, and the Dance The Medicine Team was born, dedicated to providing embodied conscious dance education. 

Bernice is a certified Soul Motion facilitator, a student of the Tamalpa Institute, and a relational somatic therapist. Her work is deeply grounded in embodiment, community building, and supporting her students to deliver the specific type of dance medicine they feel called to bring into the world.

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To read more about Bernice click here: https://www.dancethemedicine.com/the-founder

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ALEX SEVILLA • Ecstatic Dance Madrid & Co Teacher in the DTM DJ School 

After more than two decades behind the decks as a club DJ, Alex stumbled upon conscious dance—and everything changed. The encounter transformed both his personal life and professional path. He soon left his career as a computer engineer to become a conscious dance entrepreneur, now dedicated to sharing his love for dance, music, and embodied awareness with the world. 

TÉTÉ ARBUÉS MOREIRA • Systemic Dance & Somatic Experiencing®                     

Tété is a sensitive, empathic soul who loves to dance, create, and care; an artist, the mother of three sons, and a therapist. A citizen of the world, born in Portugal. Her work is born from visual creation and deepens through listening to the body, ancestry, and the soul. Her main tools are Systemic Consciousness (Family Constellations), integrated with a somatic approach (Somatic Experiencing®) and shamanic practices, where the sound of the drum acts as an ancestral pulse. She conducts conscious dance experiences within Systemic Dance, supporting deep reconnection with the body and personal/family history, bringing clarity to our place within the system and the world, in service of life and love.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE IMMERSION

For full details about the Immersion and registration, please check our website: https://www.dancethemedicine.com/dance-the-medicine-immersion-portugal-november-2026

There you will find more information as well as an FAQ which may answer any questions you have. If you still have questions, please feel free to contact us at info@dancethemedicine.com.