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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This retreat will be capped at 40 participants to keep it well-contained and intimate.

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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For this retreat, we ask you to bring two talismans: one representing your past lineage, and another symbolising your hopes for the lineage of us all moving forward.

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We will dance both indoors and outdoors, in the daytime and into the evening, as humans have done for millennia.

5 Days of Dance & Live DJed Music 

We begin each day with dance, a practice we call Morning Movement, and return to dance again throughout the day at different times and in different spaces — indoors and outdoors — guided by the rhythm of the retreat. All dances are accompanied by impeccably curated live DJ sets.

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Professional Facilitation

We will offer both dance-based and non-dance-based sessions, each relating to the theme and the evolving arc of the immersion. Non-dance-based sessions may include meditation, group process work, nature immersion, creative processes, and more. Every session is held by experienced facilitators, creating a thoughtful and supportive environment where you can meet your edges, awaken your creativity, and discover new parts of yourself.

Healthy, Nutritious Meals
The cost of the retreat includes 12 shared meals. We choose venues that value whole, nourishing food, using local and organic ingredients whenever possible. Meals will be vegetarian, with vegan options available, as well as accommodations for special dietary requirements.

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Community Living

We offer this immersion as an opportunity to dance with the broader conscious dance community. While our organization focuses on conscious dance education, we recognize that some of you are seeking a chance to dance together and experience the depth, care, and connection that defines our work. This immersion offers that space. We will move, live, and journey together in a well-held and intentional container. Whether you have trained with us before, are considering it in the future, or are just discovering Dance The Medicine, you are welcome. 

The full price for the immersion is €995.

A €300 deposit is required to book and we offer flexible payment plans.​

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Accommodation is booked separately. Please see the options below.

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Early Registration: €795
(Available until 31st August 2026 — 60 days before start date).

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Portuguese Nationals Rate – €696 (desconto de 30%)
A Dance the Medicine reconhece os desafios financeiros enfrentados por muitos portugueses devido ao aumento do custo de vida e à gentrificação. Em resposta, estamos a oferecer um desconto de 30% neste retiro, realizado na vossa própria terra, como forma de reconhecimento e agradecimento. Esta oferta é exclusiva para cidadãos nacionais portugueses.

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We also offer Work Trade opportunities for alumni. For more information, email us at info@dancethemedicine.com

Quinta São José dos Montes is a retreat centre in central Portugal, surrounded by mountains and just a short walk from Castelo do Bode Lake. The venue offers fresh, locally sourced vegetarian meals and a range of accommodation options, from cosy rooms in the main building to nature-immersed domes and camping on the farm. Whether you prefer comfort and convenience or a deeper connection with nature, the centre provides an inspiring setting for rest, learning, and renewal. Read more about the venue here. 

Accommodation options are as follows:

ON THE LAND • Camping/Camper Van • €270

Price includes all meals and use of facilities. External communal bathroom access and a shared kitchen. You need to bring your own linen and towels. 

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IN THE MAIN BUILDING • Shared Dorm • €305

A single bed in a dorm with shared indoor bathroom facilities. Bedding, towel, and locker provided. Price includes all meals and use of facilities. 

ON THE LAND • Room • Shared Dome • €395

A single bed in a dome shared with one other person. External communal bathroom access and a shared kitchen. Bedding & towel provided. Price includes all meals and use of facilities. 

IN MAIN BUILDING • Room • Shared Double • €465

A single bed in a room shared with 1 other. The room has an en-suite bathroom. Bedding & towel provided. Price includes all meals and use of facilities.

IN MAIN BUILDING • Room • Private • €645

Your own private room with a double bed and a private en-suite bathroom with access to a shared kitchen. Bedding & towel provided. Price includes all meals and use of facilities.

ON THE LAND • Deluxe Dome • Private • €645

A double bed in a deluxe dome with an ensuite bathroom and in-room bathtub. Bedding & towel provided. Price includes all meals and use of facilities. Access to a shared kitchen. Wood burner heat.

IN MAIN BUILDING •  Apartment • Private • €697

Your own studio apartment with a double bed. Full bathroom and kitchen. Bedding & towel provided. Price includes all meals and use of facilities.

BERNICE RAABIS • Founder of Dance The Medicine
On a mission to spread conscious dance communities across the globe, Bernice founded Dance Church in 2011, a long running and wildly successful conscious dance, where she fell in love with DJing. For more than 10 years she has been DJing weekly, weaving epic soundscapes into powerful somatic journeys. She is dedicated to creating transformative dance experiences that support freedom through connection to self, community, and humanity.

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ALEX SEVILLA • ED Madrid & Co Teacher at 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, whose full time work is in facilitating, Djing and organizing conscious dance for DTM, Ecstatic Dance and the 5Rhythms. He is 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 the scope of Systemic Dance, a practice for deep connection, feeling, expressing, and transforming through the wisdom of the body. Together these tools support processes of 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.

​"Loved this retreat and was so inspired by how Bernice and her amazing team work together. I appreciated the care and professionalism, the flexibility, the honesty, the creativity, the magic, the music, the dance…"

Roni • Ireland

"This retreat facilitated by Dance The Medicine was a holistic experience where body, spirit and mind were all nourished. The calibre and care of the  facilitators offered a safe space to voyage into music. The art and emotionally focused experiences were  presented with full consciousness and respect for both the individual, and the collective process that was developing throughout the days…I have no hesitation in recommending this Immense, with gratitude for the enriching experience!"

Gigi • Italy

"Endless flower meadows, peace, fantastic accommodation, wonderful food, many insights... knowledge about yourself and others...Thank you!"

Ašhen • Serbia

How to get to Quinta São José dos Montes

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ADDRESS

Quinta São José dos Montes

Estrada Municipal 

530-1 nº 134, 2300-087 

Tomar

Google Maps

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CONTACT

(+351) 917 935 392

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CLOSEST AIRPORTS                                                                                                                                 

Lisbon Airport: The nearest airport, offering both domestic and international flights. It is approximately 140 km (88 miles) from the retreat center, or about a 1.5-hour drive.

ARRANGED TRANSPORT                                                                                                                               

We will arrange a round-trip minibus service departing from Lisbon and returning after the event. If you plan to use this service, we recommend booking flights that land before 13:00 and depart after 20:00. The cost for this transport is €75. You can add this to your booking during checkout closer to the training date. For any questions or additional information, please contact info@dancethemedicine.com.

SELF-TRANSPORT                                                                                                                                   

Quinta São José dos Montes is located 150 km north of Lisbon (roughly a 1.5-hour drive). Alternatively, you can reach the retreat center by a combination of train and taxi. The cost is approximately €40 each way (€10 for the train from Lisbon to Tomar and €30 for a taxi). When you register, you’ll be added to a WhatsApp group where you can arrange ride shares or coordinate with others for shared taxis from the train station.

WHAT TO BRING​​​

• Headlamp or head torch to walk around at night

• Clothing suitable for dancing (we’ll dance numerous times a day, both inside and outside)

• Other clothing, including layers as it can get cold at night! (Especially for those in ON THE LAND accommodation)

• Shoes suitable for walking on natural ground in a rural setting 

• Swimsuit and towel for the pool and the lake

• Comfortable and appropriate outdoor shoes to walk/dance outside (lots of nature to explore)

• Dress up for a fun night; not fancy, just fun. Bring something if you enjoy dressing up

• Toiletries (only natural, biodegradable products please)

• Ear plugs (if sharing accommodation)

• Two talismans:  one representing your past lineage, and another symbolising your hopes for the lineage of us all moving forward.

→ I'm coming from abroad. Do I need a visa to enter Portugal?                                    

Mostly likely you will not.  But to be sure, check with your own government and check your specific requirements. 

→ Can I come on my own? 

Absolutely! Most of our participants actually come on their own, and many do not know anyone else who is coming. This training is inclusive, and we strive to create a culture of belonging through group exercises and daily sharing circles. 

→ Is this a festival?                                                                                                                                              

No. Festivals are typically larger, with multiple programs and flexible attendance; meals are usually not communal. Our retreat is a closed container—we begin and end together. Participation is limited to foster a more intimate experience. There is one shared program, and all activities, including meals, are communal. This retreat is an invitation to dive deeper into your practice and disconnect from the outside world.

→ What's your cancellation & refund policy? 

In case of cancellation from your side, we don't offer any refunds, regardless of the reason. We require a minimum of 25 sign-ups to go ahead with the immersion. We will issue you a full refund if we do not hit this number. Please make sure to insure any travel ticket as DTM can not be responsible for cancellation fees on travel. 

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→ If I can no longer make it, can I transfer my payments to another event?                                          

If you can not make the training you have signed up for we are happy to transfer your payments to another event or keep it in trust until you are ready to take the training. We will honour this for up to a year. ​ If you want to transfer your booking to someone else, there's a €100 admin fee. If the event is full, and you want us to sell your spot, we'll keep your deposit and refund the balance only if we find a full-paying replacement. Booking transfers and posts on our social media are allowed only when the training is fully booked. 

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→ What are the payment requirements and do you have payment plans?

A non-refundable deposit is required to book and secure your place. Balance due 15 days before the event starts. Please carefully read our Event Terms & Conditions as by booking on our event, you become legally bound by these terms. We offer flexible payments plans, please inquire with info@dancethemedicine.com

→ I'm not sure which path is right for me. Can you please advise me? 

Absolutely! Simply send us an email at info@dancethemedicine.com or book a 30 minute consultation with Bernice.

We begin each day with a Morning Movement practice, using a blend of multi-genre and slower tracks to gently awaken the body. Awaken and ground your body, rising with movement and community.

You'll enjoy a hearty breakfast to replenish your energy and fuel you for the day ahead. All meals are freshly prepared with organic and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

Deep dive into the dance with a two hour facilitated and DJ'd conscious dance. Each day we will explore the theme of the Immersion with guidance based in one of DTM's 5 Pathways. End the session with your small group for sharing and reflection.

We keep the midday meal light and healthy to maintain our energy levels (no food comas!) and ensure we're not too full, so we can stay focused and engaged for the rest of the day.

Wander to the lake, sit by the pool, write in your journal, reflect, meditate, and integrate the morning session.

Non-dance-based session involving art or nature, or a somatic session that is building on our theme.

We'll enjoy a robust, nourishing, and delicious dinner to refuel after a day full of learning, all while basking in each other's company.

This time varies depending on where we are in the Immersion. Some nights we will dance, some nights may have another activity such as a guided visualization session or a group check-in.