Teacher Trainings
Teaching is but a lifelong commitment to being a student
Thank you for your interest in becoming a 5Rhythms Teacher!
2025 5Rhythms Waves Teacher Training applications are NOW OPEN. Our next Teacher Training will start November 2025. All can apply, but application fees are non-refundable.
The 5Rhythms Dancing Path is a beautiful and profound life long journey. The Dancing Path to becoming a teacher is also one that requires many hours of practice, that translates into years of dancing.
We appreciate your enthusiasm for the 5Rhythms practice and wanting to teach the practice. We also understand that for some of you the number of prerequisites required to apply for the training may feel overwhelming. Please know that the depth of experience required to become a certified teacher is what has made the teachers you study with such inspiring and adept teachers and teachings.
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SEE COMPLETE PREREQUISITE INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE 3 STEP APPLICATION PROCESS
Download Prerequisites and Application checklist
The beauty of this work is we first do our own personal growth and expansion in the dance, so it can take 4+ years of our own journey to become a teacher of this practice. You can guarantee that any teacher you dance with has been on this path for a minimum of that amount of time, focusing on themselves before we transition to holding space for others. The longer and deeper your experience, the more clearly the Rhythms will be articulated in your movement and teaching.
Becoming a teacher involves a lot of traveling, as you will have to fulfill a list of prerequisites before you can apply to the Teacher Training. To document your prerequisites history, you will have to upload your hours of classes and days of workshops in your Student Account.
Please send your information below to teacheradmin@5rhythms.com and we will create the account for you:
First Name
Last Name
Email address
Country and Town you live in
Gender – Male/Female or Other as you prefer to be identified
Once you’re profile has been set up, you’ll be able to login on the Dancing Path Student Portal and enter your prerequisites on the 5Rhythms website.
It’s important to understand the intent of the prerequisites. The path to becoming a teacher is, by nature, a feminine path. A list of required workshop experience is, by nature, a linear expression of this path. The prerequisites were articulated to help people understand the absolute minimum level of experience that, if done with complete and utter surrender, could potentially prepare one to train as a teacher.
The extent of study and practice might appear daunting sometimes. Yet many of you will find that, in pursuing your love of the work, you have already completed more of the prerequisites than you anticipated.
If you still have a long way to go, please don’t rush. Go slowly, to integrate the teachings at each level before moving on.
We encourage you to take classes and attend workshops with as many different teachers from different countries as you can, dance and dance and dance and enjoy the path!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Besides the obvious investment of time and money to become a teacher, the training journey can be a wild ride through ecstatic trance, painful ego cramps, amazing international community, palm-sweating self-doubt, blessed mistakes and deep service. And that’s before you even start to teach…
Take a deep breath and dance this question:
Is this training for me?
This is the first and most important question to ask yourself. This program is for experienced students of the 5Rhythms who have invested time and energy in a deep exploration of the Rhythms, including all Maps in Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms Medicine Mandala, over an extended period of time. It’s for people who understand, from their own intimate experience, how the Rhythms are a vehicle for self-healing; for people who live the Rhythms as a spiritual practice and have used them to awaken themselves again and again.
Teaching this work is a path of mastery (the ability to physically embody the 5Rhythms), integrity (proper training and preparation to facilitate this healing practice) and humility (knowing that teaching is but a lifetime commitment to being a student).
The teaching path requires a deep surrender: you may complete all the prerequisites but not be ready for the training. You might complete the training but not be ready to teach just yet. By the end of the program you will have been seen in a very deliberate and personal way, and given specific feedback to further develop your readiness, skills and talents. Once you take the tools from this training – offer them, practice them, live them, embody them – you begin the path toward becoming a teacher.
What is my current work in the world and how can the Rhythms become part of my service?
This is the second question to ask yourself. Not everyone is destined for a life of teaching classes and workshops. The heart of the 5Rhythms work is service, and to that end we are encouraging people to take the training and incorporate the Rhythms into their existing occupation, such as recovery groups, work with seniors, or a career as a teacher. Gabrielle’s greatest passion in her last years was to launch the 5Rhythms Reach Out, to bring the practice to people who are unlikely or unable to attend workshops: elders, inner city children, the disabled, etc. It is the growing edge of our practice across the globe – to bring this healing work wherever it is needed, and will be a factor in who is chosen for the program.
Once you have completed the training and have been authorized to teach, you are expected to join The 5Rhythms Teachers’ Association, a professional organization that provides continuing education and teacher gatherings, links to all member 5Rhythms teachers around the world, marketing of your events on 5Rhythms Global’s website, discounts on workshops, and other support for your teaching practice.
This training will be a profound initiation in preparation to lead people in the 5Rhythms practice. It’s an intensive, yearlong process that includes 3 training modules, as well as interim collaborative and individual projects, service project(s), and practicum teaching. Please refer to the Application Steps information for all of the preliminary work required to apply for the training.
If we feel that you are prepared to enter the training path, we will welcome you into the next Waves training class.
If we feel that you need more fundamentals or other experience in order to explore further your personal growth within the 5Rhythms practice, we are committed to work with you on a study plan to get you on the path.
What is the 5Rhythms Teacher Training?
The 5Rhythms Teacher Training prepares committed 5Rhythms students to become Wave Certification level teachers of the 5Rhythms practice. It covers how to teach the core 5Rhythms (Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, Stillness) and embody the philosophy behind the practice.
What are the requirements to apply for 5Rhythms Teacher Training?
Applicants need to have extensive experience in the 5Rhythms practice, including completing a set number of hours of classes and workshops. Click here for the full list of prerequisites.
How often is the Teacher Training offered?
Teacher Training applications are generally opened every other year. Keep an eye on this page for the next available program.
How long does the training take?
The training consists of three modules over the span of 9 to 12 months. During this time, trainees participate in two 10-day in-person modules and one online module, along with online coursework and mentoring sessions.
Module 1 is a 10-day in-person experience where participants delve into the foundational elements of the 5Rhythms practice. This intensive offers an opportunity for personal growth and exploration of the body’s relationship to movement while learning basic essential 5Rhythms teaching tools.
Module 2 is conducted online and focuses on integrating the learning from Module 1 and teachings on building a community. It includes monthly sessions and small mentor groups that offer personalized support and guidance, helping you grow and develop your skills as a 5Rhythms teacher. During this time trainees will be supported in beginning and developing 5Rhythms space holding offerings for their communities. This phase allows for reflection, practice, and feedback as you develop and refine your teaching style.
Additionally, between Modules 1 and 3 there are required readings and monthly individual and collaborative assignments.
Module 3 concludes the training with another 10-day in-person module, providing a space for you to solidify your teaching practice. Here, you further embody the wisdom of the 5Rhythms, with practical teaching tools and receiving feedback to fully prepare for leading your own classes and workshops.
Throughout the training, you will be guided by experienced teachers, mentors and peers in a supportive environment, building the skills needed to teach with confidence and integrity.
How much does the training cost?
A non-refundable, $250 application fee must be paid prior to submitting your application. Training fees vary by location and year, but for 2025-2026 the training will cost $11,300. Tuition does not include travel, accommodations, and any additional workshop or event fees. Full tuition does not need to be paid upfront however a deposit is required to hold your place in the training, financial aid/payment plans may be available.
Will I be certified to teach after the training?
Yes, upon successfully completing all modules and coursework of the training, and the permission of the teaching staff, you will be certified to teach 5Rhythms at the Waves level.
Do I need to be a professional dancer to apply?
No, professional dance experience is not required. What matters most is your commitment to the practice.
Where does the training take place?
Trainings are held in different locations around the world. Most often, the first and third modules take place in retreat-style settings to allow for deeper focus and community.
How do I apply for teacher training?
Applications are typically submitted through the 5Rhythms Global website. You’ll need to meet the prerequisites, fill out an application, and complete a questionnaire before being accepted.
Note: Applicants must have a working verbal and reading knowledge of English. The training will be fully held in English (Los solicitantes deben tener un conocimiento verbal y de lectura del inglés. El entrenamiento es completamente en inglés).
For more information or questions on the teacher training fill out the contact form below
* Required fields
