The term "Dance yoga" may mean one of a few things. It may refer to Natya Yoga, the ancient yoga practice that incorporates dance. There is also a modern practice called YogaDance from the Kripalu school in Massachusetts, which offers classes and teacher certification. There are also many yoga teachers who incorporate dance into their specific style, but finding a certification program for this eclectic practice may prove difficult.
Natya Yoga
Natya Yoga practitioners perform dance recitals that are punctuated by a particular set of 108 movements called "karanas." The purpose of the dance is to attain a higher state of consciousness. Practitioners believe that the physical, mental and emotional discipline of Natya yoga transforms the body into an ideal conduit for divine contact.
Kripalu YogaDance
YogaDance, originally called DansKinetics, was developed at the Kripalu Yoga Ashram in 1978. It is based on a model of dance as meditation, incorporating yogic breathing, chakras and low-impact dance. YogaDance can be practiced by anyone including people with physical disabilities, states Nancy Buttenheim, M.A., of Let Your Yoga Dance.
Yoga Instructor Training Programs
Yoga teacher certification is not regulated by any U.S. government agency. Yoga Alliance is a professional organization that works to create and enforce certification standards. They offer 200-hour and 500-hour certification, with the name reflecting the number of hours spent in teacher training. Not all teacher training programs offer Yoga Alliance certification, however. Often the legitimacy of a training program is based on the reputation of the person who sponsors or teaches it.
Natya Yoga Certification
As of 2010, instruction training programs specific to Natya yoga were difficult to locate. General yoga teacher certification combined with extensive personal experience with Natya yoga practice and the endorsement of your teacher would likely serve as sufficient credentials for Natya yoga instructors.
YogaDance Certification
The Kripalu yoga teacher training in Massachusetts is certified by Yoga Alliance, but the main training program does not include YogaDance training. Let Your Yoga Dance in Massachusetts and Yoga Meets Dance in Arizona are both descendants of Kripalu YogaDance and offer teacher certification training in their specific styles.
Considerations
Yoga training programs vary greatly in cost and can reach thousands of dollars. In addition, you may have to travel to your training location and pay for accommodations while you train, especially if you pursue training from a Natya master or one of the Kripalu-based programs. Wherever you choose to pursue certification, be aware that a training program backed by Yoga Alliance or another certification body will expand your employment opportunities post-training.
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