Alternate Route

iPhoto: Antoine Saito

The Alternate Route training program offers classes in dance therapy approved by the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) and has been created with the 92nd Street Y Harknesss Centre. It is designed for dancers and health professionals who want to obtain the professional accreditation of Registered Dance/Movement Therapist, by the ADTA.

A unique program in Canada, the Alternate Route consists of 270 hours of classes, taught by American dance therapists who are recognized internationally as pioneers in the field.

It is important to note that completing the Alternate Route won’t result immediately in the certification. Together with other criteria, this program allows to replace a master’s in dance therapy, not yet available in Canada.

Dance Therapy Accreditation

The ADTA Dance/Movement Therapy Certification Board (DMTCB) delivers the Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT) accreditation. To obtain this, you need to complete a master’s degree in dance therapy. Since this is currently unavailable in Canada, another option is to gather the following:

A total of 27 graduate level credits in dance/movement therapy (provided by our Alternate Route training)
A master’s degree in a field related to health
A total of 21 graduate level credits in anatomy and psychology
700 internship hours
5 years of experience in dance

iPhoto: Antoine Saito

Program Details

The Alternate Route is a private program equivalent to 27 master’s credits in dance therapy, for a total of 405 hours:

270 hours in dance therapy
90 hours of movement observation and analysis
45 of group dance/movement therapy

Three intensive three-week sessions
Internationally renowned professors

The courses are offered in English only. Our objective is to develop a francophone expertise in order to give the program in the two official languages.

Admission Criteria

Our admission criteria are based on those of the closest organization delivering accreditation: the Dance/Movement Therapy Certification Board (DMTCB) of the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA). These criteria are very similar to those of other international organizations.

We suggest that all those interested in the program consult the R-DMT Applicant Handbook.

A master’s degree in a field related to health or dance (or being in the registration process)
5 years of experience in dance
Successfully completing an audition (next auditions: Fall 2021). The audition mainly aims at evaluating candidates’ movement repertoire and their behaviour in a group context (leadership skills).

iPhoto: Antoine Saito

Auditions

We have now opened the registrations for the auditions for the 4th cohort of Alternate Route students. The candidates who are selected at the auditions will attend the 9-week program between July 2022 and July 2024.

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