Biodanza in the world
Ever since it was created by Rolando Toro Araneda in the 60’s, Biodanza has greatly developed and spread all around the world. Over 4.000 qualified professionals now offer weekly classes and several other Biodanza activities in over 40 countries.
The International Biocentric Foundation (IBF) is at the head of the International Biodanza movement. A large amount of information is available in many languages on the IBF site.
A worldwide movement
Biodanza as a worldwide movement is in full growth, making it easily possible for anyone to join a class or a workshop anywhere in the world.
The history of Biodanza: creation and expansion
Biodanza was created by Rolando Toro Araneda (1924-2010) in Chili, during the 60’s. He was a psychologist, anthropologist, poet and artist. He developed a proposition of dance and music while working with his patients at the University of Santiago’s Psychiatric Hospital. It became the foundation of Biodanza. At that time Biodanza was called Psychodanza. Immediate results on the patients’ well-being, as well as the seriousness of the method, quickly assured Biodanza recognition as a first choice practice. Since 1970 Biodanza was listed on the curriculum of the University of Chili, and spread simultaneously Argentina, Brasil and throughout Latin America.
In the 80’s, Rolando Toro Araneda settled in Europe where he introduced Biodanza. As he felt the interest growing, he created the first school to train Biodanza facilitators. He gave careful consideration to creating the International Biocentric Foundation (IBF); its role is to watch over Biodanza worldwide, whether it concerns spreading it around the world, the creation of regulations, and the protection of the method or the registered trademark.
As of this date, about a hundred schools offer the same Biodanza facilitators’ training program, as was certified by its creator, namely: Biodanza Rolando Toro System. Today, Biodanza is in full expansion.
Biodanza in Canada
Jean-Yves Bourdages, a psychologist and Biodanza facilitator from Québec, introduced and developed the practice of Biodanza in Canada in 1986. He led several workshops in Montreal for a few years, after which the practice faded out. Biodanza was reintroduced at the beginning of the year 2000, thanks to Michel Loignon’s initiative and perseverance. In the fall of 2003, this passionate man was able to link his perseverance with the generosity of three european facilitators: Hélène Lévy-Benseft, Isabelle Lorétan Dettwiler and Olivier Dettwiler. Together they opened the École de BiodanzaRolando Toro de Montréal, the first school to be created and to train facilitators in North America.
