Personal

Renate Herberger is a dancer, dance therapist, dance teacher, musician and mother, with over 40 years music training and practice, and 25 years active dance work in many cultures.

Renate is multi-lingual and multi-cultural. She has lived and worked in Germany, Canada, Mexico and the U.S.A., and has spent extensive study periods in Africa, Haiti and Brazil.

Renate has taught 5 languages, drama, dance and music to children and adults since 1976. She has a wealth of experience and qualifications.

University Education

• University of Victoria, Victoria BC. 2004 – 2005 Spanish 251 and Spanish 351
  University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC. 2004 Nursing Studies
• Wesleyan University, Middletown CT. 1979-1983 Master of Arts & Liberal Studies in Movement Studies. Master’s Thesis: Getting to the Heart of Haitian Dance: A Personal Approach. Supervised by Lavinia Williams
• York University, 1975-1979. B.F.A. with Honours, specializing in creative dance and dance therapy. Teachers included Carol Anderson, Director of Dancemakers, Toronto
• University of Toronto, 1979. Special student in Ethnomusicology: Performance (Bulgarian Gajda and Folkloric dances and songs) and theory, with Kostadin Varimezov, soloist with the Bulgarian State Orchestra and National Folkloric Ensemble
• University of Victoria, 1974-1975 pre-medical studies
• University of Victoria Extension Program, 1974-75 Creative Dance with Moira Morningstar
• Werdenfels Gymnasium 1972 – 1974 “Abitur” graduation in Classical Studies
• Other Certificates & Studies
• 2004 Standard First Aid
• 2002 CASARA Air Search and Rescue, Navigator and Spotter
• 2001 SAR Coastal Search and Rescue
• 1999 TESOL Teacher of English to Speakers of other Languages
• 1999 White Sail II
• 1998 Wilderness First Aid and CPR
• 1998 Maritime Radio Telephone Operator’s Certificate
• 1998 Hoffman Quadrinity Process
• 1998 Ecotourism at Camosun College
• 1997 Ski Patroller Mt. Washington, BC
• 1995 River Rafting Guide Licence
• 1991 Jane Middleton-Moz “Children of Trauma” workshop for therapists
• 1990 Certified Childbirth Educator through Informed Birth and Parenting IH/IBP
• 1985 Touch for Health Level I Certificate
• 1983 Middletown, CT. Rape Crisis Centre Counselor Training Program
• 1982 KOFUTU Touch Healer’s Certificate
• 1979 O.F.D.T.A. Ontario Folk Dance Teacher’s Certificate
• Other Teachers
• Lavinia Williams, Haitian Dance, Dunham Technique 1979 – 1983
• Loremil Machado, Afro-Brazilian Dance, between 1980 and 1993
• John Bradshaw, Healing for Recovery, Vancouver 1990
• Jean-Leon Destiné, Afro-Haitian Dance, between 1979 and 1989
• Babatunde Olatunji, African Dance, 1988
• Abraham Adzeniah and Freeman Donkor, Ghanaian Drums and Dance, 1979 to 1984
• Menakka Thakkar, Bharatanatyam Dance, 1977-78
• Georges Rodriquez, Haitian Drums and Dance, 1977-79
• Ghana Dance Ensemble, 1984 and Ocheami, between 1986 and 1993
• Ballet National du Senegal, with Astou Koumbe and Djonkounda N’diaye, 1984
• John Higgins, Karnatak Singing, 1975-1978

Related Teaching Experience

• Professor of Environmental Education, Universidad Michoacana , Mexico, 2006
• Professor of Modern Languages, Universidad Latina de America, Mexico, 2006
• Instituto Michoacano de la Mujer, workshops in “cuerpo y autoestima”, 2004

Classes in Dance Therapy / Creative Dance / Afro-Caribbean Dance / Music:

• University of Victoria, Athletics and Recreation, 1987-current
• Prague, Czech Republic, “Bridge to the Future”, 1999
• Saanich Commonwealth Place, Creative and Afro-Caribbean Dance, 1995-1996
• Cuernavaca, Mexico, “Curacon a travez de la Danza”, 1995
• Pazquaro, Mexico, “Curacon a travez de la Danza”, 1995
• Yaounde, Cameroon, Troupe Nationale Folklorique du Cameroun, 1995
• The Playhouse, Deep Cove, Sidney, B.C., various children’s classes from 1987 to 1991
• YM/YWCA, Victoria, 1990-91
• Meridian Holistic Health Centre, Victoria, 1991
• Kaleidoscope Theatre Productions, Victoria, 1990
• Healing Exchange, Victoria, 1987 through 1989
• University of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, 1988
• Canadian Holistic Healing Association, 1987
• Harrison Festival of the Arts, Harrison, B.C., 1987
• Creative Contemplative Society, Lund, B.C., 1987
• University of Victoria, 1987
• Lincoln Arts Center and Langston Hughes Cultural Centre, Seattle, WA., 1985-87
• Chinook Healing Center, Whidbey Is., WA, co-teacher with Sam Keen 1985
• Dance New England, 1980- 85, Founding member of thriving African Dance Program
• University of Legon, Accra, Ghana, 1984
• Troupe Nationale Folklorique du Togo, West Africa, 1984
• Wesleyan University, Teaching Assistant 1981-82
• Troupe Nationale Folklorique du Haiti, Haiti, 1979
• Toronto Music Conservatory, 1976-78 – private children’s instruction in piano

Private Practice – Dance Therapy and Kofutu Touch Healing:

Whidbey Island, WA., 1985-87
Deep Cove, Sidney, B.C., 1987- present

Current Teaching:

* Private tutoring in English, German, French and Spanish
Prenatal Education, Deep Cove, B.C., 1990 – present
Women’s Spirituality – an integration of dance therapy, ritual and anthropology / religious history, with dance, song, trance and breath work.
Nature Meditation

Music:

30+ years piano; as student and teacher
voice training, international forms of singing and chanting (Sufi, Karnatak, Classical)
Vina and Mrdangam (East Indian Classical string and percussion instruments)
Afro-Caribbean and African drumming

References

Available on request, from former teachers, students and colleagues.