A joyful group of Momentum dancers in a dark wooden studio in Bali, arms raised

Momentum ContactFacilitator Training

50-hour certification · Online + Ubud, Bali

A Momentum training group smiling together on garden steps

Sound familiar?

You love contact. Now you want more of it where you live.

  • There's no contact community where you live, and you want to build one from scratch.
  • You've started teaching, and organizing everything takes far more than you expected.
  • You're not sure how to give your students feedback.
  • You don't know where to run a class, or how to get people to come.

Momentum gives you the structure, the skills and the confidence to start.

Inside Momentum

Feel the room

Inside a Momentum workshop in Uluwatu, Bali: the skills, the play, and the people you'll learn to hold.

Aalia demonstrating to seated students on a wooden studio floor

Why join

Most contact intensives make you a better dancer. Momentum trains you to be the person who runs the class, hosts the jam and fills the workshop.

  1. 01/

    A method that's been tested

    Built from more than 45 editions of the Momentum Contact Fundamentals workshop in Bali, Thailand and Canada since 2020.

  2. 02/

    You teach real students

    In Level 2 you teach inside a live Momentum workshop and get feedback from Aalia on your teaching style.

  3. 03/

    Leadership, facilitation and ethics

    How to hold a room, set a container and lead with integrity. The side most dancers are never taught.

  4. 04/

    The business of dance

    Marketing, social media, sourcing venues and building sign-up forms, so people actually come to your class.

  5. 05/

    Make it your own

    Momentum is one perspective on contact, not a rulebook. Part of your coaching is shaping the material to suit your community and your vision.

Two dancers sitting back to back on a dark wooden floor, laughing
Aalia adjusting a student's shoulders in a bamboo studio
Aalia hugging a graduate outside the studio

Before you teach

What your contact students actually need from you

They don't need

  • The most acrobatic dancer in the room
  • Your most impressive lift on a reel
  • Choreography to copy
  • A teacher with every answer

They do need

  • Contact skills broken down so their body understands
  • A room safe enough to open up to connection and conversation
  • Clear structure and clear consent
  • Your presence, permission and authenticity
Dancers sitting in a circle on a dark wooden floor, clapping together

Is this for you?

Who this training is for

  • A contact dancer who feels ready to start teaching or hosting jams
  • Wanting to grow a contact community where you live, even where none exists yet
  • A bodyworker, coach or therapist bringing movement into your work
  • Someone who wants structure, mentorship and real skills
  • Curious, willing to practice and ready to lead

Not for you yet, if you're

  • Only interested in performing, choreography or learning contact for yourself. A festival or workshop is the better fit.
  • Not ready to take responsibility for a group
  • Not ready to put in the practice, the reflection and the time
Dancers rolling over each other in a dark studio
Dancing contact and teaching contact are two different skills. Momentum trains the second one.
Aalia Hashem

How it works

The pathway

  1. 01/Join Level 1Online, self-paced or with the group cohort.
  2. 02/Apply for Level 2Intake form. Minimum one year of contact practice.
  3. 03/Momentum Contact CertificationTrain with a new group over 7 days in Ubud.
  4. 04/Lead on your ownYou'll leave ready to teach the Momentum Method your way, in classes, jams, workshops and retreats.
Two dancers in a counterbalance lift under a bamboo roof

Level 2 · In person

More than contact

You'll leave able to teach the Momentum Contact Fundamentals workshop. About half is contact improvisation skills. The rest is a whole set of movement practices you can share.

MOMENTUM CONTACT Fundamentals Method CONTACT IMPROVISATION Dance improvisation Contemporary floorwork Bodywork Qigong Authentic movement Creative improvisation Bartenieff Fundamentals Leading group conversations
Two dancers in a supported lean under a thatched roof

Bring contact home to your community

I'm ready to apply

The curriculum

What you'll learn

  1. 01

    Hosting Contact JamsLevel 1 · Online

    Inclusive jam spaces, consent, community guidelines, music and injury care.

  2. 02

    Leadership, Facilitation & EthicsLevel 1 · Online

    Holding a group, class design with timing and structure, ethics and challenging moments.

  3. 03

    The Business of DanceLevel 1 · Online

    Marketing, social media, venues, sign-up forms and your dance bio.

  4. 04

    The Momentum MethodLevel 2 · In person

    Learn to facilitate and teach the Momentum skills with practice time and feedback.

Aalia guiding a student on all fours under a thatched roof
Black and white overhead shot of dancers on the floor

Each level

The levels

Level 1 · Online · Self-paced

Teaching Contact Improvisation Fundamentals

The online course. About 15 hours of learning in total, at your own pace. Open to anyone who intends to teach contact or host jams.

  • Video lessons across all three pillars
  • Pre-recorded coaching callsFrom our 2025 cohort
  • Practical homework to build your own class plans
  • Online contact improvisation library
  • 1:1 coaching call with Aalia

Level 1 · Online · Group cohort

The Same Course, 4-Week Group

Begins November 3, 2026

For accountability and more coaching with Aalia. We go through the course together, week by week.

  • Everything in the self-paced course
  • 4 weeks of live group coaching calls with Aalia
  • Calls recorded if you miss one

Level 2 · In person · Ubud, Bali

Momentum Mentorship Certification

35 hours over 7 days. An embodied, live training: you learn leadership by teaching together.

  • The Momentum Method in fullEvery skill of the Momentum workshop, taught 45+ times since 2020
  • Teach inside a live Momentum workshopWith feedback from Aalia on your teaching style
  • 60+ page Momentum Contact Manual and Spotify playlists
  • 1:1 business and marketing sessionTailored to your own community and vision
  • Contact Body online course to review the skills
  • Integration coaching call with AaliaValid for 3 months after the training
  • Momentum Contact Certification
Aalia lifting a partner with a tattooed back in a dark studio

Graduates come from China, the United States, Russia, Portugal, Korea and Ireland

What graduates say about the training

Graduates of ours have come from all kinds of backgrounds: retreat owners, tech workers, university students, a nurse, dance professionals, and yoga and somatic teachers. They found contact, fell in love, and wanted to share it with their own community.

“

This journey was about exploring my inner self and expanding the boundaries of my world. We learned the history and culture of CI, contact skills, and practical tools for dancing safely, plus marketing, space holding, and how to work with venues. It was more than dance: it prepared us to become independent facilitators.

Before, I wasn't sure if I had enough experience or confidence. But with Aalia's trust and guidance, it happened naturally. This training gave me not just knowledge, but clarity, confidence, and support. I feel so lucky to be part of this, and I can't wait to share it with my contact community in China. If you want to be a facilitator, join us. It's so worthwhile!

Sunny Zheng · China
“

Beyond the technical skills, I really valued seeing how Aalia manages the group, the energy, and the flow of a workshop. I didn't realize how much thought goes into that. It's the difference between a good workshop and a great one.

I had the chance to both attend and teach during the Momentum Workshop, with lots of 1:1 time and an amazing community. Completing this training feels like a big win, and I'm excited to share it at my retreat centre in Portugal.

Andy Chen · USA / Portugal · Owner, Casa Eira
Dancers laughing together in a dark studio

Ready to create more meaningful dance spaces?

Join the training

Kind words

What Momentum workshop dancers say

Dancers of Momentum feedback over a photo of two smiling dancers Feedback that Momentum was a playful, informative way to explore contact Message from a student thanking Aalia after a 21-day workshop Review from Triss Tashi calling Momentum a fantastic experience Quote from a man about reclaiming himself as a dancer Message from a student describing two unforgettable days of contact
Black and white portrait of Aalia holding a shell beside her face

Founder and lead teacher

Meet Aalia Hashem

Contact Improvisation has guided my life since 2018. In 2020 I founded the Momentum workshop, and I've since taken hundreds of dancers through their first steps in contact, in Bali, Thailand, Canada and beyond.

Students describe me as accessible, authentic, technical and strong, while being fun, approachable and present.

My journey began at Edam Dance Company, learning from the pioneers of Canadian contact. I've studied with over 50 contact teachers, and my movement background spans 20 years, from contemporary and swing to bodywork and qigong. I'm a certified 200-hour Kundalini Hatha yoga teacher, and Contact Beyond Contact Level 1 first brought me to Ubud in 2019.

Aalia dancing in white in a bamboo studio

I host the Faces of CI podcast, founded the Contact Body online school, and direct dance films shown at Canada's Contact Dance Film Festival. I've been invited to teach at Bali Dance Festival, Georgia Silent Contact Festival, Towards CI50 Conference, Bali Bloom and Arcana Koh Phangan.

I've trained in facilitation and leadership with Rick Smith, an American teacher who has trained teachers across the United States and many of Bali's facilitators. Teaching runs in my family: my mom was a school and university teacher, and my dad taught driving, flying and hang gliding. In Human Design, my purpose is the Left Angle Cross of Education, a life devoted to teaching.

Influences

Andrew HarwoodKirstie SimsonPeter BinghamMartin KeoghLeilani WeisSasha DodoDolores Dewhurst-MarksVega Luukkonen
A large circle of dancers sitting under a thatched roof

Investment

Ready to begin

Level 1 · Self-paced · Online

Teaching Contact Improvisation Fundamentals

$500USD

Instant access

  • About 15 hours of learning
  • Video lessons and pre-recorded coaching calls
  • Online contact library
  • 1:1 coaching call
Start now

Level 1 · Group cohort · Online

The Same Course, 4-Week Group

$800USD

Begins November 3, 2026 · small group

  • Everything in self-paced
  • 4 weeks of live coaching with Aalia
  • Weekly accountability
Join the cohort

Level 2 · By application

Momentum Mentorship Certification

$2,000USD

Early bird, register by Nov 30, 2026$2,000
After December 1, 2026$2,300
  • 35 hours over 7 days, Feb 15–22, 2027, in Ubud, Bali
  • Teach in a live Momentum workshop
  • 60+ page manual, playlists and Contact Body
  • Momentum Contact Certification
Apply for Level 2

Please note for Level 2

You need Level 1 and at least one year of contact practice to join Level 2. In Dancing Deeper Still, Martin Keogh, one of Aalia's contact teachers, suggests a year of dancing before teaching, and Aalia studied for nearly two years before she began. Level 1 has no requirement, so you can start now, build your practice alongside it, and join Level 2 later.

A dancer in a floral top moving across a wooden floor

For dance teachers of all kinds

Teaching Dance Essentials

Not a contact teacher? Maybe you teach tribal fusion, women's dance, salsa, swing or hip hop, or you're an ecstatic dance DJ. Learn leadership, facilitation and ethics as a dance teacher, plus the business of dance and all our marketing materials, without the contact improvisation material. Online and self-paced.

$269USD

Free trainings

If you'd like to get to know Aalia and how she teaches.

A dancer sharing with the group, hands at heart

Free training · 35 minutes · YouTube

The 5 mistakes dance teachers make

What Momentum teaches, who it's for and who it isn't for, and the mistakes it helps you avoid.

Aalia lying on a warm wooden studio floor during floorwork

Free class · 25 minutes · YouTube

Floorwork with Aalia

Move with Aalia and feel how she breaks down a skill for her students.

Level 2 venue

Rasa Yoga, Ubud

Our private studio for the week, in central Ubud. Modern rooms are available on site for around 500,000 IDR a night if you'd like to stay where you train.

A group seated in meditation on mats in the Rasa Yoga studio
A modern guest room at Rasa Yoga with a rattan headboard and garden view
Another angle of a Rasa Yoga guest room with a sliding rattan wardrobe

Before you apply

FAQs

Who can join Level 1?

Anyone who intends to teach contact or host jams. There's no experience requirement for Level 1. If you teach another dance style, Teaching Dance Essentials may be a better fit.

Why do I need a year of experience for Level 2?

Level 2 is by application, and we accept dancers who already have a contact practice of at least one year, about 40 hours, so they're invested in the form. In Dancing Deeper Still, Martin Keogh suggests around a year of dancing before teaching, and Aalia studied for nearly two years before she started.

Training to teach something you haven't embodied yet is like going to a yoga teacher training as a brand-new yogi. We want facilitators who carry what they share in their own bodies. Accepted dancers receive an acceptance email after the intake form.

Can I skip Level 1 if I already teach?

No. Even experienced contact teachers find new tools in Level 1, and it means everyone arrives in Bali with the same foundation in hosting, leadership and the business of dance.

Do you offer discounts or scholarships?

No. The early bird price for Level 2 is the only discount, and we don't offer scholarships, work-trade or exchange places.

Where is Level 2?

At our private studio at Rasa Yoga in central Ubud, Bali. Modern rooms are available on site for around 500,000 IDR a night, and booking them is optional. Rasa has a small café with coffee and matcha and an open kitchen for guests, but meals aren't provided.

The week is full, so there isn't much time for sightseeing. Aalia lived in Bali for four years and taught in Ubud and Uluwatu from 2020 to 2024, and she's happy to share local tips once you're accepted.

Are accommodation and food included?

No. Level 2 covers the training only, so you can stay on site or anywhere else in Ubud that suits you, from rice-field villas to simple homestays.

What does a week in Level 2 look like?

Momentum technique classes, facilitation labs and teaching practice, ending with a celebration together, like a sauna and dinner night out. You'll get the full schedule a week before.

What if I miss a live call?

Every call is recorded, so you can catch up in your own time.

Can I teach the Momentum Method afterwards?

Yes. Use any of the practices freely in your own classes. If you build workshops on this material, please credit it as the Momentum Contact Method and share that you trained with Aalia.

What is the refund policy?

All sales are final and non-refundable, so please book mindfully. If we cancel a training, you'll receive a full refund.

A Momentum workshop group gathered under a thatched roof

Still on the fence?

Apply for a free 20-minute discovery call

If you still have questions and you're serious about joining, message Aalia on WhatsApp with your time zone and three times that work for you in the next week. She'll confirm one.

More contact online with Aalia

Leilani Weis laughing in a bright white room

Podcast · Spotify

Faces of CI

Aalia has hosted the podcast since 2019, talking with contact facilitators in Canada and Asia about the practice. Guests include Kirstie Simson, Leilani Weis and Andrew Harwood.

Aalia carrying a dancer on her back in a bright studio

Online courses

Contact Body

Our two mini courses based on the Momentum online school: Solo Body, Move What's in You and Two Bodies, Contact Partnerwork Principles.

Newsletter

Join the Momentum newsletter to hear about facilitator trainings, online courses, workshops, contact musings and dance videos.