Like the Roman Empire, the Biodanza Movement seems to have become too large and disorganised to function efficiently. Just as Constantine the Great, the initiators of the newly formed Federation appear to be trying to solve the problem by dividing the Biodanza Empire into separate regions, i.e. by encouraging the creation of Associations of Schools and tasking the directors with the growth of biodanza in their respective territories. A similar process led to the fall of the Roman Empire.
The task is doomed to fail, as conflicts of interest tend divert the energy into turf protection. School directors are “forced” to form "unholy alliances" in order to continue giving out certificates and consequently to contribute to a "top-down democratisation” process which appears to have been implemented to legitimise a power grab following the death of the charismatic leader.
Ultimately, the Roman Empire collapsed because Roman men no longer wanted to serve in the army as there was nothing in it for them. Most facilitators give up teaching for exactly the same reason, at least in the United Kingdom and in other English-speaking countries. Not only there is nothing for them in terms of financial compensation (the vast majority is unable to start or maintain a group and the few who manage are barely covering their costs), they are expected to take sides in a battle not of their own. Why would they want to be lumbered with the unresolved conflict and trauma present at the top of the biodanza pyramid? No wonder they jump ship!
Without the facilitators's good will and hard work on the ground the whole system will fall apart. Therefore, the future of biodanza depends on facilitators and on associations & federations of facilitators, not on oligarchic structures that maintain control through favouritism to relatives, lovers and old friends – especially now that the structure has split due to disputes over monopoly shares and both sides appear to be steering their “armies” for their own ends. Why would facilitators want to be cogs in these wheels?
Biodanza is much bigger than this but it needs to be liberated from dysfunctional structures in order to survive and be of any benefit to society. That is why I believe that if national associations of facilitators feel the need to affiliate to a larger body then affiliation to a bottom-up federation of international biodanza facilitators might be the only way forward.
Our loving energy needs to be directed towards helping facilitators on the ground so that they can serve those who might benefit from the biodanza methodology, rather than being blindly given away to self-servicing hierarchical structures that feed on misplaced loyalty and give nothing back.