Brain-Compatible Dance Education

Anne Green Gilbert’s Brain-Compatible Dance Education, Second Edition, strikes the perfect balance between hard science and practicality, making it an ideal resource for dance educators working with dancers of all ages and abilities.

Gilbert presents the latest brain research and its implications for dance educators and dancers. She makes the research findings accessible and easy to digest, always connecting the science to the teaching and learning that takes place in classrooms and studios.

This new edition of Brain-Compatible Dance Education features Gilbert’s unique BrainDance warm-up, made up of eight developmental movement patterns for people of all ages, from birth to older adults. This BrainDance warm-up helps dancers improve focus and productivity as it invigorates their minds and bodies and gets their synapses firing.

In addition, this edition offers the following new material:

• 24 new lesson plans geared to all age groups, from birth on up

• New tips and tools to strengthen your teaching skills and provide a foundation for advocating for dance in schools and communities

• A new web resource that includes 11 video clips of BrainDance with variations for diverse audiences, as well as printable lesson plans, posters, charts, and assessment templates

The video clips on the web resource are great teaching aids that show you real-world examples of how the movements are done. The clips show dancers from infants to seniors, from beginners to advanced students, and those with special needs.

The text is organized into three parts. Part I presents the theory behind brain-compatible dance education, offering an overview of the latest brain research, outlining the 10 principles of brain-compatible dance education, and exploring how to plan engaging lessons and use tools to assess your dancers. Part II describes the lesson plan elements in depth, including warming up, exploring concepts, developing skills, creating, and cooling down. In part III, Gilbert offers her new sequential and holistic lesson plans for ages 0 through 4, 5 through 8, 9 through 18, and adults.

Brain-Compatible Dance Education, Second Edition, will revitalize your dance classes by improving your students’ focus as they perform the repetitions that are so necessary for skill development. It will help you understand the vital link between movement and cognition, develop holistic lesson plans for any age and population, and bring the joy of movement into students’ lives.