Brain Dance -The Warm up
Anne Green Gilbert created the concept of the BrainDance in 2000. The BrainDance is based on the fundamental movement patterns all humans discover in the first year of life. These movement patterns ”wire the central nervous system by laying the foundations for appropriate behavior and attention, eye convergence necessary for reading, sensory-motor development, and more.” (Anne Green Gilbert, Brain Compatible Dance Education, 2006).
In essence these 8 developmental movement patterns lay the foundation for future learning. However the importance of going through these patterns does not end at 1 year of age. The BrainDance was created as a way to warmup both the body and the brain, to prepare individuals for continued and new learning, with mind and body integrated. The BrainDance helps individuals focus, explore the connections and relationships between body parts and the mind, and re-energize, all aspects critical for learning and daily life.
Here are the basic 8 sequential patterns of the BrainDance
1. Breath- take 5-6 deep breaths in and out
2. Tactile- squeeze, tap, pat, brush, scratch all body parts
3. Core- Distal- Reach out with toes, fingers, head, tail and then curl back to your core.
4. Head-Tail- Move head and tail separately and together in all planes, wiggle spine.
5.Upper-Lower-Move all parts in the Upper body, then move all parts in the Lower body
6. Body Sides- Move all parts on the right side of the body, then move all parts on the left side of the body, do horizontal eye tracking
7.Cross Lateral- Move across midline and connect upper and lower body quadrants do vertical eye tracking
8.Vestibular-Move off balance with spins, rolls, swings, dips, and tips on all levels.
This is obviously a very clinical version of the BrainDance. In our IntelliDance classes we will be exploring the BrainDance sequence as a fun warm up using age appropriate songs, rhymes, and movement activities.
IntelliDance Brain Dance for ages 2-4
1.Breath: Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum
“Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum in a dish,
How many blows do my dancers wish?”
2.Tactile: Hickory Dickory Dock
“Hickory Dickory Dock,
the Mouse tapped up the clock.
The clock struck 1 (clap once),
the mouse tapped down,
Hickory Dickory Dock”
“Hickory Dickory Dock,
the Mouse squeezed up the clock.
The clock struck 2 (clap twice),
the mouse squeezed down,
Hickory Dickory Dock”
“Hickory Dickory Dock,
the Mouse brushed up the clock.
The clock struck 3 (clap three times),
the mouse said “weeeee!”(one big long brush down body),
Hickory Dickory Dock”
“Hickory Dickory Dock,
the Mouse poked up the clock.
The clock struck 4 (clap four times),
the mouse said “no more!”,
Hickory Dickory Dock”
3.Core Distal: Twinkle twinkle little star
“Twinkle twinkle little star (reaching out to distal)
How I wonder what you are? (curling into core)
Up above the word so high,(reaching out to distal)
Like a diamond in the sky (curling into core, finger in diamond shape)
Twinkle twinkle little star (reaching out to distal)
How I wonder what you are? (curling into core)”
4.Head/Tail: Hey Diddle Diddle
“Hey Diddle Diddle (on all fours circle head and tail)
The cat and the fiddle (arch back in cat stretch)
The cow jumped over the moon. (come onto knees, head back, arch back)
The little dog laughed to see such sport (on all fours, shake head and tail laterally)
And the dish ran away with the spoon. (crawl)”
5.Upper/Lower: Itsy, bitsy Spider
“The Itsy bitsy spier marched up the water spout. (lower- march on the spot)
Down came the rain and washed the spider out. (upper- fingers rain down body)
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain (upper-arms stretch and sway side to side)
And the itsy bitsy spider marched up the spout again.”(lower- march on the spot)
6.Body sides: London Bridges
“London Bridges falling down, falling down, falling down.
London Bridges falling down, (holding hands, rocking body side to side)
My fair dancers (slide together to side).
Build it up with bricks and clay, bricks and clay, bricks and clay.
Build it up with bricks and clay, (holding hands, rocking body side to side)
My fair dancers (slide together to side).
7.Cross Lateral: Shoe a little horse
“Shoe a little horse,
Shoe a little mare,
With a tap, tap here
and a tap, tap there.” Repeat
(Sitting or standing, for each line hand reaches across body to opposite to foot and tap)
8.Vestibular: Twisting in the Washing Machine
“Twist, twist, twist in the washing machine,
twist, twist, twist, until we're clean. (feet planted, twist body side to side)
Spin and stop! (spin in one direction and stop) Repeat
Movement Activities
But did you know how much your baby benefits from taking a Salsa Babies class, even if they fall asleep? Researchers in Europe has finished a 3 year study concluding that exposing babies to music and rhythmic patterns and changes even while sleeping aides their language development and general neural development. 
I just got back from a wonderful day at 
As parents we were able to use this as an educational opportunity for our 3 year old Bria, who accompanied her Daddy to the Food Bank and helped unload the food. She was very excited to learn that this food was going to help children in Edmonton who may otherwise be hungry. We were very happy to be able to give her this experience and continue our efforts to raise a compassionate, global citizen.
