Brain-Compatible Dance Education is a research-informed, holistic method of teaching dance that supports the natural learning processes of both children and adults. Developed by dance educator Anne Green Gilbert, this methodology is rooted in human development and brain science, and blends repetition and novelty, exploration and structure, play and skill-building.
In caregiver–toddler classes, this looks like warming up with movement patterns from early development (the BrainDance), engaging in playful dance activities, exploring creative movement, and taking time to connect and cool down. This steady, predictable rhythm nourishes growing brains and bodies—supporting coordination, emotional regulation, social connection, and cognitive growth—for both little ones and the grownups who move alongside them.
*More about Brain Compatible Dance Education @ www.creativedance.org
The BrainDance is a sequence of eight fundamental movement patterns that humans naturally move through in the first year of life. Developed by Anne Green Gilbert, this practice supports healthy brain and body development by reinforcing neurological organization, sensory integration, and emotional regulation.
While dancers of all ages benefit from the BrainDance, it’s especially powerful for young children. When practiced regularly, it helps kids:
Calm and organize their nervous systems
Increase focus and readiness to learn
Build coordination, balance, and body awareness
Strengthen self-regulation and resilience
We begin each class with the BrainDance to gently warm up both body and mind. For toddlers and preschoolers (ages 1–4), we pair each movement pattern with a song or rhyme. The blend of music, rhythm, and movement supports memory, attention, and language development—making it fun and engaging for young children to follow along and fully embody each pattern.
The Eight BrainDance Patterns:
Breath – Settles the nervous system, brings in oxygen, and helps children feel centered and ready to learn.
Tactile – Touch (patting, squeezing, brushing) develops body awareness and comfort in one’s own skin.
Core-Distal – Moving from curled to stretched shapes supports full-body connection and spatial understanding.
Head-Tail – Moving the spine connects head and tailbone, supporting alignment and coordination.
Upper-Lower – Separating upper and lower body movements builds strength and balance.
Body-Side – Isolating one side of the body at a time improves coordination and brain integration.
Cross-Lateral – Crossing the midline (like in crawling) strengthens brain-body connections needed for learning.
Vestibular – Movements like rocking and spinning support balance, attention, and spatial awareness.
Braindance © 2000 was developed by Anne Green Gilbert and adapted from neurodevelopmental movement patterns and Bartenieff Fundamentals.
Each week in class, we explore one of the 16 dance concepts, organized under four foundational elements of dance: Body, Space, Time, and Force. These elements—adapted from Laban Movement Analysis by Anne Green Gilbert—offer a rich, developmentally appropriate framework for helping children explore how their bodies move.
The weekly concept serves as the central theme of the class, guiding our warm-up, improvisation, group dances, and creative play. This consistent structure offers children both repetition and novelty, deepening their movement vocabulary while supporting emotional expression, cognitive flexibility, and social connection.
Though the focus is on dance, the benefits reach far beyond class. Exploring movement in this intentional way helps children develop critical life skills for learning, relating, and growing.
Here are just a few examples of how concepts show up in class—and in life:
Place: (Self Space & General Space) → Builds spatial awareness and understanding of personal and social boundaries.
Level (high, middle, low) → Supports motor planning, creativity, and full-body expression.
Speed (slow, medium, fast) → Encourages recognition and regulation/modulation of energy and emotions.
Weight (strong/light and passive/active) → Develops expressive communication and emotional awareness.
Pathway (straight/curved/zigzag) → Enhances sequencing skills and problem-solving through movement.
Through playful exploration of these concepts, children (and adults!) build body awareness, creativity, and emotional insight—all while moving in ways that are joyful, natural, and deeply meaningful.
I first encountered Anne Green Gilbert’s BrainDance and creative dance framework in 2005, and it has shaped the way I teach and facilitate movement ever since. I spent years teaching her approach to dancers of all ages and went on to develop a creative dance program grounded in her work. Over the past two decades, I’ve woven her approach into classrooms, community programs, and therapy settings—and recently deepened that work through direct training at her Summer Dance Institute for Teachers. While I focused more on dance/movement therapy in recent years, becoming a parent brought me back to creative dance in a new way. Teaching now feels like a return to my roots—grounded in experience and renewed through the joy of moving with my own child.