Huntsville Ballet wants to recharge your brain with Brain Dance

Everyone knows the value of exercise for a healthy body and healthy heart. But did you realize the brain is also a beneficiary of exercise and movement? Well, Huntsville Ballet knows, which is why they offer Brain Dance — a series of classes that connect the mind and body through movement and balance.

Huntsville Ballet offers these classes in 12-week segments. Here is how you can join:

What is Brain Dance?

So, what is Brain Dance? No, it is not some kind of hypnotic trance ritual or anything like that. It is, however, an effective full body and brain warm-up for people of all ages.

Brain Dance is based on a teaching methodology by teaching pioneer and movement expert, Anne Green Gilbert of Creative Dance Center in Seattle.

It is composed of eight developmental movement patterns human beings are programmed to move through from 0-12 months that wire the central nervous system. As babies, we did these movements on our stomachs on the floor. 

However, cycling through these patterns standing or sitting has also been found to be beneficial. By moving through these developmental patterns, children and adults oxygenate and reorganize their brains.

“Our Brain Dance class for adults will increase focus, balance, core strength, body awareness and coordination. Performed in a calm and flowing pattern to relaxing music, the movements release stress, improve range of motion and encourage oxygenation and mind/body connection. This class is for adults of all ages and physical abilities- no dance experience required!”

Cathy Curry, Huntsville Ballet

Learn more, sign up

Need more info before you get started? Okay, here are some more tidbits about Brain Dance:

• It reviews for us the early baby patterns that lay down structure in the neuromuscular system, influence brain development.
• These patterns, done in an orderly progression, help us remember the parts of our visceral and muscular system that support our body structure.
• Each pattern underlies and supports the next pattern and when done in succession brings a wholeness, aliveness and connectivity to our use of the body, which reflects an integration of body and mind. By separating the eight patterns we become more aware of each pattern.
• By doing the patterns in succession, we connect and align all parts of the body. This leads to wholeness and integration.

Huntsville Ballet’s Brain Dance classes are on Mondays from 10AM to 11AM, and are a 12 week session (Aug. 15 – Sept. 26 and Oct. 10 – Nov. 14). Cost for the session is $175.

To register, call 256-539-0961.

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