A Unique Workshop Series
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, metus at rhoncus dapibus, habitasse vitae cubilia odio sed. Mauris pellentesque eget lorem malesuada wisi nec, nullam mus. Mauris vel mauris. Orci fusce ipsum faucibus scelerisque.
The Brain Dance
Embracing Movement Diversity
Relax, Release & Reset Your Neck and Shoulders
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, metus at rhoncus dapibus, habitasse vitae cubilia.
It's Time to Get Happy Feet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, metus at rhoncus dapibus, habitasse vitae cubilia.
Your Instructor: Mariah-Jane Thies
Mariah-Jane has been teaching dance for 33 years, since the tender age of 17 starting out as a sub teacher. She knew immediately she had found her passion and has dedicated her life to improving not just her dance skills, but her teaching skills including earning a dance teacher degree from GMCC. Through continuous ongoing education Mariah-Jane now brings a myriad of complimentary methods to the teaching of dance, in particular ballet and modern.
Mariah-Jane is a RAD registered teacher, mentor and supervisor and has the great honour of presenting at the RAD’s 100 year anniversary conference in Melbourne, Australia in January 2020. She is also an Evans Laban certified Modern teacher, and it is through this training that she was introduced to not only Laban, but to the developmental movement patterns of Bartenieff and Hackney. She has had the great pleasure of training with legends Bill Evans, Peggy Hackney and Bonnie Bainbridge-Cohen in the developmental patterns, as well as creator of the Brain Dance, Anne Green-Gilbert.
Through her interest in the effect of movement and the wiring of the brain sparked 20 years ago, Mariah-Jane has gone on to pursue and certify as an instructor/consultant both in Brain Gym and Rhythmic Movement Training studying extensively with creators Dr. Paul Dennison and Dr. Harold Blomberg respectively
Mariah-Jane’s primary focus in her work is bringing the issue of brain integration and the need for integration of the primitive and postural reflexes into the dance community, with application to all dance forms. Mariah-Jane has presented on this topics at IADMS in Finland, NDEO in New York City, BMC International Conference in Montreal and the Somatics International Conference in New Mexico, Massachusetts and New York, and now for the RAD. She has also presented on the Brain Dance at several international conferences in Canada, Germany and the US.
Mariah-Jane is keen and eager to share her unique knowledge to any and all interested dance teachers and movement specialists.
The Brain Dance
The Brain Dance explores the developmental movement patterns that humans move through in the first year of life to "wire up" their central nervous system, with the addition of vestibular and tactile stimulation.
The Brain Dance is a great way of having fun at any age ‘dancing’ through the developmental stages in as little as five minutes and has a quick and easy to follow structure.
The Brain Dance for various populations will be experienced: sitting on the floor (preschool and children), standing (all ages), and sitting in chairs (for seniors and special needs).
Benefits of the Brain Dance:
-
Learn new ideas and ways to use Brain Gym
-
Sensory integration including tactile and vestibular
-
Assists in developing more appropriate behaviour and social skills
-
Switch-on for learning, work and daily functioning
-
Integration prior to stressful events: tests, performances and presentations
-
Centering for brain-body to either wake-up or calm down
-
Improved memory, concentration, and focus
Embracing Movement Diversity
This course is an Introduction to Laban Movement Analysis as a method of deepening our expressive movement range and understanding of ourselves and our unique movement signature.
Discover your movement affinities and dis-affinities and consider the reasons from your both your personal and professional life. By experiencing across the spectrum in all areas, you will have new tools for addressing areas of self-expression both to comfort and secure and to expand and open new possibilities.
Benefits of Embracing Movement Diversity
Learning Outcomes:
-
By exploring the full range across the spectrum of all possibilities, you can both recuperate and expand your comfort zone.
-
Exploration of the concepts of: weight, space, time, and flow
Relax, Release and Re-Set your Neck and Shoulders
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, metus at rhoncus dapibus, habitasse vitae cubilia odio sed. Mauris pellentesque eget lorem malesuada wisi nec, nullam mus. Mauris vel mauris. Orci fusce ipsum faucibus scelerisque.
Get Happy Feet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, metus at rhoncus dapibus, habitasse vitae cubilia odio sed. Mauris pellentesque eget lorem malesuada wisi nec, nullam mus. Mauris vel mauris. Orci fusce ipsum faucibus scelerisque.
What are Other's Saying who have
Taken these Workshops?
Mariah-Jane is warm and welcoming making the learning space fun and exciting. Encourages you to be playful and explore the developmental movements that are so important to understanding our nervous system. If you’re curious about this area you’re in the right hands.
- Larry
The Brain Dance is such a creative, enjoyable way to wake up the whole body. I’m excited to share it with the children I work with. I loved the playful way of adapting the movements for all ages and I appreciated the links to the infant reflexes.
Attending Embracing Movement Diversity after the Brain Dance workshop was simply delight upon delight. I could not dance and have never taken dance lessons but by the end of the day I was able to fly and float snd spin and dive and take up Space, lightly and with Strength and with Timing! I have never danced like that in my life. I did not have sore muscles the next day. In fact, my body feels soft and the pain and soreness that I have lived with in my feet has disappeared. My posture is more upright and I feel more ease in my movements. I came with pain and left with freedom in movement and in expression. I would do the course again and again just to feel the liberation.
Mariah-Jane… I loved your teaching!
-Karen
Attending the Brain Dance and the Embracing Movement Diversity courses gave me much food for thought and ideas for further exploration.
-Gilly
The Brain Dance is recommended if you have an interest in movement to heal and it really compliments the Primitive Reflexes. In fact, any interested in primitive reflexes really must do this first. It all ties in very well. The workshop was well presented and the material handout was carefully thought out.
Embracing Movement Diversity was a great follow up to the Brain Dance. Mariah-Jane took us through the movement of the Laban technique and philosophy. It make you feel free to explore what your body was capable to do.
The neck and shoulders was really interesting as I discovered muscles I didn’t know I had in my body. It has certainly given me more awareness of my shoulders and neck. I seem to walk more up right since.
The Get Happy Feet was interesting for me as I thought I was well grounded and aware of my feet. What I didn’t know was that I could not lift of move my big toe when I wanted to. After some movements, I was able to do so. That was most intriguing and also fun.
In summary, I highly recommend Mariah-Jane’s workshops. Her ability to connect with students, coupled with her effective use of real-life examples, ensures an engaging learning experience. Moreover, her fluidity and grace in converting her teachings further enhance the overall workshop experience.
-Jose
The Brain Dance workshop is one of the best Brain Gym workshops I have ever done. Now at the end of my Brain Gym presentations and workshops, I often finish with the Brain Dance. Everyone loves it and requests it. They love seeing how easily you can incorporate the Brain Gym movements in such a fun, easy and very enjoyable way. I use the preschool version right through to the seniors and special needs version. It caters for all audiences and ages. The music is fun and well suited to all my different audiences. The Brain Dance is such a fun, quick easy way to switch on our brains using Brain Gym.
I first did the Embracing Movement Diversity at the end of the Edu-Conference in Germany in 2018 and have now repeated it in 2024. Mariah-Jane certainly knows information and techniques. The workshop gave me a new way of approaching the Brain Gym movements and I now can cater for more individual needs in my sessions. I loved the music she used and felt exhilarated by the end of the workshop.
- Claire
The workshops certainly opened up new possibilities for me to move in a more dynamic way and I am post-workshop sensing that I am able to come from a more centred place and respond more fluidly from different vistas and perspectives. My goal had been "to move with impetus from a more inspired, centred space and to feel more embodied when in my curious space." And I can certainly say the workshops delivered on that.
-Helen
I have seen Mariah-Jane present over the years. The information she shares is always well-organized, providing participants with a cognitive basis for understanding their physical experiences. Her presentation style is positive, upbeat, engaging, and clear. She consistently draws out participation from everyone in the room, which she makes a safe, accepting space for personal movement exploration. And she models what she is teaching, in her personal manner of movement and interaction with others. She is a delight to learn from.
-Kathy
I found the BrainDance workshop to be an energizing and playful way to enliven my BrainGym knowledge and add greater dimension and possibilities to the BG movements. Very helpful if you are feeling a bit stuck and need some inspiration in your practice.
-Shauna
