Spark Lab
Small Sparks
Big Discoveries
An Ongoing Programme to Support Dance Teachers
What if one tiny change could unlock something that months (or even years!) of repetition couldn't?
A shift in rhythm.
A balance experience.
A different sensory input.
A change in breath.
A new way of noticing.
Sometimes the smallest spark creates the biggest transformation.
Spark Lab is where we explore why.
Small Sparks. Big Discoveries.
Discover the hidden brain-body connections that unlock movement, learning, confidence and potential.
A monthly live membership for curious dance teachers who want practical ideas backed by neuroscience, movement education and nearly 40 years of experience.
Spark Lab
Small Sparks             Big Discoveries
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What if meaningful change didn't require another certification, another complex system or syllabus, or hours upon hours of additional training?
What if powerful change can be the result of a single spark?
- A single new idea
- A single new insight
- A single new way of looking at common challenges
- A single short intervention that changes everything
Not only is it possible and exciting, but it how real LEARNING takes place.
Learning is not about repetition and drilling skills.
That is part of dance training, but only a part!
Spark Lab is a monthly membership for dance teachers, movement educators, and curious movers who want to better understand the connection between the brain, body, and nervous system.
Each month, we'll explore one powerful concept through practical movement experiences, sensory nourishment, and embodied learning that you can immediately apply to yourself, your students, and your teaching.
This is not about memorizing more information.
This is not about learning new exercises to drill into your students.
It's about learning to notice things that may not have been noticed before.
It is about:
- Learning readiness via the Brain State
- Increasing sensory awareness.
- Enhancing brain-body connection
- Speaking directly to the nervous systemÂ
It is about Drawing Out the Body's Wisdom, not more information to Pour In
And that difference changes everything
The Spark Lab Philosophy
The body is intelligent. Drawing Out the body's inherent wisdom is vital as part of any refined training, such as dance.Â
When we learn to listen more deeply, new possibilities emerge.
When we awaken the brain integration, brain-body connection and sensory processing the potential of each person can be fully realized.
Rather than relying on rigid formulas, Spark Lab combines research-informed movement education with exploration, curiosity, and practical application.
Come Discover!
Together we will use the L.A.B. Framework:
Look & Listen
- Notice what is already happening in the body: outside eyes AND inner vision (how does it feel not just what does it look like?)
- Observe movement habits, patterns, preferences, compensations, and strengths
- Listen to voice of the body: Is there ease or a sense of blockages?
Awaken & Activate
- Experience new possibilities and enliven new potential
- Explore movement, sensory input, rhythm, regulation, and developmental foundations through simple practices and experiments
- Awaken the many input systems of the body to be used both consciously and unconsciously
- Heighten interoception and language to convey to self and others
- Activate muscles with trigger points to create balanced work in the body
Believe & Become
- Believe that sometimes it really can be that simple and that quick to make a positive change
- Allow new habits and capacities to emerge authentically and in a stress free environment (both brain and body)
- Integrate discoveries into daily life, teaching, training, and performance
- Embody the changes authentically so that students are able to use mirror neurons effectively for self improvement
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What You'll Receive Each Month
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Monthly Spark Lab Session
A live 90 minute workshop exploring one focused topic.
Tuesday 10-11:30 am PST
1st Tuesday of the month
**If necessary and with sufficient numbers, an additional time zone day/time will be arranged.
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Monthly Main Topic
Each topic (see below) will be explored with the L.a.b. framework of:
- Look & Listen
- Awaken & Activate
- Become & Believe
Structure will include session elements:
Integration Bites
Small, practical experiences you can immediately apply.
Simple enough to use right away.
Powerful enough to create lasting shifts.
Notice & Nourish Practice
Each month you'll receive a guided observation challenge.
What are you noticing?
What might support or nourish what you're observing?
This practice helps transform information into embodied understanding.
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Movement Invitations
Playful explorations designed to awaken curiosity, awareness, and possibility.
Community Connection
Learn alongside a growing community of teachers and movers who value thoughtful, intelligent movement education.
Application Guidance
The most important part:Â How do I use this in my daily classes?
Teachers who have dedicated themselves to their training will love discovering ways to enhance this training.Â
PBT certified teachers will be delighted with how to super charge this workÂ
Guidance will be given by The Radiant Dance Teacher as well as some time dedicated to a group mastermind.Â
Teaching Resources
Checklists
Printable PDF's of explanatory topics, anatomy and imagery
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Topics for Sessions
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Sparking Better Learning
Brain Integration
Brain Profile Understanding
Body Awareness
Hearing and Listening Processing Enhancement
Noticing Skills
Primitive Reflexes
Self Assessment Skills
Developmental Foundations
Sparking Better Movement
Balance Skills
Coordination Development
Fascia Lines, Rebound, Spirals and Counter-Spirals
Muscle Activation via touch points
Neurolymphatic Points
Reflex Integration
Vestibular Development
Vision Training
Sparking Better Regulation
Breath Techniques
Nervous System Regulation
Reflex Integration
Rhythm
Sparking Better Embodiment
Interoception Activities
Proprioception Progress
Sensory Processing
Tactile Tips
Spark Lab Is For:
- Dance Teachers (18 hours of CPD per year)
- Studio Owners
- Movement Educators
- Therapists and educators curious about movement-based learning
- Dancers who want a deeper understanding of their own bodies
Please Note: The application examples will be for the dance industry/teachers/dancers
Imagine if one idea every month completely changed the way you looked at your students.
Founding Member Pricing
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Spark Lab Membership
$24Â USD/month
Or Save almost 30% by via a yearly price of $200 USD (18 hours CPD)
After August 5, monthly membership goes up to $39/month
Studio Owners:Â Reach out if you'd like to discuss a special pricing for your entire staff
Includes:
- Monthly LIVEÂ Spark Lab Session
- Weekly Emails Supporting the Main Session
- Session Recordings
- Access to the ever building library of resources
- Dedicated Facebook group for exchange and support
Cancel anytime
Small Investment . . . BIG Return
The biggest progress happens with consistent steps. Even little steps.
But...you are a teacher...you knew that didn't you!
Do the same for yourself!
You don't need to take full day courses that take months to process how to actually apply the information. You need little bits every week just like your students.
Start With the Launch Workshop:
Tuesday August 11th
11 am - 12:30 pm PST
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Join the Spark Lab Launch Workshop and discover how small shifts in awareness can create powerful changes in movement, learning, regulation, and performance.
Your launch workshop registration includes your first month inside Spark Lab (August).
Because every transformation begins with a spark
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Can't come LIVE?
All sessions are Recorded!
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Your Guide on this Journey: Mariah-Jane
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Over the last four decades, Mariah-Jane has become known for asking a different question—not "How do we teach this movement?" but "What makes this movement possible in the first place?"
An award-winning dance educator, mentor, international presenter, and TEDx speaker, she is known for translating complex neuroscience and movement concepts into practical strategies that transform the way teachers understand and support their students.
Mariah-Jane's extensive training includes Brain Gym®, BrainDance, Rhythmic Movement Training, developmental movement, movement analysis, and embodied learning. Her unique gift lies not in teaching isolated methods, but in connecting the dots between them—helping educators understand the hidden foundations that influence coordination, regulation, learning, confidence, and movement potential.
In recognition of her innovative contributions to dance education, she received the 2024 Royal Academy of Dance Innovation in Dance Teacher Award.
Today, through The Radiant Dance Teacher, Mariah-Jane continues to inspire educators around the world to look beyond technique and discover the remarkable brain-body connections that help every dancer thrive.
A Personal Invitation to You:
Why I Created Spark Lab
Throughout my career, I've been endlessly fascinated by the little things that create unexpectedly big changes.
Why does adding a simple rhythm suddenly improve coordination?
Why does a balance activity change a student's confidence?
Why can one small movement experience unlock something that weeks of repetition couldn't?
These moments have always felt like tiny sparks—moments when the brain and body discover a new connection and something previously unavailable suddenly becomes possible.
Spark Lab grew out of that curiosity.
It's my place to share the fascinating ideas, practical discoveries, and brain-body connections that continue to shape the way I teach. Each month, we'll explore one topic together—not to overwhelm you with information, but to help you better understand the remarkable systems that support movement, learning, and human potential.
If you're the kind of teacher who loves asking "Why does that work?" and gets excited by those wonderful "aha!" moments, I think you're going to love Spark Lab.
Spark Lab isn't about collecting more information.
It's about sparking new understanding.
Sparking new connections.
Sparking new possibilities—for yourself and for every student you teach.
I'd love to explore them with you.
I'd be delighted to have you join me.
