Professional Learning

Summer Dance Institute for Teachers 2024

OFFERING IN-STUDIO SDIT FOR SUMMER 2024!

Join us this summer for transformational learning! Celebrate 29 years of the Summer Dance Institute for Teachers. SDIT is designed for educators, dance teachers, arts specialists, and therapists who wish to deepen their understanding of the vital link between movement, emotions, and learning.

Gain confidence in combining the mastery of movement with the artistry of expression. Explore cutting edge dance pedagogy and best practices in the ever-evolving laboratory of SDIT. Strengthen your teaching practice while recharging your batteries through embodied learning.

Whether Brain-Compatible Dance Education and BrainDance are new to you or you are experienced and practiced in using Anne Green Gilbert’s holistic teaching methodology, we welcome you to SDIT.

In-Person SDIT

Our In-Person course immerses participants in Brain-Compatible Dance Education – explore the dance concepts of Space, Time, Force and Body, Anne Green Gilbert’s unique five-part lesson plan, and the somatic depth and richness of the BrainDance. This course offers an environment of collegial support for returning and experienced participants as well as those new to BCDE.

Anne Green Gilbert’s teaching methodology joyfully celebrates and nurtures creativity, self-expression, collaboration, and community. Providing access and making dance inclusive for all is at the heart of BCDE.

This course allows participants to experience sample lessons based on Anne Green Gilbert’s successful five-part conceptual lesson plan and the brain-compatible principles that underpin it. Discover how incorporating these principles into your teaching, workplace, or home can positively affect learning, focus, collaborative skills, and creativity.

Since repetition is one of the keys to learning, graduates of SDIT are always welcome to return to and repeat the course. Returning students often find deeper understanding and expanded ways to put their knowledge into practice.

When you attend our In-Person SDIT in Seattle you may have the opportunity to observe Creative Dance Center Summer session classes, giving you the chance to witness BCDE and BrainDance in action! You are also welcome to participate in any Adult class the week of SDIT for free.  

SDIT Details

2024 Dates:
July 15-19, 2024
Monday through Friday
9:00am to 5:00pm each day
Attendance is required on all 5 days.

Tuition:
Register by May 31 for Early Bird pricing: $595.
Late registration – after May 31: $665.

Financial Aid:
Limited financial aid is available on a first come, first served basis. If interested, email darrah@creativedance.org for application.

Note: If you need to withdraw from SDIT, we must be notified two weeks before the start of the Course (July 1) to receive a full refund (minus a $50 processing fee). No refunds will be given after this date. Contact darrah@creativedance.org for details.

Required Text:
Brain-Compatible Dance Education, 2nd edition by Anne Green Gilbert is required for the course and available at bit.ly/BCDEBook

Residents of Canada have the option of purchasing the book directly from Human Kinetics Canada at bit.ly/BCDE-Canada

Is this course for me?

The conceptual brain-based teaching methods of Brain-Compatible Dance Education can be used in any setting and with all ages – infants, children, teens, adults, and elders. BCDE enlivens any dance style/genre and has successfully been used in dance studios, college programs, homes, daycares and preschools, classrooms, community centers, and assisted living facilities all over the world! Past participants include dance educators, classroom teachers (elementary, middle, high school), fine arts educators, music specialists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, dance therapists, parents, college professors, teaching artists, and more! Join us and see why people have used these words to describe SDIT…

Enlightened ~ Life-changing ~ Glorious ~ Cohesive 

Non-judgmental ~ Transformational ~ Impactful ~ Outstanding ~ 

Remarkable ~ Inspiring ~ Comprehensive ~ Empowering 

Click here to read what former participants have to say about their experience at SDIT. Practical, useful, and transformative, this is SDIT! 

Who is teaching?

Creative Dance Center and Kaleidoscope Dance Company Founder, renowned dance educator, and author Anne Green Gilbert and New York City based dance educator Dionne Kamara teach our In-Person Summer Dance Institute for Teachers. 

Read full bios of our amazing faculty below.

 

Can I attend a portion of SDIT?

Deeper understanding and implementation of Brain-Compatible Dance Education and the BrainDance happens through a balance of novelty and repetition – this is provided through full participation in our course. Participants are required to register for and attend the entire course (5 days, 9am-5pm daily).

If you have commitments that may impact full participation and you are still interested in attending SDIT, please email CDC Director Terry Goetz at terry@creativedance.org with the specifics of your situation.

Can I receive certification or clock hours for this course?

While the Creative Dance Center does not certify people in BCDE or BrainDance, we do offer a Certificate of Participation and Transcript of courses and hours attended upon full completion of the SDIT.

Continuing Education credits and clock hours are not available for SDIT.

Where can I stay if attending SDIT in person?

LOCATION

Creative Dance Center
12577 Densmore Ave N
Seattle, WA 98133
We are in the Haller Lake neighborhood of North Seattle

Creative Dance Center is a 15-20 minute car ride (if there is no traffic!) from Downtown Seattle.

**Based upon feedback from former SDIT participants, we do not recommend booking accommodations at hotels/motels along the Aurora Ave. N./Highway 99 corridor.**

Please read below for lodging recommendations. 

Visit https://www.soundtransit.org/ride-with-us/know-before-you-go/how-to-ride to learn about public transportation. Link Light Rail runs between SeaTac Airport and Northgate. The Link Light Rail station at Northgate is approximately 2 miles from the Creative Dance Center.


AIRBNB
From the homepage of airbnb.com, search North Seattle and/or the Haller Lake neighborhood during the Summer Dance Institute dates. You can also search for locations near Creative Dance Center, located at 12577 Densmore Ave. North, Seattle, 98133, in the Haller Lake community of North Seattle. Other nearby neighborhoods include Bitter Lake, Pinehurst, Northgate, Olympic Hills, Broadview, and southern parts of the city of Shoreline. Booking EARLY is a good idea!


HOTEL NEXUS – discounted rate
Creative Dance Center guests get a special rate when booking at the Hotel Nexus, located approximately 1 mile south of CDC. Do not book online, you must call the Hotel Nexus directly to book with the discount. Guests must mention the Creative Dance Center special rate when booking.

Email or call Jeremy Hudson or Nikki Brame directly:

Jeremy Hudson: Hotel Sales Manager | Nexus Hotel
Jeremy.hudson@hotelnexusseattle.com
Office: (206) 365-0700 ext. 463

Nikki Brame: VP of Sales and Marketing | 360° Hotel Group
nikki.brame@360hotelgroup.com
Mobile: (206) 612-4362  

You can also call the Front Desk, ask to be transferred to Sales, and mention the Creative Dance Center discount when making the reservation. If Jeremy or Nikki are not available you can book with the Front Desk and they will follow up to ensure the correct rate was used.

Rates are below and include Complimentary Wi-Fi, Parking, Continental Breakfast, Guest Laundry & Fitness Center. Discounted Summer rates are as follows for different room types:

  • Single King Room/Business Class King Guest Room/Single Queen Room – $145 + tax/night.
Includes one Single King bed, TV, Dresser, Desk, Full Bathroom, Coffee Maker, Microwave, + Mini Fridge
  • Double Queen/Premium Double Queen Guest Room – $155 + tax/night.
Includes two Queen size Beds, TV, Dresser, Desk, Full Bathroom, Coffee Maker, Microwave, + Mini Fridge
  • King Hydrotherapy Room/Hydrotherapy Studio King Bed – $185 + tax/night.
Includes one Single King bed, TV, Dresser, Desk, Full Bathroom, Large Jetted Jacuzzi Tub, Walk-in Shower, Coffee Maker, Microwave, + Mini Fridge
  • Double Queen Kitchenette Suite/Two Room Double Queen Suite – $245 + tax/night.
Includes two Queen size Beds in a separate Bedroom with TV, Dresser, Desk, Full Bathroom. In the main living area, there is a Sofa couch that pulls out into a Double size bed, Dining Table to seat 4, Full Equipped Kitchen, Coffee Maker, Microwave, Stove top + Full Fridge

Hotel Nexus website: https://www.hotelnexusseattle.com

SDIT Faculty

Anne Green Gilbert

SDIT Director

Anne Green Gilbert (she/her) founded the Creative Dance Center and Kaleidoscope Dance Company in Seattle, Washington in 1981 and the Summer Dance Institute for Teachers in 1994. She was the Director of CDC from 1981 – 2014. Anne has had a varied teaching career starting as an elementary school teacher, moving on to dance and pedagogy classes at University of Illinois Chicago and University of Washington, then teaching children’s dance classes at Cornish College and Bill Evans/Dance Theatre Seattle before starting the Creative Dance Center. She was an adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University for many years and taught for Lesley University’s Outreach Masters Program for ten years. Anne taught infants through adults at Creative Dance Center for 30 years. She continues to teach older adults at CDC. Anne trains teachers through the Summer Dance Institute and CDC Educator workshops. For 40 years she conducted hundreds of workshops and residencies across the United States and abroad. Anne developed the BrainDance, a focusing warm-up exercise, in 2000. The BrainDance is used in many schools, studios, and homes around the world. Anne is internationally recognized for her work with young artists and the creative process. She has choreographed dances for university dance companies as well as local Northwest dance companies and Kaleidoscope Dance Company.

Anne is the author of Teaching the Three Rs Through Movement (1977)Creative Dance for All Ages (1st edition 1992, 2nd edition 2015), Brain-Compatible Dance Education (1st edition 2006, 2nd edition 2019), Teaching Creative Dance DVD (2002) and BrainDance DVD (2003/2016), as well as numerous articles. Anne has also collaborated with composer Eric Chappelle on the CDs, BrainDance Music and Music for Creative Dance Volumes I-V. Anne is an active member of the National Dance Education Organization, and Dance and the Child International (daCi). Anne served on the daCi board for twelve years. Anne is founder and Past President of the Dance Educators Association of Washington, an organization promoting quality dance education in all Washington State schools K-12. As a member of the Arts Education Standards project, she helped write the Washington State Dance Standards and Learning Goals. Anne is the recipient of several awards including the National Dance Association Scholar/Artist award in 2005, the National Dance Education Organization Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011, the Lawrence Tenney Stevens American Dance Award for her work with boys and men in dance in 2014, and the American Dance Festival Balasaraswati/Joy Ann Dewey Beinecke Endowed Chair for Distinguished Teaching in 2016.

Anne is the mother of three amazing Kaleidoscope alums and grandmother of seven dancing grandchildren. She lives in Seattle with her talented husband, David.

View full bio

Dionne Kamara

SDIT Faculty

Dionne Kamara (she/her), a former member of Urban Bush Women performance company, is currently a resident teaching artist in New York City. Dionne teaches creative dance integrating academic curriculum to children in public schools, enabling them to express their thoughts and ideas through the art of dance. She has taught creative and traditional West African dance in schools, community centers and cultural institutions in the New York metropolitan area for many years and also teaches creative dance to infants through adults in several NYC studios. Dionne has been an SDIT faculty member since 2003.

https://www.dionnesimonekamara.com/

View full bio

Words of Praise

 

“SDIT is the most outstanding, top-notch dance teacher education program in the country… It is the most comprehensive, inspiring and useful workshop I have ever attended. And the best part is that it only gets better and more useful every time I go!”

~ SB, University Professor, California

 

Words of Praise

 

“I truly can’t say enough about this workshop series. It has given me a brand new teaching modality that will forever change my teaching. That the instructors were able to do as much as they did, clearly and concisely, with collaboration on Zoom is absolutely amazing!”

~ Virtual/Online SDIT Participant

 

Words of Praise

 

“The Summer Dance Institute is the most remarkable workshop I have ever attended in my 24 year career as an elementary teacher.”

CR, Classroom Teacher, Utah

 

Words of Praise

 

“It was so good to see how the instructors think through their class planning, how they build the lesson step by step connecting each part to the dance concept, and how they use the language of the dance concepts to support student learning and guide inquiry… even in a remote/online class!”

~ Virtual/Online SDIT Participant

Words of Praise

 

“Simply amazing. Inspiring. Life changing. I was surrounded by a group of like-minded educators and it was a breath of fresh air. The teaching done by the faculty was beautiful. When the last session ended I just sat down and cried. I missed everyone already. I felt like I had connected with everyone, other classmates, and the wonderful teachers. Thank you! I am eternally grateful.”

~ Virtual/Online SDIT Participant

Words of Praise

 

“I loved the course, connecting with other teachers, hearing directly from Anne about how she created BrainDance and learning from all of the instructors. Their generosity in sharing their knowledge was greatly appreciated. Thank you for it all.”

~ SDIT Participant

Words of Praise

“Thank you so much for this opportunity and experience! I deeply appreciated the way each of the instructors modeled the methodology and provided us an opportunity to reflect and apply our learning. I also appreciated the Zoom tips and how Brain-Compatible Dance Education can transfer to a virtual practice. I would definitely sign up for more virtual trainings and look forward to when we can dance together in person.”

~ Virtual/Online SDIT Participant

Words of Praise

 

“The week that I spent at CDC was the most nonjudgmental, creatively flowing place of learning I’ve ever experienced. I deeply appreciate getting to experience the philosophies, science and movement opportunities, the developmental patterns and BrainDance to make new connections for myself. As a teacher, I feel equipped to creatively explore the dance curriculum, and to explore different expectations from my students. I am so grateful. I’ve never before felt so validated in my intuition of movement, creativity, and education.”

~ CW, Dance Teacher, Seattle

Words of Praise

 

“The workshops were really great and the content really useful and easily applicable. I also loved the warm atmosphere that there was throughout the course. Super happy I took the workshop series!”

~ SDIT Participant

Words of Praise

 

“The instruction was so strong. I was very glad to see how other teachers were working with their students online. There was a lot of content and it was great to see how to adapt the dance concepts to different age groups.”

~ Virtual/Online SDIT Participant

Words of Praise

 

“The (Zoom) Institute is a fantastic educational experience for teachers and teacher trainers. I am so grateful that the team decided to provide us with the opportunity to study Anne’s work via the magical web. THANK YOU ALL!”

~ Virtual/Online SDIT Participant