Get to know BMD
BodyMind Dancing™
BodyMind Dancing™ MOVES people – physically, emotionally and sometimes spiritually.
We move from within, taking stock of sensations and feelings all part of both our mindsets, as well as our bodies. In BodyMind Dancing™ (BMD) classes, workshops or during the professional teacher training everyone experiences how movement shifts the bodymind in enlivening ways – through the terrain of energy levels, moods, desires, action, and inter-connective being.
All in all, BodyMind Dancing™ is an anatomically informed holistic dance experience that integrates movement sensitivity, easy-going follow-along phrases, and skill building with improvisation. Somatic inquiry (finding awareness of self through investigating your body and movement), together with the art of dancing, informed by diverse dance and movement traditions, are woven into the BMD experience. Each student has the freedom to respond to the teachers cues in ways that are safe for their own bodies – taking the somatic path – while fostering expression of any emotion that arises and allowing it to be celebrated or to move into new territory. Cues are given to invite introspection and awareness of self, and then bringing that awareness into interactions. We balance this inner and outer awareness while meeting the best practices in dance education, including strong social emotional intelligence, community building, self care through dance science, and cultivating JOY both within and with others. Our faculty, Certified Teachers of BodyMind Dancing™ (CTBMDs) integrate somatic approaches with contemporary dance, and have been for over 40 years. Faculty also integrate their own movement styles from cultures around the world. We have fun learning anatomy, philosophizing, and engaging in healthy attitudes while dancing to different rhythms, including those in the body, of silence and nature, and global music.
BodyMind Dancing™ Classes
Join us online or in-person for our one-hour classes to get a taste of BMD. New York Times reviewer calls BMD classes “priceless” also stating “Eddy’s BodyMind Dancing™, appropriate for any level or any body, is a delightful, curative way to spend a Monday night” (referring to sliding fee scale classes offered online through Movement Research in New York City).
BodyMind Dancing™ Classes
BodyMind Dancing™ classes offer a somatic experience of anatomical gems and pleasurable dancing woven with improvisational structures and follow-along phrases. Based in Dynamic Embodiment®, Martha Eddy’s combo of Laban/Bartenieff studies and Body-Mind Centering®, these classes include individual inner and outer interplay, whether in person or online, that supports prowess and health by increasing body awareness and exploring different dynamics of expression.
Numerous classes are hosted by Dynamic Embodiment® and others are offered in studios, conferences or universities around the world. Each is taught by Certified Teachers of BodyMind Dancing™ (CTBMD). Most are 1 hour long but they can be from 30 – 120 minutes. Get your first class for free by writing to OfficeofMarthaEddy@gmail.com.
BodyMind Dancing™ Workshops
BodyMind Dancing™ Workshops
BodyMind Dancing™ workshops are open to the public. They are designed to get a taste of somatic awareness, somatic movement and somatic healing processes. The four classic DE workshops are required for those who are interested in becoming a Certified Teacher of BMD (CTBMD) or other certifications of Martha Eddy’s. NeuroMotor Development, Human Movement Analysis (using LMA), Human Movement Efficiency (Bartenieff Fundamentals of Movement), and Embodied Physiology (embodying different tissues as presented in Body-Mind Centering®). Each is an inroad to expand range of emotional expression as well as coordinate movement with grounding, centering and creativity. These are generally offered on a bi-yearly basis. For advanced review in these areas we offer 2-4 hour workshops with a focus on applying the material in different contexts focusing on the needs of varying ages and psychophysical conditions. Another workshop is “BMD class & lab session – take a class and stay afterwards for cognitive and physical deepening of the somatic principles explored. All of classes are taught with an focus on social context and cultural uniqueness. Everyone is encouraged to bring their own movement preferences and legacies to class.
Please contact us for questions. Read more about Professional Training below.
Please contact us for questions. Read more about Professional Training below.
Dynamic Embodiment® Workshops
In our related Dynamic Embodiment® workshops, you can physically and cognitively investigate the unique synthesis of some of the finest forms of somatic education: the language of human movement – Laban Movement Analysis, the principles of human movement efficiency portrayed through Bartenieff Fundamentals, plus tenets of Body-Mind Centering® which helps to bring consciousness to all parts of the body and to feel the “mind” of those tissues. In other words – what resources do you gain by activating your muscles? How does moving your fluids bring more flow into your life? How can consciously activating the leverage of your bones and the freedom of your joints bring you clarity and ease? You get to move through these ideas that underlie BMD – understanding the deeper meaning of anatomy, physiology, neuroscience, movement efficiency, and the language of movement. Join our amazing faculty to ask your questions and share your ideas about embodiment.
BodyMind Dancing™ Teacher Certification
BodyMind Dancing™ Teacher Certification authorizes you to combine Martha Eddy’s BMD phrases and teaching strategies with your own creativity, movement vocabulary, and dance ability. The training teaches you to integrate skilled touch and movement principles from Dynamic Embodiment® Somatic Movement Therapy, Education and Coaching (Eddy’s unique synthesis of Body-Mind Centering® and Laban Movement Analysis/Bartenieff Fundamentals). The overall philosophy is to guide experiences that establish a compassionate community, honoring the cultures and capacities of your specific students. CTBMDs are experts in community dance for people of different ages and skill levels (from every day movers, to novices and highly trained dancers). All teachers are encouraged to apply the DE and BMD principles while engaging in different dance genres. Examples of dance and movement integration with BMD include – Tai Chi, QiGong, Dance Therapy, Belly Dance, African Dance, Mindfulness, and Aikido.