Minute Masterclass Episode 132

Welcome to your one-minute masterclass. I’m Andrea Trench, founder of DiscoverDance and creator of the Foundations Course for Early Childhood Dance Educators and the DiscoverDance Experience Membership. Today, we are exploring the seventh pattern of the BrainDance: cross-lateral. This movement pattern takes the body sides we isolated in the previous pattern and crosses them over the midline. Cross-lateral movements strengthen the connection between both sides of the brain. Moving across the midline improves our eye tracking, memory, focus, and movement coordination. 

 In the cross-lateral pattern, we can stretch our arms across the midline (like in our straddle stretch, for example). We can twist, spiral, and reach our arms and legs into the opposite quadrants. We can also perform standing cross crawls and bring the opposite hand or elbow to the knee. Repeating this pattern three or four times in our classes each week is all we need before moving on to the next pattern. For more information, to enroll in the Foundations Course or join the DiscoverDance Experience, visit DiscoverDance.com.