The path towards becoming a Language of Dance® Certification Instructor is an exciting and challenging one.

Tasters and Workshops experientially introduce participants to the Movement Alphabet concepts and symbols. Thematic content courses may also be offered, immersing participants in a specific area of application: technique, composition, assessment, pedagogy, dance history, creative movement, or improvisation using selected Movement Alphabet concepts. Participants use the LOD Framework to develop lessons to implement. These great experiences could be a one-hour taster or anywhere between a 3 hour to 4 day workshop.

Each of these professional development courses for dance artists and dance/arts educators introduces the Movement Alphabet and motif notation, as applied to educational, creative or community settings, or as a tool to facilitate understanding with clients. By the end of the course, you present an application of how you will integrate these literacy tools into your practice.  Each part can be taken as a discrete entity. Participants are awarded certificates on the successful completion of each Foundations course.

Comprehensive education in the Language of Dance Approach is offered through three stages of certification. Collectively, these courses sequentially and substantively explore the full scope and depth of the Language of Dance framework as presented in Your Move: The Language of Dance Approach to the Study of Movement and Dance (Guest & Curran 2008). These experiential and inquiry-based courses are taken in order. Module A builds upon the theory, principles, and application of the basic building blocks of the Movement Alphabet presented in the pre-requisite Language of Dance Foundations courses. Each stage of certification progresses in depth of theory and application to creatively cultivate and pedagogically integrate dance literacy into the teaching and learning of dance and dance in education.The three modules must be completed in sequence.

Bridge course students build their capacity and confidence to communicate with LOD toward becoming LOD teachers trainers. Students plan and present an LOD workshop using the LOD conceptual and pedagogical framework to address, deepen, and serve socio-cultural and/or aesthetic needs in a community.

Invitation only events! These seven-day courses provide you with a playful learning and creating experience to share new pedagogical developments in the LOD Approach and also an opportunity for professional exchange, dance literacy sharing, and exploring new ideas. The LOD approach has evolved to include equal emphasis on theory, application, and pedagogy. The result is the new Language of Dance Foundations courses emphasizing multiple applications of the Movement Alphabet in dance education and creative practices. The LOD Practioner Professional Development events allow time for us to share the LOD approach with you and have you share your LOD methods with us.