Movement as Medicine: Dance PL3Y

MAHPERD "Voices From The field"

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Melanie Levenberg's journey from P.E. teacher to global movement educator is inspiring. She reimagined her relationship with movement, eventually creating Dance PL3Y—a program that has transformed physical education for over 4.1 million children across 13 countries.
What makes Melanie's approach unique is her philosophy. Rather than starting with technical instruction or choreography, she built her methodology around three core principles: be positive, be fun, be yourself. This philosophy shifts dance education from perfection-focused to expression-centered, creating safe spaces where students experience the joy of movement before worrying about performance. "The world doesn't need more people copying each other," Melanie explains. "The world needs more people finding their own style and sharing it."
During her research, she uncovered something education systems desperately need to hear: when schools prioritize health and physical activity as their primary improvement strategy, academic achievement significantly improves. This finding validates what many educators intuitively know—movement isn't just good for bodies; it transforms learning across all disciplines.
Through her Teaching Dance for Understanding framework, Melanie has systematized her approach into six phases that scaffold movement education. Unlike traditional methods that often begin with freestyle exploration (intimidating for many students) or rigid choreography (daunting for many teachers), her model starts with playful experience and gradually builds toward creative expression and performance.
Today, Melanie balances her professional mission with personal growth in the mountains of Whistler, British Columbia. "A lot of my life was lived in my head," she reflects. "As I'm now living more in nature, there's a really deep intelligence around me that I'm learning to trust." Her dual commitment to serving educators while deepening her own connection to natural rhythms embodies the integration she brings to dance—honoring both structure and freedom, planning and intuition, achievement and joy.

Resources:

Website: https://www.pl3yinc.com/

IG: pl3yeducation

Email: [email protected]

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บท

1. Introducing Melanie Levenberg (00:00:00)

2. From P.E. Teacher to Entrepreneur (00:02:08)

3. Research on Movement and Academic Achievement (00:04:13)

4. Creating a Global Dance Program (00:06:58)

5. The Play Philosophy: Three Key Elements (00:10:08)

6. Teaching Dance Through Understanding (00:14:43)

7. Future Goals and Connecting with Nature (00:19:58)

8. Closing and Contact Information (00:25:00)