Dr. Michelle and Dance Debut

Dr. Michelle Greenwell has been the owner, director, and principal instructor of Dance Debut Inc. for over 3 decades. An author, lyricist, and program developer for creating healthy bodies, she is always bringing innovative and creative ways of learning and evoloving to her students.

Her classes are focused on three movement areas: Dance, Tai Chi, and Healing Arts.

Dance includes weekly classes, workshops, and retreats. Her warm-ups include The Feet First System and Dance YINtegration based on her development of programs from research and experience. She presents for Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Stepdance, Highland, Musical Theatre, and Contemporary. She includes many aspects of Touch for Health, Whole Body Movement, Brain Gym, Neuro Reflex Integration, Circuits Alive Muscle Tuning, and more in her techniques. Her special development of the Feet First System, Ocean Oasis, Learning Techniques, Injury Recall Technique, Dermatomes, Shock Absorbers, and Biomechanics have created distinct programming that meets the needs of dancers and sports enthusiasts, and supports their goals and challenges. Michelle works with dancers as young as 1 to grand-parenthood and has taught dance companies in Alberta including the Pre-professional Dancers at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks in Calgary, Tri Tone Productions in Calgary, Danceology in Stettler, Footworks Dance Academy in Barrhead, and at many studios across the country including the Tap Dance Center in Toronto.  At the post-secondary level she has also presented at Limerick University in Ireland (Contemporary, Irish, Stepdance, Music Therapy, Dance Therapy, and Faculty). With Michelle’s creative approach to leading experiential opportunities, Michelle educates and prioritizes the needs of the dancer with their learning style, level of skill, and desired outcome for strength, flexibility and creativity.

Tai Chi includes Tai Chi Cape Breton based on Master Moy Lin Shin’s 108 Moving Meditation, Loh Kup, and Sitting Form. These classes are held weekly in Creignish and Inverness. Movement Made Easy is our online opportunity to learn Tai Chi basics with intentions, focused learning and intuitive music by such accompanists Colin MacLeod on fiddle and Brenda Bowen Cox on harp. And, Michelle has created an exceptional program in learning and understanding movement through Tai Chi: Qi YINtegration. She has created a 5 Element Tai Chi Set with Sound and Color that involves basic movement exercises as well as a background in understanding the Meridians, Elements, Chakras, Auric Field, Hara Line, Assemblage Point, and more. Her protocols produce deep levels of shifting movement patterns and opening up the body for new possibilities in movement and energy. Her programs are good for all levels of abilities, and classes are open to beginner to advanced students. Michelle has studied Moy Tai Chi since 1996 and became an instructor in the spring of 1998. Also, studying Qi Gong and Loh Kup for her personal growth, Michelle applies all of these whole-body principles back to movement and dance.

Healing Arts: Coming from several injuries throughout her dance career, Michelle has focused the last 25 years of her career on finding ways to understand how the body moves, how the body compensates, and how simple and profound tools can completely change the way the body functions and feels. Her focus is on bringing movement to the forefront for healing and she specializes in using her understanding of energy in the body and exploring how systems are functioning. Michelle holds a Ph.D. in Complementary and Integrative Health with a specialty in bioenergetic wellness terminology and the 5 Key Components to a BioEnergetic Wellness Plan. Completing her Master’s degree in 2019 from Akamai University in CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) specializing in the movement for wellness, Michelle’s thesis involved research with her Feet First System and its significance in both her Qi YINtegration and Dance YINtegration programs. In addition, Michelle holds a Postgraduate Diploma in CAM specializing in Energy Dynamics from Akamai University, a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Calgary specializing in child development and sports psychology, and a Master’s in Handwriting Analysis from the International Graphoanalysis Society. She is a Touch for Health Instructor, a Therapeutic Touch Foundations Teacher, and an avid facilitator of NeuroReflex Integration in action. Loving the power of music, sound and frequency, Michelle enjoys working with the power of frequency through therapeutic singing bowls, Hapi drum, Sound Therapy, and Sound Essences in her classes and private sessions. Her studies have brought her to many of the leading healers in their fields and she brings their tips and tools to her toolbox as well.

As an author and a lyricist, Michelle has produced many writings to share her ideas with others.

My Little Black Book of  Qi:  Qi YINtegration Set 1, is an introductory program to manual biofeedback and isolating movement ideas to repattern the body for optimum movement as well as energy building.  The book is in hard copy and e-book, and there are several videos to allow for special tips and visuals to help with the exercises.  Check out the items in the store. 

My Little Black Book of Energy, which highlights the tips and tools Michelle used across a decade of exploration to heal her aches and pains is in e-book format, with videos available to accompany the many exercises found in this easy read for many aspects of healing. You can also find many more videos available on YouTube under Michelle Greenwell.  

Michelle also has produced a Dance Coloring Book and 3 Thematic Teaching Manuals for dance and school teachers: “Dancing in the Kitchen”, “Dancing under the Big Top”, and “Ships Ahoy”. In 2006, Michelle published her first imaginative dance story, “Stacey on the Keyboard” and a CD by the same title, recorded with Dan Devion (Dan the Music Man). She has also created a complete Imagination Kit for teachers to expand their creativity in the classroom. Her second children’s story, “Peter on the Drums,” utilizing rhythm ideas and tap dance, continued this theme and was published in April of 2010. “Jacob on the Floor” is now in production with Jan Mosiman, the artist for the trilogy.

Michelle was published in the New Brunswick Journal for Graduate studies: Antistasis in 2020.  You can see her research article here: https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/antistasis/article/view/32313. “Optimization of Self-Care and Empowerment Awareness through Muscle Monitoring, Movement Understanding, and BioEnergetic Wellness Tools.” 

Her latest publications include:

2020 “Raising BioEnergetic Awareness Module A and B” with Journals.  The full program can be found at: https://rbeawareness.square.site/.  

2020 “Therapeutic Touch for Families.”  The workshop opportunities can be found at: https://www.atlanticttn.com/, by request, or on the class schedule at: https://www.canbewell.org/classes.php.

2021 “BioEnergetic Essentials” is a new e-book and Hardcopy. The FREE download is available from the Articles page: https://www.dancedebut.com/article-view/bioenergetic-essentials/ and everyone is encouraged to share this resource.  Hardcopy is available in the shop and a distributor rate is available for purchases for classes and textbooks. 

2021 “It’s in the Cards” Card Deck is a great supplement to the book.  Bring all the wellness tools to life through games and activities.  You can learn more about the deck here with our webinar launch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgr4wtgyncE or the blogpost with the flyer: https://www.dancedebut.com/its-in-the-cards-launches-tomorrow

2021 “Affirmations for the Body and BioField” Card Deck with interactive art and frequency.  The deck has 4 mini decks involved:  “Affirmations for the Spine,” Affirmations for the Fascia and Spine,” “Affirmations for the Fascia Matrix Connections,” and “Affirmations for the Energy Field.”  Learn more here: https://www.dancedebut.com/exploring-frequency-and-the-biofield/

2022 “Self-Care Essentials for Educators” develops BioEnergetic Wellness tools with the Choose Love Formula of Courage, Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Compassion-in-Action. The focus of this book is to provide attention for the adult educator or leader to have daily, proactive tips and tools for their personal focus. There are tips and tools on how to share the tools with students, as well as suggestions for further explorations.

2022 “Affirmations for the Body and Biofield: Your Key to the Spiritual Points” is a companion to the card deck by the same name. Sharing the intention components of the deck as well as more background and additional tips, this book continues to enhance how intention and affirmations can be an easy self-care tool for daily well-being practice.

2023 “Raising Awareness for Wellness through the Feet” was published in Cognica Magazine in the spring edition with the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association.

As a Dance Specialist, Michelle has led workshops, adjudicated festivals, conducted examinations for in-studio exams, and taught dance programs in the public school system as well as Arts programs. She has also developed programs for home-schoolers and worked as a dance and music specialist in a Montessori Preschool in Cochrane, Alberta.

Advancing her training in tap dance, Michelle has spent special learning time with Heather Cornell, Josh Hilberman, Jeannie Hill, Bril Barrett, MacKenzie Greenwell, the late Jeni Legon and Ethel Bruneau, and many other dance legends. She has concentrated her jazz and tap style to follow the traditional style of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks in Calgary and Jump Rhythm Jazz Projects of Chicago under the tutelage of Billy Seigenfeld. As well, she has been influenced by the healing work of Jazz Legend Lynn Simonson of New York.

Her stepdance studies have seen her in Cape Breton every summer since 1998, with instruction focused on Mary Janet MacDonald, Mac Morin, Melody Cameron, Wendy MacIsaac, and Andrea Beaton, and now she resides there full time.

She held her Members certification with the Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance until 2013, has her Grade 9 Conservatory of Music for Piano, and has her Grade 3 Harmony Theory.

As a Touch for Health instructor since 2004, Michelle has studied with many specialists over the years to advance her training in allergies, nutrition, movement, posture analysis, primary reflexes, birthing reflexes, sound and frequency, emotions and more. Studying with Svetlana Masgatova since 2005, Michelle has been integrating the MNRI principles of primary reflex development into her dance techniques to assist her students with their brain integration, body coordination, and goal setting. Michelle was a dance specialist at Svetlana’s camp in Vancouver in August 2008, where she was able to reinforce the new movement patterns that the participants were adopting by using dance techniques and styles. Michelle has also studied with Wayne Topping (Allergies, Biomechanics, advanced techniques), Charles Krebs (Brain health, Advanced Physiology), Dr. Sheldon Deal (Applied Kinesiology Shortcuts 1-3, and The Endocrine System), Evelyn Mulders (Healing with Herbs, Sound Essences, Circuits Alive Muscle Tuning), the late Greg Webb (Touch for Health levels 1-4, Hyperton-X, Ear Candling, Touch for Health for Dancers, Advanced Physiology), Carolyn Sutherland (Medical Intuitive), Diane May (Advanced Therapeutic Touch), Cherry Whitaker (Therapeutic Touch), Mary Jo Bulbrook (Dean of CAM at Akamai University), Christine Bair (Doctoral panel at Akamai University) and Melinda Connor (Research instructor with Akamai University).

Waines Publishing was first created in 2006 with the family publications for Charlene, Yvonne, and Michelle. Now fully registered, Waines Publishing hosts many publications including representing several authors. This additional business has provided Michelle with a platform to create more manuals, books, and card decks as shared through this full description.

As a teacher, Michelle enjoys helping others find the confidence and courage to be the best they can be. She understands how the body works and how goals can be set and reached. She is confident with her ability to share information and is not afraid to tell it like it is. She realizes the depth that dancers must reach into themselves to bring out their best performance and she embraces the opportunities to share this when adjudicating or conducting workshops.

Presently, the new program for Health being created by Michelle is The K.E.Y. to Health with Energy Medicine: Kinetic Energy YINtegration. This includes her Feet First System with two distinct sets, as well as the involvement of her passion for Tai Chi and Qi Gong with Qi YINtegration, which includes several distinct sets. Dance YINtegration develops a new learning and warmup approach for dancers to understand their learning styles, their challenges, and their strengths. Through specifically prepared exercises, dancers have a new vocabulary to take care of their body before a workout, during the presentation, and after a workout. And, on the horizon is Heart of the Hand, for opening up more possibilities for strength, flexibility, and movement changes for the body through the hand.

Raising BioEnergetic Awareness is a joint program with Natascha Polomski to bring energy work into the online platform.  Focused on helping students realize how they perceive energy, they share tips and tools to provide practice and experience with awareness, intention, grounding, and centering.  Their group activities help to expand experience and awareness, and create a program for further discovery of self-care and self-empowerment. Their program is also a full University accredited program with Akamai University.

For more information about Michelle’s programs, workshops and teaching tools, please check out the rest of the website:
Click here to visit the Store page to find out how to purchase her books, teaching manuals, and CD.
Click here to check out her work with Dan Devion on YouTube, as well as the videos for the Feet First System!

For more information about Michelle, have a look at her Facebook page here!. You can also find her on the pages: Dance Debut Inc, Qi YINtegration, The KEY to Health with Energy Medicine, Feet First System, Tai Chi Cape Breton, The Cape Breton Tea Company, and https://www.facebook.com/RaisingBioEnergeticAwareness

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancedebutinc/

Twitter:

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-greenwell-9b31855b/

Other opportunities to learn more: 

The YouTube Channel where you can find Tai Chi, Dance, Qi YINtegration, Touch for Health, and more.  Be sure to take a look at the content of the different playlists. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEPG1vTQ71ZSEuM2GgmgaDw

Buzzsprout is home to Michelle’s Podcast: “Be Well with Michelle Greenwell” 

Spotify for the podcast and the playlists.

The Cape Breton Tea Company is an expanded venture that includes Tea and Tea Opportunities with Cape Breton Island as the center focus. You will also find the signature series “Tea with Intention.” Used with many of Michelle’s programs, the healing power of herbs, intentions, and the 5 Element Cycles of Chinese Medicine are explored through workshops and presentations. The 12 blends available include Apple Passion, Power Pack, Liberty Wine (Fire Element), Symphony of the Earth (Earth Element), Thyme Passages (Metal Element), Rising Tides (Water Element), Releasing the Warrior (Wood Element), To Be Honest (Governing), Old Faithful (Central), and Awesome (Central and Governing).  “HoneyBEE” is available to support the latest publication BioEnergetic Essentials list above.  There are always new blends being released by the tea company, so be sure to visit the website to get the latest information and opportunity highlights.