Movement and dance artist for community health. Researcher / Trainer / Mentor

Living in Arnside, Cumbria, Dr Melanie Brierley (Mel) is an independent dance in community health artist and registered somatic movement educator (ISMETA).

Mel uses embodied and relational approaches to movement and dance. She encourages people to move alone and together in places and spaces that evoke enjoyment, wonder, and personal or collective meaning.

Mel explores dance/movement as a process of artful caring and means to create communities of care. She facilitates specialist Connect & Flow groups and one to one Home Performance practice for the Parkinson’s community, with her work extending to people living with other long-term health conditions such as Dementia, Multiple Sclerosis, MSA, Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, and Stroke.

Both nationally and internationally, Mel delivers professional training and mentoring in somatic-informed dance and movement for the Parkinson’s community.