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dance therapy

 
Dictionary: dance therapy
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n.
A method of psychological treatment in which movement and dance are used to express and deal with feelings and experiences, both positive and negative. Also called movement therapy.


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Alternative Medicine Encyclopedia: Dance Therapy
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Definition

Dance therapy is a type of psychotherapy that uses movement to further the social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development of the individual. Dance therapists work with people who have many kinds of emotional problems, intellectual deficits, and life-threatening illnesses. They are employed in psychiatric hospitals, day care centers, mental health centers, prisons, special schools, and private practice. They work with people of all ages in both group and individual therapy. Some also engage in research.

Dance therapists try to help people develop communication skills, a positive self-image, and emotional stability.

Origins

Dance therapy began as a profession in the 1940s with the work of Marian Chace. A modern dancer, she began teaching dance after ending her career with the Denishawn Dance Company in 1930. In her classes, she noticed that some of her students were more interested in the emotions they expressed while dancing (loneliness, shyness, fear, etc.) than the mechanics of the moves. She began encouraging them by emphasizing more freedom of movement rather than technique.

In time, doctors in the community started sending her patients. They included antisocial children, people with movement problems, and those with psychiatric illnesses. Eventually, Chace became part of the staff of the Red Cross at St. Elizabeth's Hospital. She was the first dance therapist employed in a formal position by the federal government. Chace worked with the emotionally troubled patients at St. Elizabeth's and tried to get them to reach out to others through dance. Some of them were schizophrenics and others were former servicemen suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Success for these patients meant being able to participate with their class in moving to rhythmic music. "This rhythmic action in unison with others results in a feeling of well-being, relaxation, and good fellowship," Chace said once.

Chace eventually studied at the Washington School of Psychiatry and began making treatment decisions about her patients along with other members of the St. Elizabeth's medical team. Her work attracted many followers and the first dance therapy interns began learning and teaching dance therapy at St. Elizabeth's in the 1950s.

Other dancers also began using dance therapy in the 1940s to help people feel more comfortable with themselves and their bodies. These dancers included Trudi Schoop and Mary Whitehouse. Whitehouse later became a Jungian analyst and an influential member of the dance therapy community. She developed a process called "movement in-depth," an extension of her understanding of dance, movement, and depth psychology. She helped found the contemporary movement practice called "authentic movement." In this type of movement, founded on the principles of Jungian analysis, patients dance out their feelings about an internal image, often one that can help them understand their past or their current life struggles. One of Whitehead's students, Janet Alder furthered Whitehead's work in authentic movement by establishing the Mary Starks Whitehouse Institute in 1981.

In 1966, dance therapy became formally organized and recognized when the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) was formed.

Benefits

Dance therapy can be helpful to a wide range of patients—from psychiatric patients to those with cancer to lonely elderly people. Dance therapy is often an easy way for a person to express emotions, even when his or her experience is so traumatic he or she can't talk about it. It is frequently used with rape victims and survivors of sexual abuse and incest. It can also help people with physical deficits improve their self-esteem and learn balance and coordination.

Dance therapists also work with people who have chronic illnesses and life-threatening diseases to help them deal with pain, fear of death, and changes in their body image. Many people with such illnesses find dance therapy classes to be a way to relax, get away from their pain and emotional difficulties for a while, and express feelings about taboo subjects (such as impending death).

Dance therapy is suitable even for people who are not accomplished dancers, and may even be good for those who are clumsy on the dance floor. The emphasis in dance therapy is on free movement, not restrictive steps, and expressing one's true emotions. Children who cannot master difficult dances or can't sit still for traditional psychotherapy often benefit from free-flowing dance therapy. Even older people who cannot move well or are confined to wheelchairs can participate in dance therapy. All they need to do is move in some way to the rhythm of the music.

Dance therapy can be useful in a one-on-one situation, where the therapist works with only one patient to provide a safe place to express emotions. Group classes can help provide emotional support, enhanced communication skills, and appropriate physical boundaries (a skill that is vital for sexual abuse victims).

Description

There are currently more than 1,200 dance therapists in 46 states in the United Sates and in 29 foreign countries. Like other mental health professionals, they use a wide range of techniques to help their patients. Some of the major "schools of thought" in dance therapy include the Freudian approach, Jungian technique, and object relations orientation. Many therapists, however, do not ascribe to just one school, but use techniques from various types of dance therapy.

The authentic movement technique is derived from the Jungian method of analysis in which people work with recurring images in their thoughts or dreams to derive meaning in their life. Instead of asking the patient to dance out certain emotions, the therapist instructs the patient to move when he or she feels "the inner impulse." The moves are directed by the patient and the therapist is a noncritical witness to the movement. The moves are supposed to emerge from a deep level within the patient.

In Freudian technique, dance therapists work with patients to uncover feelings hidden deep in the subconscious by expressing those feelings through dance.

In object relations technique, the therapist often helps the patient examine problems in his or her life by considering the primary initial relationship with the parents. Emotions are expressed in a concrete, physical way. For instance, a patient would work out his fears of abandonment by repeatedly coming close to and dancing at a distance from the therapist.

Dance therapists sometimes use other types of therapy along with dance, such as art or drama. Therapists also discuss what happens during a dancing session by spending time in "talk therapy." Dance therapists use visualizations during sessions, too. For example, the therapist might instruct patients to imagine they are on a beautiful, peaceful beach as they dance.

In one frequently used technique, the therapist mirrors the movements of the patient as he or she expresses important emotions. This is especially powerful in private one-on-one therapy. It is thought that this device provides a sense of safety and validates the patient's emotions.

The underlying premise of dance therapy is that when people dance, they are expressing highly significant emotions. A fist thrust out in anger into the air or a head bent in shame has deep significance to a dance therapist. Through dance therapy, the theory goes, patients are able to more easily express painful, frightening emotions, and can progress from there. After experiencing dance therapy, they can talk about their feelings more freely and tear down the barriers they have erected between themselves and other people. The hope is that eventually they can go on to live more psychologically healthy lives.

Preparations

People who want to use dance therapy should find a qualified therapist. The ADTA provides lists of qualified therapists. The person should begin dance therapy with an open mind and a willingness to participate so he or she can get the most benefit.

Precautions

A qualified dance therapist should have completed a graduate program in dance therapy approved by the ADTA and should be registered with the ADTA. He or she should not just be a dancer, but should also have extensive training in psychology.

Side Effects

No known side effects.

Research & General Acceptance

Dance therapy was once dismissed as simply an ineffective, "feel good" treatment, but it is now more respected. Many research studies have proven that dance therapy can be an effective tool to help people overcome psychological problems.

In a 1993 study, older people with cognitive deficits showed that dance therapy could significantly increase their functional abilities. Patients improved their balance, rhythmic discrimination, mood, and social interaction.

In 1999, a pilot study of 21 university students showed that those who took a series of four to five group dance therapy sessions in a period of two weeks significantly reduced their test anxiety as measured by a well-known exam called the Test Anxiety Inventory. Afterwards, the subjects reported that their dance movement experience was positive and provided them with psychological insight. The researchers concluded that dance therapy could be a viable method of treatment for students who suffer from overwhelming test anxiety, and should be researched further.

In another 1999 study presented at the ADTA national conference in November 1999, dance therapist Donna Newman-Bluestein reported success in using techniques of dance therapy with cardiac patients. In a stress reduction class, health professionals used dance therapy methods to teach body awareness, relaxation, self-expression, creativity, and empathy. According to Newman-Bluestein, the dance therapy techniques helped the patients deal with such stressful emotions as anger, increased their self-awareness, made them more relaxed, and helped them adjust emotionally to having heart disease.

Training & Certification

Dance therapists should have dance experience and a liberal arts background with coursework in psychology for their undergraduate degree. Professional dance therapy training takes place on the graduate level. A qualified dance therapist has received a graduate degree from a school approved by the ADTA, or has a master's degree in dance or psychology and has taken additional dance therapy credits.

After graduation, dance therapists can become registered with the ADTA, meaning that they are qualified to practice. After two years they may receive an additional recognition when they become an Academy of Dance Therapist Registered. They can then teach dance therapy and can supervise interns.

Dance therapists can also obtain psychological credentials by taking a test and becoming registered by the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc.

Resources

Books

Halprin, Anna. Dance as a Healing Art: Returning to Health Through Movement and Imagery. Mendocino, CA: LifeRhythm, 2000.

Levy, Fran J., ed. Dance and Other Expressive Art Therapies: When Words Are Not Enough. New York: Routledge, 1995.

Pallaro, Patrizia, ed. Authentic Movement: Essays by Mary Starks Whitehouse, Jane Adler and Joan Chodorow. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1999.

Periodicals

Brody, Jane. "Dancing Shoes Replace the Therapist's Couch." New York Times (10 October 1995): C13.

"Dance/Movement Therapy Opens Communication Pathways." Brown University Long-Term Quality Advisor (July 15, 1996).

Erwin-Grabner, et al. "Effectiveness of Dance/Movement Therapy on Reducing Test Anxiety." American Journal of Dance Therapy 21, no. 1 (Spring/Summer 1999).

Organizations

American Dance Therapy Association. (410) 997-4040. info@adta.org. http://www.adta.org.

Other

Newman-Bluestein, Donna. "You Gotta Have Heart: Integrating Dance Therapy into Cardiac Rehabilitation Stress Management." Presented at the ADTA National Conference. (November 1999).

[Article by: Barbara Boughton]

Wikipedia: Dance therapy
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Dance therapy, or dance movement therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance for emotional, cognitive, social, behavioral and physical conditions[1]. Dance movement therapy strengthens the body/mind connection through body movements to improve both the mental and physical well-being of individuals[2]. As a form of expressive therapy, DMT is founded on the basis that movement and emotion are directly related[3]. The ultimate purpose of DMT is to find a healthy balance and sense of wholeness[4].

Since its birth in the 1940s, DMT has gained much popularity and has been taken to more serious and beneficial levels. Over the years, the practices of DMT have progressed, however, the main principles that founded this form of therapy have remained the same. Influenced by the “main principles” of this therapy, most DMT sessions are configured around four main stages: preparation, incubation, illumination, and evaluation[5]. Organizations such as the American Dance Therapy Association and the Association for Dance Movement Therapy, United Kingdom maintain the high standards of profession and education throughout the field. DMT is practiced in places such as mental health rehabilitation centers, medical and educational settings, nursing homes, day care facilities, and other health promotion programs[6].This form of therapy which is taught in a wide array of locations goes farther than just centering the body. Specialized treatments of DMT can help cure and aid many types of diseases and disabilities. Other common names for DMT include: movement psychotherapy and dance therapy[7].

Contents

History

Although dance has been a method of expression for centuries, it wasn’t until just recently that it was characterized as a form of therapy. The development of DMT can be split into two waves throughout history. Long before the first wave of DMT in America (1940’s), the UK developed the idea of dance therapy. The first records of dance being used as a form of therapy date as far back as the nineteenth century in the UK. Although there were significant American influences, the main theories of dance therapy originated in the UK [8].

First Wave

Marian Chace, “The Grand Dame” of dance therapy, is the woman responsible for introducing the idea of DMT to the United States and therefore inspiring the first wave of DMT. She is considered the principal founder of what is now dance therapy in the United States[9]. In 1942, through her work, dance was first introduced to western medicine. Chace was originally a dancer, choreographer, and performer. After opening her own dance school in Washington, D.C., Chace began to realize the effects dance and movement had on her students[4]. She was soon asked to work at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. once psychiatrists too realized the benefits their patients were receiving from attending Chace’s dance classes[10]. In 1966 Chace became the first president of the American Dance Therapy Association, an organization which she and several other DMT pioneers founded[4].

Second Wave

It wasn’t until the 1970s and 80s that the second wave of DMT came around and sparked much interest from American therapists. During this time, therapists began to experiment with the psychotherapeutic applications of dance and movement. As a result of the therapists experiments, DMT was then categorized as a form of psychotherapy. It was from this second wave that today’s DMT evolved[4].

Principles

The theory of DMT is based upon the idea that “the body and mind are inseparable”[4].

“Dance movement therapy rests on certain theoretical principles. These are:

  • Body and mind interact, so that a change in movement will affect total functioning
  • Movement reflects personality
  • The therapeutic relationship is mediated at least to some extent non-verbally, for
example through the therapist mirroring the client’s movement
  • Movement contains a symbolic function and as such can be evidence of unconscious process
  • Movement improvisation allows the client to experiment with new ways of being
  • DMT allows for the recapitulation of early object relationships by virtue of the largely non-verbal mediation of the latter”[11]

Through the unity of the body, mind, and spirit, DMT provides a sense of wholeness to all individuals[4].

The Creative Process

The creative process has four stages, which occur during DMT. Each stage contains a smaller set of goals which correlate to the larger purpose of DMT. The stages and goals of DMT vary with each individual. Although the stages are progressive, the stages are usually revisited several times throughout the entire DMT process. The four stages are:

Preparation: the warm-up stage, safety is established
Incubation: relaxed, let go of conscious control, movements become symbolic
Illumination: meanings become apparent, can have positive and negative effects
Evaluation: discuss significance of the process, prepare to end therapy[12]

Specialized Treatments

DMT can be used to heal serious disorders and diseases. Although DMT is promoted to reduce stress and center the body, this therapy is very effective in helping to heal other disabilities and diseases. Examples of these include:

  • Autism: therapists connect on a sensory-motor level, provides a sense of acceptance and expands skills and
cognitive abilities, increases maturity
  • Learning Disabilities: develops better organizational skills, learns/experiences control and choice, higher self
confidence, new inspirations to learn
  • Mental Retardation: improves body image, social skills, coordination, and motor skills, promotes communication
  • Physically Handicapped: improves motor skills and body image, provides a way to communicate and express emotions
  • Elderly: provides social interaction, expression, and exercise, alleviates fears of loneliness and isolation
  • Eating Disorders: alters distorted body images which helps end destructive behaviors, discovers symbolic meanings
behind disorder/food[13]
  • PTSD: weaves together past and present through symbolism in a “safe place” to confront painful memories
  • Parkinson's Disease: uses rhythm to help reduce body dysfunctions which improves motor abilities, balance, and use of limbs
  • Holistic Birth Preparation: implores relaxation techniques to reduce anxiety, learn breathing techniques and release
energy, builds confidence to help cope with labor, birth and early parenting[14]

Locations

DMT is practiced in a large variety of locations. Such locations include:

Organizations

Organizations such as the American Dance Therapy Association were created in order to uphold high standards in the field of DMT. Such organizations help connect individuals to therapists and DMT[16].

American Dance Therapy Association

American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) was founded in 1966 in order to uphold high standards throughout dance therapy. The ADTA was created by Marian Chace, the first president of the ADTA, and other pioneers in dance movement. Along with setting standards for which therapists must attain to become licensed therapists, ADTA keeps an updated registry of all movement/dance therapists who have met ADTA’s standards. In addition, ADTA also publishes the American Journal of Dance Therapy and sponsors annual professional conferences[17].

Association for Dance Movement Therapy, United Kingdom

The Association for Dance Movement Therapy, United Kingdom (ADMTUK) was one of the first organizations established to regulate the field of dance therapy. ADMTUK accredits therapists and oversees that all regulations are followed[3].

Therapist Qualifications

ADTA is the main regulator of the required education and training in order to become a dance/movement therapist[18]. Typically, a master's degree is required to become a dance/movement therapist. “Dance Therapist Registered” (DTR) is the title given to beginner-level dance therapists who have had a minimum 700 hours of clinical training. For those who have completed over 3,640 hours of clinical work, they hold the title “Academy of Dance Therapists” (ADTR)[19].

See also

References

  1. ^ “Who We Are,” American Dance Therapy Association, <http://www.adta.org/about/who.cfm>.
  2. ^ “Who We Are,” American Dance Therapy Association, <http://www.adta.org/about/who.cfm>.
  3. ^ a b Payne, Helen, Dance Movement Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, (Hove, East ok Sussex: Routledge, 2006).
  4. ^ a b c d e f Levy, Fran J., Dance Movement Therapy: A Healing Art, (Reston, VA: The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, 1988).
  5. ^ Meekums, Bonnie, Dance Movement Therapy, (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc.).
  6. ^ “Who was Marian Chace?,” American Dance Therapy Association, <http://www.adta.org/resources/chace_bio.cfm>.
  7. ^ “Who We Are,” American Dance Therapy Association, <http://www.adta.org/about/who.cfm>.
  8. ^ Meekums, Bonnie, Dance Movement Therapy, (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc.).
  9. ^ “Who was Marian Chace?,” American Dance Therapy Association, <http://www.adta.org/resources/chace_bio.cfm>.
  10. ^ “Dance Therapy,” American Cancer Society. <http://cancer.org/doctoor/MIT/content/MIT_2_3X_Dance_Therapy.asp>.
  11. ^ Meekums, Bonnie, Dance Movement Therapy, (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc.).
  12. ^ Meekums, Bonnie, Dance Movement Therapy, (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc.).
  13. ^ Levy, Fran J., Dance Movement Therapy: A Healing Art, (Reston, VA: The American Alliance for
    Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, 1988).
  14. ^ Payne, Helen, Dance Movement Therapy Theory, Research, and Practice, (Hove, East Sussex: Routledge, 2006).
  15. ^ “Who We Are,” American Dance Therapy Association, <http://www.adta.org/about/who.cfm>.
  16. ^ “Who We Are,” American Dance Therapy Association, <http://www.adta.org/about/who.cfm>.
  17. ^ “Who We Are,” American Dance Therapy Association, <http://www.adta.org/about/who.cfm>.
  18. ^ “Who We Are,” American Dance Therapy Association, <http://www.adta.org/about/who.cfm>.
  19. ^ “Dance Therapy,” American Cancer Society. <http://cancer.org/doctoor/MIT/content/MIT_2_3X_Dance_Therapy.asp>.
  • American Dance Therapy Association www.adta.org 2008

Further reading

  • Meekums, B. (2002). Dance Movement Therapy: a Creative Psychotherapeutic Approach. London: Sage
  • Chodorow, J. (1991). Dance Therapy and Depth Psychology. London
  • Lewis, P. (1984; 1986). Theoretical Approaches in Dance Movement Therapy. Vols I & II, USA: Kendall/Hunt.
  • Payne, H. (ed). (2006). Dance Movement Therapy: Theory, Research and Practice (2nd edn). Tavistock / Routledge.
  • Siegel, E. (1984). Dance Movement Therapy: Mirror of Ourselves: The Psychoanalytic Approach. New York: Human Science Press.
  • Stanton-Jones, K. (1992). An Introduction to Dance Movement Therapy in Psychiatry. London: Tavistock/Routledge.
  • North, M. (1990). Personality Assessment Through Movement. Northcote House.
  • Payne, H.L. (2000). Creative Movement and Dance in Groupwork. Oxon: Speechmark
  • McCormack, D. (2003) An event of geographical ethics in spaces of affect. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 28, (4), 488-507

Pat Fehr 2006 B.A. Psychotherapeutic Activities

External links

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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Alternative Medicine Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Copyright © 2005 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Dance therapy".  Read more