| Dance therapy | |
|---|---|
| Intervention | |
| MeSH | D003614 |
Dance therapy, or dance movement therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance for emotional, cognitive, social, behavioral and physical conditions.[1] As a form of expressive therapy, DMT is founded on the basis that movement and emotion are directly related.[2] The ultimate purpose of DMT is to find a healthy balance and sense of wholeness.[3]
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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]
Contents |
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.[4]
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.[7] 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.[3] 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.[8] In 1966 Chace became the first president of the American Dance Therapy Association, an organization which she and several other DMT pioneers founded.[3]
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.[3]
The theory of DMT is based upon the idea that “the body and mind are inseparable”.[3]
“Dance movement therapy rests on certain theoretical principles. These are:
Through the unity of the body, mind, and spirit, DMT provides a sense of wholeness to all individuals.[3]
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:
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:
DMT is practiced in a large variety of locations. Such locations include:
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.[12]
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.[13]
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.[2]
ADTA is the main regulator of the required education and training in order to become a dance/movement therapist.[14] 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).[15]
There are only 6 ADTA approved master's programs from which to earn Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT) credentials: Antioch University New England in New Hampshire, Columbia College Chicago in Illinois, Drexel University in Pennsylvania, Lesley University in Massachusetts, Naropa University in Colorado, and Pratt Institute in New York [1].
Those with a master's or doctoral degree in a human services-related field may have the option to become an R-DMT via Alternate Route [2].
Developmental Movement Therapy, also known as Neurological Repatterning or Neurological Reorganization, is another form of movement-based therapy. Developmental Movement Therapy is based on evidence that each human baby, if given the opportunity, will progress through a series of reflexes and movements as it naturally develops.[16] If this natural developmental pattern is disrupted due to environmental, emotional, or physical barriers (e.g. if the child was raised in an orphanage or in a highly stressful environment, didn’t have the opportunity to move freely, or experienced brain trauma), it can lead to learning disabilities, ADD, autism, social dysfunction, relative immaturity, and a sense of lonesomeness.[17] Through acting out certain developmental movement patterns, neurological development can be completed and normal neurological function can be restored. This therapy can be useful for people of all ages and may also help people recover from strokes and brain injury, even in extreme cases. [18]
The Developmental Movement Therapist/Consultant will meet with patients periodically. The initial meeting includes an in-depth diagnosis including taking an oral history and conducting many simple tests in cognition and movement. These tests will show the consultant where there may be missing neurological connections or lack of development. The consultant will then provide specific movement patterns tailored to the needs of the patient. Through a regular practice of the movement patterns, the patient will reprogram and strengthen their neurological pathways which will lead to improved function. [19]
Developmental Movement Therapy can restore a sense of life to someone who has had a debilitating stroke or brain injury by increasing their movement ability as well as cognitive function.[20] It can give children with learning disabilities a sense of fitting in through improved social interaction as well as improved ability to read, focus and participate in a classroom setting in a normal way. It can help children and adults recover from traumatic events and elicit a sense of clarity and creativity.[21] [22]
Pat Fehr 2006 B.A. Psychotherapeutic Activities
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||