Dance Movement Therapy

Origins and historical development :

Movement is a natural instinct to humans even before birth, with a foetus kicking out in the womb. After birth this continues, with clenching fists and wriggling legs, often signs of the baby experiencing an emotion. Dancing also seems common to all people, both present and past, the world over. Certainly, dance is an important part of tribal rituals and shamanistic cultures. Even in today’s Western World, dancing can be an informal way of unwinding from a stressful working week by going to a nightclub; and it is also a facilitator to interaction with others, particularly on the ‘dating’ scene.

However, dance, in therapy terms, can be taken a step further. Initial experiments with movement and psychotherapy from the turn of the 20th Century were progressed in the 1940’s when people in America who had suffered emotional trauma from World War II found comfort in dance. Marian Chase had already been using dance therapy with schizophrenics and was a prominent figure at this time and instrumental in growing dance therapy.

Whereas children are often spontaneous in expressing their emotions and feelings, adults have gained life experience from their social surroundings and their behaviour may be influenced to the extent they can no longer express themselves freely and fully; with non-verbal communication being left to subtle, sub-conscious gesticulation and body language. Therapy with dance and movement aims to circumvent the conscious mind and tap into this sub-conscious so that the client can fully explore their inner emotional self. This allows for hidden emotions to surface non-verbally and subsequently be accepted by the conscious mind.

Widely used in America, Dance Movement Therapy is also popular in the UK and Australia.

What to expect during a treatment :

No formal dancing knowledge is required, nor will specific dance steps necessarily be taught. The emphasis is placed on spontaneous movement through expressions of inner thoughts, feelings and emotions. Music is not always used either. Sessions can be done on a 1-1 basis or with a group; and will normally consist of a warm-up, the ‘process’ (dancing) and then verbal assessment of what has been experienced. The presence of a qualified practitioner is required to assist and direct the session. The practitioner may also choose to join in to encourage greater freedom of expression from the clients; sometimes guiding or mirroring what the client does, or dancing reactively with their own personal interpretation of what is being explored in the process. Group therapy has the added benefit of giving an opportunity for clients to interact with others.

Being an holistic approach that aims to help a client heal and grow, Dance Movement Therapy is often used regularly and sometimes over a long period of time. Typically, an assessment for a suitable course of treatment will be made over an initial period of up to 6 weekly sessions.

Conditions suitable for treatment :

Dance Movement Therapy is often successful in helping people with learning difficulties and mental illness, including autism; and particularly with children. It is also commonly used with people who have physical disabilities. For example, helping blind and deaf people stretch out and explore the space around them to gain confidence and increase their mobility.

Other conditions that can be treated with Dance Movement Therapy include emotional abuse and trauma, depression, anxiety, behavioural and eating disorders, psychological and stress related illness, including schizophrenia, chronic fatigue syndrome; and addiction.