Well established in the US, and widely accepted by the American medical profession, dance movement therapy is gaining recognition in Australia and the UK. It is most likely to be encountered in health care centers, schools, and prisons.

Babies and young children express themselves through their bodies before they learn to talk. Their feelings are conveyed through movements, such as kicking or clenching their fists with anger, or jumping and wriggling for joy. Children are quite natural and spontaneous in their actions, but in later life the thoughts, emotions, and physical experiences that shape their personalities are influenced by their social surroundings, and the link between feeling and actions becomes less spontaneous and more conditioned. Adults still reveal themselves through body language; however, many of these feelings are expressed unconsciously.

 

In dance movement therapy, movement, and particularly the sensual, rhythmic response aroused by dance and music, is used as a way of bypassing the conscious mind and making contact with the inner emotional world. To do this, patients explore a range of movements and learn to overcome physical limitations and cope with disabilities. The aim is to evoke images that raise important emotional issues, which the practitioner will help the patient to explore further through dance in the later stages of therapy. In this way, hidden emotions can be expressed in a nonverbal way, and subsequently accepted by the conscious self.

 

Dance movement therapy works equally well for highly articulate people and for those less able to express themselves in words, including people with learning disabilities, mental problems, or psychotic illnesses. Even severely physically disabled people can experience the liberating effects of dance.

There is a large body of research supporting the work of dance movement therapists. This is based on case histories, videotapes, and observational studies, and has been published since the 1970s in psychological and dance journals. Much of the research has focused on the relationship between personality and movement, and on movements that are characteristic of certain conditions.

Most conventional doctors would regard dance movement therapy as a useful form of expression and exercise for people with a wide variety of conditions. Its benefits for those with physical disabilities, emotional problems, and mental illnesses are generally recognized.

Dance movement therapy is practiced one-­to-one and as group therapy. The number of sessions depends on the patient's needs, usually determined during a six-week assessment course: treatment for long­-term conditions may last up to five years.

 

A session begins with a warm-up to ease joints, increase body awareness, and focus your attention on why you are there. Music is not always necessary - rhythm can be made with the hands, feet, or legs. What occurs next may evolve naturally from the warm-up or be helped along by suggestions from the practitioner.

 

Participants often lie on the floor waiting for an impulse to move; they may, for example, decide to act out a dream. Gestures, mainly spontaneous and unchoreographed, can also include formal dance steps. Some practitioners move with you, mirroring and supporting your movements, others act as empathetic observers. Occasionally the practitioner might dance alone to reflect back her perceptions or to help the patient or group feel comfortable. A way to end the sequence is found, and feelings raised by the therapy are discussed.