Dance therapy, also called dance,movement therapy, employs movement instead of spoken communication to treat the mentally ill. It is also used to enrich the lives of Sightless(Working With The Disabled) and deaf individuals, especially children, and can be an important aspect of rehabilitation following a stroke or an injury that hinders motion and coordination.

Origins

While dance and movement have long been used for expression, recreation, and religious rituals, the foundation of the present therapy was laid shortly after World War I, when the pioneers in modern dance began to create choreography that expressed inner emotions. At about the same time, new approaches to the treatment of mental illness were developing and therapists increasingly recognized the importance of using body movement as an outlet for emotions that could not be expressed with words. An early practitioner of dance therapy was Marian Chance, a dance teacher. Having observed that physical movement helped emotionally disturbed children, she began to emphasize their needs for expression rather than their mastery of technique. In the 1940s, a psychiatrist who was impressed ‘.with Chace’s results invited her to work with mentally ill patients at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. In the years that followed, she received national recognition for her accomplishments. She had demonstrated that through dance and movement, patients previously considered hope lessly regressed and withdrawn were able to engage in group activities and take the first steps toward expressing their feelings, even if they were unable to do so verbally. Other dance therapists appeared on the scene with a variety of techniques, and in 1966, the American Dance Therapy Association was established to set standards for the profession. The association now has about 1,000 members.

Practitioners

Professional dance,movement therapists must undergo training in a graduate level program approved by the American Dance Therapy Association. Those who complete a program are eligible to apply for entry level certification as Dance Therapist Registered (DTR), which indicates that the individual has a master’s degree and is qualified to work with a team or under supervision in a professional setting. After two years of clinical practice, the dance,movement therapist can apply for advanced certification with the association’s Academy of Dance Therapists Registered (ADTR). This designation confirms that the holder is fully qualified to teach, provide supervision, and engage in private practice.

When It Is Used

Dance, movement therapists work with individuals who have social, emotional, cognitive, and,or physical problems. They practice in psychiatric hospitals, community day care and mental health centers, correctional facilities, rehabilitation centers, clinics, nursing homes, and geriatric centers. Their work in these last two places is especially important among patients with Alzheimer’s disease and others who may be incapable of ordinary social interaction. Some sports coaches also use dance therapy to improve their athletes’ agility.