Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Use Of Dance/Movement Therapy In A Preschool Curriculum: Enhancing Kindergarten Readiness Skills, Lynda Perez-Venero Naimoli

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This thesis will focus on an internship project designed to integrate dance/movement therapy into the Early Childhood Center (ECC) at Sarah Lawrence College. The premise was that specific dance/movement therapy goals would enhance the ECC’s preschool curriculum by strengthening each child’s cognitive learning, supporting their developmental skills and preparing them for the transition to kindergarten.

Activities were created addressing developmental skills needed for the transition from preschool to kindergarten. The various activities developed for the dance/movement therapy sessions focused on the development of one's own sense of self and relational sense of self, impulse control, interpersonal boundaries, social skills and …

Cultivating Presence And Relatedness: The Role Of Grounding In Dance/Movement Therapy, Kyleigh Sackandy

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This thesis examines the role of grounding in the evolution of individual presence and group relatedness often experienced in dance/movement therapy sessions. The physical and psychological concepts of grounding are discussed, investigating the relationship between the body and gravity as a foundational piece for one’s sense of being in the world. The felt experience of the body in communication with gravity, awareness of these sensations, and the resources within the body associated with grounding are examined as they apply to presence and interconnectivity. These concepts, as well as the potential for self-discovery via grounding, are portrayed through case examples.

Choosing Embodiment, Tenaya Cowsill

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

The purpose of this paper is to review and consider the way in which both interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships are affected by technology. As commentary surrounding an epidemic of loneliness becomes increasingly common, this paper looks to identify and understand what it truly means to be connected. By bringing awareness and understanding to the effects of technology on the experience of relationship, and by offering a deeper understanding of the role of embodiment, it is possible to work towards balanced and healthy relationships that satisfy in quality rather than quantity.

Applying Elements Of Contra Dance To Reduce Symptoms In Children With High-Functioning Autism, Jenna N. Ellis

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This paper will focus primarily on a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, specifically High-Functioning Autism, who attended a summer camp in 2015. A definition of autism and how it affects a diagnosed child will be explained. Analysis of the benefits of group dance/movement therapy (DMT) with children diagnosed within the autism spectrum will also be presented. Additionally, past documented studies regarding this population and the use of dance/movement therapy as a catalyst for reducing symptoms of autism will be described. Focusing on three specific goals (commitment, community, interpersonal/intrapersonal relationships) this paper will describe how the Contra Dance form can …

Nature-Based Dance/Movement Therapy, Kelsey Gangnath

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This paper examines how a therapist’s embodied experience of the natural world can provide a foundation for utilizing a nature-based dance/movement therapy with medically fragile children in long term care. Beginning with a reflection on her childhood experiences in nature, the author then discusses the literature on the impact of nature on human development and the implications of loss of contact with nature. The final section presents examples of how the integration of natural elements and embodied experience was used to provide dance/movement therapy to medically fragile children at Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center in Yonkers, NY.