Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Dance Movement Therapy Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 27 of 27

Full-Text Articles in Dance Movement Therapy

Examining The Connection Between Spirituality And Embodiment In Medical Education, Katie Bellamy Dec 2015

Examining The Connection Between Spirituality And Embodiment In Medical Education, Katie Bellamy

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore and analyze the experience of spirituality for students of Western medicine as reflected in writing assignments for an elective course on embodiment and empathy building skills. Questions included: What is the relationship between embodiment and spirituality for students of Western medicine? How does (re-)embodiment lead to reflections on spirituality? Does mind-body awareness lead to mind-body-spirit awareness? How can incorporation of embodiment techniques into physician training foster spirituality as it relates to physicians’ professional healing roles? Based in a constructivist paradigm, this study used a qualitative grounded theory methodology to generate theory about …


Ubu-Unique But United: A Movement-Based Curriculum For An Inclusive Pre-School Classroom Focusing On Social-Emotional Learning, Julie Schadeck Dec 2015

Ubu-Unique But United: A Movement-Based Curriculum For An Inclusive Pre-School Classroom Focusing On Social-Emotional Learning, Julie Schadeck

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this program development is to address the problem of true inclusion by focusing on the role of the body and movement in social-emotional learning (SEL) among pre-school children. Every year, millions of 3 to 4 year old children leave the safe cradle of their home and embark on a life-long journey of discovery where they soon find out that not everyone is like them. To teach them that different does not mean necessarily separate, I used the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension logic model to develop a movement-based curriculum for an inclusive pre-school classroom focusing on SEL. …


Searching For Connection: A Heuristic Study Of The Role Of Consciousness In Identifying And Meeting Human Needs Through Expressive Movement, Amy Leow Dec 2015

Searching For Connection: A Heuristic Study Of The Role Of Consciousness In Identifying And Meeting Human Needs Through Expressive Movement, Amy Leow

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this study was to draw initial conclusions regarding the relationships between expressive movement, consciousness, and human needs. Additionally, this study also aimed to illustrate how the process of shifting conscious awareness through expressive movement enables clients of DMT to identify and meet their needs. Data was collected using a heuristic examination of my own experience, as the only participant of this study, engaging in six Authentic Movement sessions over six weeks. Data analysis, using a heuristic methodology, resulted in several conclusions which piece together an initial framework from which to understand how the process of shifting conscious …


Aesthetically Significant: An Embodied Artistic Inquiry Exploring The Experience Of Aesthetics As An Emerging Dance/Movement Therapist, Hannah Bailey Dec 2015

Aesthetically Significant: An Embodied Artistic Inquiry Exploring The Experience Of Aesthetics As An Emerging Dance/Movement Therapist, Hannah Bailey

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore my aesthetic experience as an emerging dance/movement therapist, to understand the influence my aesthetic has in my clinical work and how my aesthetic preferences are shaping me as a novice clinician. An embodied artistic inquiry was used for this self-exploration and data were collected through semi-structured journals that included both words and art. Creative synthesis was utilized for data analysis. The data collection and analysis were co-occurring for eleven weeks. At the end of each week I explored what arose in the data through movement with a board-certified dance/movement therapist (BCDMT) consultant …


A Body-Based Program Development Project To Prevent Burnout Among Mental Healthcare Professionals, Amanda J. Abeling Dec 2015

A Body-Based Program Development Project To Prevent Burnout Among Mental Healthcare Professionals, Amanda J. Abeling

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

Using the Delphi Method as a guide, a self-care program for staff members was developed out of one dance/movement therapy intern’s experiences at a suburban mental healthcare facility. Designed to increase one’s connection to self, personal observations were gathered, professionals in the field were consulted and the program was created and implemented. Themes of stress, fatigue, and burnout among the mental health care profession are discussed. Previous research on body awareness, dance/movement therapy theories, and self-care are also discussed in order to provide a framework with which to understand the development of the program. 72 pages.


Dance/Movement Therapy In-Service Model: A Collaborative Creation, Erin Arline Howe Dec 2015

Dance/Movement Therapy In-Service Model: A Collaborative Creation, Erin Arline Howe

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to create a dance/movement therapy (DMT) in-service model for dance/movement therapists to effectively communicate and increase knowledge about DMT to colleagues on an interdisciplinary team. The Delphi Method was used to organize a panel of professional dance/movement therapists to collaborate and produce a cohesive in-service for other professional dance/movement therapists. Panel members offered their perspectives on the following research questions: What are effective ways to communicate the work of a dance/movement therapist to an interdisciplinary team? Which ways are ineffective in communicating the work of a dance/movement therapist to an interdisciplinary team? How do …


The Dance Of Here And Now: A Heuristic Journey Uncovering The Role Of Presence While Practicing Dance/Movement Therapy With An Elderly Population Experiencing Dementia, Kaitlynn Sinki Dec 2015

The Dance Of Here And Now: A Heuristic Journey Uncovering The Role Of Presence While Practicing Dance/Movement Therapy With An Elderly Population Experiencing Dementia, Kaitlynn Sinki

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The goal of this heuristic research study was to further explore the concept of presence within the dance/movement therapist, and how presence could be accessed within the practice of dance/movement therapy. Specifically, how I the researcher, can efficiently utilize presence within myself as a vehicle for therapeutic change while working with an elderly population experiencing dementia. Guided by heuristic and intuitive inquiry methodologies, my personal experience of presence was observed and analyzed. Data collection took place over a three month period consisting of structured journaling, embodied movement responses, and spontaneous artmaking in relation to dance/movement therapy sessions. Findings suggested that …


How Fear And Anxiety In Response To Countertransference And Somatic Countertransference Impacted The Clinical Decision-Making Of A Dance/Movement Therapy Intern, Chelsie Batko Aug 2015

How Fear And Anxiety In Response To Countertransference And Somatic Countertransference Impacted The Clinical Decision-Making Of A Dance/Movement Therapy Intern, Chelsie Batko

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

This artistic inquiry self-study explored how fear and anxiety, in response to countertransference and somatic countertransference, impacted the clinical decision-making process of a dance/movement therapy intern. Primary questions surrounding the research included: How did fear and anxiety, in response to countertransference and somatic countertransference, impact the clinical decision-making of myself as a dance/movement therapy intern? Was what I experienced, as a dance/movement therapy intern, both fear and anxiety? How did I physiologically experience and embody fear and anxiety in response to countertransference and somatic countertransference? Data were collected in the form of journal entries and video recorded movement and were …


Developing An Informed Clinical Practice Through The Embodied Discovery Of Somatic Countertransference: An Artistic Inquiry, Nell Mccarty Aug 2015

Developing An Informed Clinical Practice Through The Embodied Discovery Of Somatic Countertransference: An Artistic Inquiry, Nell Mccarty

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

This thesis is an arts-based research project exploring how a new clinician developed an informed clinical practice through gaining embodied awareness of somatic countertransference when working with children who had experienced sexual abuse. Through embodied movement sessions, choreography, and public performance, a dance was created presenting a collection of movement qualities that reflected this author’s somatic countertransference experiences that were had during her time at her internship. A review of literature was conducted on the development of an informed clinical practice for dance/movement therapists, somatic countertransference, 95 pages. embodiment, and artistic inquiry used in research. A description of this project’s …


The Dance Impermanence: An Artistic Inquiry Through Improvisation, Julie Frances Brannen May 2015

The Dance Impermanence: An Artistic Inquiry Through Improvisation, Julie Frances Brannen

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

This research study investigated the use of movement improvisation to create dance/movement therapy based interventions around the Buddhist concept of impermanence, or natural endings in life. As the sole-researcher and participant were identical, the purpose of this research was to investigate how change can be facilitated, focusing on the researcher’s personal experience to then apply as an emerging dance/movement therapist. The research was conducted through an artistic inquiry, which used arts-based methods as means of data collection, data analysis, and presentation of findings. Through improvisation, the researcher embodied impermanence as it related to concepts of holding on and letting go, …


Listening With The Eyes And Body: An Artistic Inquiry To Explore The Needs Of Deaf Adults With Chronic Mental Illness, Malorie Mcgee May 2015

Listening With The Eyes And Body: An Artistic Inquiry To Explore The Needs Of Deaf Adults With Chronic Mental Illness, Malorie Mcgee

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

This artistic inquiry illuminated the values, beliefs, and strengths of a small group of members of the Deaf community diagnosed with chronic mental illness, in the hopes of providing quality mental health care and bridging a gap between the hearing and Deaf worlds. The participants included five Deaf or Hard of Hearing adults with chronic mental illness attending a day mental health program. This study explored how I, as a dance/movement therapy student intern and the researcher, can embody Deaf or Hard of Hearing culture and chronic mental illness to express the strengths of the individuals as well as the …


Dance/Movement Therapy And The Journey Of Infertility: A Phenomenological Study, Sara Ogawa May 2015

Dance/Movement Therapy And The Journey Of Infertility: A Phenomenological Study, Sara Ogawa

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the holistic phenomenon of infertility in order to assess the basic needs of women who struggle with infertility and the associated medical treatments. In order to address a comprehensive understanding of the experience of infertility, this study employed a body-mind perspective, which is based on the dance/movement therapy principle that “the body and the mind are inseparable”. Five women, who had experience with infertility, were invited to the study, and each participated in individual verbal and movement interviews. Kvale’s interview analysis was utilized to analyze verbal data, and the researcher’s kinesthetic …


Moving Thru: Dance/Movement Therapy Based Program For Direct Caregivers Of Childhood Survivors Of Human Trafficking And Commercial Sexual Exploitation In Belize, Amy Vanbecelaere May 2015

Moving Thru: Dance/Movement Therapy Based Program For Direct Caregivers Of Childhood Survivors Of Human Trafficking And Commercial Sexual Exploitation In Belize, Amy Vanbecelaere

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this project was to; identify the biopsychosocial needs of child survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation in Belize and to develop a dance/movement therapy based program that Belizean caregivers can utilize to better serve the children they work with. The Moving THRU (Trauma Healing, Recovery + Understanding) program was developed based on current literature regarding post-trafficking mental health care and information provided in interviews by Belizean direct caregivers currently working with youth who have been trafficked and exploited in the Cayo District of central Belize. The curriculum is designed to help direct caregivers utilize techniques …


My Embodied Multiracial Experience, Catherine C. Miller May 2015

My Embodied Multiracial Experience, Catherine C. Miller

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

While there is some research on dance/movement therapy (DMT) and people of Color, there is no research specifically on the use of DMT with multiracial people. This heuristic study explored the embodied experience of being multiracial and how that experience could inform the practice of DMT to better meet the possible needs of multiracial clients. The researcher was a 24 year old multiracial female graduate student. Data collection lasted for 12 weeks and consisted of experiences in which the researcher’s multiracial heritage was highlighted. Data was collected through three self-interviews and artistic journaling. The researcher used Forinash’s adapted form of …


The Evaluation Of Creative Passages: A Dance/Movement Therapy And Rits Of Passage Pilot Program For Adolescent Girls, Monimia Macbeth May 2015

The Evaluation Of Creative Passages: A Dance/Movement Therapy And Rits Of Passage Pilot Program For Adolescent Girls, Monimia Macbeth

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this evaluation project was to assess the Creative Passages Program; a dance/movement therapy pilot program incorporating rites of passage rituals that was developed by the principle investigator. The evaluation included comprehensive assessment evaluation methods to assess the programs performance and its ability to achieve its specified outcomes. Creative Passages was constructed around a rites of passage framework, applying a ritual based experience similar to ceremonies performed for female adolescents in many cultures around the world. The program was developed around the idea that a dance/movement therapy program that incorporates rites of passage ritual for adolescent girls will …


The Creative Process Of Choreography And Performance: The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Within Dance/Movement Therapy, Chih-Hsien Lin May 2015

The Creative Process Of Choreography And Performance: The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Within Dance/Movement Therapy, Chih-Hsien Lin

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The underlying creative process in the acts of choreography and performance has not yet been fully researched for use in clinical practices. It is rarely addressed for adults with brain injury in rehabilitation. This study investigated the perceived effects of the creative process within the performance as therapy (PAT) framework on the brain injury population. In a collaborative process engaging the participants as co-researchers and as co-performers in a final dance performance at a public venue, the role of PAT in brain injury rehabilitation was explored. By using artistic inquiry methodology through participatory action research (PAR) paradigm, the study addressed …


Trusting The Unseen: Hannah And Embodied Prayer, Elizabet Diane Abraham May 2015

Trusting The Unseen: Hannah And Embodied Prayer, Elizabet Diane Abraham

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Both Mystical Judaic teachings and Body-Mind Centering discuss the spiritual and psychological meanings of the body‘s organs, beyond their physical function. Using the biblical story of Hannah‘s prayer as a starting point, this thesis discusses each discipline‘s approach to the organs, with a specific focus on the heart and lungs, and investigates how these can be used as tools toward body and soul integration. The body and the journey of embodiment, central to dance/movement therapy, allow access to the experience of the organs as performing vital physical functions, providing meaningful structural support, opening a gateway into the emotional world and …


Liturgical Dance: A Dance/Movement Therapy Treatment Modality To Build Resilience, Jana Élise Taylor May 2015

Liturgical Dance: A Dance/Movement Therapy Treatment Modality To Build Resilience, Jana Élise Taylor

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to promote the understanding of liturgical dance, explore how liturgical dance can be integrated into a dance/movement therapy session, and determine whether elements of liturgical dance can be used in a clinical setting to support resilience, especially with African-American children who are dealing the effects of complex trauma. To further the goal of building resilience for children with complex trauma, a dance/movement therapy intervention was developed using movement themes of liturgical dance to address five developmental domains. Goals focused on developing self-awareness, impulse control, boundaries, problem-solving, and physical health. A discussion of five movement …


Dance/Movement Therapy And Tai Chi For Seniors With Dementia, Elissaveta Iordanova May 2015

Dance/Movement Therapy And Tai Chi For Seniors With Dementia, Elissaveta Iordanova

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This thesis examines the integration of Tai Chi movements into a dance/movement therapy group with members of an adult care community who have been diagnosed with dementia. Information is provided on the origins, concepts and movement principles of Tai Chi. A brief analysis of existing research supports the application of Tai Chi movement principles in dance/movement therapy treatment for the elderly with dementia. The application of Tai Chi in dance/movement therapy sessions is as an integrated and adapted form, in which the movements follow the traditional conceptual frame, characteristics and elements, but are specifically designed to meet the needs of …


Dance/Movement Therapy With Blind And Visually Impaired Children In Nepal, Hideki Takahashi May 2015

Dance/Movement Therapy With Blind And Visually Impaired Children In Nepal, Hideki Takahashi

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This study was based on an intervention done with twenty-four blind and visually impaired Nepalese children using Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT). Since this was the first DMT intervention offered to them, the study focused on their response to DMT. The children were videotaped in their interactions, and interviewed about their experience and participation. The participants were selected through purposive sampling, divided in three age groups, and observed over the span of eight consecutive days. The sessions lasted between 30 and 60 minutes, during which the different groups were involved in several activities. The dance/movement therapy sessions were well received by the …


The Essence Of Contact Improvisation In Dance/Movement Therapy, Minh Tuyet Bui May 2015

The Essence Of Contact Improvisation In Dance/Movement Therapy, Minh Tuyet Bui

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Reading the book Caught Falling (Koteen and Smith, 2008) led me to explore and reflect on the relationship between touch and movement in Contact Improvisation. This thesis also integrates and examines Body-Mind Centering research (Cohen, 1993) in relation to Caught Falling in order to fully understand how touch and movement offer psychotherapeutic benefits. Although different from Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT), Contact Improvisation has elements that are relevant to DMT practice. These include connection, attunement and development. Case examples are introduced to highlight the benefits of attuned movement for connection and transformation.


Transformation In Belly Dance: Movement, Rhythm, Ritual, And Connection, Hillary Elise Posey May 2015

Transformation In Belly Dance: Movement, Rhythm, Ritual, And Connection, Hillary Elise Posey

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Transformation of the self in belly dance occurs in the dance’s movements and in the aspects of rhythm, ritual, and connection. Through the development of awareness and embodiment in belly dance, the mover experiences physical, psychological, social, and spiritual growth. Practiced in individual and group settings, belly dance promotes self-­‐awareness and self-­‐expression, as well as the opportunity for the witnessing of one’s self-­‐expression by a supportive community in a safe environment, and it is a pertinent method of leisure and performance art across gender, cultural, and socioeconomic boundaries.


Awareness Through The Senses: A Multisensory Approach To Improvisation, Angelica Grace Falcinelli May 2015

Awareness Through The Senses: A Multisensory Approach To Improvisation, Angelica Grace Falcinelli

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This paper will discuss some of the artistic practices of dance improvisers which can be utilized to enhance sensory awareness. Similarities to witnessing internal experience derived from Authentic Movement practice are utilized to connect the artistic to the clinical experience. Artistic practices related to as well as neuro biological function of several sensory systems of the body are discussed to present some of the benefits and challenges to increasing awareness of these various senses. Clinical application of the material for select populations is also discussed.


Connections Through Movement: A Case Study Of An Adolescent Boy With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alyssa Rachel Infranco May 2015

Connections Through Movement: A Case Study Of An Adolescent Boy With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alyssa Rachel Infranco

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This thesis uses a case study format to examine the use of dance/movement therapy with an adolescent boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It provides background information on ASD and the effectiveness of dance/movement therapy with this population. The case material focuses on forming a trusting relationship, discusses specific movement activities and approaches, and evaluates the child’s progress throughout the movement sessions. Children with disabilities often need extra support from their families when growing up. Specifically, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have difficulties forming relationships and changing repetitive behaviors. Utilizing dance/movement therapy techniques and movement analyses, children with ASD …


Fluye Esencia: An Embodied Exploration Of Cellular Awareness, Allyssa Stephanie Rivera Cabrero May 2015

Fluye Esencia: An Embodied Exploration Of Cellular Awareness, Allyssa Stephanie Rivera Cabrero

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore and embody the process of cellular awareness as described in a variety of somatic works including, but not limited to, Body-Mind Centering and Continuum Movement. The discussion focuses on how cellular awareness can be developed through the use of imagination, visualization, and cellular sensing and attention via breath, movement, and sound. This cellular awareness can support a greater sense of self and a greater sense of vitality, stability, potential and connectedness between self, society, and universe. Cellular awareness is a relevant practice for dance/movement therapists in that the process promotes fuller embodiment …


Dance/Movement Therapy At An After School Program For At Risk Adolescent Girls In Yonkers, New York, Sarah Zichi May 2015

Dance/Movement Therapy At An After School Program For At Risk Adolescent Girls In Yonkers, New York, Sarah Zichi

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This thesis examines how the addition of dance/movement therapy affected the participants of an afterschool program hosted by The Mary J. Blige Center for Women and Girls in Yonkers, New York. A brief history of the city of Yonkers, focusing on the impact of political changes on the socioeconomic divide, is provided, as is a discussion of Mary J. Blige’s experiences growing up in this urban environment and her decision to open a center for women and children. Through a review of the literature, the effectiveness of afterschool programs in teaching adolescents life skills, building positive and trusting relationships, increasing …


Piecing The Puzzle Together With The Use Of Physical Therapy, Mikayla Pruitt Apr 2015

Piecing The Puzzle Together With The Use Of Physical Therapy, Mikayla Pruitt

Honors Projects

For my Honors Project I decided to create a set of exercise cards for children with autism. The front of each card had a picture symbolizing the exercise/activity, and on the back included directions, supplies and tips to complete the activity. The following is a selection of a few exercise cards from each of the four exercise sections, as well as the title card, table of contents cards, information cards, and source cards.