Creating a dialogue between dance therapy and dance anthropology : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

Abstract

Dance therapy has its roots in modern dance and evolved into a creative art therapy that is active in the world today. It incorporates movement into the dialogue between client and therapist. Our project started as a way for us to explore movement as a healing force in the lives of people in a variety of cultures. Driven by our personal dance experiences, we looked for common themes found in both formalized dance therapy theories and psychological healing customs involving movement, recorded by various ethnographers. We did not initially consider many of the obstacles we encountered, but incorporating all these potential issues enriched our research. It helped in our attempts to create a dialogue for discussing the therapeutic use of movement cross-culturally. Our purpose here is to showcase the possible universal healing qualities of movement.