What is Dance Therapy? Dance Therapy, as defined by the American Dance Therapy Association, is the “psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration of the individual.”
A Brief History. Dance Therapy was not known or practiced until around the 1960s, and has been used for all people, even those with no dance experience since then.
Why Dance Therapy? Dance is a wonderful tool to connect the mind and body to each other, and allows for the steady flow of healthy and beneficial hormones like dopamine. It is an immense mood booster and able to be used in environments of rehabilitation!
Dance Therapy Practices. There are numerous different ways to practice dance therapy, but some common techniques include movement mirroring practices, embodying different characters, grounding techniques, natural improv, and more!
There are so many wonderful ways to utilize dance training, and dance therapy is a perfect example! These practices display the incredible benefits movement can have on everyone, regardless of their relationship with dance.
Written by: Scarlett Pigeaud