Exploring What Dance/Movement Therapy Is
In graduate school we were asked to come up with an “elevator speech” about what Dance/Movement Therapy is. An elevator speech is a brief description of what something is, hypothetically short enough to be shared between the floors of an elevator for when someone asked “So what do you do?” Our professors challenged us with this assignment because they were preparing us for many questions about “What Is Dance/Movement Therapy? So you teach dance classes right?”
Well, Dance/Movement Therapy is deeper than that. For starters, my “elevator speech” typically starts with Dance/Movement Therapy is about connecting our bodies and brains to support whole and holistic healing, and not about technique, rarely about performance, choreography or a specified dance practice such as ballet or modern. Okay, but in real speech, what does that mean? Let’s dig deeper.
Our bodies move constantly—whether or not we are aware of this. Our blood is moving through our veins, our hearts beat, our lungs expand and deflate with our breath. The neurons in our brains are transmitting information that tells our bodies to either contract its muscles in fear, or release our muscles in laughter and relaxation. Our nervous system transmits between our brain and bodies, creating body responses that dictate how we cope with stress, pleasure, uncertainty and hope. Our environments are constantly interacting with our bodies, and our bodies always respond with movement. This, is essentially the “movement” aspect of “Dance/Movement Therapy.” We are all moving, and so moving with our emotions makes sense as we try to work through places in which our emotions and feelings have gotten “stuck.”
So often people get caught on the idea of the “Dance” in Dance/Movement Therapy, and this can frequently create a reluctance and avoidance of trying out this beautifully healing therapeutic modality. I see the idea of Dance as a reminder of cultural and global history. Dance has historically been a part of culture as a way for people to connect, form friendships, socialize outside of daily stressors and create community to decrease isolation. While dance, specifically community dance, has been lost in our ever evolving and fast moving society, the social considerations are still present. Have you ever watched dancing in a movie and found yourself smiling? Or watched a small child dance to music around the house and wiggled with them? Dance doesn’t require words to create connections.
This brings us to the last consideration of the value of Dance/Movement Therapy. Humans are mammals. While those of us who are pet owners can differentiate our pets meow or barks between “feed me now” and “I’ve missed you all day” sounds, mammals for the most part rely on non-verbal communication. My cat will show her spicy attitude through flicker her tail when she wants space. She will rub against my legs and flop down when she wants a belly rub. And you know what? I’m able to identify her language just through her body. No words required. Dance is similar in this means. Dance non-verbally allows us to use our brains at a mammalian level, rather than trying to outthink ourselves time and time again, spinning our wheels until we are stressed, anxious and depressed. Dance and Movement allows us to express ourselves and be understood in ways that words can’t always express.
