Dance therapy is a creative tool utilised to support those with mental health problems. It requires no 'pre learning', no verbal communication and freedom to move in anyway the client wishes to.
As with all creative therapies there are many mediums of dance that can be explored. For example we would personally create our own dances at home in contemporary or lyrical style but you could explore others such as ballet, hip hop, latin and more!
Wikipedia state that 'Dance/movement therapy in the USA/ Australia or dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) in the UK is the psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance to support intellectual, emotional, and motor functions of the body. As a form of expressive therapy, DMT looks at the correlation between movement and emotion. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_therapy)
An experienced therapist will easily manage to pick up on movement patterns that the client makes and interpret how the client is feeling. They can also channel the client by showing some basic moves of the dance genre and then allowing the participant to create their own movement style as they gain the confidence and freedom to express themselves.
British Gymnastics and the English National Ballet are producing and delivering programmes to patients with Dementia as a way to support them and help them to move gently, following a pattern of basic gymnastics and dance moves that bring fun and movement. This can aid the patient to become more mobile, less stressed and give them some joy in completing simple movement patterns to allow them some respite from their disease, immersed in movement and therefore some happiness.
These innovative programmes have the potential to reach out beyond the Dementia patients and support other conditions in the future.
The Dance Movement Psychotherapy summarises Dance Movement brilliantly as;
'body movement as an implicit and expressive instrument of communication and expression. DMP is a relational process in which client/s and therapist engage in an empathic creative process using body movement and dance to assist integration of emotional, cognitive, physical, social and spiritual aspects of self. DMP is practiced as individual and group therapy in settings such as health, education, social services and in private practice'.
We truly believe that this form of creative therapy is a very powerful tool in supporting those with mental health problems and see so much more potential for people to regain control of their health and well being. Those with long term medical conditions and varying levels of disability could also expect to see significant improvements by ensuring mental and physical health can become balanced.
A good place to start is https://admp.org.uk where you will find everything you need to know about the therapy itself and registered practitionars.
However, this is a therapy that can be tapped into from home using your own creativity and enthusiasm for Dance. Good luck and as always let us know how you get on!
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