I think I was born to dance. I’m not a professional dancer and I don’t take dance lessons, but there is just something about dancing that gets me really excited. There is nothing better than busting out some moves to a really groovy song.  Not only is it fun, it can also make you feel better if you’re sad, angry, disappointed or even stressed. Unfortunately, dance is often something that does not cross people’s minds when they are feeling down but to a very select group of people, using dance for therapeutic benefits is their career.   You may not be aware of it, but dancing IS used in therapy and it’s referred to asDance Movement Therapy (DMT).   Dance therapy makes use of movement and dance, on a psychotherapeutic level, to treat emotional, cognitive, social, behavioral and physical problems.

Principles

DMT essentially revolves around the idea that the body and mind constantly interact and have an effect on one another. It helps patients understand that we often use cues from our bodily responses to determine our emotions. Through the use of movement, people who undergo DMT begin to become more aware of their body and what different emotions physically feel like within the body. Here is a list of the basic theories underlying DMT:

  • Body and mind interact, so that a change in movement will affect total functioning. For example, people may not notice it but slouching has a different effect on your emotions to having good posture. Simply by changing your posture, you can feel more confident and satisfied with yourself.
  • Movement reflects personality.
  • Movement contains a symbolic function and as such can be evidence of unconscious process.
  • Movement improvisation allows the client to experiment with new ways of being and expressing.
  • Dance therapy concentrates on body, mind, and spirit as a whole, uniting it with the aim of providing a sense of wholeness to a person.
  • Concerned with genuine, creative movement, as opposed to strict defined forms of dance.

Stages

There are 4 stages involved in DMT. Stage 1: Preparation/Warm up Safety is established. Stretches and preparing the body for dance. Stage 2: Incubation This is the relaxed stage, in which a person lets go of their conscious control and their movements become symbolic of their current state/thoughts in their head. Stage 3: Illumination In this stage, the meanings associated with their movement become evident. Stage 4: Evaluation In the last stage, the significance of the whole process is discussed with the person undergoing it, after which the therapy comes to an end.

Benefits

Dance therapy helps people to rediscover themselves, thus achieving greater self-awareness and a sense of well-being. People can find their true inner self through authentic movement. They learn to love themselves and thus learn to love others. Here is an informative video produced by PsychologyinSeattle.com that has interviews with Dance therapists, and gives insight into what goes on during the sessions.

One question that would be on everyone’s minds (mostly just the Psychologists), is does it actually work? Is there any scientific research that has been conducted to show that it’s more effective than other therapies?

It’s a hard topic to find research on but there are various studies that have been conducted on DMT. Here’s a summary of what has been found so far (I will attach references at the end of the article if you want to read any further):

  • Objective and self-perceived improvements have also been found to patients’ mood, body image, and self-esteem (Dibbell-Hope, 2000). Participants indicated that they have increased sense of hope, ease, strength and social support, while negative mood and worry about future was decreased.

The majority of the research suggests that DMT has a beneficial effect on cancer patients, yet there is very little or no research suggesting that DMT has an effect on patients with mental illness. In terms of helping people with depression, anxiety or personality disorders there is no supporting research. Yet, in my opinion it appears to be a promising creative therapy. While it may be hard for a lot of people to accept it, psychologists should constantly be turning to alternative sources of therapy, such as DMT, to keep their patients engaged. But we must remember that it is a Psychologist’s responsibility to provide patients with the most effective way to improve their condition and without the research to support a therapy’s effectiveness on a population of people, it will most likely be ignored by most professionals.

Aside from research and supporting evidence, it is fun to talk about different ways to make yourself feel better, and dancing is definitely on my list.  While professionals currently don’t use the technique, that’s not a reason to rule it out of your own routines. Because after all, what matters in life is what makes YOU happy (not what the research of the general population tells you), and the only way you will find that out is by giving it a go. So next time you are feeling down; turn up the music, bust some moves and see if your mood is improved.

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