What is dance/movement therapy?

Dance/movement therapy, according to the American Dance Therapy Association, is the psychotherapeutic use of movement to further the emotional, cognitive, physical, social, and spiritual integration of the individual. Dance/movement therapy supports that mind, body, and spirit are connected and that individuals should be treated in such a way that supports integration of these three entities. Dance/movement therapy operates on the premise that our life experiences are held in the body, and that through the use of movement, memories and emotions can be recalled and re-experienced despite cognitive, psychological, or physical impairment.

Dance/Movement Therapy with Older Adults

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) with the Older Adult is conducted in senior centers, adult day care programs, assisted living residences, skilled nursing facilities and in mental health settings. DMT is easily adapted for older adults across the spectrum of physical and cognitive ability. Dance/movement therapy groups foster an atmosphere of physical and psychological safety in which the elderly can maintain a sense of self-worth and a measure of revitalization. DMT groups also directly counter the isolation many elderly experience by fostering a feeling of belonging and providing a greatly needed forum for social interaction, mutual support and exchange. Stories and memories are shared with accompanying gestures and are made into poetry, songs, and dances. Free association is encouraged while the therapist maintains a cohesive group rhythm. Individual’s capacities and incapacities are explored and accompanying feelings are expressed. Mourning, frustrations, joy and laughter can be ritualized in group movement, allowing for emotional release and group bonding. DMT provides what research supports as being essential in warding off mental decline in the older adult: physical activity and cognitive and social stimulation. As a mind/body approach to mental health, DMT uniquely addresses the physical, cognitive, social and emotional needs of the older adult by providing a safe, supportive environment for all to express their feelings and share life experience through movement.

Dance/Movement Therapy with Individuals with Dementia

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) uniquely addresses the needs of adults with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by relying on movement and other nonverbal behavior as the primary means of communicating and connecting. Interacting in this manner de-emphasizes verbal language skills and cognitive deficits and allows persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias to participate in the group from a place of ability, rather than disability. Group movement, no matter how limited, releases a feeling of energetic activity and a pleasurable sense of the here-and-now. The rhythmic, repetitive movement facilitated by a dance/movement therapist helps foster perceptual and cognitive organization, providing a structure in time and space for the safe expression of feelings. The motor action often sparks memories from the past, which in turn helps confused individuals become more alert and organized. The therapist encourages this ongoing reminiscing process and the expression of accompanying feelings, verbally and non-verbally. Disease that impairs memory also affects self-image and esteem; persons with dementia often become depressed and frustrated by their decreased abilities. Ritualized group movements expressing mourning, frustration, and anger, in addition to joy and laughter, allow for the release of these emotions and group bonding, fostering an atmosphere in which the elderly can regain a sense of self-worth and revitalization. DMT groups with adults with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are facilitated in skilled nursing facilities, adult day care programs, assisted living residences and psychiatric hospitals. A D T A “The motor action often sparks memories from the past, which in turn helps confused individuals become more alert and organized.” Dance /Movement Therapy & Alzheimer’s Disease

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