Dance/Movement Therapy: An Introduction and An Invitation

This course provides a survey of the field of dance/movement therapy (DMT), including an introduction to the early developers of the profession, the historical context within the United States that lead to the development of the profession and the ADTA, and contemporary applications of DMT in today’s global world. The approach to teaching is embodied, self-reflective, and relational, offering an invitation for students to learn in ways that embed both the theory and the practice of DMT into the present moment lived experience. Early DMT developers will be acknowledged, and explored in an experiential manner recognizing psychological and movement/dance backgrounds. The historical situatedness of the profession of dance/movement therapy will be examined, while acknowledging the broader global context in which the use of dance and movement has been used across generations and cultures. By exploring the contemporary applications of DMT in the fields of psychology, wellness, rehabilitation, education, and childhood development, this course highlights the unique healing processes of DMT, in relationship to other mind/body approaches and to the creative arts therapies. In the end, this course will equip students to develop a working definition of DMT for themselves within historical, cultural, and personal contexts.