Musings of a Dance/Movement Therapist

DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY AND TRANSDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO WELLNESS

NEADTA Annual Spring Conference Co-Sponsored by Lesley University

April 17, 2010  3rd floor, University Hall  Lesley University
1815 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA

2010 KEYNOTE SPEAKER - Suzi Tortora, EdD, BC-DMT, LCAT, LMHC

The Importance of Nonverbal Communication in the Development of Young Children

This presentation will discuss the important role nonverbal signs and signals play in a young child’s
development, providing a comprehensive review of the growing interest in the infant’s experiences that

occur outside of verbal conscious awareness. Presented from a developmental and attachment perspective, the important role qualitative aspects of nonverbal expression and the nonverbal exchange in the development of significant relationships will be highlighted.

Suzi Tortora, EdD, BC-DMT, LCAT, LMHC, has a private dance/movement therapy practice in New York City and the Hudson Valley region of New York; teaches creative dance; and has developed dance therapy

programs for medically ill children, autistic children and parent/infant non verbal video analysis. She trains allied professionals and lectures, internationally and nationally. Suzi has been featured on “Good Morning America” and “Eyewitness News” ABC-TV; “Women’s Day” and “New Yorker” magazines; and has published papers and a book, The Dancing Dialogue, about her DMT method.

ABOUT THE NEADTA

The NEADTA is the New England membership chapter for the American Dance Therapy Association.
It serves the six New England states of: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
and Massachusetts. It serves its members through a newsletter, a website, annual spring conference, and various events to promote professional development and connection to the field of Dance/Movement
Therapy and Mental Health. The NEADTA supports students at Antioch University New England and
Lesley University. Students are encouraged to attend the ADTA national conference through the creation
of the NEADTA/ Penny Lewis Student Scholarship Fund and have opportunities for Board representation
and free NEADTA spring conference admission by volunteering. For more information please email:

neadta@gmail.com

LESLEY UNIVERSITY
Expressive Therapies: Dance Therapy with a Specialization in Mental Health Counseling
Offered on Lesley University’s vibrant Cambridge campus attracting both national and international
students, this 60 credit Master of Arts in Expressive Therapy: Dance Therapy with a Specialization in
Mental Health Counseling trains students in the psychotherapeutic use of dance and movement in

furthering the emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual integration of the individual. Dance/movement is the primary medium used for observation, assessment, research, therapeutic interaction and intervention.

Program Philosophy
The Dance Therapy Specialization encourages students to become critical thinkers and creative,

reflective, mindful practitioners; yet it also holds that effective DMTs are instruments of therapeutic and social change. Direct supervised contact with clients from a range of populations is required. Sites include hospitals, mental health centers, geriatric centers, schools, clinics, etc. The Lesley program:

• Approved by the American Dance Therapy Association
• Qualifies graduates for R-DMT credential upon graduation
• Fulfills course requirements for LMHC licensure

To learn more about the M.A.in Dance Therapy with a Specialization in Mental Health Counseling, contact

Nancy Beardall, beardall@lesley.edu

Schedule of Events
8:30am-9:00am - Check –in
9:00am-9:15am - Welcome
9:15am-10:15am - Keynote: Suzi Tortora, Ed.D, BC-DMT, CMA, LCAT, LMHC
10:15am-10:30am - Break
10:30am-12:00pm - Workshop 1 - Morning (3 choices)
12:00pm-1:30pm - Lunch with the NEADTA Board
1:30pm-3:00pm - Workshop 2 –Afternoon (4 choices)
3:00pm -3:15pm - Break
3:15pm-4:45pm - Workshop 3 – Late Afternoon (4 choices)
4:45pm-5:00pm - Mingle and Networking
5:00pm-5:45pm - Movement Closing

Morning Workshops- 10:30-12pm

M1- The Life, Work and Legacy of Norma Canner

Panel guest of Honor: Norma Canner
Presenters: Nancy Beardall, Ph.D, LMHC, CMA, BC-DMT; Ian Brownell; Webb Wilcoxen; Nancy Jo Cardillo, BC-DMT, LMHC and Priscilla Harmel, BC-DMT

This workshop celebrates the life, work and legacy of Norma Canner as well as the vibrant dance therapy community that is present at Lesley to this day. The values instilled 35 years ago with the launching of the Expressive Therapies: Dance Therapy program continues to be communicated to students by the dance therapy faculty and by the students’ recognition of Lesley’s own dance therapy “pioneer” Norma Canner. Our guest of honor will be Norma Canner who will speak and answer questions. Other panelists include former students and the Co-Directors of A Time to Dance. Stories will be shared by the panelists and sections of A Time to Dance will be viewed.

M2- Body-Mind Practices Integrated into Suboxone Treatment for Opiate Dependence

Presenters: Dr. Herb Meyer and Mary Yost, MA, MLDAC, BC-DMT

This workshop introduces participants to a model of treatment used for seven years in an opiate dependency treatment program. Presenters explain the opportunities available for therapists interested in expanding their own skills into the use of suboxone medicine and its role in addictions. Presenters will demonstrate how to integrate Dance/Movement therapy techniques into group and 1:1 treatment through case studies and a movement experience.

M3- Healing and Wellness in Cuban Popular Dance

Presenter: Amanda Gill

This workshop will include video, lecture and an experiential to introduce participants to the context and elements of Rueda de Casino (Cuban Salsa in a circle). In this workshop we will explore the following questions: How do Cubans and non-Cubans view their wellness while dancing Rueda de Casino? How does Rueda de Casino reflect healing principles recognized in DMT? How do we feel dancing Rueda de Casino?

Afternoon Workshops- 1:30-3pm

A1- Developmental Wellness for Children: A KMP Approach

Presenters: Susan Loman, MA, BC-DMT, NCC; Melanie Johnson; Nicole Cellini and Elizabeth Hallett

Antioch students and faculty will present a KMP model for wellness in children, families and their communities. This discussion/experiential workshop draws from the collaboration of the presenters' application of the KMP that culminated in a published article in the ADTA Journal. Each presenter will share a vignette of their work applying the KMP with a child with autism, an infant and a family with a three-year-old daughter and offer related experiential exercises.

A2- Exploring the Therapeutic Applications of Caroline Myss' Archetypes of Survival through Expressive Arts Therapies

Presenter: Cathy Lebeaux, MA, LCMHC, BC-DMT, NCC

This workshop will explore Caroline Myss’ four Archetypes of Survival, the Saboteur, Victim, Prostitute and Child, in relation to our work with clients. We will look at issues like trauma, relationships, and stuckness, and the lessons these archetypes have to teach us. Expressive arts therapies will be used to deepen the process. This workshop will include experiential exercises, lecture, and group discussion.

A3- Encouraging the Body to be Present in Therapy: Creating Space that Invites Movement

Presenter: Claire LeMessurier, LCMHC, BC-DMT

The presenter will share how she designed and set up her Dance/Movement Therapy private practice to help clients connect with their bodies and express themselves through movement. Choices made in designing the therapeutic space will be explored. The presenter will share clinical vignettes to demonstrate ways in which clients use the space.

A4- From Sitting to Moving: Introducing and Developing Dance/Movement in Therapy

Presenter: Annabelle F. Coote, MA, BC-DMT, LMHC, CADAC, NCC

In this workshop, we will explore ways to effectively introduce and develop creative arts and dance/movement in our work with clients, particularly those who are reluctant or intimidated by these modalities. We will emphasize the importance of recognizing, respecting and working with resistance while using our own curiosity and creativity to facilitate the therapeutic work. Individual clients will be the primary focus, but we will also consider approaches to groups. This workshop will include discussion, experiential activity, didactic presentation and case material.

Late Afternoon Workshops- 3:15-4:45pm

L1- Movement and Mindfulness: Yoga as Movement Therapy

Presenter: Emma Barton, MA, R-DMT, E-RYT500

This workshop will explore the use of Yoga in clinical therapeutic work, specifically focusing on substance abuse treatment and dual-diagnosis. Based upon Movement and Mindfulness, a yoga and Dance/Movement therapy program that was designed and implemented for use in the behavioral health field, the facilitator will offer suggestions for Dance/Movement therapists interested in incorporating yoga into their clinical work. Additionally, movement experiences combined with in-depth exposure to the traditional elements of yoga and Eastern concepts of Mindfulness.

L2- A Dance/Movement Therapy Intervention Following Taiwan Typhoons

Presenters: Dicki Johnson Macy, M.Ed, LMHC, BC-DMT and Valerie Blanc, MA, LMHC, BC-DMT

The presenters bring to conference participants the opportunity to learn the DMT psychosocial intervention used to train 35 Asian Dance/Movement Therapists in Taipei following the devastating typhoons in Taiwan. This highly structured and phase oriented intervention combines ritual circles, integrated sound and movement, personal and group storytelling, psychodrama warm ups, art therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and Dance/Movement therapy. This program has been successfully implemented throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Workshop participants will learn about the intervention through didactic and experiential material, including live footage.

L3- Reconnect to the Joy of Dance

Presenter: Linalynn Schmelzer, BFA, MA, R-DMT

Reconnect to the experience of movement as a joyful way to connect to self and others. This workshop will focus on reuniting participants with dance in Dance/Movement therapy. Participants will refuel through the healing and wisdom that comes from moving together. The workshop will consist of the presenter leading a movement warm up, the development of group choreography and conclude with a movement cool down followed by a group discussion on the workshop experience.

L4- Laban and Drama

Presenters: Sandra Sneiderman and Britta Koetting

Learn to attune to your body’s movement preferences through the use of Laban efforts and drama. Using movement to attune to your body and explore the space, participants will develop their kinesthetic awareness. Participants will be introduced to the Laban efforts to discover how play and drama can expand movement and provide an outlet for creativity. Workshop participants will apply a range of Laban efforts to develop and interact as different characters, and explore how movement impacts communication and relationships.

Presenter Bios:

Amanda Gill is currently a Dance/Movement Therapy student at Lesley University with a specialization in the Mental Health Counseling MA program.

Annabelle Coote, MA, BC-DMT, LMHC, CADAC, NCC is a Senior Staff Psychotherapist, whom currently works with college students at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Barrington, MA.

Britta Koetting is currently a Dance Therapy Student at Lesley University with a specialization in the Mental Health Counseling MA program.

Cathy Lebeaux, MA, LCMHC, BC-DMT, NCC currently runs her private practice at the Psychotherapy and Expressive Arts Center, LLC in Keene, NH. She is the current NEADTA President.

Claire LeMessurier, LCMHC, BC-DMT is currently self-employed as a Dance/Movement Therapist and is an Adjunct Faculty at Antioch University New England. Claire works with children, adolescents and adults in her newly opened private practice.

Dicki Johnson Macy, M.Ed, LMHC, BC-DMT is the Director of the Boston Children’s Foundation. Dicki works with children aged 3-11 years whom have been exposed to war and natural disasters.

Elizabeth Hallett is currently a Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling student at Antioch University New England.

Emma Barton, MA, R-DMT, E-RYT500 is a mental health clinician with Habit OPCO. Emma currently works in the area substance abuse (MISA)

Dr. Herb Meyer is in private practice at the Dr. Herb Meyer Family Practice in Danville, NH. Dr. Meyer attended medical school at the University of New England College and is affiliated with Anna Jacques’ Hospital and Lawrence General Hospital.

Ian Brownell is the producer of the film A Time to Dance, based on the life and work of Norma Canner. Ian is an independent producer of film, video and theater in the Boston area.

Linalynn Schmelzer, BFA, MA, R-DMT graduated from Pratt Institute in 2009. Linalynn is currently working with children and seniors.

Mary Yost, MA, MLDAC, BC-DMT has her MA in Dance/Movement therapy from Antioch University New England. She currently works in three health practices with a focus on addictions medicine.

Melanie Johnson is a Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling student at Antioch University New England. Melanie is currently doing her internship at a psychiatric hospital.

Nancy Beardall, Ph.D, LMHC, CMA, BC-DMT is the Dance Therapy Coordinator at Lesley University. She is a Certified Movement Analyst and educator. Nancy’s work has focused on dance, dance/movement therapy and social/emotional development in the public schools.

Nancy Jo Cardillo BC-DMT, LMHC is on the faculty at Lesley University teaching in the DMT program and also in the undergraduate Expression Therapies Program. Nancy has worked with DMT and children over the years and is currently a doctoral student at Lesley.

Nicole Cellini is currently a Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling student at Antioch University New England.

Norma Canner BC-DMT, Professor Emerita, Lesley University is an early DMT pioneer and on the original faculty of the Expressive Therapies program at Lesley University in Dance Therapy. Norma has shared her work nationally and internationally. Her book And A Time to Dance describes her Dance/Movement Therapy work with children. The film A Time to Dance is a documentary of Norma’s life and work in DMT.

Priscilla Harmel, BC-DMT is on the national faculty of Creative Arts and Learning at Lesley University. Priscilla facilitates the SEED group for Lesley faculty across the University and is also an artist for VSA Arts of Massachusetts.

Sandra Sneiderman is currently a Dance Therapy student at Lesley University with a specialization in the Mental Health Counseling MA program.

Susan Loman, MA, BC-DMT, NCC is the Director Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling Program at Antioch University New England. Susan specializes in work with infants, toddlers and caregivers utilizing the Kestenberg Movement Profile (KMP).

Valerie Blanc, MA, LMHC, BC-DMT works at the Boston Children’s Foundation with children aged 3-11 years, whom have been exposed to war and natural disasters.

Webb Wilcoxen is the Co-Director of A Time to Dance and a playwright currently living in Northhampton, MA.

To register, fill out registration.

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED and can not be accepted on the day of the conference.

Fondly do we hope, fervently to we pray

Bill Moyers interview Bill T. Jones on Journal.

Moyers: Of all that was done this year to remember Lincoln, the most imaginative, daring and provocative . . .  is the extraordinary piece of dance and theater created by the choreographer Bill T. Jones.

Jones: Lincoln is a spirit, a way of being.

Jones presents Lincoln through his bio, his wife's, and the story of contemporary people through dance, and in this interview, through language. What an amazingly articulate man!

Dance Therapy Supervision in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Saturday Supervision Series:

                                                       

Dance Therapy
with Donna Newman-Bluestein,
BC-DMT, LMHC

Saturdays, March 13th, April 3rd, and May 8th
from 12:00-4:00pm
Lesley University, University Hall, Room 4-009
1815 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA

COST: $225 ($175 for Lesley students, alumni, and faculty)

**12 LMHC Continuing Education hours are available at no additional cost**

This supervision class will provide practicing dance movement therapists with the opportunity to receive BC-DMT group supervision. Each participant will come prepared with questions about specific cases or issues, which the group will then focus on. Topics will include applying dance/movement therapy techniques to address clinical issues and group dynamics, clinical writing, and addressing the
professional identity and role of the dance/movement therapist. The class will be offered in three 4-hour sessions with approximately eight people in a class.

Donna Newman-Bluestein has been working as a dance/movement therapist and counselor since 1978 with people of all ages from 3 to 106 with a wide range of special needs including mental illness, chronic pain, coronary artery disease and dementia. She teaches clinical supervision for dance therapy students at Lesley University, supervises practicing dance therapists, leads groups for elders and people with dementia, and provides training in nonverbal communication.

To register, please contact Kate at 617.349.8320 or
kfrothin@lesley.edu. For more information, please visit
www.lesley.edu/ce/ls/policies

RUDOLF LABAN: NEW FACETS OF HIS LIFE AND WORK

Motus Humanus and Columbia College Chicago will be co-sponsoring an advanced seminar

May 22-23, 2010

Columbia College Chicago

This event will include presentations by four international scholars, Evelyn Doerr, Vera Maletic, Carol-Lynne Moore and Jeffrey Longstaff.  Lectures, practical sessions, and discussions, will provide participants the opportunity to explore new Laban-based scholarship and possibilities for application.

These images are thanks to Grace Ho, exploring Laban concepts with the Octaband.
 
 

Introduction to Dance/Movement Therapy Workshop ~ Carrollton, TX

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Introduction to Dance/Movement Therapy Workshop

Sponsored by the Texas Chapter of the American Dance Therapy Association

This free 2 hour workshop conducted by board-certified dance/movement therapists through the American Dance Therapy Association will help one explore basic concepts of dance/movement therapy through a movement experiential, discussion opportunities, and a question and answer time. Handouts and snacks will be provided. Prospective students and those interested in the field are strongly encouraged to attend.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

*2:00 – 4:00 pm

Rosemeade Recreation Center

1330 East Rosemeade Parkway
Carrollton, TX 75007-2819

(972) 466-9800- Phone Number for Directions

RSVP by April 9th: Suzy Rossol Matheson, MA, BC-DMT, NCC at:

 srossol@hotmail.com or 214-701-5491

(Space is limited so make your reservation ASAP)

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1st International Conference on Pediatric Psychological Trauma in Infants & Young Children

1st International Conference

Pediatric Psychological Trauma
in Infants and Young Children
from Illness, Injury and Medical Intervention

February 27 and February 28, 2010
Davidson Conference Center
University of Southern California

Dance movement therapist Dr. Suzi Tortora will be presenting

How Young Children Communicate Distress Nonverbally: a Developmental Perspective

This presentation will discuss the nonverbal signs and signals the young child uses to communicate distress. The important role qualitative aspects of nonverbal expression and the nonverbal exchange will be highlighted. A nonverbal nomenclature that can be used across disciplines to support the assessment and treatment of the mental health needs of young children affected by medical illness will be discussed. This method supports both the child and family to manage the multiple stress factors of medical illness in the young child.

Dr. Tortora has over 25 years experience working as a dance/movement psychotherapist with infants, young children and their families. Dr. Tortora provides training programs nationally and internationally including at the Zero to Three National Training Institute and the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH), and has been featured on NPR radio; Good Morning America, ABC-TV; Eyewitness News WABC-TV; Woman’s Day Magazine and the New Yorker magazine. She is on the faculty of the postgraduate Institute for Infants, Children & Families of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, the graduate dance therapy Faculty of Pratt Institute, and The New School. Dr. Tortora recently published a book titled The Dancing Dialogue: Using the communicative power of movement with young children.

This is one among many presentations which will be offered along with other such notables as Dr. Allan Schore of affect regulation fame. "His groundbreaking integration of neuroscience with attachment theory has lead to his description as 'the American Bowlby' and with psychoanalysis as 'the world's leading expert in neuropsychoanalysis.'"

The conference will also be webcast in NYC at Hunter College.

 

The Dementia Caregiver's Toolbox

Susan E. Lanza is a nursing home administrator who has created Nurturing Nuggets®, a line of products for health care professionals and caregivers that will provide education, recognition and comfort. The mission Nurturing Nuggets® is to:

• Serve the specific needs of health care professionals and caregivers; whether in a home setting or facility
• Contribute from product sales directly to organizations that support dementia efforts such as the Alzheimer's Association or Sigma Theta Tau - International Society of Nursing.

Find out more about the Dementia Caregiver's Toolbox.

Dancing is SO-O-O-O Joyous!!!

Watch as Ryan Seacrest and his mom Connie sit down to eat lunch in Santa Monica, CA when they're ambushed by a flash mob of dancing couples! Love is in the air!  

Flash Mob Ambushes Ryan Seacrest and His Mom!!!

Michael Franti, FrantiV: Hey World (Haiti Version)

Conscious Dancer Magazine, to which I subscribe, sends out a monthly Movement Menu eZine with words and images of inspiration. I just received the link to their video pick, Michael Franti, FrantiV: Hey World (Haiti Version) which is both heart-breaking and inspiring.

Dance/movement therapist Amber Elizabeth Gray has responded to the devastation in Haiti by providing "temporary stabilization. Basic, practical psychological first aid, and tending to practical needs as best I can. An entire nation that does not feel safe...maybe those in the farther provinces do, in terms of earth shifts..."

To see what Gray is doing to help Haiti now, see Trauma Resources International.  

This image was of Gray working with children in Haiti prior to the earthquake.

Deborah Gould interviewed Amber Gray on Dance Movement Therapy and Social Engagement,  "Movement is a way of organising experience and a way of facilitating healing in traumatised individuals and communities.  Amber Gray is a dance/movement therapist, working with the ways that trauma invades the body and our capacity to move in our worlds.

[+] read more

Her methods include drumming, ritual and dance-movement therapy. She refers to her framework as The Centre Post Framework – bringing people towards their centres physically, spiritually, culturally. The clinical application of this work is known as Restorative Movement Psychotherapy.

As an interesting extension, Amber is in Australia presenting her work alongside that of two neuroscientists – Dr Steven Porges and Dr Sue Carter. These eminent researchers/practitioners regard their work as being congruent and they present with an almost seamless approach between them.
 

 

New Ways to Use the Octaband for Varied Populations

Rena Kornblum's dance/movement therapy class in fall 2009 at University of Wisconsin, Madison had an assignment to explore the use of props, coming up with ways to use them, goals and potential populations they would be good for. They came up with many wonderful ideas for how to use the Octaband, including some I never thought of. Download OCTABAND ideas from rena k

Photo is courtesy of Suzy Rossol Matheson

Movement Expressions

Carrollton, TX