"Chaotic brain activity diminishes as a song holds their attention. It pulls everything together so the person is fully whole, centered in the moment, enabling the person to be more themselves" according to music therapist Dr. Connie Tomaino. (From Advancing Care, Vol. 1, No. 4, Oct/Nov. 2011 put out by NY City Chapter ofAlzherimer's Association.)
I have found the same to be true for the hour of the dance movement therapy services I provide in Assisted Livings, long term care facilities and Senior Centers where I go in as an entertainer. In my experience, the music begins the process which I then expand and extend through consciously focusing and mediating the energy within the group. It may appear easy to the onlooker; there are some who think it is my great choice and selection of music alone which creates the cohesion.
While the music is indeed transformative, the 100's of interactions that I consciously engage in with each individual during the course of a single hour reinforce the cohesion, based on my imagery of wholeness. The words heal and health come from a Germanic/old English word for whole. Similarly, integrate comes from a Latin source meaning intact, whole.
According to the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) "Dance/movement therapy (DMT) uses movement to 'further the emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration of the individual.'"
My 35 years of working as a dance/movement therapist have focused me personally as well as professionally on continued integration. It is for that reason that I continue to dance and perform with Back Pocket Dancers, teach at Lesley University, practice as a dance/movement therapist. You can subscribe to my monthly newsletter here.
For those who are looking for additional resources, there are always several interesting posts here. This month's include:
- Foundation for Community Dance, People Dancing, Dancing People, International Event 2014
- Shape helps arts organisations better understand disabled people as audiences the barriers they may face and how they access the sector.
- Arts and Older People: effective partnerships and collaborations, one-day conference in UK in November 2013
- Would love to be able to attend this one: Beyond the body: Psychological tools for performance enhancement and well-being in dance, November 29, 2013, organised by the Royal Society of Medicine and Dance UK.
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