Sharon Chaiklin, in an obituary for dance/movement therapist Arlynne Stark, co-founder of the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA), describes the work they did, "Our work covered the spectrum of all human needs because we live in our bodies. . . We worked with those who had mental health problems, were drug-addicted or had physical problems. And they ranged from children to the elderly. It was a total experience."
Some quotations of Stark's in the article:
"The body reflects personality, so I use movement to identify a person's feelings," said Ms. Stark, who said she welcomed the challenge of working with patients who had severe emotional problems.
"I'm successful with them," she told The Sun in 1978. "And I never know how they're going to be. I get to act out their fantasies with them. They make me a part of their world."
Ms. Stark began her group sessions by taking note of how patients sat in the room and how near they were to fellow patients. She picked up on their eye contact."
Ms. Stark was a certified movement analyst (CMA), who did her final certification project on dance/movement therapy with people with dementia.
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