Dance or Movement?

The weeks are progressing and the readings are still captivating. There have been many interesting discussions and readings, however I would like to share this particular one. It started off with a discussion around what is dance? What is movement? What is therapy? Finally, what is dance/movement therapy?

It was interesting to see how my classmates and I defined each individual word and how the definition changed when all three words were placed together. I had never thought of how I defined the individuals words and how I related those definitions with the term dance/movement therapy. I recommend experimenting with this yourself if you have a few extra minutes to see how your definitions shape how you define dance/movement therapy.

The final piece of this I just finished exploring in a reading. Bruno (1990) takes us through the journey of how dance has come and gone in the field of dance/movement therapy. We explored the history of the field and whether or not dance/movement therapy should be the term used. Should dance be in it? Should therapy be in it? I had to think about this piece last year when at an internship the group challenged the title of being a dance/movement therapy group because "we were not dancing". I think this relates back to how one defines what dancing is. I would argue that the group was dancing. However, to them they were just moving because "we don't know how to dance".

I think that being a part of this field requires us as professionals, students and companions to question the terms used and examine why people have such a difficult time with some terms. We must find that balance of staying true to the field, ourselves and our clients.