ABSTRACT
Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) utilizes body movement as the medium for personal change. However, the movements used in DMT are very different from those used in physical exercises like running, mind-body exercises like tai chi or yoga, somatic practices like the Alexander technique, or even in dance art like ballet or jazz. Therefore, what are the distinctive, elemental movements in DMT that credit the process as a healing journey? Transpiring from the ancient era to modern society, some important attributes in movement in dances are observed to be common across different geographical regions (the East and the West), cultures, and historical contexts that contribute to healing. Some, but not all, of these movements are the aesthetic aspect of the movement from the dance itself that satisfies one’s senses; the poetic quality in the dance movement that enables expression; and the contemplative process of moving that allows for spiritual and transcendent experience. Although these three attributes exist across arts modalities, DMT presents them in the most basic form using the most original source, the body. In DMT, the creative process of moving in an aesthetic, poetic, and contemplative way can help people with different conditions develop resilience needed for healing.
