ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the co-authors illustrate the contributions of dance and movement practices that have fostered collective wellbeing for millennia among diverse communities around the world who have experienced trauma, with a specific focus on two countries familiar to the authors, Haiti and Sri Lanka. From these rich and vibrant histories, the co-authors contextualize the emergence of dance/movement therapy (DMT) in the United States. The co-authors offer two complementary trauma frameworks, restorative movement psychotherapy/polyvagal-informed DMT as well as collective care DMT and acknowledge the breadth of contributions from dance/movement therapists around the world working alongside communities who have experienced trauma.
