ABSTRACT

Dance therapy has left its ivory tower far behind: the diversity of its workshops and adaptability of its practices testify to its vitality and relevance in the treatment of some of the most acute problems people face today, in the clinical, social, political and cultural domain. This chapter discusses two workshops: the first can broadly located within the social field, the other in the field of handicap. Restoring the social link is an objective of the recent form of dance therapy, Primitive Expression. Rhythm dance therapists today engage frequently with handicapped people, in particular, people suffering from nervous disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. The dance of Saint-Guy is an example of traditional dance therapy using rhythm to regulate the disorder following widespread cholera outbreaks during the Middle Ages. The pleasure of dancing was felt not only in the investment of the body but also in the joy of the encounter, which was visible on faces.