Dance/movement Therapy Session Research Articles

Dance/movement therapy for improving metabolic parameters in long-term veterans with schizophrenia

Accumulating evidence has supported the implementation of dance/movement therapy (DMT) as a promising intervention for patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). However, its effect on body weight and metabolic profile in SCZ remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the outcome of a 12-week DMT session on weight and lipid profile in patients with SCZ using a randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial design. This study encompassed two groups of long-term hospitalized patients with SCZ, who were randomly assigned to the DMT intervention (n = 30) or the treatment as usual (TAU) group (n = 30). Metabolic markers, including weight, body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol were measured in both groups at two measurement points (at baseline and the end of the 12-week treatment). We found that DMT intervention significantly decreased body weight (F = 5.5, p = 0.02) and BMI (F = 5.7, p = 0.02) as compared to the TAU group. However, no significance was observed in other metabolic markers, including fasting glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol after treatment (all p > 0.05). Our study indicates that a 12-week, 24-session DMT program may be effective in decreasing body weight and BMI in long-term hospitalized patients with SCZ. DMT intervention may be a promising treatment strategy for long-term inpatients in the psychiatric department.

Investigation of the effect of goal-oriented dance movement therapy on depressive symptoms in people with schizophrenia: a rater-blinded randomised controlled study

Background/Aims Depression is a common symptom in schizophrenia and can negatively affect treatment. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of goal‑oriented dance or movement therapy on depressive symptoms in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. Methods The study was designed as a randomised controlled rater‑blinded study, in which 32 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia were randomly assigned to either the intervention (dance movement therapy) group or control group. The intervention consisted of twice‑weekly goal‑oriented dance movement therapy sessions, with each session lasting approximately 40–50 minutes, for a total of 8 weeks. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia. Results The depressive symptoms before and after the intervention were compared. No significant differences between groups were observed at baseline. There was no change in the control group, whereas a significant improvement on depressive symptoms was observed in the total Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia score in the dance movement therapy group after the intervention. Conclusions Goal‑oriented dance movement therapy is an effective treatment for the depressive symptoms in schizophrenia patients in addition to conventional treatments. Although the results are favourable, further studies are needed to test its effectiveness. Implications for practice In the traditional treatment of schizophrenia, it is important to evaluate depression and support the treatment with approaches such as dance movement therapy.

Power to move through: A heuristic self-inquiry of dance movement processing within guided imagery and music

This study was a heuristic self-inquiry of the impact of dance movement therapy (DMT) sessions to process somatic and kinesthetic imagery experienced in Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) sessions. Full transcripts were taken for both DMT and GIM sessions to look for themes and intersections of how dance movement processing may have impacted or influenced the therapeutic integration of GIM sessions. There were four primary themes that emerged for how dance movement processing sessions impacted the researcher’s understanding of GIM sessions. These were reimaging with movement, moving for release of emotion, embodying transpersonal experiences, and movement as aesthetic response. Intentional re-imaging with movement allowed for a continuation of the process begun in GIM sessions, which created opportunities for emotional release and integration of self. Movement was a way of generating artistic response that helped further the researcher’s imaginal world of GIM. Personal reflections and implications for practice are given.

Dance movement therapy, yoga, and older adults with Parkinson’s disease: balance confidence, anxieties, and wellbeing

There is evidence that older adults with Parkinson’s disease (PD) benefit from dance movement therapy (DMT) and mind-body techniques such as yoga. DMT and yoga (Y) are often seen as complementary strategies in promoting wellness as they focus on embodied self-awareness. This article reports a study comparing the effectiveness of DMT sessions vis-à-vis DMT + Y sessions on balance confidence, geriatric anxieties, and wellbeing of older adults with PD. Both the groups reported significant post-test improvements in balance confidence. The DMT + Y group also reported significantly lower geriatric anxieties and higher wellbeing scores. Balance confidence greatly improved in older women and those who regularly attended and completed the DMT homework. DMT + Y sessions were more effective for older women, currently married, participants living with their spouse or with spouse and adult children, and whose DMT + Y program compliance (attendance, homework completion) was higher.

Protest Is Mental Health: Afrocentric healing in a dance movement therapy session

Abstract: Cultural ideals are repeatedly coded into hidden messages through drums, sampling, and signifying, which is all embodied through various dance styles. This transformation brings new meaning to political, social, historical, and cultural issues. The policing of the black moving body has become an international symbol of struggle, pain, oppression and injustice. How strong is a symbol? To be seen is to be remembered. When will we forget what has been learned? When will we receive what our ancestors have earned? The purpose of this research is to deepen an understanding of the sub- group or ethnic group known as African- Americans in the new world, also known as, the Americas. This paper begins with an introduction to phenomena such as present day stereotypes, social constructs and mandates on what is considered by Brenda Dixon Gottschild to be the "black dancing body" in America. The discussion to follow deals with how policing the black dancing and moving body occurs throughout various interlinked systems in America. The black female and male forms are constantly violated by lack of access to education, diagnosis of illness and reinforced stereotypes of aggression. An embodied exploration of the Pan- African dance technique known as Umfundalai (pronounced ma-foon-da-la) provides a deeper understanding of protest within the arts. This writer will show therapeutic values inherent in the stylized movement vocabulary of people of the African Diaspora and the utilization of their culture as a viable resource for healing in an acute care psychiatric hospital.

Dance movement therapy for Black womxn: A content analysis

We conducted a 20-year (2002–2022) content analysis of Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) focused on Black womxn identities. The analysis sought to examine the presence of Black womxn in study samples; reported sexual and gender diversity; spiritual/religious identities; methodology; study location; DMT session structure (e.g., communal, individual); and outcome variables. We applied a directed content analysis approach, where our existing theory regarding the deficit of DMT research with Black womxn samples focused our research question and aided our predictions concerning potential variables of interest. Ninety-six articles met the inclusion criteria. Approximately 7.3 % of studies included Black womxn in the sample. Only one study (1.0 %) reported data on sexual minorities, and two studies (2.1 %) included data on gender expansive folx. Few studies (13.5 %) included information on spiritual and/or religious identities. Qualitative articles (35.4 %) were the second most published methodology, with quantitative articles being a comparable first (44.8 %). Most studies (70.8 %) took place outside of the US and utilized a communal session structure (78.1 %). Findings demonstrate that DMT research excludes Black womxn’s intersectional identities. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Tango i kroppen; Hvordan danse- og bevegelsesterapeutiske metoder kan styrke selvfølelsen til tangodansere

Abstract During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, social mixing was generally restricted based on the Corona Pandemic Infection Control Provisions. As a result, those of us who dance Argentinian tango were not allowed to practise together. A survey carried out among members of the Oslo Tango Queer (OTQ) club in Oslo found that people missed tango, felt tango withering in their bodies, and believed that their dancing skills were about to disappear. The survey also documented a sense of despair and loss of self-esteem. Practising dance movement therapy (DMT) recalled the feeling of tango in my body, thus strengthening my self-understanding as a tango dancer and my self-esteem. Therefore, I put together a collection of practical DMT exercises and invited the members of OTQ to participate in a pilot group. In addition to recreating a sense of (tango) community, the purpose was to support individuals’ positive feelings of themselves as tango dancers and strengthen their self-esteem. Nine dancers participated. Four DMT sessions lasting one and a half hours were carried out; these included exercises performed individually, in couples and in groups. All the exercises were conducted following anti-COVID-19 regulations, that is, without physical contact and using face masks when necessary. The DMT exercises had an effect on the individuals’ subjective experiences. Feedback from the participants highlighted that exercises involving grounding, training of body movements and possibilities, mirroring, and playing out an imaginary dance embrace recreated the feeling of tango in their bodies.

Single-Session Dance/Movement Therapy for Thought and Behavioral Dysfunction Associated With Schizophrenia: A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study.

This purposes of this mixed methods feasibility study were to determine whether people with schizophrenia in an inpatient psychiatric facility were able to complete the research protocol, and to obtain preliminary treatment effects of a single-session dance/movement therapy (DMT) intervention versus verbal treatment as usual (TAU). Thirty-two participants were randomized to a 45-minute DMT or verbal TAU session. Data were collected quantitatively using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and qualitatively through open-ended interviews. Results indicated that participants in the DMT group had statistically significant symptom reduction compared with those in the TAU group in overall BPRS scores (effect size [ES] = 0.67), psychological discomfort (ES = 0.64), negative symptoms (ES = 0.67), and positive symptoms (ES = 0.55). No statistical significance was shown for resistance. Qualitative findings substantiate the quantitative findings, however, show divergence regarding resistance. Participants in the DMT group expressed feeling in control, less angry, and motivated for treatment.

The Effects of Dance Movement Therapy in the Treatment of Depression: A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial in Finland.

This multicenter research investigates the effects of dance movement therapy (DMT) on participants diagnosed with depression. In total, 109 persons participated in the study in various locations in Finland. The participants were 39 years old, on average (range = 18–64 years), and most were female (96%). All participants received treatment as usual (TAU). They were randomized into DMT + TAU (n = 52) or TAU only (n = 57). The participants in the DMT + TAU group were offered 20 DMT sessions twice a week for 10 weeks in addition to standard care. The measurement points included pretreatment measurement at the baseline, posttreatment measurement at the end of the intervention, and a follow-up measurement 3 months afterward. The observed effects of the intervention among participants in the DMT+TAU group were a greater reduction in depression and in indicators of physical and psychological distress in comparison to the participants who received TAU-only. At the 3-month follow-up, the corrected between-group effect sizes (ESs) were medium and in favor of the DMT + TAU group (d = 0.60–0.72). These results are in line with the increasing number of research studies showing the benefits of DMT intervention among participants with depression, and these results indicate that DMT may improve the effectiveness of standard care.Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT04421651.

The Effectiveness of Dance/Movement Therapy in Children with Williams Syndrome: A Pilot Study

Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare developmental disorder without clear support methods. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effectiveness of dance/movement therapy (DMT) for improving the stability, dynamic balance, muscle strength, and internal changes using objective outcome measurements in children with WS. In this pilot study, four participants with WS, aged 5 to 10 years old, completed 10 DMT sessions. We used posturography to test static balance, timed up and go to test dynamic balance, a hand-held dynamometer was used to test lower limb muscle strength, and a child behavior checklist filled out by the parents was used to test the children’s emotional health and behavior.

Description and evaluation of a dance/movement therapy programme with incarcerated adolescent males

ABSTRACTThis article describes and evaluates the effectiveness of a dance/movement therapy (DMT) programme to improve self-restraint skills, a predictive factor of recidivism, of adolescent males incarcerated in Non-Secure Placements (NSP). Three adolescent males participated in the study and received individual DMT sessions facilitated by the practitioner/researcher. The Weinberger Adjustment Inventory short form (WAI-SF) self-restraint scale was administered as the pre- and post-test, and participants’ weekly behaviour ratings, given by NSP staff, were collected to measure changes in self-restraint over time. The practitioner/researcher created a movement observation sheet to complement the WAI-SF, based on Laban Movement Analysis and Chacian DMT theory, and recorded observations after every session. The data suggest the DMT programme appeared partially successful in its goal of improving participants’ self-restraint. There is a need for more descriptions and evaluations of DMT programmes to better understand and document their benefits and advocate them to a wider range of clients.

Stillness in Dance/Movement Therapy: Potentiating Creativity on the Edge and in the Void

Creativity, at times, flows freely amongst individuals. However, at other times, creativity waivers on the edge of meaning and nothingness. This manuscript explores Eastern and Western philosophies associated with void, the thin line between dialectical phenomena, and a space which opens up for creativity. These theories of creativity will be observed through a dance/movement therapy (DMT) paradigm examining the concept of stillness within movement and particularly within a DMT session. A brief review of the following phenomena will be considered: the fertile void, the dialectical edge, and potential space. Consideration will be given to the notion of stillness as a tool for creativity in DMT and supported by case vignettes.

F239. THE ROLE OF DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF NEGATIVE SYNDROME AND PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING OF PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA: RESULT FROM A PILOT MIXED METHODS INTERVENTION STUDY WITH EXPLANATORY INTENT

BackgroundOptimizing psychosocial functioning and overall well-being by reducing the severity of negative symptoms are important outcomes for individuals with schizophrenia. Movement-based therapeutic approaches are uniquely capable of addressing the non-verbal nature of negative symptoms. Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT), a promising treatment for mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, has been found to reduce the occurrence and severity of negative symptoms and to have a positive impact on the psychosocial functioning. Although preliminary findings suggest DMT as a treatment intervention, limited research and inconclusive findings preclude generalizations and more research is needed. We aimed to examine the treatment effects of a 10-week (20 sessions) group DMT treatment program.MethodsWe employed a mixed methods intervention design with explanatory intent, in which a randomized controlled trial is followed by semi-structured exit interviews. Thirty-one severely ill individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia participated in the RCT that used a two-arm parallel group design to assess and show the difference between patients receiving standard care (SC) and patients receiving standard care plus DMT on measures of negative symptoms (as primary outcome; PANSS, BNSS) and psychosocial functioning (as secondary outcomes; WHO-DAS 2.0, SDS). Quantitative measures were taken pre and post- intervention. Participants who participated in a minimum of 50% of DMT sessions (n=15) were invited to an exit interview. This criterion was also used to analyze quantitative data, leaving n=28 for quantitative analysis.ResultsAll participants in both groups (n=31) completed the study. Because of such a small sample size (n=28) and a pilot nature of the study we were restricted to use descriptive statistics.The quantitative data suggest that DMT and SC were not equally effective in enhancing primary outcomes. Analysis of the PANSS mean score changes showed a slight increase in the negative symptom in the DMT from 28.33 ± 4.76 to 29.00 ± 4.10, and slight decrease in the SC from 28.92 ± 5.72 to 27.08 ± 5.64. BNSS scores indicate that both groups improved. SC participants reported grater reduction on BNSS overal score from 53.31 ± 11.48 to 47.77 ± 8.10 in comparison to DMT from 53.07 ± 7.27 to 51.93 ± 6.18. However, DMT participants reported reduction of symptoms in distress, antisocial activity, avolition and verbal expression.Analysis of WHO-DAS suggests that DMT was effective in reduction of disability severity compared to SC. DMT participants reported grater improvement in cognition, mobility, self-care, and getting along. Both groups reported reduction of the impact of difficulties on daily functioning on SDS, however DMT participants reported a greater reduction in days during which they were completely unable to perform or had to limit their usual activities or work due to symptoms. In the SC, the results suggest a reduction in the number of days lost and days of lower productivity.Qualitative findings identified participants’ experiences and the most important themes related to benefits of the DMT intervention: enhanced activation, motivation, socialization, and self-awareness.DiscussionResults of this study contribute to knowledge about body-based interventions for schizophrenia and indicate that DMT had an effect on participants psychosocial functioning and coping with negative symptoms. Integration of quantitative and qualitative data provides a wider perspective by gaining a better understanding of the treatment outcomes and explaining inconclusive results. Findings of this study set the stage for larger fully powered research, examining intervention methods and procedures, as well as treatment effects, more thoroughly.

The circle in dance movement therapy: A literature review

The circle represents a powerful symbol with perceived characteristics of totality, wholeness and completeness. Forming a circle is used frequently in Dance Movement Therapy (DMT), emerging on several occasions during a DMT session, especially when working with the model which originated with Marian Chace. The therapeutic factors of the circle formation are fascinating but are rarely documented. This article explores the circle as a symbol and documents the ways in which DMT works with groups, by comparing the essential elements of circle DMT with group therapeutic factors. It reviews the pertinent literature on the subject and summarizes three basic elements of working within a circle, namely, containment and holding, multi-mirroring, and physical contact through the holding of hands.

Active Factors in Dance/Movement Therapy: Health Effects of Non-Goal-Orientation in Movement

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is an academically young discipline with a need to identify effective movement interventions and active factors of dance related to health improvements. Non-goal-orientation is a defining aspect of improvisational dance, one of the most used dance forms in DMT sessions. Based on the phenomenological approach on the psychology of movement of Straus (Nervenarzt 3(11):141–178, 1930), this pilot-study tested whether non-goal-oriented versus goal-oriented movement has positive effects on perceived stress, well-being, general self-efficacy, and body self-efficacy, in undergraduate students. Forty-six undergraduate students were assigned to either a non-goal-oriented experimental condition or a goal-oriented control condition. In support of the hypothesis, perceived stress and well-being improved significantly in the non-goal-oriented condition compared to the goal-oriented group. Body self-efficacy improved in both, the experimental and the control group. Implications of the findings for the discipline of DMT are discussed.

Dance/Movement Therapy: Learning to Look Through Video Microanalysis

This study examines the movement behavior of a therapist and her client during one dance/movement therapy (DMT) session, through the lens of mother-infant face-to-face communication research conducted with video microanalysis. Dance/movement therapy and mother-infant interaction research have in common a focus on the details of movement patterns and how these patterns are coordinated between two people. Microanalysis of movement patterns operates as a “social microscope,” revealing aspects of a subterranean world of communication within the dyad, which are too rapid for the naked eye to grasp in real time. We present a microanalysis of the movement patterns of the first 80 s of a DMT session conducted by the first author with an adolescent diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Our goal was to describe moments of coordination and patterns of disruption and repair that were not visible in the video when played in real time. We present drawings based on the video microanalysis to illustrate two clinically meaningful moments in the first 80 s of the session. Through this detailed description and the drawings, we illustrate: (a) how the therapist in training understood more about her own process of learning to become a dance/movement therapist; (b) what microanalysis of a very short segment of time can reveal about this specific dyad; (c) how microanalysis may be useful to the DMT profession.

Educator perceptions of dance/movement therapy in the special education classroom

This qualitative study examined educator perspectives of the influence of group dance/movement therapy (DMT) sessions on their students’ behaviours, symptoms, and academic engagement within their special education classroom. Audio-recorded and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 educators who had observed and/or participated in their students’ group DMT sessions at one public school in an urban region in the United States. Results of the interviews revealed four overarching themes: (a) The process of a DMT session is perceived to improve regulatory behaviour; (b) DMT can meet individual needs as a part of a group experience; (c) DMT techniques and tools utilised can influence sensory systems (d) limitations in time, duration, and space may influence long-term benefits. While more research is necessary, results suggest that educators value the use of DMT within school settings to assist the children in gaining focus, modulating energy, and supporting healthy social engagement skills.

Understanding group shaping. Transcontextual metapatterns in dance movement psychotherapy

Spontaneous choreographies emerge during Dance Movement Psychotherapy group sessions. Metapatterns are considered as metaphorical Gestalts, signs of natural norms, named and categorised as systems. They imply forms and functions. They are present throughout all modes of existence. This paper explores how this concept can be applied to understanding the shape and shaping process of group dynamics in Dance Movement Therapy Sessions.

Effects of a Short-Term Dance Movement Therapy Program on Symptoms and Stress in Patients With Breast Cancer Undergoing Radiotherapy: A Randomized, Controlled, Single-Blind Trial

ContextIntegrated interventions with combined elements of body movement and psychotherapy on treatment-related symptoms in cancer patients are relatively scarce. ObjectivesThe aim of the present study is to investigate the effectiveness of dance movement therapy (DMT) on improving treatment-related symptoms in a randomized controlled trial. MethodsA total of 139 Chinese patients with breast cancer awaiting adjuvant radiotherapy were randomized to DMT or control group. The intervention included six 1.5-hour DMT sessions provided twice a week over the course of radiotherapy. Self-report measures on perceived stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, and quality of life were completed before and after the three-week program. ResultsDMT showed significant effects on buffering the deterioration in perceived stress, pain severity, and pain interference (Cohen d = 0.34–0.36, P < 0.05). No significant intervention effects were found on anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and quality of life (Cohen d = 0.01–0.20, P > 0.05). ConclusionThe short-term DMT program can counter the anticipated worsening of stress and pain in women with breast cancer during radiotherapy.

Making space for the both of us: how dance movement therapy enhances mother–infant attachment and experience

This research study explores how dance movement therapy (DMT) enhances mother–infant attachment and experience. The multidimensional effects of the transition to motherhood are considered and how this may impact upon the mother's sense of space. The intervention study carried out with 20 healthy mother–infant dyads in two countries evaluated if DMT could enhance interactive attachment. This study built upon research within developmental psychology, DMT and psychoanalytical theory. Quantitative data is collated using the PANAS schedule. Qualitative data collected mother's perception of their infants' response to the sessions, the process as a whole, and the perceived benefits of the programme. Findings demonstrated that the DMT sessions improved mothers' affect significantly. Qualitative data revealed the importance of the relational and physical space between mothers and their babies as provided by the DMT session. Comparative and contrasting results were discovered regarding aspects most valued in the session according to socio-cultural context.