Dancers in a Dance Movement Therapy Group

Over the last few years dance movement therapy has gained increased recognition among the health professions as an effective medium for improving mental health. The inclusion of the expressive body in treatment for mental health has been supported by research and practice in both psychotherapy and affective neuroscience. However, the inclusion of the expressive body in the mental health of dancers has received little attention up to now. More usually in dance, the body is viewed as a tool for the expression of the dance of another, manipulated and controlled for external scrutiny. This book argues that it is important to make space for the dancer's body as container and expresser of personal emotion not only for the dancer's mental health, but also for the development of performance presence and creativity. It will therefore be particularly useful for dance educators and students, choreographers and dancers as well as for health professionals concerned with the mental wellbeing of dancers.