For many people, dancing is more than a simple way to de-stress after a long week of work and school ““ it’s therapeutic treatment for a wide array of physical and mental health conditions.
This form of treatment is known as dance therapy and has been practiced by thousands of people since its inception after World War II, said Sally Totenbier, a spokeswoman for the American Dance Therapy Association.
“Dance therapy acknowledges a scientific connection between the mind and the body, where physical actions influence mental processes,” Totenbier said.
Recent scientific research has confirmed that movement can activate parts of the brain and develop new neural pathways, thus altering perceptions and feelings, she added.
The idea of dance therapy first started right after World War II, when Marian Chace, a dance performer assisting veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, incorporated dance into treatment.
“Marian saw that the veterans were not responding well to conventional forms of therapy, but their suffering lifted when they danced. She decided to apply this concept to other people who were depressed or in pain,” Totenbier said.
People who participate in dance therapy can include people of all backgrounds, ranging from senior citizens to cancer patients, she added.
Janet Lester, a graduate of UCLA’s dance therapy program, which no longer exists, works predominantly with children who come from troubled backgrounds.
“Many of the children I work with start out violent or uncooperative, so I use movement to help them have mastery over their body,” Lester said.
UCLA offered a dance therapy master’s program from the 1960s until the 1990s, but it was recently integrated into the world arts and cultures department.
Totenbier added that using the body in repetitive rhythms increases circulation and repatterns the motor neural pathways that react to stress.
“I often work with sexually abused young women, who may walk with a hunched posture to hide their bodies. We incorporate dance and movement to allow them to open up and feel comfortable about who they are,” she said.
Dance therapy is usually taught in groups, which changes the dynamic of the healing by bringing people together.
“It leads to a sense of bonding and helps troubled individuals gain awareness of other humans and improve their social skills,” Totenbier said.
Third-year history student Sara Hanlon said she has experienced firsthand the therapeutic benefits of dancing.
“When I dance, I feel my endorphins release and I go to this other place and level,” Hanlon said.
“I can see it being used for therapy because it relaxes the body, muscles and mind,” she added.
According to the American Dance Therapy Association Web site, researchers studying the role of art in psychology found that dance therapy reduces symptoms in psychiatric patients and those with eating disorders.
“A depressed person tends to be slowed down and restricting their circulation and flow. Through dance and movement they can release the constriction and avoid getting caught in old habits,” Totenbier said.
Though UCLA no longer offers a degree in dance therapy, many dance education classes are offered in the world arts and cultures department, Lester said.
Relatively few universities offer the dance therapy master’s degree, but aspiring therapists in Los Angeles can be certified by the Center for Movement and Research, which is run by former world arts and cultures Professor Judy Gantz.