[Adta] Conference Memories

[Mihalko, Amanda E]

Hello Beautiful Dance/Movement Therapists! 

I wanted to take the opportunity to share conference memories and gratitude while our amazing time in Long Beach is spinning in my mind.  A week later I am still overwhelmed with the feelings of excitement, warmth, compassion, and acceptance! 

Every workshop I attended fed my soul in a different way, and I left feeling that my mind, body and spirit had been nourished. The connections that I made with D/MT's I had not known before in various workshops were very profound and fulfilling for me, and brought me back to the realization that our minds naturally speak the languages of dance, movement, and creativity, and it is important not to lose sight of this in our various roles at work.  It also became very clear to me just how powerful this work can be, for ourselves as well as those we help.  

Of course the banquet and dancing Saturday night were a highlight.  I told a fellow plane passenger on the trip out that I was going to a Dance Therapy Conference.  He asked what I was looking forward to and I said the dancing on Saturday.  He looked at me, smiled and said, "that must be an intense sight, hundreds of dance therapist all dancing together." (I think he really GOT what we do!)  As he said this I got chills and said, "yeah, it's more than that though, it's a celebration of our work and I have to say I never feel as free as I do dancing with dance therapists!" And I definitely felt that this year as well! 

I especially would like to thank Marylee for her amazing movement choir Sunday morning.  As a new DTR walking through the spiral filled with so many talented, intelligent, and beautiful Dance therapists was inspiring, and to move through the ritual with so many of my Antioch classmates was amazing.  We were able to take a moment for our classmates that were not present with us before we started, and I know personally I could feel them all with us as we danced and moved.  Also I was able to share this movement choir with our phenomenal teachers Susan Loman, Phyllis Jeswald, and Kim Burden, as well as my incredible internship supervisors Anne Margrethe Melsom and Angela Tatum Fairfax, as well as my new energizing supervisor Nancy Rued.  I felt so held, acknowledged, and recognized for the journey I have taken this far and the journey that has yet to happen.  

Thank you all for such a wonderful conference! Brooklyn '07!

Sending peace, warmth and energy!
Amanda


Amanda Mihalko, M.A., DTR
Dance/Movement Therapist
1500 Fifth Ave.
Crawford Building, Fifth Floor
McKeesport, PA 15132
412.664.2632