[Adta] Nigel - What about Dance Therapy?

[writelora at hotmail.com]

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I feel moved to try to catch the attention of the the judges or the producers.

 Last week I was shocked when Nigel shared with the audience the possible careers for dancers (besides performing) and there was no mention of Dance/Movement Therapy. This is a field that exists 
internationally and has been an accredited career choice for dancers for over 40 years.  

Last week the comment was made that audiences were compelled to watch this show because "dance was joy."  Essentially, that is how I found my way to this field - as a dancer, when I danced I knew the 
greatest peace, the greatest joy, the greatest aliveness I had ever known.  When I danced - on stage, in my bedroom, on the street - it was my way of healing myself. (It still is.)  

When I was looking for masters level programs to study choreography, I serendipitously discovered a program in "Dance/Movement Therapy."  I had no idea what that was, never heard of the term before, 
but instinctually it made complete sense.  It made sense because dancing had been my own therapy for years.
 
So now, I'm a  registered dance /movement therapist with the American Dance Therapy Association.  I have worked with teens with eating disorders, the elderly with Alzheimer's Disease, the chronically 
mentally ill and artists who simply want to reflect and deepen their own self-awareness. Every day I help bring the joy of movement and dance to the patients in my groups and give them a creative, 
body-based outlet to express their emotions, to integrate mind and body, to heal.

This is an amazing field, a respected field and a growing field. It is a disservice to dancers everywhere to exclude it from mention as a career opportunity.  We are out here and out here strong.

If anyone wants to know more about the field, feel free to respond back to me. I'll do my best to answer your questions or direct you to someone who can.

Keep dancing!


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