[Adta] looking for video/article/book suggestions

[skdmt2]

Hello Anabelle

I have presented in the past on a "technique"  I use called "body talk".
This is probably not so unusual to dance/movement therapists, but may be to
non d/mts.

 

Although I do this w/ the girls & women & see w/ eating disorders, it can be
done with others & I imagine could also be adapted to the skill level ( I'm
referring to degree of training as a d/mt vs a dance educator, to be able to
facilitate 'therapy" experiences vs "therapeutic" experiences" For ex, when
I use it we process both cognitively & experientially, weaving back & forth
in order to understand the underlying issues as much as possible. 

 

The piece that I wrote for the proceedings in, I believe, 2003, is below.

Lately, I have begun to use this format more frequently, as well as to
develop it into performances for other because we have created a venue where
our whole therapeutic community attends a "celebration once a week where we
collaborate w/ our pt community to create a meaningful experience that
includes inspirational sharing of quotes & readings, meditations,  original
songs, & a d/mt performance where there is a narrator as well as "dancers"
who participated in d/mt in one or two groups  earlier in the week,
responded to the theme for the week, and are now sharing it through
performance. It is becoming quite popular & pts want to be involved.

I will also include below, the essay that our pts danced to this week. The
theme was "  trust". As a facility, we try to weave in the weeks themes into
our groups & other interactions w/ our pts.

 

I hope this is helpful  to you as well as of interest to listserve
subscribers.

 

Susan Kleinman, MA, ADTR, NCC

 

 

>From ADTA Proceedings, 2003


* Body Talk: Giving Form To Feelings


Susan Kleinman MA, ADTR, NCC


 


Proceedings of the American Dance Therapy Association , 38th Annual
Conference, 


Stillness & Movement: The Cycle of Renewal in Dance/Movement Therapy, 


 Denver, Co., October, 2003.


                                                         


 


Abstract


  Although our actions give form to our feelings visually, experientially
and cognitively, psychotherapeutic emphasis is more often placed on using
cognitive thinking to process emotional experiences. Human beings
communicate through their bodies long before they learn to talk (Kleinman &
White, 1996; Kleinman & Hall, 1999). As we develop we add words to our
communication, however, body language remains our most acute means of
recognizing our needs and expressing ourselves (Chace with Dyrud, 1993;
Kleinman & Hall, 1999). In addition, the body prioritizes what needs to be
expressed by coming into our awareness and ignoring these signals only
pushes them more into the foreground. Difficulty in communicating the depth
of one's experiences through verbal dialogue alone may lead to an
intellectual understanding without the added physical and emotional
connection associated with sparking genuine and long-lasting change( Zerbe,
1995).

Building on the basic foundation that experiential understanding begets
cognitive understanding, rather then the reverse, dance/movement therapy and
storytelling techniques can transform idiosyncratic behaviors into
expressive behaviors, and cause disconnected experiences to ignite into
meaningful expression and understanding of one's experience that can
contribute to lasting change. Teens and women with eating disorders, as well
as survivors of trauma, respond particularly well to this structure,
becoming emboldened to create and choreograph their own stories without
undue influence by the therapist. On a body level they are encouraged to
first connect with their feelings, later translating emotional responses
into insightful cognition ( Kleinman & Hall, 2001, 2003).


Description


Inviting teens, women with eating disorders, and survivors of trauma, to be
the "choreographers'" of their own lives encourages them to discover and
acknowledge their own natural movements as an integral part of their life.
In so doing, they give themselves permission to explore their "native
language", the language of the body, an area that might otherwise lie in a
state of mere potential.  This vibrant physical resource then becomes a
necessary part of their life force, to be celebrated versus loathed or
avoided (  Kleinman, S. and Hall, T. (2003). 

A technique called Body Talk, promotes a high degree of interaction (
Kleinman, S. & Hall, T, 2001). Although Body Talk can be used in individual
as well as group sessions, this presentation focuses mainly on use of this
technique with groups. In the spirit of connection and collaboration, the
group is invited to develop their own choreography derived from the
movements that have spontaneously emerged earlier in the session. In so
doing, they create a "movement phrase" which then becomes a metaphor for
their connections to themselves, one another and their recovery process. The
Body Talk format allows participants to separate from the group leader and
collaborate together with their peers to build their own piece of
choreography. The process of collaboration itself creates the opportunity
for problem solving to occur. Consequently, some patients may discover
familiar limitations emerging in relation to asserting themselves, using
their voice and other issues that distinguish them as individuals, creating
fertile ground for exploration later in the session. Any resistance tends to
melt away as they become engrossed in the task presented to them. A feeling
of ownership emerges as they demonstrate their finished products to the rest
of the group. They are generally very open to the feedback of their peers,
and typically willing to reflect upon the meaning of their dance as well as
to form insights that connect to their present experience.


Specific goals include helping patients


*          Create a stronger connection with their body

*          Understand the importance of living in their body

*          Identify and trust their feelings and sensations

*          Explore what is communicated through their body language (
letting their bodies talk)

*          Recognize the movement experience as a metaphor for issues that
emerge.

*          Increase awareness of their ability to be in charge of their
feelings and behaviors

*          Process movement metaphors, experiences and subsequent feelings
that can then lead to insights and the development of new coping skills.

*          Increase awareness of interactional patterns that create or
perpetuate problems in relationships

*          Establish boundaries, communicate those needs, and establish
connections with others. 

In essence, patients are literally creating a "body" of knowledge and using
it to build a movement vocabulary from which to process further
experientially, metaphorically and cognitively.  Taking it one step further
by translating their experience into a movement story serves to establish a
stronger connection between mind and body and to help patients personalize
the meaning of the message. 

Two examples of stories written by patients at The Renfrew Center of Florida
as part of the Body Talk process follow. Both stories are based on the
experiences and interpretations of the movements each patient contributed to
form a movement phrase that was expressive of themselves as individuals as
well as of the group as a whole. Each movement was processed experientially
as well as cognitively, resulting in these stories.

 

Peeking into the Future

The little girl went out into the world and then pulled back in because what
she saw scared her.

 She retreated into herself, but she kept going back out, hoping things
would be different. 

She looked up for answers but still didn't feel satisfied with what she
heard.

 She didn't feel safe out there, overexposed, so she pulled back in. 

Now she looked inward for answers and tested the limits of her body, 

discovering she was more flexible then she thought. 

With this flexibility, she reached behind her, looking to the past for
answers.  

She realized she was alone and there were no answers in the past. 

Next, she eased forward toward the unknown, taking up more space, and then, 

courageously, she opened herself to the world. 

Feeling vulnerable, she retreated into the past, but peeked into the future.


Finding herself unready for the situation, she distanced herself, 

yet still had her eyes on the future, So there was hope.

 

*          written by group members as part of their creative expression in
dance/movement therapy,  11/27/01 

Becoming a Woman

Once upon a time a young woman expressed herself.

Her movements were described as sensual, natural and free, 

as she discovered her body and becoming a woman.

She was like a flower in bloom.

She was strong & rooted as her spine undulated 

to the rhythm of the waves crashing against the shore.

She felt free like a dolphin as she danced her ritual of womanhood.

She was one with her body as she proclaimed her passion and vitality.

She reached for the sky and touched the earth, and then, 

spread open her arms to embrace her new world.

She beckoned the ocean waves to join her in her dance but quickly backed
away, 

frightened of the strong pull of the enticing sea.

In her fear of getting close to the sea, she defiantly resisted the pull of
the waves 

and reclaimed her space close to the earth.

Finally, she opened up and found her true power 

which enabled her to connect with herself. 

Honoring this gift of life, she prepared for the journey of growing into her
whole self.

 

*          written by group members as part of their creative expression in
dance/movement therapy,  4/2/02

 


Summary


 A hallmark of women with eating disorders and survivors of trauma is the
need for a safe, therapeutic structure in which to work toward recovery. The
body talk format in dance/movement therapy represents one way participants
can transform their own idiosyncratic movements into expressive
communication and give form to their feelings. Consequently, disconnected
experiences ignite into meaningful expression that can contribute to lasting
change.


 

*           This presentation was originally prepared and developed by Susan
Kleinman MA, ADTR, NCC, and Terry Hall, MA, ADTR, NCC, LPC, for the Eleventh
Annual Renfrew center Foundation Conference For Professionals, Feminist
Perspectives on Adolescents and Families: Treating Eating Disorders and
Trauma, November 8, 2001

 

.........................................

Inspiration celebration example, developed using theme of " trust" The words
eminated from the movement experience.

Breaking Free

 

We are trapped in our heads!

Our obsessions have taken over

and we no longer know who we are.

The weight is too heavy, 

and every part of us crumbles to the ground.

We are lost 

and trying to hold the pieces of ourselves together.

We build up the courage to

venture out of the small place we live in, that we have come to call home.

Acknowledging our strengths, we pick ourselves up.

A feeling of safety encompasses us, 

and we risk sharing our secrets with one another.

We recognize that only once we step back, 

can we be honest with ourselves,

and we delve into the chaos of our lives.

We open ourselves up to new understanding.

We retain the knowledge of the lessons learned.

Filled with hope, 

we come together using our new found strength,

 to create distance between ourselves and our disorder,

and, we commit to our new lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Written by group members as part of their creative expression in
dance/movement therapy, 1/3/07

 

 

 

 

 

  _____  

From: adta-bounces at adta.org [mailto:adta-bounces at adta.org] On Behalf Of
Coote
Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 8:32 PM
To: adta at adta.org
Subject: [Adta] looking for video/article/book suggestions

 

I am looking for suggestions for videos, articles, or books (or any other
relevant materials) that explore creating dance/choreography based on
personal issues.  I'm interested in things that look at the process of
exploring issues and creating dance as well as those that might depict the
product of working with such.

 

Thanks so much,

Annabelle

 

Annabelle Coote
Counseling Services
Simon's Rock College
Great Barrington, MA  01230
(413) 528 7323
acoote at simons-rock.edu

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