Editorial
Author/s: Rachael Byrnes
In this volume
2003 Vol. 2 No. 1
Movement and Dance for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Is it Therapy, is it Art?
Author/s: Jenny Scott, Kim Dunphy
Keywords
Intellectual disabilities, dance therapy programs, disability performance, community performance arts
This is an excerpt from the content:
This article “…addresses the oft-mooted distinction between dance therapy and other dance modalities and the appropriateness of these for people with intellectual disabilities. The article begins with a review of literature about dance programs for people with intellectual disabilities, especially writings that address this distinction. The authors then outline the complementary relationship they recognise between dance therapy, creative dance (recreational and educational), community dance and disability performance arts, based on their experience in these fields. The article finishes with a description of the factors the authors believe determine the appropriate choice of dance modality for any particular client or group of people with intellectual disabilities.”
(pp 2-8)
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Study Abstract: An Investigation of the Relationship of Movement and Dance to the Self-concept and Academic Performance of Middle-Primary-School children
Author/s: Judy Gutteridge
Keywords
children, self-concept, academic achievement, academic competence, learning strategies, Masters research
This is an excerpt from the content:
The principal aim of this study was to investigate whether a program of dance, presented in a cooperative learning framework, would be instrumental in improving the self-concept of a sample of Grades 3, 4 and 5 primary school children. A pre- and post-intervention, randomised blocks design, incorporating both experimental and control conditions, was adopted for this purpose. Both quantitative and observational qualitative data were utilised in the analysis of the study outcome. (p. 8)
Dance/ Movement Therapy in Rehabilitation Medicine
Author/s: Linda Pilus, Susan Kierr
Keywords
Dance therapy rehabilitation, hospital care, paraplegia, physical trauma, dance therapy treatment, patient evaluation
Chances of surviving an illness or accident have improved greatly, encouraging physicians and health professionals to re-assess quality of life post-incident. This article examined recovery from the psychophysical effects of physical trauma in an individual study on dance therapy treatment. Symptoms assessed by a detailed patient evaluation were deteriorating health and morbidity. The subsequent case study of a patient in hospital care illustrated the dance therapy methods for paraplegia. The methods were grounded in theory, specifically grief and attachment theories. The article concludes by outlining the role a dance therapist plays in a rehabilitation team on the ward and a postscript was written by one of the author’s interns. (pp 9-16)
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Remembering not to forget
Author/s: Marcia Plevin
Keywords
Pain management, Art therapy, physical trauma, recovery-oriented art practice
Personal beliefs and experiences of pain can influence pain management practices for health professionals. This article expressed the effects of physical trauma from a dance therapist’s own perspective. Topics discussed were subjective analysis of hip pain and recovery-oriented art practice. The methods derived from the principles of art therapy were in response to physical trauma and as the patient adapted to different physical conditions, a new method ensued. The output from one phase in recovery is illustrated throughout the article using the medium of paper cut with scissors. In conclusion, the therapist developed a greater understanding and empathy with patients experiencing and managing physical pain and trauma. (pp 17-21)
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Dance Movement Therapy in Japan
Author/s: Tamah L. Nakamura
Keywords
Butoh, role analysis, women’s repression, social structure, Japanese dance genre
This article addresses the cross-cultural comparisons of studying in the West and teaching in Japan. The key development in the discussion was that social roles become individualised, internalised and expressed in movement. By offering multiple methods from the Japanese ‘Butoh’ dance genre to engage in role analysis, the text is able to display how the changes in the structure of society are internalised within the body. Despite the emphasis on chronology, the article draws conclusions on women’s position in society and allows extension of theoretical discussions within the field of dance exploration into sexual repression. (pp 22-24)
Personal Highlights and Impressions of the 37th Annual ADTA conference
Author/s: Linda Murrow
Keywords
ADTA 37th annual conference, presentation review
The 37th Annual ADTA Conference, in collaboration with the University of Vermont, featured a collection of well known dance therapy practitioners addressing a diverse scope of topics from the playground to skilled writing. This article reviewed the presentations and speeches given at the conference and finished with a description of the dance performance concluding the event. (pp 25-27)