Mackenzie Ballard

Caroline Prohosky
Dance History 460
15 December 2014
The Evolution of Dance Therapy
The Oxford English Dictionary defines dance as: a rhythmical skipping and
stepping, with regular turnings and movements of the limbs and body, usually to the
accompaniment of music; either as an expression of joy, exultation, and the like, or as an
amusement or entertainment. Is this really what dance is or is there more to it? Ever
since I developed the capacity to think concretely I have tried to answer the question of
what dance really is. Although I have not solidified my definition of dance yet, there is
one facet of my definition that has remained the same throughout the yearsthe
therapeutic aspect of dance.
This therapeutic aspect of dance is not something Oxford credits in their
definition of dance, but that does not mean it does not exist. Dance is a universal form of
art and, as a result, takes on different meanings for different people. Dance is found in
many cultures and societies and each culture and society has their own component of
dance that they value.
The earliest recorded dances in history took place within lineage-based societies.
Lineage-based cultures used dance as a major form of religious ritual and social
expression. Kraus referred to dance as a utilitarian and omnipresent art within lineagebased societies. Lineage-based people used dance as a means of worship, a way of
expressing and reinforcing tribal unity and strength, a framework for courtship or mating,

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a means of communication, and, lastly, a therapeutic experience (Kraus 28). I do not see
it as any coincidence that Kraus saved dance as a therapeutic experience as the last
component on this list of uses for dance within lineage-based societies. The therapeutic
and medicinal characteristics of dance were extremely important components to these
people.
Medicinal and therapeutic dance rituals were so important that each lineage-based
society had a medicine man who served as a village or tribal physician, to restore health
to the sick through medicine, magic, and special rituals. This medicine man needed to
possess the power to carry out his ritualistic functions successfully (Hayes 5). Bradford
Keeney, Ph.D., a cultural anthropologist at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto,
CA, author of Bushman Shaman: Awakening the Spirit through Ecstatic Dance, stated
that a healing context is one where you create a swirling of the life force, an
amplification, a movement, a transmission, an energy field so that when another person
steps into it, an awakening of their own inner healing sources is encouraged (Gypsie
Nation). This is precisely what happed when lineage-based medicine men successfully
carried out healing dance rituals. These dance rituals were not simply participated in just
for the sake of it, but they were a necessary part of these peoples lives because of the
healing they provided. Dance was their primary form of medicine.
Healing and medicinal rituals led by the medicine man were sometimes painful
and often included a form of symbolic death and rebirth, but they always included dance.
During simulated death or convulsive states of unconsciousness, the medicine mans
spirit was believed to leave the body to receive messages from the spirit world. Upon
returning to consciousness from the spirit world, the medicine man was aware of the

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messages received and was prepared to act upon the supernatural instructions.
Sometimes these instructions regarded the use of healing herbs, but more often than not
there were magic rituals involving various forms of exorcism in attempts to rid the patient
of the cause of their illness (Hayes 46). These practices may seem extremely odd and
foreign to us, but the power of the medicine man was considered very real. He held a
great responsibility within his community to lead these healing rituals.
In lineage-based societies, these dances and rituals were a channel of individual
and community healing. Traditional [lineage-based] dance [was] connected to ritualistic
and spiritual healing practices, and address[ed] a range of ailments. The underlying
belief [was] that in the community, mind and body must be incorporated into ritual
systems in order to facilitate healing, as well as transform and empower the individual
and the group. Ultimately, given their holistic structure, rituals benefit[ed] the society in
many layers. They play[ed] an integral role in socialization, expression and
communication; help[ed] to build and maintain a healthy sense of self system; and also
offer[ed] an alternative cathartic experience for not only individuals but for the
community as a whole (Monteiro and Wall 234-235).
Similarly, the therapeutic aspect of dance continues to be valued in todays
society. Although dance today is mainly valued for its impressive technical and artistic
components, there is still a therapeutic facet of it that is highly esteemed and well
established. Dance therapy in modern society is much different than the idea of dance
therapy in lineage-based societies, but the purpose is all the sameto further the
emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration of the individual (American Dance
Therapy Association).

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Our knowledge of lineage-based people and their relationship with and use of
dance as therapy and medicine confirms that dance has been used therapeutically for
thousands of years, but the establishment of dance as a therapy and as a profession did
not take place until the 1950s. The idea, practice, and prevalence of dance as a therapy
was lost for some time, but somewhere between 1840 and 1930 a new philosophy of
dance was developed and established in Europe and the United States. Rather than the
characteristic of dance as an expressive art, dance became defined by the idea that
movement could have a therapeutic effect on the mover (Schwartz 71).
Since this period in the late 1800s/early 1900s, dance/movement therapy has
focused on movement behavior as it emerges in the therapeutic relationship. Expressive,
communicative, and adaptive behaviors are all considered for group and individual
treatment. Body movement, as the core component of dance, simultaneously provides
the means of assessment and the mode of intervention for dance/movement therapy. It is
utilized in various settings and practices, among people of all ages, races and ethnic
backgrounds, meeting the needs of several individuals, each with their own unique
situations and circumstances (American Dance Therapy Association).
In contrast to lineage-based dance and the therapeutic benefits of their dance
rituals, modern practices of dance therapy are not integrated as a regular part of our
society nor are they as extreme as the ritualistic practices of lineage-based people. The
current practice of dance therapy is much more formal and has a process of four stages
for each movement/therapy session. Each stage and its accompanying goal builds off of
the previous stage and works together to connect with the larger purpose of
dance/movement therapy.

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Considering the patient-centered approach of dance therapy, these four stages and
goals vary with each individual according to their circumstances and each stage is
revisited several times throughout the entire dance/movement therapy process and
session. These four stages include: 1.) Preparation; 2.) Incubation; 3.) Illumination; and
4.) Evaluation. The preparation stage is the warm-up stage where safety and security is
established. In the incubation stage, the leader provides verbal prompts for the mover to
dive into the subconscious. As the patient relaxes and lets go of conscious control their
movements become symbolic to them and their circumstances. During the illumination
stage, the meanings behind the patients movements are revealed through a dialogue with
the observer of the mover and can result in either positive or negative effects, as
subconscious motivations are resolved. Lastly, in the evaluation stage, the significance
and relevance of the process is explored through therapeutic discussion and journal
writing, preparing the patient to end therapy and go on their way (Fladager).
The therapeutic dance practices used by lineage-based people are very different
from the practices used in our current society, but regardless of how different they may
be, they both achieve the same goal of healing through dance. There are many who may
not consider dance a healing art, but researchdating back to the first dancing societies
has proved otherwise. Not only do we presently believe and have evidence of the
effectiveness of dance as a therapeutic practice, but many who have come before us
believed the same thing without any research to support their beliefs. It was not research,
but experience, that fostered their value of dance as a therapy and how thankful I am for
the evolution of these healing practicesthe evolution of dance therapy.

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Works Cited
"About Dance/Movement Therapy." ADTA. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.adta.org/About_DMT>.
Dance. Oxford English Dictionary. Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2012.
http://www.oed.com.erl.lib.byu.edu/. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
Fladager, Lisa. "An Understanding of Dance Therapy and Authentic Movement." (n.d.): n. pag.
Web. 13 Dec. 2014. <http://www.bahaistudies.net/asma/dancetherapy3.pdf>.
Hayes, Elizabeth R. "The Arts and Rituals of Tribal Cultures." The Evolution of Visual,
Literary, and Performing Arts: From Tribal Cultures Through the Middle Ages. Provo,
UT: BYU Academic, 2009. 46-47. Print.
Kraus, Richard. "Chapter 3: The Roots of Dance: Lineage-Based Societies and Pre-Christian
Forms." History of the Dance in Art and Education. Third ed. Englewood Cliffs, New
Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1969. 27-37. Print.
Monteiro, Nicole M., and Diana J. Wall. "African Dance as Healing Modality Throughout the
Diaspora: The Use of Ritual and Movement to Work Through Trauma." The Journal of
Pan African Studies 4.6 (2011): 234-35. Print.
Schwartz, Hillel. "Torque: The New Kinaesthetic of the Twentieth Century." Incorporations.
Ed. Jonathan Crary and Sanford Kwinter. New York, NY: Zone, 1992. 71-72. Print.
"Village Dance Rituals as Planetary Medicine: Dance Rituals." Village Dance Rituals as
Planetary Medicine: Dance Rituals. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
<http://gypsienation.blogspot.com/p/dance-rituals.html>.