Film: The Power of Movement

 

 I

 

Unit: The Language of Movement

Theme: Watching & Responding

 

Introduction

The Power of Movement is a film that focuses on the use of dance therapy to allow individuals to reach into themselves and also to facilitate interaction among people. It was produced in 1982 by film-maker Norris Brock and dance/movement therapists Diane Duggan and Judith Bunney.

 

II

Check In

III

Learning Objectives

• Understand the diversity of populations dance/movement therapy can help to heal
• Explain the different approaches of the dance/movement therapists featured in the film
• Gain an awareness of the role of the dance/movement therapists
• Experience a hypothetical scenario in which dance/movement therapy can be used

IV

Main Lesson 

Film

The Power of Movement by Norris Brock

(2:07 -  30:15)

 

 

Featured Dance/Movement Therapists

• Sharon Chaiklin
• Joan Chodorow
• Jane Downes
• Barbara Stain
• Susan Sandel
  

V

A Note to Remember

The main role of dance/movement therapists, no matter the population they work with, is to watch the behaviors of their clients and respond to them in order help the clients to connect and know more about themselves.

VI

Case Study

Sharon Chaiklin

 

In this video

01:19

Whom and Where Did You Study Dance Therapy

03:50

How I Learned What Dance Therapy Was

14:00

Trust the Process

26:22

Final Thoughts

 

VII

Discussion Questions 

1. As you watch the video, match the therapist from the list above with the type of population they work with.
2. Explain in your own words the approach of each one of these therapists.

VIII

Activity

Go to your groups and choose one of the populations you want to work with. Based on the video, design a brief session tailored to the needs of that specific population.

IX

Journaling

X

Glossary

 

XI

Sources

Dance Therapy: The Power of Movement: A Film. https://www.worldcat.org/title/dance-therapy-the-power-of-movement-a-film/oclc/191864582

XII

Students' Work

Notes

The Power of Movement

 

Amanda Ayres

As you watch the video, match the therapist from the list above with the type of population they work with.

• In the first example Pamela longs for intimacy / support, afraid of being vulnerable. Therapist Joan works with individuals who want to connect to learn more about themselves. 
• The second example therapist Jane downs works with children to find the person underneath.
• Therapist Sharon Chaiklin guides women in therapy to respond to different concerns of members in the group. 

Explain in your own words the approach of each one of these therapists.

• the first therapist Joan just sits and allows Pamela to express herself. 
• The second therapist, Jane Downs mirrors the child’s movement in the mirror, then they join together and move side by side, then face to face. This is an example of attunement. Then they use a combo of movement and words. The child expresses the need for nurturing.
• Old folks home- therapist greets with saying hello, she uses movement to overcome the confines of conformity. Session began with greetings and movement . Overcoming age and physical capacity
• Psychiatric hospital- the therapist helps patients establish control over their body by building simple repetitive movements, this is an example of scoring. Moving together provides reassurance, opening up to being vulnerable. 
  • The therapist in the psychiatric hospital creates a safe space for collaboration and vulnerability through eye contact with the patients.
  • In another psychiatric hospital a group of women work together to express their feelings. The therapist Sharon uses music, she emphasizes purposeful movement and uses scoring.   

   

   
  Griffin Mason

  Power of Movement Notes
  "Our first language is the body language of movement and touch."

  Client's name is Pamela. Therapist's name is Jane. 

  It was very odd to me how Pamela moved. I was confused when Pamela felt an invasion of her space. It must take a talented individual to both be a therapist and client for dance movement therapy. Pamela seems to experience a wide range of emotion... I was a little shocked when she started screaming and slashing. 

  "Dance therapy bridges the conscious and the unconscious."

  Refers to Jane mirroring the child's movement as "echoing." Their connection strengthens a lot throughout the session. This is attunement.

  They use the circle just like we do in class. I thought it was cool how they do scoring. 

  I was surprised when the group perceived her shouts and anger as inauthentic. I was also surprised when they had a confrontation between two of the girls in the group (I think it was Linda and Alice). 

   

  Ayca Erturk

  • Client is Pamela , therapist is Joan
  • Primary theme in her life
  • She is fearful of being invaded but she longs for intimacy. 
  • As she rises above from the ground she grows out of the child she was representing. 
  • Trying to find the significance of her dream through movement. 
  • Many contrasts were found. 
  • A sense of her own wholeness. 

  
  

  • The child and Jane 
  • Through responding to child’s movements Jane enters the child’s world. > echoing
  • They move together, side by side > joining 
  • Working together, face to face > attunement 
  • They then touch and talk, with children words are important 
  • The child needs nurturing and the therapists responds accordingly. 

  
  

  • Susan Sandel in a nursing home
  • People don’t grow out the need of physical touch
  • Ass they shake hands, a connection is made throughout the circle
  • They come face to face to discover each other, even the simple gestures give a lot away. 

  
  

  • Male therapists are not really welcome to work with children the way female therapists do. 

  
  

  • Barbara Eston with a group of men
  • scoring, structure
  • Dance therapy allows for safe expression
  • Crescendo, climax, release
  • They allow themselves to be vulnerable, and the therapist always makes eye contact and creates a safe space for the men. 

  
  
  

  • Sharon - The hospital
  • Therapy takes time
  • Building a group identity through shared movement 
  • Linda moves into the center of the circle, is connected to the group in a way yet feels distinct 
  • Purposeful movement!
  • Suggesting movements that are meaningful to that group
  • One of them feels locked in and unable to get out
  • Self knowledge can come from playfulness
  • As they become more comfortable with each other the session focuses on more difficult feelings
  • Resolution within your group > Sharon stands in between the two group members as a safety precaution 
  • You have to tackle the issues and then move on with your. Session since issues may surface during the session
  • Structuring movement for resolution before parting. 
  • Dignity and integrity

   Chisom Alumba
  

  Reflection

  The client's name is Pamela and she pays attention to her inner self through body movements. The therapist's name is Joan and she's a dance movement therapist. She watches and responds. Pamela's movement says that she longs for intimacy and relationship but also is scared of invasion (that's the theme). She used to tease for attention when she little; delighted when she got it and pouted when she didn't. Her movements are cold and controlling. Pamela's movements brings the things that have been in her subconscious to her conscious mind. By portraying her dream through movements, she is able to understand the parts of herself that are at opposites with each other. At the end, she was firmer and more grounded and was able to understand her feelings better. 

  With the child, Jane mirrors the child's movements in order to connect with the child. The bond forms and their dance becomes more synchronized (joining). There was attunement and kinesthetic therapy which strengthens the bond even more. The child's movements show that she is need of nurturing which Jane responds to (kinesthetic empathy)

  In the nursing home, the therapist is Susan. They form a circle to establish a connection. It shows that dance movement therapy can be used with people of all ages. Males can't work with children because there's a social stigma around that regardless of whether the man has a maternal instinct 

  In dance movement therapy, as the movement is being carried out, it usually builds up to a climax and after the climax, there is a release; this is what you want for the client. The therapist always makes eye contact which forms a bond and provides a safe space for the clients. After the session, the men have a newer insight and a better sense of themselves. 

  In dance movement therapy, the movement has to be purposeful. It should have a specific meaning and should have an impact on the clients. With Sally, she wants to express herself but feels locked in and unable to open up. It also helps in conflict resolution. When there are conflicts in group therapy, the issue has to be solved so that the group doesn't explode. Tension has to be released towards the end of the session so that they can part properly instead of parting while harboring those feelings.

   Kyle Jordan

   The person was able to find their deeper feeling with the help of movement and talking. Moving together side by side they became more comfortable with one another as they began joining creating a stronger connection.

  With children words are important to create a connection and movement is another form of communication for them.

  Simple action represents one's personality. 

  Therapy was able to overcome age with touch and personality to create more of a connection amongst the elderly. 

  Inside the prison dance movements were to allow for different moves and feelings to be expressed.

  Good movement is dependent on cooperation and gives other people reassurance and allows people to be themselves.

  Growth an change takes time and therapy provides them with this opportunity to build group identity.

  The use of purposeful movement creates one's identity.

  The clarity of movement clearly reflects someone.

  Anger is one of the most difficult feelings for others to accept and for one to express.

  Dance movement therapy strengthened the group.

   

  Maximillian Held

  As explained in the video, Pamela is paying attention to her impulses and moves as the naturally feeling of her body and mind. Jane watches Pamela and takes in her movements and sort of reads her feelings and expression. Pamela is fearful of being invaded as said by Jane. While Pamela is on the ground moving, she refers to the feeling she once had as a child. As she moves and starts to get up she feels as if she is starting to grow and eventually grow passed to what she is now. It seems to all relate to a dream of Pamela. She eventually finds her self on two feet and moving passed what she once felt.

  In the therapy session with the child, they use the mirror to develop a closer bond that grows stronger. The relationship progresses too Jane and the child talking and touching, through attunement Jane and the child start to rock back and forth and create a sort of peek a boo game that lightens up the child more.

  Susan using music to get a small crowd of elderly people to become more comfortable, as hands are shaken and spoken words between one another are exchanged they start to form a circle of bond. This shows that even while in a wheelchair with minimal movement they are able to create a strong bond. Dance therapy have moved passed just the involvement of movement but threw the elderly group, has been proven to work well even with minimal movement. 

  Inside a psychiatric hospital, Susan uses dance therapy to develop trust and relief through helping them keep control on a body level with repetitive movements. Group movement depends on each persons involvement which is how she brings them together. Using eye contact and a safe space she makes a comfortable place for them to collaborate.

  In another psychiatric hospital, the dance therapist, Sharon using music and space to keep everyone feeling involved, through moving each member in the group in the midden to show they all care and each of them won't lose their sense of self. To stand on one's two feet represents self confidence. Some have shown that it is still a struggle to find themselves through purposeful movement. Linda expresses anger which shows her true sense of self, she is able to connect with one of the members she had disagreement with in the past, Linda expresses anger to her but Sharon stands between them as a medium between the two and Sharon tries to show her what her actual impact is on the other member and helps solve the issue. Sharon structured the movement for the release of tension before the group broke apart to help strengthen the group by meeting a challenge and overcoming it.

   

  Katelyn Figdore

  
  

  • The beginning of the video emphasizes that our first language is a language of movement and touch
  • Pamela, the client, is using dance movement therapy to discover more about herself
  • Joan, the therapist, uses the practice of dance movement therapy to help clients by observing her clients movements and prompting the client to think deeper about the meaning behind them
  • Jane and the child engage in attunement responding to one another's movements, then they begin speaking/making noises as a form of expression
  • The dance therapist, Susan, has residents of a nursing home express their "hellos" with both voice and movement. They utilize "the circle" as a form of connection with one another, as we do
  • The men discover a connection and the ease of letting go to develop a greater sense of themselves as individuals and a group
  • In the psychiatric hospital the patients use dance movement therapy to express themselves, they do both individual and group movements. The one girl dances in the center of the circle, distinct from the others at first, but then becomes more in rhythm with the group
  • Purposeful movement
  • The therapist is a mediator for 2 patients who have conflicts. Linda's anger impacts others and she must move to the other side of the circle. The therapist ensures resolution before parting.

   

  Ellie Karofsky

  
  

  - Pamela is the student in the therapy session
  - therapist Joan
  
  - Joan watches Pamela in her movements to get an idea of how she is feeling
  - movements represent a theme in her life and different stages of her life: she longs for intimacy but struggles with welcoming it
  - as Pamela is working through a “dream” the therapist is observing
  - later in the session, Pamela has reached a deeper understanding of her movements and feelings and is more in touch with herself
  
  Next part:
  - a child is using echoing (reflection) in her movement therapy
  - she is also working directly with Jane face to face
  - the child’s movements show a need for nurturing that she is unable to express with words
  
  Next part:
  - a large group of older people are sat in a circle with a dance therapist
  - they are told to reach across the circle and connect with another as a way of connecting with their limited movement ability
  
  Next part: prison
  - dance therapist Barbara is working with prison inmates
  - dance allows for them to express their feelings in a way that can be controlled —> safe expression and release of their emotions
  - being among others in a safe way and opening themselves to being vulnerable
  
  Next part:
  - psychiatric hospital: the women will come to know themselves and express outside what they have inside
  - music is used to build group identity
  - suggesting movements that are specific to these women
  
  
  - conflict resolution between group members
  - opening ourselves to others to resolve conflicts
  - strutting movement for release of tension - finish with a movement that ends the session with unity between the participants

   

   

  Hannah Scherer

  
  

  Joan and Pamela are working together to bring subconscious thoughts to the conscious mind. Pamela is using free association of movement to discover thoughts. Pamela also is discovering opposing thoughts within her. Through her movement she is also able to dissect a dream. 

  With children, mirroring is a great technique to aid the child in expression. In addition, the therapist is able to respond to the child's movement and create a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship. 

  Through this video I was also able to see the application of the circle. The elderly were able to come together through the circle. 

  Feelings are able to be expressed through movement. Control is also a great tool to create structure which tailors to a place of self expression. Clients are able to feel safe in the space to express themselves and feel their emotions. 

  Music is also a great tool to be able to create a sense of community and for clients to get in touch with their own bodies. The therapist leads the session by integrating movements that are tailored for each individual group. There are movements that have specific meanings. 

  
  

  Group Work

   

  1

   

  Cassidy Halloran, Vicki Thomas, Riley Hanes, Hannah Scherer, Ayca Erturk
  Our group chose the population of children that have emotional distress as well as difficulties controlling their anger. Our hopes were to provide a safe place for children to let out their anger in a safe place. We used movements to help keep them grounded. The song we chose went along with different movements to let children let out their anger.
  

  2
  

   Ellie, Molly, Sophie, Amanda, nick, griffin, Kaitlyn
  
  For a group of children who are dealing with anger and unsolved emotions. We started from the floor to standing to show growth and release of emotions. At the end we had a motion that represented blooming and growing strong. We chose the song let it go from frozen because it has a strong message to it of letting go of things that could be holding us back

  3
  

  Max, Morgan, Daniel, Jake.t, Jake D, Paige, Ioanna

  Our population was the elderly

  -We choose a routine that would bring them together, bring back memories from their youth, and help them to feel empowered and free.

  -The song we chose to work with was Hound Dog by Elvis Presley.

  4
  

  Maddy, Emma, Kyle, Sophie, Arantza

   

  we did an elderly group that was feeling lonely and created movement that connected them to bring a sense of community we chose the song the twist to remind them of their youth and a brighter time

   5

   Kayla, Sydney, Beren, Chisom
  

  Our group chose children to help them relax and get their body moving in a simple way that would not cause them stress since children are used to movement. We chose the Let It Go song from Frozen because it is a popular song among children and our movements consists of stretches and a hug at the end

 

Make Up Work

 

 

Dillon Londin / Questions

1. As you watch the video, match the therapist from the list above with the type of population they work with.

• Sharon Chaiklin- Psychiatric hospital, teaches women there with certain disabilities 
• Joan Chodorow- works with adults who want to connect with their inner self by expressing their emotions expressive body movements
• Jane Downes- works with young children to establish a connection with each of her students and allow them a way to empress their emotions 
• Barbara Stain- works with predominantly women of older ages 
• Susan Sandel- worked at a nursing home with the elderly women and men to connect themselves with one another through body movement and eye contact

2. Explain in your own words the approach of each one of these therapists.

• Sharon Chaiklin- Working at a psychiatric hospital communication with words is sometimes difficult to communicate with words. Therefore her approach included a lot of touch in order to communicate and direct her patients
• Joan Chodorow- In the video that gives you perspective into a music dance therapy session with Joan and her adult client, her approach emphasizes sitting eye level with their clients. As a method to develop a relationship with her client Joan allows the women to express herself by letting lose and letting her mind move her body. It was very interesting to see this hands off approach, ultimately allowing the patient to express herself in the uttermost ways 
• Jane Downes- In the video that showed Downes' interaction with her patients that are young students, she demonstrates the method of mirroring to emulate empathy and establish connection. Jane's approach as a dance music therapist is to maintain eye contact and body angle to what the kids are. In doing so this spreads attunement and attention fostering the student to release their emotions 
• Susan Sandel- Working with the elderly at a nursing home, her approach included less movement and more touch and open communication in order to connect to their patients. A main point of emphasis was ensuring the comfort and safety of the patients as they communicate the best with their emotions in a state of relaxation