Anna puts a lot of stock into this kind of therapy because she has whitnessed first hand the power of it. As I have already talked about, dance is obviously a very powerful life force. The same can be said about other forms of art. The practice of art therapy is a very valid and real practice, used at some of the top phsychological institutions. Anna has dedicated the rest of her life to using it, she writes on her website:
"I have an enduring love for dance and its power to teach, inspire, heal and transform. I’ve spent a lifetime of passion and devotion probing the nature of dance and asking why it so important as a life force. I find great excitement in sharing my deep love of dance with ordinary and diverse people. Their unique creativity inspires me to make dances that grow out of our lives. I want to integrate life and art so that as our art expands our life deepens and as our life deepens our art expands.As I sit on the bench overlooking my dance deck, a flood of questions arise. What next? Where am I going? What is my work now that I am eighty-seven? What do elders in other cultures do? Teach the young, heal the sick, care for the land, hold the rituals, speak with the ancestors, and maintain the family. I take all these actions, and call upon the spirits, wherever they may be, whatever that might mean, and however they may appear, to lead me further into this evolution of dance to which I have committed my life. I continue to believe in the shining potential set forth by all of this work, in its evolution from rebellion to expansion to community to healing and back again to the natural world."
Art therapy really does work! I've noticed that when I'm having a bad day, all I need to do is dance, and sometimes draw. It's a way to get more in touch with what is wrong. You can target your problem subconsciously when creating anything. It's a way for the mental problem to be release physically. My blog is about Mark Morris, who also does art therapy. A few years ago he conducted a dance class for people with Parkinsons disease. I wonder how many choreographers have done things like this?
ReplyDeleteI agree, dancing makes me feel better when I'm frustrated. I had never really been familiar with art/dance therapy until the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange came 2 years ago and introduced me to it, and until we studied Anna Halprin in class this semester. I think it is so interesting. I think it's sad that it is sometimes overlooked. I feel like dance therapy is actually something that is more popular than we think, but something that few people are familiar with. I also think that some (or a lot) of people would be hesitant to use dance or art as therapy since it is not a medical field, and usually therapy is medicinal. I'm interested in learning more about the study of dance therapy and how it came to be.
ReplyDeleteI also agree!! Whenever I am frustrated or angry, I feel the need to create. The best therapy for me is to be alone in my room and paint. It is important for me and I am sure many others to have something I created that will not be put out in the world to be judged. Self expression is extremely important, especially in more stressful times, like the ill people in the video. I also agree that Art Therapy should be used more since it is so beneficial.
ReplyDeleteI think art therapy is a beautiful thing. I loved the video, it was a little dated, and I would be very interested to see an updated version. I know that I dance, as a release and reason to get my feelings out. And the fact that there are so many different forms of art, and different things that it can benefit. As an education major, I feel strongly that dance (and other art forms) should also be incorporated into education.
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