Choreography as a Therapeutic Process

Choreography is a very difficult task. It doesn't come naturally to me and requires lots of effort and meticulous planning. Connecting the individual movements that I come up with in my head into one fluid piece is really difficult. But choreography can actually be therapeutic and has been used as a part of DMT initiatives. For patients it acts as an avenue for self-reflection and storytelling. Similar to art therapy, this intervention allows patients to work with their psychological material, externalise it into choreography, make meaning of and transform the material, and integrate it through performance (Victoria, 2012). Not only this, but performing movement to others helps patients learn their associations with being seen, and utilise the witness function of an audience (Victoria, 2012). The most significant part of the choreographic process in regard to DMT comes the re-internalisation phase. It occurs through the process of performing or witnessing the performance. Performing or witnessing

one’s dance being performed is an essential aspect of the therapeutic process in

continuing to integrate the psychotherapeutic work accomplished in the prior

phases. The client has the opportunity to tune into her own felt sense, or

visceral sensation and intuition, enabling her to re-experience the depth of her

communication (Victoria, 2012).

During my last recital, my dance teacher was fighting an extremely difficult personal journey. Her family member had been diagnosed with stage IV cancer and she choreographed a piece to symbolize their fight against illness. I could see that it was a very therapeutic experience for her: She could create a story out of her pain. She expressed gratitude to all the dancers for helping bring this story to life and perform it the way she envisioned. I was honored to be able to take the main role of this piece and help live out even a little bit of the legacy my teacher wanted to show in the performance.

  Victoria, H. K. (2012). Creating dances to transform inner states: A choreographic model in Dance/Movement Therapy. Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy, 7(3), 167–183. https://doi.org/10.1080/17432979.2011.619577