Dance Movement Therapy Paper

Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) in recent years has progressed to a more commonly accepted form of Therapy, especially among the elderly. Seeing first-hand the effects that DMT has had while working in a Senior care facility pushed me to study DMT. The point of this paper is to show how dance movement therapy has and can improve the life of the elderly. Thanks to DMT life of the elderly has been benefited in several different ways: Physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. DMT was created in the 1940’s when Marian Chase (Founder/Creator of DMT) recognized that dance was an emotional outlet for her students. When she noticed this, she invited her students to concentrate on experiencing the emotions they were feeling through movement, instead of focusing on their technique. Years later Marian Chase would eventually say of her work, “this rhythmic action in unison with others results in a feeling of well-being, relaxation, and good fellowship.”. It wasn’t long before Dance Movement Therapy was adapted to accustom different ages and to help with different physical, mental, cognitive, and social disabilities that affect many. In recent years, it has specifically been adapted for the older community to help them by having an alternative therapeutic source. …show more content…
Typically, older adults have high body fat percentages, suffer from reduced muscle mass, and cardiovascular endurance and problems. These factors combine to make it more difficult for older adults to carry out basic daily routines. As age increases these factors increase along with it, senior citizens become more susceptible to injuries from falling, which can be very dangerous and can cause bone