Dancing, ACT and Signs of Suicide American/International Rhythms: Dance/Movement Therapy Practice and Research
Shannon Hardy, a young ballet dancer, suffered from bipolar disorder and in May 2002, at the age of 25, she took her own life. In her honor The Shannon Hardy Making Connections Suicide Prevention Project began in Fall 2002. It offers two-hour workshops in public and private middle and high schools, colleges, dance studios and residential treatment programs. The project goal is suicide prevention for young people through body-based learning, employing Shannon Hardy's love of dance as a vehicle for change.
In the "Interrupted Rhythms: The Dance of Suicide and Its Prevention 'Steps'" seminar at the 40th American Dance Therapy Association Annual Conference (the theme title was "American Rhythms/International Rhythms: Dance/Movement Therapy Practice and Research"), October 27-30, 2005, held in Nashville, Tennessee, participants went through exercises that are part of ACT, the Hardy protocol. To learn to pick up kinesthetic and vis-ual cues of a person at risk, participants create movement shapes of Acknowledgement, showing what they think depression feels like. They embody Caring for a person who is feeling blue, and then Telling about the person. Participants discuss who is appropriate to Tell about a person's signs of suicide. This is important because young people don't want to betray confidences or be snitches. Students learn that they can move their bodies in ways that change their moods.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among teenagers. While suicide is very hard to predict, there are some reliable indicators of risk. Those who are seriously depressed are quite likely to have thoughts of suicide. Other emotional illnesses such as severe anxiety or confusion can lead to the idea that "life is not worth living." Anyone who has previously attempted suicide is at increased risk. Recent losses, particularly deaths of close relatives or friends, heighten vulnerability. Alcohol and drugs can dissolve inhibitions against suicide. Preparations for death, such as giving away possessions or acquiring a gun, are cause for great concern.
A sudden lift in spirits in a depressed person may mean a decision has been reached to "end the misery." Other clues include a change in eating and sleeping habits; withdrawal from friends, family and regular activities; violent actions, rebellious behavior or running away. At-risk clues are unusual neglect of personal appearance; marked personality change; persistent boredom; difficulty concentrating or a decline in the quality of schoolwork; frequent complaints about physical symptoms, often related to emotions, such as stomachaches, headaches, fatigue, etc.; loss of interest in pleasurable activity; and not tolerating praise or rewards.
A teenager who is planning to commit suicide may also complain about being a bad person or feeling rotten inside, give verbal hints with statements such as: I won't be a problem for you much longer, nothing matters, it's no use, and I won't see you again. A youngster at-risk may have signs of psychosis (hal-lucinations or bizarre thoughts).
Dance/movement therapy recognizes that a person can express him or herself through the body, and that the body and mind are intertwined. The American Dance Therapy Association comprises members who are committed to the psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process which furthers the emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration of the individual. Body movement simultaneously provides the means of assessment and the mode of intervention. Dance/movement therapists are employed in a wide variety of facilities such as hospitals, schools, community centers, senior citizen facilities and sexual abuse centers. Many therapists are also in private practice.
ADTA was launched in 1966 to create and maintain high standards of professionalism among dance/movement therapists. Developing and promoting education and training, besides providing avenues of communication among dance/movement therapists and professionals working in related fields, help to increase the utilization, acceptance and efficacy of dance/movement therapy. The ADTA has an approval procedure for granting recognition to those insti-tutions that fulfill the guidelines for graduate master's degree programs, and it publishes a list of those colleges and universities in addition to other training programs. ADTA-approved Master's Degree programs are currently offered at Antioch/New England Graduate School, Drexel University, Pratt Institute, The Naropa University and Columbia College, Chicago. In addition, the ADTA publishes the American Journal of Dance Therapy, a newsletter and special monographs and bibliographies.
America's development of dance therapy training and programs has provided models for similar kinds of dance therapy in more than 44 countries. At the 2005 ADTA Annual Conference, 13 countries (Argentina, Egypt, France, Greece, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Taiwan and the U.S.) were presented. On the 11th International Panel, they described their respective programs, problems and prospects.
Forty U.S. states were represented at the ADTA conference. Participants included undergraduate students trying to discover if dance therapy might be their career choice, dance therapy students, certified dance therapists (some of whom are also physicians, social workers and psychologists) and other professionals.
Pre-conference intensive seminars included an all-day seminar for counselors and other mental health professionals. "Unpacking the Magic: Creating and Directing Movement Choirs" explored the "how to" within a theoretical, therapeutic framework. "Dancing with Wisdom: Psychodynamic Theory and Dance/Movement Therapy Practice with the Elderly" was an experiential and conceptual learning workshop. Claire Schmais and Elissa Queyquep White, distinguished ADTA leaders, directed "Teaching Dance/Movement Therapy: Process and Product" and examined teaching and learning styles, deconstructing complex skills and developing teaching strategies for incremental learning.
The conference opened and closed with "Movement Choirs" choreographed by Marylee Hardenbergh (see Dancer, July, pp. 82-8, on movement choirs). An Opening Performance by Sling Dance Company preceded the dance film, "RIZE," about krump dancing, a vehicle for youngsters in South-Central Los Angeles to express self- and group-identity and intense feelings of frustration and power.
There were early morning warm-ups, regional caucuses, research poster sessions, book exhibits and sales, book signings and a wide variety of seminars. For example, in "Dancing with Children in a Unique Medical Setting," three presenters from the same creative arts therapy/child life team at a pediatric hematology/oncology center demonstrated the nuances of how dance/movement therapy can be applied in a medical setting. The "Ritual Circles: Archetypes for Healing and Reincorporation Following Tsunami" workshop illustrated through video, didactic and experiential presentations how safety and stability necessary for psychological and physical healing can be promoted. An exploration of ways to reintegrate harmony of self through the cultivation of empathy, the rhythm of mutuality and the enhancement of self-motivation was the focus of "Modulating Chaos: From Dissonance to Harmony in Homelessness and Mental Illness." In "Dance/Movement Therapy for People with Parkinson's Disease Revisited," a therapist reported that exercise and expressive movement have counteracted and delayed some of the devastating symptoms of the progressive neurological disorder which gradually decreases a person's movement abilities.
"Choreographing Inner City At-Risk and Conduct Disordered Youth: Salsa in Dance/Movement Therapy" was an experiential workshop. Salsa, an integ-ral feature of many Hispanic communities, has a distinctive rhythmic structure that facilitates self-control, and its spatial elements develop sensitivity to proxemic, touch and gender roles. Group choreography and performance promote self-expression, communication, problem-solving, socialization and self-esteem.
"Using Tango and Folk Rhythms/Dance in Treatment of Psychotic Patients" demonstrated how issues of boundaries, self-expression and communication in these rhythms are addressed through couple and group circle formations. Seminars also spotlighted specific models and approaches to dance/movement therapy, seminal therapists, stories from new dance/movement therapists and advocacy for the field.
I attended the conference as the invited Marian Chace keynote speaker. The Marian Chace Foundation, established in honor of a pioneer in dance therapy, instituted an annual lecture to further its mission of enhancing learning. My remarks were entitled "The Power of Dance Discourse: Explanation in Self-Defense." Since 1962, I have been on an unending odyssey to understand the power of dance, and I have been teased about it. Many people think dance is merely a physical activity for leisure and entertainment. Adventures in different cultures raised questions that led to research projects in Nigeria and Uganda, an American elementary school, American theaters, social dance settings and adult entertainment clubs. Knowledge in political science, anthropology, sociolinguistics, nonverbal communication studies and cog-nitive science explorations of the mind-body interface helped to explain the persuasive dance communication I saw in practice. Findings of how, what, to and with whom dance speaks have implications for dance therapy and its broader acceptance in the health field and wider population. The lecture will appear in the American Journal of Dance Therapy, 2006.
The power of dance is illustrated in my forthcoming book that deals with crises, everyday life, d the dance student and professional dancer. Dancing for Health: Conquering and Preventing Stress (available from publisher AltaMira Press [Rowman & Littlefield], 800-462-6420; for 30% discounted price of $21.00, offered at the ADTA conference, mention promotion code BF5HANNA when ordering).
At the ADTA conference banquet, a lovely dinner preceded a live band, Teacher's Pet. Attendees let loose on the dance floor, individuals partnering different individuals, groups forming, someone teaching line dancing, all with electric non-stop ENERGY.
Dance therapy is a career option for those trained in dance. Moreover, some dancers seek out dance therapy for their own growth and development.
For further information see www.ADTA.org, phone: 410-997-4040, email: info@adta.org.