DIVINE DANCE

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The spirit of dance meets the science of medicine.
By Galina Pembroke

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She spins; her feet tight and tornado-fast. As her arms form an oval directly over her head, she reminds me of a music-box dancer in a race with enlightenment.

This is how I imagine Dianne (Dunya) McPherson, as I marvel at her website: www.dancemeditation.org/index.php. McPherson's resume is impressive. Her credentials include receiving her BFA from Julliard, and holding the faculty department-chair at Victoria College of the Arts in Melbourne, Australia. What McPherson and her colleagues reveal about the power of dance is far more accurate than the impression given by a toy-box cliché. Dance is not just for aspiring ballerinas. And unlike traditional dance, healing-dance is not performed for the entertainment of others. It is a flight from the superficial to the realm of the spirit.

Healing Hops

Dance therapy is founded on the principle that movement both reflects and creates our patterns of feeling and thought. Though dance-therapy begins with the shaman over 30,000 years ago, the spinning that Diane practices is associated primarily with the Sufi's Mevlevi order, an offshoot of Islam. This faction, also called the whirling dervishes, was born during the fourteenth century. A variety of cultures and religions have long appreciated the medicinal power of dance. Shamans and medicine men of various North American Indian tribes, have incorporated dance into their healing rituals. Yet, it is only this past century that dance therapy has finally attained status as a medical treatment in western society. A little late is better than never.

Dance therapy uses choreographed and spontaneous movement to treat all aspects of the human condition. Group dance therapy takes us away from isolation, and the shared spiritual experience creates a powerful bond with the other participants. Individually, dance therapy is just as beneficial. Physically, it promotes healthy circulation and ease of breathing; emotionally it promotes a state of calm and well-being; and spiritually it creates a feeling of union. Also significant are dance therapy's mental benefits—the improvisational aspect of dance therapy encourages self-expression and creative thinking.

Anyone on a quest for personal growth can benefit from dance therapy. Worldwide and throughout history, dance has been a form of emotional expression. Even today youth line up at clubs for Thank-God-It's-Friday celebrations.

Dance And Trance

Healing-dance is one component of an integrated mind-body therapy system. As we all know, to feed our spirit, we must maintain the health of our body. In The Molecules of Emotion, neurochemist Candace Pert explains: "We are integrated beings, a web of entwined aspects all influencing and communicating with one another."

Dance as therapy began as ecstatic (trance) dance, and was part of Shamanic ritual. Back then, it was part of a greater whole, which involved chanting, drumming and prayer. Ecstatic dance binds the spiritual with the physical and meditation in action.

Most of western society views healing as a pyramid where physical well-being is the foundation. In contrast, dance therapy views health as a cohesive whole, and seeks to keep each equal element balanced. To aid in this balance, McPherson recommends integrating other forms, such as yoga, into regular practice. Says McPherson: "The balance of practices is intuitively felt." Dance therapy doesn't end with physical exercise, though it is the most important element. Verbal exertion, in the form of chanting, is also a component.

Many types of dance therapy move us into a meditative state. "Whirling (spinning) induces theta wave states in the brain," says McPherson. "It encourages the release of beta-endorphin (a pain-killer and feel-good neurotransmitter) and lowers adrenaline, cortisol & noradrenalin (stress compounds) "
It activates the right side of the brain resulting in an integration of right-left brain hemispheres " It is a systematic "tune-up" and rebalancing " It initiates a hyper-arousal trance state."

While in this rapture, we experience a form of picture-thinking. This state cradles our mind between childlike and celestial. Introducing these theta waves gives us access to our unconscious. In this peace we find the roots of creativity, a world of images and insights. Interpreting these visions, we feel motivated to express them. After peering at the world through the eyes of the soul, our previously narrow perspective widens.

Techniques And Training

Who is qualified to impart this inner freedom? A dance therapist is not a guru. However, they are guided by a greater purpose. In many countries, including the US and UK, teachers of this ancient art must already have qualifications in the field of dance or social sciences. Though dance therapists have the comprehensive training needed to deal with such extreme conditions as cystic fibrosis, AIDS, and psychotic conditions, many work to heal everyday physical and emotional aches and pains.

In the 1970's, dance therapy migrated to Australia from the US. In 1989, The International Dance Therapy Institute of Australia was founded. The Melbourne-based IDTIA has scrupulous standards of teacher training equal to that of any school worldwide. Those entering the field are already educated in the health sciences, working as teachers, psychologists or physiotherapists. The IDTIA views dance therapy as "an allied health profession that combines the creative process and the study of human movement into a holistic approach that involves the elements inherent in dance."

During a dance therapy session, participants are encouraged to identify and express their deepest feelings. For example, an initial session at the IDTIA begins with instructors moving in synchronicity with their clients "to establish rapport." They state that they "facilitate the client to move in ways that express their inner experience and/or extend their range of movement capabilities." Often, instructions are given through visual cues much like a conductor leads an orchestra. Although suggestions are made, work proceeds at the client's own pace. This spirit of cooperation and patience helps build a supportive, non-competitive atmosphere. The IDTIA often holds short courses and introductory workshops. These are not as intensive, and require no previous training. Dance meditation, a branch of dance therapy, can also be learned in classes or workshops around the world.

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Galina Pembroke has published over 100 articles in Canada, US, Australia and Europe. She adores animals, and is a proud supporter of The Fur-Bearers. Since 1944, The Fur-Bearers have struggled to stop the cruel, still-legal capturing of innocent wildlife for their fur. Dogs, cats-and even people- also wander into the metal- jaws of the legal, leg-hold trap and the noose-styled snare. The Fur-Bearers current agenda is to raise awareness about still legal, Canadian trapping of the near-endangered wolverine. To do this, they disseminate information worldwide, to media, activists, and concerned individuals. If you would like to learn more, visit their website: www.banlegholdtraps.com.

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