Dance has been a big part of my life since I was a child. I started dancing at the age of three and haven't stopped since. Apart from bringing joy, dance has always helped me to overcome certain obstacles in my own life and this is why I have always believed in the power of dance - and, most importantly, in the healing power of dance.
After finishing my Communication Therapy degree from the University of Malta, I knew it was then time to pursue my dancing career so I moved to London and studied at the Laban Conservatoire of Dance.
After that, dance took me to Berlin, where I worked - and still work - on various dance projects. I am very grateful to have been able to do this for a few years now - in both Germany and elsewhere. However, I felt that something was missing, and I still wanted to spread the joy of dance with others in a different way - a way that connects to them more directly.
That led me to enrol in a dance movement therapy course, which I finished in June last year. As a speech and language pathologist, I had ample experience working with people with Autism Spectrum, Disorder (ASD), and I wanted to take my work with them a step further. So for my final thesis, I researched the effects of dance/ movement therapy on children with ASD, and since then have carried out group and one-to-one therapy sessions with this target group in Berlin and Malta. In addition, I also offer therapy to the parents and care-givers of children with ASD. I currently continue to work as a dancer, dance movement therapist and speech therapist in Berlin and abroad.
What is Dance Movement Therapy?
Dance movement therapy (DMT) is the psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance to support the intellectual, emotional and motor functions of the body. As a form of expressive therapy, DMT looks at the correlation between movement and emotion. It offers individuals of all ages and abilities a space in which to explore what drives them, and helps people develop self-awareness and sensitivity to others and also to find a way of feeling more comfortable in their bodies.
A therapist will use movement as an outlet for the mind and body expression, and this sets it apart from traditional oral therapies.
DMT helps a person achieve emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration. Other benefits include stress reduction and mood management. It can also help improve body image and self-esteem. Founded within the idea that motion and emotion are interconnected, this creative expression can also help develop communication skills for better relationships.
DMT can be adapted to a variety of settings and is a beneficial tool for anybody and everybody. Research has found that using dance movements as a form of therapy activates several brain functions at once - kinaesthetic, rational, musical, and emotional - making it one of the most beneficial therapeutic tools.
The sessions can be on a one-to-one basis or in a group setting and they vary greatly depending on the therapist and the client as well as their wishes and needs.
How does it help children with ASD?
It is great to see how research is starting to show that an early intervention programme, including expressive arts, is fundamentally productive for children with autism and the outcome can (and does) dramatically benefit the child's needs.
In addition to simple, enjoyable exercise and social interaction, movement helps to develop essential skills and positively affects the challenges of autism.
Some of these positively affected challenges include:
- Social and life skills
- Self-esteem, self-awareness and self-determination
- Body awareness
- The ability to communicate needs and desires
- Speech, language and communication
- Gross and fine motor skills/planning
- Proprioception, balance and spatial orientation
- Sensory processing and integration
- Physical health and wellness
- Anxiety and depression
The shared experiences during DMT sessions lead to the client/child and therapist engaging in movements that interact and regulate each other, meaning the therapist gains a level of control over the client via movement, and vice versa. This non-verbal interaction is based on their trusting relationship and can change behaviour and lead to further self-expression and awareness for the individual.
Sessions for children with ASD have been described (though not necessarily) as using props, music, spoken words or singing. In addition, here, a session can be with a group or an individual. It can be very structured and predictable in activity, or completely free form, following the wishes and needs of the child.
Where can people find this therapy in Malta?
It is great that, nowadays, there are many organisations doing an excellent job - including dance and the arts - to help individuals with special needs lead a healthier, more positive life.
Having said that, I feel it is that people can differentiate between a creative dance session/dance class and dance as a means of therapy (as mentioned above). The goals and techniques used are very different, and dance movement therapy can only be carried out by a qualified dance movement therapist.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to find this service in Malta. The number of qualified dance movement therapists here is very limited, even more so, dance/movement therapists who work with individuals with autism. I am actually not aware of anyone offering this service.
I am hoping - and working - with the aim of making this type of therapy more accessible to this client group. I come down to Malta as often as I can, and when I do, I offer dance movement therapy sessions at TAASC Remedies clinic in Birkirkara. The Association of Speech and Language Pathologists Malta (ASLP), have also shown their support and interest and we carried out two taster sessions for children with special needs in March. These were very successful, so we hope to plan more sessions for the coming months.
We are also planning to contact other locations where this could be possible, to make dance movement therapy accessible to a broader range of individuals with autism across the island.
For further information contact info@taascmalta.com
Photo: Josef Degabriele
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