By Colleen Beres

Ask anyone who dances why they do it, and chances are, they’ll tell
you that it helps them express themselves. And who needs help
expressing themselves more than children who have developmental
disabilities? Many dance companies and special needs foundations have
realized this and have thus created classes or entire studios dedicated
to teaching developmentally disabled children how to dance.

Companies across the country such as Expressive Therapeutic
Movement, the American Dance Therapy Association and VSA Arts of
Wisconsin, are melding dance’s awareness of movement and expression
with the therapeutic skills of counseling, therapy and rehabilitation.
By these companies’ definition, ‘disabled’ can mean anything from
Down’s syndrome and Autism, to a physical handicap such as paraplegism
or a debilitating disease such as Cystic Fibrosis. Using the universal
language of dance, these students can gain a confidence and a sense of
inclusion that they might not have access to in other avenues of their
life.

Although dance therapy seems like a newly developed resource, it’s
actually just experiencing a national resurgence. According to the
American Dance Therapy Association, dance therapy became a recognized
profession in the ‘40’s, prompting the association to form in 1966.
Since then, the association has developed to provide members in 48
states and 24 countries around the world. It is practiced in
environments as far reaching as day cares, nursing homes, mental health
rehabilitation centers and medical and educational centers, and
encompasses teachers and students of all ages and races.

Instructors of therapeutic dance must be highly skilled and trained
because each student has very individual and specific limits to their
abilities. Their physical and mental restraints must always be taken
into account when developing their lessons. Thus, the American Dance
Therapy Association requires a master’s level of training and education
before they are given the title “Dance Therapist Registered.” This
training includes 700 hours of supervised, clinical internship. Once
the pending instructor reaches 3,640 hours of supervised training in an
institute, agency or school, and additional training from the ADTR,
they are declared part of the “Academy of Dance Therapists”.

If you would like to become involved in dance therapy, you can contact the American Dance Therapy Association at info@adta.org, or go to their website, www.adta.org to find a local chapter. You can also reach VSA Arts at www.vsarts.org.
In addition to their Wisconsin chapter, they have locations all across
the United States. Both of these associations, as well as many others
across the country, appreciate any involvement you can offer, from
being part of their mailing list, to making donations, to volunteering
or becoming an instructor. You can be a part of the growing dance
therapy movement, and help the developmentally disabled have a voice!