Date of Award
8-2021
Document Type
Thesis - Open Access
Degree Name
MS in Dance/Movement Therapy
First Advisor
Elise Risher
Abstract
Dance/movement therapy is a psychotherapeutic modality that acknowledges the human body as a window to the human mind and spirit. Through creative and dynamic interventions, it fosters a healthy unification of the mind and body to enhance an individual's holistic health. This research focuses on the traditional dance form of India, Bharatanatyam, and its influence on the body and mind of the practitioner. Journeying through the history of the dance form to its relevance in the field of dance/movement therapy, the thesis explores how Bharatanatyam can be useful as an alternate method, in a therapeutic session to facilitate navigation through checking in with our bodies and finding expression of thoughts and emotions. The thesis describes different aspects in the practice of Bharatanatyam that can be useful in structuring interventions in a dance/movement therapy session. Movement being the language of a dance/movement therapist, this paper expands upon the idea to bridge different cultures and provide an opportunity to explore creative alternative interventions that can be used globally.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Marghashayam Bharath, Maanasa, "Bharatanatyam, An Effective Psychotherapeutic Intervention in Dance/Movement Therapy" (2021). Dance/Movement Therapy Theses. 92.
https://digitalcommons.slc.edu/dmt_etd/92
Included in
Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons, Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms Commons, Dance Commons, Dance Movement Therapy Commons, Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Commons, Mental Disorders Commons, Movement and Mind-Body Therapies Commons, Other Mental and Social Health Commons, Other Psychiatry and Psychology Commons, Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy Commons