Introduction
Our aim is to educate reflective dance therapy practitioners with an enquiring attitude, who are trained to combine therapeutic skills with research skills and who make use of a dance / movement vocabulary that is rooted in principles of (modern) dance, improvisation and Laban movement analysis. Dance is a powerful tool to use in therapeutic settings. Dance therapy has developed specific methods for identifying and working with psychosocial, psychosomatic, psychological and psychiatric issues and disorders. The programme’s central teaching concepts include the integration of theory and practice, discovery through practical experience, and exploratory learning. The underlying foundation in different theories encourages and enhances critical reflection.
Read moreYear 1-2-3
Year 1 Developing: in year one the focus is on development and growth, play, creativity, giving meaning to movement, dance as transformation, finding out about one’s own and the other’s (movement) preferences and values, exploring the body, different DT principles and methods, diversity issues, and through critical reflection connecting everything to personal interest and qualities; enquiry from the start in all modules, building up the enquiring mind.
Classes take place every Friday, two Saturdays per month and three intensive weeks (Oct., Feb. and June/July) per year.
Year 2 Connecting: year two will focus more on practice; pathology and different client populations, treatment goals, observations, building up confidence and identity as a dance therapist, leadership styles and skills, and sharpening research skills. In the second half of the second year students may begin an internship and will most likely continue this into the third year.
Classes take place every Friday, two Saturdays per month and three intensive weeks (Oct., Feb. and June/July) per year.
Year 3 Integrating: in year three the acquired and accumulated skills, knowledge and experience of the first two years will be applied into the internship, and into the research project leading into a master’s thesis; the integration of it all.
No scheduled classes in year three as students will have an individual route for internship and research. Dance therapy supervision is offered as a rule every three weeks on Saturdays.
Master
The Practice-Based Research modules and the research project leading to a master thesis offers professional tools for the dance therapy student at two levels: First, it generally contributes to an increased understanding of dance therapy. Second, it introduces enquiry, evaluation and research methods that help the DT practitioner to understand and develop practical approaches to treatment. Students learn how an enquiring approach adds value to the therapeutic profession. By seeking out information and developing evaluation skills students link therapeutic experience with theoretical knowledge and acquire the skills of a reflective practitioner.
After Graduation
The programme leads to a master’s diploma, MDaT Students emerge as critically engaged and enquiring dance therapists. This training enables them to make significant contributions to the further development of the field, both nationally and internationally. Dance therapists can be employed in public health services, social service agencies with crisis intervention programmes, day centres, prisons, special education and geriatric institutions, and in private practices. Dance therapists can work as artists and therapists combined in ‘arts for health’ projects, they can play an important role in prevention. And last but not least dance therapists also conduct research, publish articles and move on to a PhD degree.
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