Dr. Danielle Fraenkel , developed LivingDance after she witnessed the powerful affect creative movement and kinesthetic sensing had on individuals with eating disorders. She also saw how creative dance generated awareness, presence, and identity development. Artists use LivingDance to break through creative blocks. It is equally useful for dancers, athletes, and people who feel awkward in their bodies. Psychotherapists report being more aware of the nonverbal communication in their sessions and more comfortable nonverbal approaches into the counseling process.
Lawyers describe feeling more confident and articulate during courtroom hearings.
Nurses report incorporating elements of LivingDance into their interventions and being better able to express their concerns to the doctors in charge. Methods include improvisation, kinesthetic sensing, authentic movement, somato-respiratory integration , and embodied imagery. LivingMusic is the latest addition to the LivingDance process. Jeffrey Mehr, MA, plays keyboard and synthesizers. His empathic musical expression relates directly to the process, either as a link to a specific dancer or dancers, or as an extension of the task at hand.