The Importance of Rhythms in Dance/Movement Therapy
By: Dance For Mental Health, Dmh
Tags: Rhythm, Dance, Mental Health, Therapy, Dance Therapy

Rhythm has been regarded as the “most primitive, yet complex structure of the human mind” (Shallow, 2002, p. 43). It is present in an individual’s life even before birth, in the womb, and is present throughout a life cycle in the heartbeat, the breath, and in the way we walk, eat and communicate. Rhythms could be described as repeated patterns of sounds or beats used in music, poetry, or dance; or even as regular movements or patterns of change. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) uses improvised, synchronised, or structured rhythmic movements, sounds, music, or gestures, to integrate internal and external rhythms. Thus, rhythms are one of the most fundamental elements of DMT.

This article highlights the importance of rhythms — rhythmicity in therapist-client relationships, internal and external rhythms, and their benefits in DMT. It will also present the author’s personal and relational clinical vignettes in Italics to enhance the understanding of this topic.

Rhythmicity in therapist-client relationship

A therapist-client relationship is where “both the client and therapist are simply being aware of personal and psychological contact with the other” (Young, 2017, p. 95). However, this explanation of a therapist-client relationship could be limited, and an importance on movement in a therapist-client relationship would be beneficial. One of the pioneers of DMT, Marian Chace, emphasized on the “development of the interpersonal role of the therapist on a movement level” (Young, 2017, p. 95).

Internal and external rhythms in DMT give rise to rhythmic interactions or engagement between a therapist and their clients, i.e.Therapeutic Movement Relationship (TMR). TMR is established through attunement, observing and mirroring client’s rhythmic movements, and then offering a rhythmic movement response. Thus, the rhythmic experience of the therapist-client relationship is not only “emotional and based in behaviour, but is also a physical experience” (Young, 2017, p. 96). TMR helps the client and therapist engage in a non-verbal rhythmic movement relationship that works towards acceptance, compassion, and communication.

Marian Chace vouched for movement rhythms in the process of organizing and sharing with oneself and others. She believed that “people lived their lives in rhythm and movement” ( Chace et al., 1961, p. 56). Within the therapist-client interactions, movement rhythms could be expressed symbolically, metaphorically, or synchronously. Thus, integration of these forms of rhythms within the TMR acts as a bridge between inner experiences and outer world (Chaiklin, 2017).

Internal and external rhythms in DMT

DMT invites individuals to explore their own internal rhythms in relation to external rhythms, through a series of movement experientials. Here, internal rhythms could mean the breath, sensations, thoughts, and feelings. External rhythms could mean repeated patterns induced by the outside environment, and body percussion like stomping, clapping, clicking, sliding, etc. For example, the capitalistic world that we live in, has forced us to move only with the external rhythms, i.e. fast paced life, no stopping/pausing, etc., and does not encourage listening to our own internal rhythms of voices, needs, and wishes. With the use of rhythmic gestures or movements in DMT sessions, we bring awareness to both internal and external rhythms, and how they exist in relation to each other. An awareness of one’s own internal rhythm is important for understanding and connecting personally and relationally. It influences the way we speak, walk, react, feel, express, and move.

“I was just tapping my feet against the floor and then exaggerated the movement and began stomping. Quickly, my whole body was moving to the stomping. My movement became bigger, stronger, and direct. My breath felt heavy. My heart was beating faster. I realised that there was a feeling of frustration or anger I wanted to let go off.”

In the above vignette, we can reflect on external and internal rhythms. The external rhythm of the tapping and stomping encouraged attunement with the internal rhythm of emotion — anger, an emotion which may have been pushed deep down or not realised. Here, creating external rhythms through movement, voice, or body percussion supported release and emotional expression. This could also be enhanced by DMT interventions like, adding external music of the drums or if done in a group, by mirroring and reflecting with group members. Thus, being aware of external and internal rhythms helps in inculcating an embodied emotional experience.

Benefits of rhythm in DMT

“The group stood in a circle. Everyone was encouraged to tune in and observe how they were feeling at that moment. They were then invited to share it with the group but only through rhythmic gestures. They could create body percussion — creating sounds by using different body parts, and making verbal sounds to support it. The group mirrored and reflected an individual’s movement back to them. There was a theme of confidence that emerged from the group, at the end.”

The above clinical vignette gives a sneak-peek into how rhythm might be incorporated in a group setting. Here, the individuals honoured and expressed their own internal and external rhythms, reflected on others’ rhythms, and interacted with the group’s emotional experiences. Witnessing others’ rhythms and even resonating with them (Schott-Billmann, 2015, p. 35), adds strength and value to their own experience. This creates an embodied space that enhances communication, connection, and emotional expression. Thus, understanding of rhythms facilitates awareness of personal and relational feelings, and thoughts and sensations in the present moment.

With regards to emotional expression, rhythms, and DMT, most of the time, our bodies first express feelings even without conscious awareness. Through rhythmic work in DMT, we create a non-judgemental therapeutic space for the clients to accept their symbolic rhythms, and together create new symbolic interactions with the client. In DMT sessions, the therapist may even try to encourage exaggeration of rhythms to fully feel, communicate, and convey feelings that may not be verbalised.

It can be inferred that rhythmic work in DMT encourages an individual to feel seen and heard, develop self and body awareness, emotional expression, and allows social connection, verbal and non-verbal interactions, and embodied empathy, which could further promote individuality. Thus, individual-collective and internal-external rhythms play a prominent role in a DMT session.

Rhythms are a powerful element of DMT. As dance/movement therapists we are constantly engaging in learning how to use rhythm to activate and engage individual and group clients (Cruz, 2018). They can be fun, playful, structured, improvised, and can elicit emotional expression and connection. They support the therapist to tune in with the client and provide the client a sense of safety by helping them feel understood.

References:

Chaiklin, S. (2017). Connecting the practice of Dance/movement therapy: What differentiates us? American Journal of Dance Therapy, 39(1), 142–147. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-017-9253-5C

Chace, M., Johnson, W. R., & Wooten, B. J. (1961). “Our real lives are lived in rhythm and movement.”. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, 32(8), 30–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221473.1961.10621445

Cruz, R. F. (2018). Marian Chace Foundation Lecture: Rhythms of Research and Dance/Movement Therapy. Am J Dance Ther, 40, 142 — 154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-018-9267-7

Michael, S. (2002). Neurology: The brain — its music and its emotion: The neurology of trauma. Sutton, J. P. In Sutton, J.P. (Ed.), Music, music therapy and trauma: International perspectives (pp. 41–54). J. Kingsley.

Schott-Billmann, F. (2015). Primitive expression and dance therapy: When dancing heals. Routledge. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/roehampton-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1883842

Young, J. (2017). The therapeutic movement relationship in dance/Movement therapy: A phenomenological study. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 39(1), 93–112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-017-9241-9