With Intention: Triumphs & Challenges in Canadian Dance/Movement
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UMf WITH INTENTION: TRIUMPHS & CHALLENGES IN CANADIAN DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY ANDREAH BARKER A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Graduate Program in Dance York University Toronto, Ontario June 2009 Library and Archives Bibliotheque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 OttawaONK1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-53654-4 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-53654-4 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. 1*1 Canada With Intention: Triumphs & Challenges in Canadian Dance/Movement Therapy By Andreah Barker a thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of York University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS ©2009 Permission has been granted to the LIBRARY OF YORK UNIVERSITY to lend or sell copies of this thesis, to the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CANADA to microfilm this thesis and to lend or sell copies of the film, and to UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS to publish an abstract of this thesis. The author reserves other publication rights, and neither the thesis nor extensive extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's written permission. ABSTRACT Dance/movement therapy, a person-centered approach to care incorporating the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of the individual, originally appeared in Canada in the early 1970s. This thesis examines the attempts of Canadian pioneers to establish a cohesive national community, a local education, career opportunities, and a general awareness for dance/movement therapy. The intention of this study is to develop a clear understanding of the struggles facing the field in order to envision a feasible direction for the future of dance/movement therapy in Canada. This research should generate a greater awareness for the work by providing accessible information surrounding its history and the ongoing clinical practice of dance/movement therapists nationally. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to warmly thank all of those who have generously donated their expertise, time, and positive energy to assist me in the completion of this thesis. Without the constant support of Debbie Van der Laan in the areas of dance/movement therapy supervision and sharing of knowledge, this research would not have been possible. Debbie provided me with the base of understanding from which I was able to move forward. The academic supervision of both Mary Jane Warner and Claire Wootten allowed me the opportunity to develop within a guided setting. Mary-Elizabeth Manley's open door was always there to provide greater clarity. The memories shared by the many who donated their time to an interview, provided my research with a depth of knowledge surrounding dance/movement therapy in Canada that I would have been unable to obtain otherwise. Those who contributed include: Marnie Bleeman, Laurel Bridges, Cathryn Brogan, Nancy Christie, Norma Sue Fisher-Stitt, Bat-Sheva Koren, Julianna Lau, Ruth Madden, Terrill Maguire, Mary Moncrieff, Maxine Parkovnick, Krista Samborsky, and Holly Small. The insightful comments of my two editors, Angela Davis and Sean Hearn, gave my writing a variety of perspectives. Finally, I am very grateful to Selma Odom for giving me the encouragement to go forward with this thesis and to my parents for supporting me in all of my many endeavors! v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v TABLE OF CONTENTS vi TABLES vii INTRODUCTION Establishing a Canadian Dance/Movement Therapy Identity 1 CHAPTER 1 Uncharted Waters: Canada's Initial Exploration of Dance/Movement Therapy 9 CHAPTER 2 Initiatives in Building the Canadian Dance/Movement Therapy Community 22 CHAPTER 3 Exploring the Need for a Canadian Graduate Level Education in Dance/Movement Therapy 42 CHAPTER 4 Stories of Triumph: Brief Moments in Canadian Dance/Movement Therapy 69 CONCLUSION Thoughts for the Future of Dance/Movement Therapy in Canada 92 BIBLIOGRAPHY 96 vi TABLES TABLE 1 Pie Chart of Students' Current Year of Study 51 TABLE 2 Comparative Analysis of Key Variables 59 TABLE 3 Combined Analysis Illustrating Potential Student Interest 60 vu INTRODUCTION Establishing a Canadian Dance/Movement Therapy Identity It is not until there is general concern in society at large, general compassion for the average person's body condition, that we shall actually see the flourishing development of a movement science and a profession of movement workers. (Cornyetz 11) Thirty-eight years after Paul Cornyetz's address at the 1971 American Dance Therapy Association conference, I am left wondering if Canadian society has currently achieved a general compassion for the average person's body movement. To accurately answer this question and to frame it within the context for which it was originally intended, I define the average person's body movement as an individual's ability to access their own lived experience through movement, allowing for the exploration of the connection between mind and body as a creative outlet for self-expression. (Cornyetz, 11) Too often in North American culture, our movement experiences exist within prescribed locations at scheduled times. Those wanting to feel their knees stretch beyond the ninety degree angle of their eight-hour day rush to the elliptical cross trainer at lunch or a yoga class before dinner. Rare are the random outbursts of spontaneous movement beyond those that may occur un-witnessed in our homes. Dance exists in many areas of our lives but generally in its proper time and place. To train, one attends a mirrored studio with a sprung floor where teachers share their knowledge of the specific genre in which they hold expertise. To view, one attends the proscenium theatre or contemporary studio space where professionals or experimental independents perform their work. To celebrate, one may join friends at a club, banquet hall, restaurant, or backyard gathering. However, in all aspects of daily life, whether planned or not, the body has the capability of communicating individual lived experiences. Dance, like other art forms, is inherently healing in nature due to its ability to inspire self-expression. Dance/movement therapy's holistic approach places focus on the entirety of the participant's experience in the moment. It has a very different intention from professional companies or community-based dance projects as it does not attempt to establish any form of end product. Dance/movement therapy is a person-centered approach incorporating the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individual participants. Its proven ability to draw patients out of isolation by allowing them to communicate their thoughts, feelings, desires, or needs through movement provides participants with moments of true self-expression. In work with the elderly, dance/movement therapy has been successful in creating a greater quality of life in the nursing home by decreasing social isolation and inactivity while facilitating reminiscence and creativity. At the outset of this study, I had hoped to uncover why the profession has seen little success in Canada in order to discover a feasible direction for the field here in the future. My initial research questions included: 1. Are dancers interested in practicing dance/movement therapy and conducting research to further the development of the field? 2. Is there an awareness of and an interest for dance/movement therapy in the healthcare system? 3. Would the formation of either a Canadian Chapter of the American Dance Therapy Association or a distinctly Canadian organization with a similar mandate be viable at this time? 4. Is the academic community in Canada ready to accept the field as an appropriate subject of study within a university graduate program? 2 As the completion of associated methodological approaches continued, I found that I had neglected to explore an important aspect of dance/movement therapy at the same time as attempting to address a component far too broad. The history of the field, including stories of those who had devoted lifetimes of passion to the establishment of dance/movement therapy in Canada provide insight for future development. In regards to the awareness and interest for dance/movement therapy within the healthcare milieu, it became increasingly clear that the scope of the work was too large.