Exploring the Nature of Walking in Dance/Movement Therapy: An Artistic Inquiry A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Drexel University by Lauren M. Albert in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling June 2015 © Copyright 2015 Lauren M. Albert. All Rights Reserved. ii Dedications I dedicate this thesis to significant loved ones. To my grandmother, Rose Marie Gatto who I vividly remember taking long walks down a street where my family used to live. I do not remember the details of what we spoke about but I remember the panorama view of the green around us, and the feeling of being in motion with an important woman who I admired and looked after me by my side. To my grandfather, Nathan Albert who told me his two greatest joys in life were walking and reading. He was a brilliant man, who was an admirable son, father, grandfather, professor, philosopher and poet. He walked nearly five miles everyday until the last years of his life. To my parents, Susan and Norman Albert, whose support and love have made my career as a dance/movement therapist possible. To my fiancé, Nathan Groblewski, who has been by my side through this process and to whom I am soulfully dedicated to walking beside to new and familiar places, for as long as possible. To the dance/movement therapists who participated in this study and who gracefully enabled me to walk in their shoes and to discover their own wisdom on walking. Their creativity, passion and commitment to the work that they do made this thesis possible. iii Acknowledgements To my thesis committee, who volunteered hours of work and layers of wisdom, I thank you. Sharon W. Goodill, Ph.D., BC-DMT, NCC, LPC As my thesis advisor, I would like to thank Dr. Sharon W. Goodill for her expert advice and encouragement throughout this thesis as well as for her brilliance and contribution to the field of dance/movement therapy. She has dedicated uncountable hours to helping me see this thesis to fruition. Her passion and dedication to dance/movement therapy research was palpable throughout this process and was largely responsible for keeping me inspired to discover the unknown avenues of walking in dance/movement therapy. In addition to her passion and inspiration, she has challenged me, helped to shape and clarify my ideas, provided insight, pointed me towards many resources, gave critical feedback, helped me to look at the bigger picture and shown me that I am capable of achieving more than I ever imagined as both a dance/movement therapist and a scholar and to her I am immensely grateful. Anne Margrethe Melsom, MA, BC-DMT, LPC, NCC As a member of my committee, a clinical supervisor and a professor, I would like to thank Anne Margrethe Melsom for reading through this work, providing advice and for her expertise in dance/movement therapy. Her wisdom, encouragement, intuition and knowledge in dance/movement therapy theory, interventions and treatment approaches greatly influenced my development as a dance/movement therapist. Elizabeth Templeton, Ed.D, BC-DMT, NCC As a member of my committee, a professor and constant source of encouragement and inspiration, I would like to thank Dr. Elizabeth Templeton for her encouragement, insightful comments, and hard questions. Her understanding, creative vision, warmth and wisdom added considerably to my graduate experience. Her vast knowledge and skills in many areas including her expertise in artistic inquiry research is influential to this thesis. Additionally I would like to acknowledge, Dr. Gioia Chilton, Elizabeth McNamara, Suzanne Hastie, Ellen Schelly Hill and Dawn Morningstar for your influence on this work. iv Table of Contents ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................1 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................6 2.1 Nature of Walking..........................................................................................................6 2.1.1 Developmental Theories on Learning to Walk .....................................................6 2.1.2 Theories of Walking in Dance/Movement Therapy ...........................................13 2.2 Walking in Dance/Movement Therapy Practice ..........................................................14 2.2.1 Walking as an Embodied Metaphor ....................................................................15 2.2.2 Walking to Increase Grounding/Here and Now ..................................................20 2.2.3 Walking to Increase Power/Control/Autonomy..................................................23 2.2.4 Walking as a Relational Process .........................................................................26 2.2.5 Walking With Individuals Who Have Limited Mobility ....................................29 2.2.6 Walking as an Assessment Tool .........................................................................30 2.2.7 Summary of How Walking is Used in Dance/Movement Therapy ....................33 2.3 Walking in Other Disciplines.......................................................................................34 2.3.1 Walking in Other Creative Arts Therapies .........................................................34 2.3.2 Walking in Rehabilitation/Loss of Ability ..........................................................37 2.4 Walking and Creativity ................................................................................................39 2.5 Artistic Inquiry .............................................................................................................44 CHAPTER 3: METHODS .................................................................................................48 3.1 Design ..........................................................................................................................48 3.1.1 Design of Study...................................................................................................48 3.1.2 Location of Study ................................................................................................48 3.1.3 Time Period for Study .........................................................................................48 3.1.4 Enrollment Information ......................................................................................49 3.1.5 Participant Type ..................................................................................................49 3.1.6 Participant Source ...............................................................................................49 3.1.7 Participant Inclusion Criteria ..............................................................................49 3.1.8 Participant Exclusion Criteria .............................................................................49 3.2 Investigational Methods and Procedures .....................................................................50 3.2.1 Pre-Study Procedures ..........................................................................................50 3.2.2 Recruitment/Consent Procedures ........................................................................50 3.2.3 Study Procedures ................................................................................................51 3.2.4 Possible Risks and Discomforts to Subjects .......................................................53 3.2.5 Special Precautions to Minimize Risks or Hazards ............................................53 3.3 Data Collection ............................................................................................................54 3.3.1 Overview .............................................................................................................54 3.3.2 Data Storage ........................................................................................................54 3.4 Data Analysis ...............................................................................................................54 3.4.1 Data Analysis I: Identify “Preliminary Themes I” ............................................ 55 3.4.2 Data Analysis II: Identify “Preliminary Themes II” .......................................... 56 3.4.3 Data Analysis III: Creative Synthesis .................................................................56 v CHAPTER 4: RESULTS ...................................................................................................58 4.1 Summary of Participant 1’s Movement Motif, Written Responses From Participants and Written Reflection From the Researcher .....................................................................59 4.1.1 Participant 1: Summary of Motif ........................................................................59 4.1.2 Participant 1: Written Responses from Participants ...........................................59 4.1.3 Participant 1: Written Reflection from the Researcher .......................................60 4.2 Summary of Participant 2’s Movement Motif, Written Responses From Participants and Written Reflection From the Researcher .....................................................................61 4.2.1 Participant 2: Summary of Motif ........................................................................61 4.2.2 Participant 2: Written Responses from Participants ...........................................61