SESSIONS -
WORKSHOP
Culture, Perception, and Clinical Assessment in Dance/Movement Therapy
Warin Tepayayone, USA/THAILAND
Description
Dance/movement therapists conduct clinical assessment of patient movement on a regular basis as part of treatment planning and multidisciplinary teamwork. Findings from this workshop may offer a guideline for clinical movement assessment with multicultural populations and may enhance the accuracy and the cultural sensitivity of dance/movement therapy assessment.
This workshop is a mix of lecture, discussion, and experiential work. The participants will explore A) How do dance/movement therapists perceive the movement of people from cultures other than their own? and B) How do dance/movement therapists’ cultural background and experience influence their own experience during a Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) based assessment of movers and their own interpretation of its meaning with respect to the observed movers’ movement qualities, personality, and behavior?
Participants will be asked to participate in an experiential exercise focusing on movement observation in groups of 3-5 people with one in the role of mover and the rest in the role of observers. The mover will be asked to move along with the ethnics’ music from each culture (Latin, Asian, African…etc.) twice (first time with eyes closed and second time with eyes opened). The observers will be asked to observe movements with focus on topics including LMA assessment and narrative questions/data. Discussion will be followed in small groups and then as a primary group. This part will take approximately an hour to hour and fifteen minutes.
The results of a research project on this topic will be presented, with opportunity for questions and discussion.
Learning Objectives
- To explore and understand how dance/movement therapists perceive the movement of people from cultures other than their own
- To explore and understand how one’s own cultural background and experiences influence the experience of a Laban Movement Analysis based assessment of movers and one’s own interpretation of its meaning with the respect to the observed movers' movement qualities, personality, and behavior
- To apply findings from experiential learning, research data and group discussion towards the development of a guideline for clinical movement assessment with multicultural populations and which may enhance the accuracy and the cultural sensitivity of dance/ movement therapy assessment.
Abstract
This workshop will investigate and explore how culture influences attitudes, values, perceptions, and biases in clinical movement assessment by professional dance/movement therapists or heritages. The participants will experience moving and observing with people from different cultures. A research project on this topic will be presented, with opportunity for questions and discussions. The aim of the seminar is to explore about how culture impacts the intersubjective aspect of movement observation and clinical assessment.
Warin Tepayayone, MA, ADTR, holds dual master degrees in social psychology and dance/movement therapy, and also holds a BA in Sociology and Anthropology. Warin is currently working and developing a therapeutic program at a psychiatric unit at INOVA Loudoun Hospital in Virginia. She is a professional Thai classical dancer as well.
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