Abstract

The dancer as a therapist. Why the dancer as a therapist? Which are the qualities of the dancer the distinctive aspects of the artistic temperament, the knowledge acqui- red in dance-movement training, that support and feed the therapeutic approach? This author wish to share a series of observation that aim to emphasize the rich wea- ving between the artistic experience and the practice of a dance movement therapist. After a brief observation of particular aspects that belong to artistic/creative process as well as to the psychological/therapeutic ones, with the aims of understanting where they match or differ, some elements are introduced regarding specificity of the dance movement therapist. With reference to some clinical examples the author will be ob- serve the dance therapist involved in the artistic/therapeutic process in the role of wit- ness-choreographer and/or participant mover. She will then identify and define the aspects of the artistic training involved that enrich the therapeutic work.