Dance Therapy Models: An Anthropological Perspective

Dance therapy is a new discipline, a product of the twentieth century. Its recent methodological and theoretical development
has led to the proliferation of various dance therapy models. This study focuses on the founding and development of dance
therapy as an applied discipline. Particular emphasis is given to dance therapy from an anthropological perspective. A critical
analysis of two prevailing models, Dance/Movement Therapy and Expression Primitive, is articulated. Such analysis indicates that their development closely relates to issues of collective identity of the group
in relation to their dancing cultures. From an anthropological point of view, then, issues of identity are paramount for an
effective practice of dance/movement therapy.