Dance/movement therapy, emotional dynamics, and professional relationships: exploring shifts in subjective positioning within a Chace circle

Abstract

Objective: This paper explores the potential of dance/movement therapy (DMT) to facilitate shifts in subjective positioning in the professional relationship of a dance movement therapist (DMT) and a supervisor, within the context of a DMT workshop.Methods: The study draws from a qualitative analysis of field notes collected during a research project funded by CONICET, which investigates therapeutic processes and devices dance/movement therapy (DMT) that catalyze change, with a specific emphasis on DMT. The analysis focuses on a dance session within the context of a DMT workshop in which a DMT and her supervisor participate.Results: The analysis highlights the role of the Chace and Baum circle as a therapeutic tool that may function similarly to “reverie”, acting as a container for emotional experiences. The opportunity for empathic mirroring through dance — supported by kinesthetic empathy and intercorporeal resonance — appears to promote emotional exchange between participants. The shared emotional experience among the group facilitated identification processes that had previously been hindered by emotional barriers. As a result, a shift occurred from a partial object relationship to a more integrated object relation, with long-term implications for the professional alliance between the supervisor and the DMT.Conclusions: The transformation in relational dynamics observed suggests the potential of DMT to act as a catalyst for conflict and as a fundamental tool for addressing professional relationships, in general, and for enhancing collaborative practice within healthcare and therapeutic environments, in particular.