Dance/Movement Therapy and Competitive Dance: An In Depth Self Evaluation

I used artistic inquiry self-study methodology to extend my knowledge, awareness, and understanding of how dance/movement therapy (DMT) and counseling concepts can positively alter and enhance my personal dance aesthetic, style, and pedagogy. Reflection is a personal process that can deepen the sense of self and can lead to significant discoveries or insights, while self-assessment is a process that involves establishing strengths, improvements, and insights based on predetermined performance criteria. Using artistic inquiry gave me the opportunity to study, analyze, and document where and how the DMT process and concepts have developed within my natural teaching approach. Engaging in this study presented me with a clearer understanding of the specific DMT concepts that enhanced my natural approach to working with competitive dance students. The research detailed how the combination of these concepts have improved my pedagogic style and are utilized in a field of work not as yet broadly addressed by dance/movement therapists