TheCuratorialPracticeforYunnanDaiDanceTherapy
Introduction
Dancetherapyusesdanceforpsychotherapy,utilizingdanceexpressionand creativitytoenhancetheintegrationofindividualphysiologyandpsychology1.Inthe contextofcuratorialart,peoplehavebeguntopayattentiontoissuessuchas decolonization,environmentalissues,andfeminism,andthepresentationofdance therapycurationhasbecomeincreasinglyimportant2
Inordertoexploreindepthcontemporarydancetherapycuratorialpractice,myMA projectprogramtocollaboratewithdancetherapiststoestablishasocialmedia-based DaidancetherapyprojectinYunnanProvincetoexploretherapeuticapproachesto Daidanceandpromotelocaldancetherapyworksasaresearchquestion
Thisprojectconsistsoftwosections:(1)ExaminingthePracticeofLocalDance ArtistsinDailyLife(2)Dancetherapyworkscreatedincollaborationbetweenethnic dancersanddancetherapists
Development
Dancetherapyistheplanneduseofanyaspectofdancetoachievethephysicaland psychicintegrationoftheindividualThisisadisciplinewhichaidsindevelopmentof egostrengthandself-awareness3
Theofficialemergenceofdancetherapycameinthe1940s,whenMarianChace,a danceteacher,useddancetotreatpsychiatricpatientsatStElizabeth'sHospitalin Washington,DC4Thebodymovementsheusedwiththeseseverelypsychoticand traumatizedpeoplespawnedDMT(DanceMovementTherapy)intheUSAThese pioneerssuchasMarianChace,SharonChaiklin,ArlynneSamuels,ElissaQueyquep, CathyPasternakandothershaveseenthepowerofemotionalmovementtoinfluence peopleTheyalsorecognizedthatimageryandtheimaginationcanbetherapeutic forces(YifatShalem-Zafari,Prof.EmiliaFlorinaGrosu(2016))5.Theninthemid-1940s, dancetherapywasrecognizedasanofficialprofession,anddancersbegantouse danceasatherapyinmedicalinstitutions6.Theyestablishedthetechnical foundationsandtheoriesthatfacilitatepsychotherapeuticworkthatcombines movementandwords7.(YifatShalem-Zafari,Prof.EmiliaFlorinaGrosu2016)The AmericanDanceTherapyAssociationwasfoundedonMarch25,1966inBaltimore, Maryland8.Thendancetherapybecamepopularinmanycountries.After2016,an internationalorganizationguidancegroupwasestablishedasWorldAlliancefor DanceMovementTherapy(WADMT),bringingtogetherDMTassociationsand
1YifatShalem-ZafariProfEmiliaFlorinaGrosu(2016s)”DanceMovementTherapyPastandPresent:How HistoryCanInformCurrentSupervision”
2SigridGareisNicoleHaitzingerandJayPather*CuratedDance:DecolonizationDance*OnCuratingIssue55
3ClaireSchmaisElissaflueyquepWhite(1996s)“OpeningKeynoteAddress,30thAnnualConference”
4EPanagiotopoulou(2011s)“DanceTherapyModels:AnAnthropologicalPerspective”P10
5YifatShalem-Zafari,ProfEmiliaFlorinaGrosu(2016)“DanceMovementTherapy,PastandPresent:HowHistory CanInformCurrentSupervision”
6KimDunphy,DitaFederman,DianaFischman,AmberGray,VincenzoPuxeddu,TonyYuZhouandElla Dumaresq(2021s)“DanceTherapyToday:AnOverviewoftheProfessionandItsPracticeAroundtheWorld”
8ArlynneStark(2002s)“TheAmericanJournalofDanceTherapy:ItsHistoryandEvolution”P77
individualsinterestedinprofessionaldevelopment,andpromotingDMTworldwide Thegoalisthepromotionofhealth,well-being,andcreativityacrosstheworldby promotionofDMTglobally9(KimDunphy,DitaFederman,DianaFischman,Amber Gray,VincenzoPuxeddu,TonyYuZhouandEllaDumaresq(2021s)
InAsia,danceplaysanimportantroleinritual,spiritualandhealingpractices, includingreverencefornatureThereisastrongrelationshipbetweenAsiandance anddifferentreligiouspractices,especiallyBuddhism,HinduismandIslamPriorto colonization,nativeAsianregionshadbeguntoembracedanceasahealingart, expressingemotionsthroughpartialdanceatimportantmomentsoflifetoachieve physicalandspiritualwell-being(KimDunphy,DitaFederman,DianaFischman, AmberGray,VincenzoPuxeddu,TonyYuZhouandEllaDumaresq(2021s)Inthe processoflocalizeddancetherapy,throughtheskin,body,kinesthetic,spatial position,andcoordinationwiththeexternalenvironment,thecontrolofthebodyis freedfromcolonization,whichisaformofpersonalhealing,butalsoacollective strengtheningandprosperity10Becausecolonialismwassoconcernedwithbodieswhetherthosebodieswereempoweredordisenfranchised,whetherabodywas disadvantagedbecauseofskincolororeyecolor-colonialismwaslargelybasedon bodies,shapes,andpigmentstorationalizeitsgreed11Decolonizationisanongoing effort,andwehopeforamoreequalandpositivedialoguethatallowspeopleto imagineabetterfuturefordancetherapy
Myprojectconsistsofthreeparts:(1)InJingpoAutonomousPrefectureofDehong, YunnanProvince,IinviteddancetherapistZvikaFranktoexploretheorigin,cultural connotationandstylecharacteristicsofDaidancewithlocalDaidancers12Combined withlocalMusicalInstrumentssuchaselephant-footdrumsandhulusimusic,and traditionalpropssuchasgoldencrownsandmasksworninDaicostumes,they cooperatedwithlocalDaidancerstocreatedancepassagesbasedonDaidance(2) InvitetouriststoconductaDaidancetherapyactivitytounderstandthetrueportrayal ofDaidance13I'mgoingtobuildasocialmedia-baseddancetherapyprofileof indigenousDaidance.Thearchivecombinesthreemedia:(1)Picturesdocumenting howthecharacteristicmovementsofDaidance(2)Recordtheorigin,current situationofDaidanceinwritingandshareitinablogtoenhancepeople's understandingoflocalculture(3)Usedocumentarytorecordthecollisionofthinking betweendancetherapistsandlocalartistsinthecreativeprocess.
Methodology
Methodologically,theprojectwilldeveloptheinherentlyinterdisciplinarynatureof curatingdancetherapywithGroup/collaborativecuratorialapproachand
9KimDunphy,DitaFederman,DianaFischman,AmberGray,VincenzoPuxeddu,TonyYuZhouandElla Dumaresq(2021s)“DanceTherapyToday:AnOverviewoftheProfessionandItsPracticeAroundtheWorld”
10AmandaPiña“ChoreographyasCuration,CurationasCure”OnCuratingIssue55
11JayPatherwithChoyKaFaiSigridGareisLiaRodriguesandJessicaLaurenElizabethTaylor“Twists:Dance andDecoloniality”OnCuratingIssue55
12XuLiting”ResearchontheculturalconnotationandteachingpracticeofDaitraditionaldance”
13MaSiwen“Theinfluenceoffolkdanceoncross-borderethnicculturalidentityunderthebackgroundoftheBelt andRoadInitiative:AcasestudyofPeacockDanceoftheDainationality”
ethnochoreology14Iwillworkwithlocalgovernments,localartists,ethnographers, professionalphotographersandotherprofessionalorganizationstoinspireand promotethestillevolvingtheoryandpracticeofdancetherapyCollaboratingwiththe YunnanInstituteofNationalitieswouldenrichmyprojectwiththehumanisticcontext ofYunnanandenableitwithsocialresearchtechniquesCollaboratingwithlocal artistswouldweavetheprojectintheaboriginalsocio-culturalcontext;andworking withethnographerswouldenabletheprojectatoolsettounderstandandinvestigate Yunnanethnochoreology.
Basedontheresearchofethnicdance,myprojectadoptstheethnochoreology methodtoconductarealinvestigationandcollectionofthedanceworksoflocalDai dancers,andparticipateintheobservationandin-depthexplorationofthetherapeutic methodsofDaidance.Theultimategoalofusingethnochoreologyintheprojectisto explorehowDaidancetherapyhasdevelopedinthelocalhistoryanditspositive significanceforthepresentcurationofdancetherapy.
Resources
Professionally,Dr.WangYueping15,ananthropologistattheYunnanInstituteof Nationalities,anddancetherapistZvikaFrankwillbemycorepartnersBothofthem hasconductedabundantfieldworkstodifferentaboriginalvillagesinSouthernYunnan TogetherwithDrWang,Iwillanalyzeethnicdanceresearchandexploreissuessuch asthetherapeuticmodalitiesofDaidanceandtheimpactofdecolonizationonDai danceDrWanghasextensiveexperienceintheprotectionofethnicminoritydances insouthwestChinaHaveagoodunderstandingofdancetherapymethodsandmake fulluseoftheinformation
ThedancecollectionsoftheYunnanInstituteofNationalitiesandYunnanEthnic Museumarerelatedtomyproject.TheresearchprojectonYunnanethnicminority danceledbytheYunnanInstituteofNationalitieswillserveasawayformeto understandthespiritualrelationshipbetweenethnicminoritiesanddance.The explanationofdanceworksinmuseumshelpstounderstandthebackgroundsources ofethnicminoritydance.
ListsofReference
YifatShalem-Zafari,Prof.EmiliaFlorinaGrosu(2016s)”DanceMovementTherapy, PastandPresent:HowHistoryCanInformCurrentSupervision”
SigridGareis,NicoleHaitzingerandJayPather*CuratedDance:Decolonization Dance*OnCuratingIssue55
ClaireSchmaisElissaflueyquepWhite(1996s)“OpeningKeynoteAddress,30th AnnualConference”
EPanagiotopoulou(2011s)“DanceTherapyModels:AnAnthropologicalPerspective” P10
KimDunphy,DitaFederman,DianaFischman,AmberGray,VincenzoPuxeddu,Tony YuZhouandEllaDumaresq(2021s)“DanceTherapyToday:AnOverviewofthe ProfessionandItsPracticeAroundtheWorld”
14“GertrudePKurath，PanoramaofDanceEthnology，inCurrentAnthropology，Vol1，No3，1960
15WangYueping”http://www.msxy.ynu.edu.cn”
ArlynneStark(2002s)“TheAmericanJournalofDanceTherapy:ItsHistoryand Evolution”P77
AmandaPiña“ChoreographyasCuration,CurationasCure”OnCuratingIssue55
JayPatherwithChoyKaFai,SigridGareis,LiaRodrigues,andJessicaLauren
ElizabethTaylor“Twists:DanceandDecoloniality”OnCuratingIssue55
XuLiting”ResearchontheculturalconnotationandteachingpracticeofDaitraditional dance”
MaSiwen“Theinfluenceoffolkdanceoncross-borderethnicculturalidentityunder thebackgroundoftheBeltandRoadInitiative:AcasestudyofPeacockDanceofthe Dainationality”
“GertrudeP．Kurath，PanoramaofDanceEthnology，inCurrentAnthropology，Vol．1，
No3，1960
WangYueping”http://wwwmsxyynueducn”