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Getting grounded: the beginnings of a foundation for dance/movement therapy theory on the mind-body connection using a modified grounded theory method
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Getting grounded: the beginnings of a foundation for dance/movement therapy theory on the mind-body connection using a modified grounded theory method

Jessica Yi-Jay Acolin
Master of Arts (M.A.), Drexel University
Jun 2015
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-6341
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Abstract

Dance therapy
The mind-body connection plays an important role in everyday experiences and is also central to the practice of dance/movement therapy (DMT). Despite this ubiquity, a cohesive and empirically-supported theory of the mind-body connection does not yet exist. This paper's aim was to address this gap by analyzing relevant literature to build the foundations of a grounded theory of the mind-body connection. Three research questions were identified: How are the mind and body connected? What does the field of dance/movement therapy say about the connection or relationship between mind and body? How can the theoretical claims made by the field of dance/movement therapy regarding the mind-body connection be substantiated by the empirical findings offered in related fields? Using a modified grounded theory methodology, empirical data from the fields of psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, and dance/movement therapy as well as theoretical articles from the field of dance/movement therapy were reviewed. Results indicated that the mind-body connection falls into four categories related to feelings, thoughts, actions, and consciousness. Dance/movement therapy theoretical statements were found to be inconsistent with the empirical data, with some tenets supported, others refuted, and a number lacking any empirical evidence. Directions for future research and implications were discussed.

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