ADAPTATIONS FOR SPECIFIC CLIENT GROUPS

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Initial use of a cautious and structured approach, with carefully selected activities to help overcome rigid defensive personality styles and to assist clients in gaining enough confidence to attempt self-expression is the guiding rule (Levy, 1992). However, special client groups will demand certain structures, techniques, and types of activities to be therapeutic:

• Children
  Young children enjoy drama, structured games, and movement exercises. Play in movement and sensory processes is important to engage their interest. Along with encouragement of some degree of spontaneity, self-initiation, and self-direction, young children require clearly defined roles & tasks (Payne, 1990). Specifically, treatment of mentally retarded children focuses on development of body awarenes s and ego strength.

• Elderly
  The Elderly require emphasis on physical exercise, social interaction, sharing, support, and expression. They will attain significant benefits of touch and physical contact. Dance therapy is usually done in a group setting with a safe and supportive atm osphere that fosters communication and sharing. This helps to provide a pleasurable and recreational experience as well as promoting coordination, spatial orientation, kinesthetic awareness, control, personal integration, and feelings of self-worth and we ll-being (Levy, 1992).

• Brain-Injured
  Dance Therapy with brain-injured clients focuses on developing awareness, cognition, motivation, concentration, control and memory. Dance Therapy can also deal with the emotional issues (feelings of anger, frustration, remorse and loss) and pressing issu es of dependency, sexuality, autonomy, etc. (Levy, 1992).

• Sexually Abused Clients
  Through Dance Therapy, sexually abused individuals can re-enact feelings and experiences with the guidance of the therapist, who helps structure and direct it in such a way as to reduce the client's fear, anxiety, and guilt over the experience (Levy, 199 2).

• Families
  Dance Therapy with families focus on movement interchange relating to sharing, relationship, accomodation, support, and self-observation. This focus promotes understanding of the feelings and motivations underlying the behaviors of one's family members. Non-verbal movement strips the behavior to its bare bones, so family members communicate clearly, dramatically, and with full affective impact (Levy, 1992).

• Clients With Eating Disorders
  With eating disorders, dance therapy focuses on the release of tension and direct work with their bodies to alter distorted self-perceptions, and thus modify self-destructive behavior(Levy,1992).

• Autistic Clients
  With autism, dance therapy aims to establish some form of physical rapport by the sensitive entry of the therapist into the client's world. For example, development of tolerance to presence, to nearness and to touch is a major gain(Levy, 1992).

Creative Dance Analysis