History & Origin
About Dance Therapy
Dance Therapy uses movement and dance as a means of self-expression, emotional release, and mental healing.
Dance Therapy emerged as a formal therapeutic modality in the mid-20th century, though movement-based healing has deep roots in human culture across dance, ritual, and celebration. The modern discipline began to take shape in the 1940s and 1950s when pioneers like Marian Chace, a modern dancer, began using dance as a therapeutic tool with psychiatric patients at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C. Chace observed that patients responded emotionally and psychologically to creative movement, leading to the development of structured dance therapy protocols. Her work laid the foundation for recognizing dance as a legitimate therapeutic intervention.
In the 1960s and 1970s, dance therapy expanded as a recognized field, with figures like Trudi Schoop and Mary Starks Whitehouse further developing the theoretical and practical frameworks. Professional organizations were established to standardize training and credentials, and the discipline began integrating concepts from psychology, neuroscience, and somatic therapy. The American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA), founded in 1966, helped professionalize the field and establish educational standards. Today, dance therapy draws on contemporary understanding of how movement affects the nervous system, emotional regulation, and psychological well-being, blending creative expression with therapeutic intention.
