Abstract
This paper concentrates on the presentation of a California Bay Area Jungian focused study group for the 50 Anniversary of the American Dance Therapy Association Annual Conference. Examining the evolution of Jung’s basic psychoanalytic perceptions over the years, this panel of presenters offered an in-depth study of related topics via lecture in the morning and its amplification via authentic movement in the service of dance/movement therapy in the afternoon. The latter included embodying and transforming remnants of participants’ morning reflections, channeled via authentic movement (AM). Panelist took turns leading an AM experience related to her morning’s topic and concluding by pairing or grouping participants to demonstrate and relate his/her personal journey. The final presenter initiated a process of transcendence in which the parts are amplified into choreography. Our panelists demonstrated a clinical approach to healing in which authentic movement stokes active imagination, elevating unconscious problematic issues to conscious awareness. Overtly expressed in choreographic form, such revelations can enable integrated therapeutic closure to group dance/movement therapy sessions.
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Notes
Chodorow explains in her book “Jung on active imagination” (1997) (also see Jung, 1965, pp. 170–199) the term emerged in the process Jung’s own self healing after his traumatic break with Sigmund Freud (about 1912). He discovered that the unconscious could be accessed through relaxed imaging of fantasies, daydreams and even childlike play. He spent several months, deeply emersed in these explorations (pp. 170–199) in which aspects of his conflictual issues surfaced to conscious awareness and led to his own healing. Likewise, Jung came to conceive the creative arts as conduits to these submerged issues. He referred to this aspect of therapy as Active (creative) Imagination. Authentic movement has often been employed as a means of bringing submerged issues to conscious awareness. Jung, a very skilled visual artist, represented his insights via highly symbolic paintings.
Emotions: fear, grief, anger, shame/contempt/disgust, startle, joy, interest/curiosity (p. 77) (Chodorow, 1991).
This title is referenced in the 2016 conference brochure.
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Berrol, C.F. Transcendence Via Active Imagination: Ritual, Culture and Choreographic Offerings. Am J Dance Ther 40, 277–286 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-018-9280-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-018-9280-x