Balance is an important concept in Chinese culture. Holistic health in Traditional Chinese Medicine is defined by a balanced and integrated body, mind and spirit. Although the importance of living in a state of balance is implanted in Chinese people, the concept moves into the background, becoming ignored or disturbed, when an individual becomes overwhelmed by physical and psychological distress, such as a diagnosis of cancer. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT), which works at both the physical and psychological levels, also asserts that total well-being is a function of the interconnected body, mind, and spirit, making it a particularly suitable and potentially powerful intervention for Chinese clients who find themselves out of balance. This paper demonstrates how a mix of eastern approaches such as meditation and tai-chi like movement, eastern philosophy such as living in the moment and nonattachment, and DMT’s western emphasis on spontaneous movement and expression, can help Chinese clients, accustomed to containing expressive behavior, regain and embody the traditional wisdom of balance. Steps in this approach include acknowledging the influences of Confucianism and traditional education, loosening the established controls and disciplines, awakening the traditional wisdom of mind-body interconnectedness (as well as the ‘sentimental side’ that lies inside), and regaining the sense of balance of body, mind and spirit.
Notes
Trudi Schoop introduced the concept of spirituality into dance/movement therapy when she described the UR experience as cosmic, universal and transcendent (Schoop & Mitchell, 1986, p. 43). According to Schoop, the UR Experience is similar to views of Nature, Paradise, Infinity or God (p. 44). She also mentioned the Yin and Yang and the concept of Wholeness (p. 45).
Prof. D. Y. F. Ho is the Honorary Professor of the Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong.
References
Arnheim R., (1997). Ancient Chinese aesthetics and its modernity British Journal of Aesthetics 37(2):155
Bond M. H., (1993). Emotions and their expression in Chinese culture Journal of Nonverbal Behavior 17(4): 245–262
Chaiklin S., Schmais C., (1993). The Chace approach to dance therapy. In: Sandel S. L., Chaiklin S., Lohn A. F., Eds Foundations of dance/movement therapy: The life and work of Marian Chace. The Marian Chace Memorial Fund of the American Dance Therapy Association, Columbia, Maryland
Chan C., Leung P., Ho K. M., (1999). Empowering Chinese cancer patients: Taking culture into account Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work 9(2): 6–21
Chan C., Ho P. S. Y., Chow E., (2001). A body-mind-spirit model in health: An eastern approach Social Work in Health Care 34(3–4): 261–282
Cohen S. O., Walco G. A., (1999). Dance/movement therapy for children and adolescents with cancer Cancer Practice 7(1): 34–42
Dibbell-Hope S., (2000). The use of dance/movement therapy in psychological adaptation to breast cancer Arts in Psychotherapy 27(1): 51–68
Dosamantes I., (1992). Body-Image: Repository for cultural idealizations and denigrations of the self Arts in Psychotherapy 19(4): 257–267
Dosamantes-Beaudry I., (1999). Divergent cultural self constructs: Implications for the practice of dance/movement therapy Arts in Psychotherapy 26(4): 225–231
Ellis, H. (1923, April 2003). The Dance of life, from http://www.gutenberg.net.au/ebooks03/0300671.txt
Ellis R., (2001). Movement metaphor as mediator: A model for the dance/movement therapy process Arts in Psychotherapy 28(3): 181–190
Fraenkel, D. (2004). Personal Communication re: LivingDanceTM
Freedman D. G. (1974). Human infancy: An evolutionary perspective. Erlbaum Hillsdale NJ
Freedman D. G., Freedman N. C. (1969). Behavioral differences between Chinese–American and European–American newborns Nature, 224(1227)
Ho D. Y. F., (1986). Chinese patterns of socialization: A critical review. In: Bond M.H., eds The psychology of the Chinese people Oxford University Press, Hong Kong, pp. 1–37
Ho D. Y. F., Fu W., Ng S. M., (2004). Guilt, shame and embarrassment: Revelations of face and self Culture and Psychology 10(1): 64–84
Ho R. T. H. (2005). Effects of dance movement therapy on Chinese cancer patients: A Pilot Study in Hong Kong Arts in Psychotherapy 32(5): 337–345
Ho R. T. H., Chan C. L. W., Ho S. M. Y., (2004). Emotional control in Chinese female cancer survivors Psycho-Oncology 13(11): 808–817
Loscalzo M., Brintzenhofeszoc K., (1989). Brief crisis counseling. In Holland J. C., Eds Psycho-oncology, Oxford University Press, New York, pp. 662–675
Ma L. C., (1996). Psychosocial stresses and adjustment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients in Hong Kong: A panel study Cancer Practice 4(5): 258–266
Macmillan D., (2000). The expressive power of Chinese art The Lancet 355(9213): 1467
Markus H. R., Kitayama S. (1991). Culture and the self – implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation Psychological Review 98(2): 224–253
Ots T., (1990). The angry liver, the anxious heart and the melancholy spleen: The phenomenology of perceptions in Chinese culture Culture Medicine and Psychiatry 14(1): 21–58
Pallaro P., (1997). Culture, self and body-self: Dance/movement therapy with Asian Americans Arts in Psychotherapy 24(3): 227–241
Pruzinsky T., Cash T. F., (2002). Understanding body images: Historical and contemporary perspectives. In: Cash T., Pruzinsky T., eds Body image : A handbook of theory, research, and clinical practice. Guilford Press, New York, pp. 3–12
Ratner C. (2000). A cultural –psychological analysis of emotions Culture & Psychology 6(1): 5–39
Russell J. A., Yik M. S. M., (1996). Emotion among the Chinese. In: Bond M. H., (eds). The handbook of Chinese psychology. Oxford University Press, Hong Kong
Sandel, S. L., & Judge, J. O. (2004, October). Dance and movement program improves quality of life measure in breast cancer survivors. Paper presented at the 39th meeting of the American Dance Therapy Association: Choreographing Health: Dance/Movement Therapy 2004, New Orleans Louisiana
Sandel S. L., Judge J. O., Landry N., Faria L., Ouellette R., Majczak M., (2005). Dance and movement program improves quality-of-life measures in breast cancer survivors Cancer Nursing 28(4): 301–309
Schilder P. (1935/1950). The image and appearance of the human body. International University press New York
Schoop T., Mitchell P., (1986). Reflections and projections: The Schoop Approach to Dance Therapy.Lewis P. (eds). Theoretical approaches in dance-movement therapy 1. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, Iowa
Serlin I. A., Classen C., Frances B., Angell K., (2000). Symposium: Support groups for women with breast cancer: Traditional and alternative expressive approaches Arts in Psychotherapy 27(2):123–138
Smith M. Y., Redd W. H., Peyser C., Vogl D., (1999). Post-traumatic stress disorder in cancer: A review Psycho-Oncology 8(6): 521–537
Ungvari G. S., Chiu H. F. (2004). Editorial: The state of psychiatry in Hong Kong: A bird's eye view International Journal of Social Psychiatry 50(1): 5–9
Ye Z. D., (2002). Different modes of describing emotions in Chinese Pragmatics and Cognition 10(1): 307–339
Ye Z. D., (2004). The Chinese folk model of facial expressions: A linguistic perspective Culture and Psychology 10(2): 195–222
Yu N., (2002). Body and Emotion: Body parts in Chinese expression of emotion Pragmatics and Cognition 10(1): 341–367
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ho, R.Th. Regaining Balance Within: Dance Movement Therapy with Chinese Cancer Patients in Hong Kong. Am J Dance Ther 27, 87–99 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-005-9002-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-005-9002-z