Abstract
“What is the state of cultural competency education in the American Dance Therapy Association approved dance/movement therapy (DMT) graduate training programs in the United States?” This question was answered through 10 interviews with educators and administrators at six programs, as well as an examination of their course syllabi. Five of six schools have discrete dedicated courses and all claim to have some features within the curriculum that integrate multicultural and diversity education. Findings indicate that these educators are enthusiastically committed to diversity and multicultural education, and in most cases find their schools supportive as well. Pedagogical challenges include the relative homogeneity of their student and faculty body resulting in minimum contact with diverse role models and peers. Educators meet this and other challenges with a breadth of innovative experiential instructional methods. A compilation of educator-identified competencies unique to DMT is proposed.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank all the interviewees, Nicole Oxendine, and Courtney St. Clair for their assistance in conducting this research.
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Hervey, L., Stuart, L. Cultural Competency Education in Approved Dance/Movement Therapy Graduate Programs. Am J Dance Ther 34, 85–98 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-012-9135-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-012-9135-9