Movement is something we are all born with. If we can coordinate that with creatively we can manage our sorrows, and sometimes even trauma.  The end result is improvement of our lives.

That’s what dance therapy means to say- a growing interest area in the Indian dance scenario. Bangalore-based Tripura Kashyap is one of the pioneers of this therapy in India. She is one of India’s first trained therapists who had come up with mobility training programmes for the visually challenged and hearing-impaired children and schizophrenic adults.

 “Movement is inborn and if we can nurture that, we can stay physically and emotionally fit,” Kashyap says. It all started for her when she noticed that her brother Pavan, who was wheelchair bound with polio meningitis, would start moving his upper body every time his favourite music came on. “Sometimes we would sway our bodies in unison to the songs he loved; he seemed most animated during those times.” That intrigued her to learn more about dance therapy. After studying about it at Hancock Center for Dance/Movement Therapy in Wisconsin, USA, she came back to India to join reputed dancer Chandralekha’s troupe in Chennai.

Kashyap’s  first experience as a therapist happened with schizophrenic adults at an organization called Atmashakti and hearing-impaired children at an institute called Hamsadhwani. The schizophrenic adults were already introduced to other forms of therapy like yoga, music, exercises and painting. However, this group found it very difficult to be completely connected to reality. Surprisingly, they loved this art form. “We found they never drifted away into their own ‘other’ world while dancing. They seemed to have got bitten by the dance bug and would strive to be completely involved even if it was one of their not-so-good days,” Kashyap recalls. To this group dance was indeed therapeutic.

Kashyap was also able to bring a ray of hope to the lives of differently abled children.As she explains, “Each of these children has a different problem. If it is short attention span for someone, then for another it is difficulty in finding rhythm. Such children find it extremely tough to dance in a group and the goal of therapy is to help each child find a footing for herself.”

The therapy begins with each child placing his palms against each other and pushing them playfully. Then as their coordination improved with time, Kashyap choreographed three dances incorporating mirroring, sculpting and other exercises. The outcome: the children’s movements became more coordinated with the passage of time.

Kashyap’s experience with hearing impaired children gave her an unusual learning experience. “The dance sessions tested my non-verbal communication skills that I had to sharpen - I had to express myself as well as understand their subtle, fast- paced sign language.” Since many hand gestures from classical Indian dances ran parallel to their sign language, Kashyap decided to exchange their skills. “I taught them hand gestures while they taught me the basics of sign language. Both were combined to form a bridge of expression between us,” says Kashyap.

In  Kolkata, Sohini Chakraborty has established Sanved that conducts an elaborate dance routine  for curing children who have undergone the trauma of trafficking. Chakraborty says that initially the trafficked children are unable to communicate. Guilt and pain overwhelm them.

To liberate the troubled souls, Chakraborty came up with a therapy where the young participants throw up their hands in gestures of emancipation. Gradually that liberates the traumatized souls. From a stigmatized individual the girl/boy becomes a part of the community who is a “proactive advocate” of Sanved – and carries the good work forward.

For Chakraborty, it had all started when she saw a poster about 14 years ago; which changed her life. “I was a Masters student of Sociology and had visited the Calcutta Book Fair with some friends. I saw this poster that had the photograph of a girl. Beside it was scribbled a poem, ‘They sell me, my own blood for some gold and silver, I rinse and rinse my mouth but the treachery remains.’ The poster of Sanlaap, a well-known human rights organization of Kolkata focusing on the plight of child sex workers, moved the young graduate.

Chakraborty met Indrani Sinha, the founder-secretary of Sanlaap, and volunteered to be a member in the  organization to help the girls in distress. Herself trained in Bharatnatyam and Navanritya, Chakraborty attempted to bring joy into the lives of the girls at Sanlaap by teaching them how to dance. The structured dance, however, did not move the young audience much.

A determined Chakraborty, however, refused to give up and approached her dance teacher – Manjusree Chaki Sarkar, a pioneer in modern dance form of ‘Navanritya’ in Kolkata,  for support. With her guidance,  Chakraborty started her classes with simple exercises and story based movements.

In March 2002, Chakraborty moved on and founded Sanved. She created a dance curriculum called ‘Sampurnata’ which includes body awareness, improvisation skills, group therapy et al. The curriculum also aims at providing career options like advocacy, campaign, performance and training.

The dance therapy has also elicited warm response from the Department of Social Welfare, West Bengal government for  conducting dance therapy in the shelter homes.

As psychiatrist, Kanika Mitra, points out, “This therapy is unique; it has many benefits and definitely improves physical and mental health of a person.”

Using the basic human instinct for body movement and urge for expression, the dance therapists  have moved a step forward to bring joy to the disadvantaged.