From August 3rd (Saturday) to August 5th (Monday), 2024, the project team, led by Teacher Ying-Hui, hosted the 113th Annual "You and I, Together for Good" Virtuous Cycle - Community Sustainability Advocacy, Care, and Venue Management USR Project - Dance Narrative Therapy Application for the Elderly: "Dance Prescription for People Affected by Dementia" Instructor Training Course at the Dance Classroom in the basement of the Zhongzheng Building, Taipei City University of Science and Technology's Bo'ai Campus. The background for this training course stems from the understanding that aging is a critical issue both in Taiwan and globally. Thus, the course was designed to assist students in applying expressive therapy concepts to lead elderly groups. The main focus of this course is the "Dance Prescription," with Dance-Based Narrative Therapy (DBNT) serving as the theoretical and practical foundation. During the three-day workshop, participants are guided to understand social construction, core philosophical concepts of narrative therapy, and methods for integrating elements such as dance, movement, music, creativity, and play. The course also emphasizes experiential learning, allowing students to design future approaches in this field. "Dance Prescription" is based on Dance-Based Narrative Therapy (DBNT), with its theoretical and practical basis in postmodernism, drawing from social construction and narrative therapy philosophies and techniques. It applies elements of dance, movement, music, creativity, and play to offer a therapeutic course for dementia patients and their caregivers, promoting stress release, emotional regulation, interaction reconstruction, and the rebuilding of post-disease self-identity (Hong Ying-Hui, Chen Shu-Yun, Liu Jian-Liang, 2023). This instructor training course aims to provide new ways of thinking and practical methods for those accompanying individuals with dementia. DBNT uses both verbal and bodily language in a collaborative dance to engage in a dialogue that deepens understanding of life challenges and helps rewrite resilient, life-affirming narratives (Hong & Hsu, 2023). In DBNT, Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) serves as a reference framework for understanding movement meaning and creating creative dance. The rhythm, musicality, creativity, interactivity, and relational aspects of dance are central to the course. Philosophically, postmodern emphasis on social construction of relationships underpins the DBNT approach, guiding sensory and emotional perceptions back to the cognitive phase. Through this course, we hope that in future work, participants will incorporate DBNT methods as one of the tools for emotional recognition and expression, helping individuals explore and understand their emotions and experiences. It also enables communication with those who are less expressive or unable to articulate verbally, facilitating understanding and emotional transformation. The project team aims to help participants learn: (1) to become familiar with the concept of Dance Prescription, including social construction, narrative therapy core philosophies, and elements of dance, movement, music, creativity, and play; (2) assist students in understanding the structure of Dance Prescription groups; (3) help students design Dance Prescription approaches for elderly and dementia-related groups, developing professional skills for promoting social and mental well-being, fostering innovative practices, and inspiring interest in and understanding of body-based work. Additionally, the course nurtures students in expressive arts therapy, cultivating professionals who can promote generational learning and enrich the course content.

Implemented by Center for Teaching and Learning Development
Date: 2024/08/03-2024/08/05