Abstract

Therapeutic effects of an experimental dance therapy program for students suffering from neurosis were measured in the study. The program duration was 6 months; dance sessions were held twice weekly, 1.5 hours each, at the Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw. The program included various forms of dance, calisthenics to the music, and improvisation of new movements to the music. Due to objective reasons not all patients completed the program. In those who remained to the end of the program, positive changes were found both in the motor sphere an in respect of psychological variables. Not all the variables under study yielded statistically significant differences. In addition to the changes measured in the experiment, some other changes were observed in the participants, and namely, improved mood, favorable behavioral changes, more care for personal hygiene and increased resistance to tiredness. It seems that dance therapy outcomes presented in this paper indicate that a wider application of this method would be fully justified. Verf.-Referat