Embodied Concepts of Neurobiology in Dance/Movement Therapy Practice

This paper explores emerging concepts in affective neuroscience relevant to the understanding of the impact of dance/movement therapy interventions in clinical practice. The work of Steven Porges exploring polyvagal regulation, Antonio Damasio’s work on the concept of somatic markers, recent discoveries in implicit and explicit memory processing, the work of Rizzolati, Iacoboni, Gallese, and others on the mirror neuron system provide insights into the interrelationship between mind and body. These contributions are considered in the context of their relevance to utilize dance/movement therapy interventions from a neurobiological perspective.