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This past weekend for me was jam-packed with dance, and, though I am still a little exhausted from the weekend activities, it was completely worth it.  First, I had the opportunity to go check out the 7^th annual DMTC Alumni concert.  All of the proceeds from the concert went to a current student in the Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling program, and the winner was announced on Friday night.  The beautiful thing about this show is that it gives all of the alumni an opportunity to continue creating.  Also, the proceeds from this concert go to one lucky student, and this year the winner was Chih Hsien Lin.

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to see Stephen Petronio Company perform at the Dance Center as well as take a class from Stephen Petronio himself!  Often times when I hear the word class, I think of an experience in which we will learn the style of another.  I also equate class as an opportunity to learn choreography.  However, the workshop with Stephen really gave us dance/movement therapists the chance to further experience self-exploration.  Through the workshop, we had an opportunity to understand how Stephen Petronio uses dance as a therapeutic modality to help others.

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Stephen led us in several different experientials, all of which, under the right circumstances, could be used in the future within different clinical settings.  The exercises he choose to incorporate into the workshop gave us an opportunity to tap into our present experiences as well as our bodies.  This was something that I felt was really important that I gained from the overall experience.  What I enjoyed about this workshop is that it showed how I could bring clients into themselves and generate a stronger sense of self-awareness, as well.

He also led us through some exercises that helped us to align our bodies.  Though I have learned different ways of facilitating this in the past, he used a method I had never experienced before to achieve the same results.  In doing so, he helped us to identify specific parts of the body that, when aligned, allowed me to become more centered.

After taking his class, I am walking away with yet even more tools that I may use with clients in the future.  I am very grateful to Stephen Petronio for sharing methods that he has used in the past and am excited utilize the knowledge gained from this workshop in the future.