Towards a multidisciplinary approach to healthcare

: A case for dance improvisation in clinical and care settings.

Abstract

In 2007, the World Health Organisation (WHO) called for a more holistic, person-centred approach to healthcare in response to inherent limitations with the dominant biomedical approach (David et al 2007). This research portfolio is part of the broader Arts and Health (AaH) movement which is integral to the shift to a more holistic/patient-centred approach. However, to date, participatory arts for health programmes only reach a minority of hospital patients and are not centrally funded by the NHS or part of standard healthcare provision.

Drawing on 17 years of experience as a dance artist practising in clinical settings, this research investigates how a phenomenological, non-dualistic approach to movement can enhance the lived experience of people, living with life threatening and/or life limiting conditions in care or clinical settings. The core of the critical overview examines the potential of dance improvisation as a participatory and performance practice in the paediatric clinical setting of Alder Hey Children’s Hospital (AHCH), Liverpool and alludes to potential benefits for adults and end of life care. Dance improvisation denotes practices such as instant composition and Contact Improvisation (CI) which developed in the 1960s and 70s in the USA and the closely aligned movement of British New Dance. Also included in this definition is the coalescence of somatic practices which influenced the development of such performance methodologies, in particular, Body-Mind Centering® (BMC®).

The research draws on a multi-stranded, experimental methodology underpinned with a collaborative phenomenology. It includes two studies, one qualitative and one mixed methods, which explore the benefits of participatory dance improvisation in the clinical setting. Elaborating on insights gained from these studies, it considers the potential of capturing ephemeral improvisation practices and methodologies on film to share them outside the field of dance studies through a digital application. Further, a book chapter investigates the potential of improvisation as a phenomenological research methodology. Finally, the research explores the promise of somatically informed instant composition to extend dance and music performance into acute healthcare settings, enhancing the lived experience of hospital patients undergoing treatment for complex conditions. The critical overview also includes new research through mini focus groups with Cai Tomos and Louise Klarnett, dance artists practicing at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (CWH), London (Oct 2022). 

Key findings include the identification of creative, artistic, and positive health outcomes as a result of the practice of dance improvisation in clinical and care settings. Based on these findings, it is argued that the integration of dance improvisation into the clinical setting enhances the lived experience of not only patients, but also families and hospital and care staff. The research imparts knowledge gained through professional collaboration across dance and medicine, thereby making a case for and advocating a multidisciplinary approach to care.

Date of Award	Aug 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Coventry University
Supervisor	Ruth Gibson (Supervisor) & Emma Meehan (Supervisor)