Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Honoring History and Heritage: Roots for New Heights
Marian Chace Memorial Foundation Annual Lecture.American Dance Therapy Association 47th Annual Conference.Albuquerque, New Mexico; October 12, 2012
Judith Richardson Bunney
Published online: 9 April 2013
� American Dance Therapy Association 2013
I am especially honored to present the Marian Chace Memorial Foundation Annual
Lecture. Marian Chace was the first president of the ADTA, and I was fortunate to
be trained by her and to work with her at Chestnut Lodge from 1957 to 1963. I was
very lucky in my own lifetime to be privileged to know, to be taught by, and to work
with a seminal thinker, an innovator, a creative genius, and a real person who
impacted a burgeoning profession profoundly.
Welcome to New Mexico—‘‘The Land Of Enchantment’’—celebrating
100 years of statehood. In 2012 our state capitol, Santa Fe, celebrated the 400th
anniversary of its settlement, and Native American habitation of the region has been
traced to 2000 BC. Many Pueblos continue to practice ancient healing rituals, such
Judith Bunney, photo credit: Lisa Law Productions, Santa Fe, 2013
J. R. Bunney (&)
Santa Fe, NM, USA
e-mail: [email protected]
123
Am J Dance Ther (2013) 35:5–17
DOI 10.1007/s10465-013-9150-5
as dance, which has been documented in native cultures from time immemorial. Our
link to them is clear.
Marian Chace began dance therapy1 at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington,
DC, in 1942; the dance therapy program at St. Elizabeths has operated continuously
for the past 70 years. To put this figure into context, the ADTA is celebrating a
relatively young 47 years, and I am celebrating 55 years as a practicing dance/
movement therapist.
I chose the title of this lecture, Honoring History and Heritage, because this has
been a pervasive topic in New Mexico for the past 2 years. Here in New Mexico,
museums, symposia, lectures, and books have been exploring what the past has
contributed to the present. This focus is reflected in my experience as well, having
lived my entire adult life as a dance/movement therapist, from some of our earliest
years to the present.
Preparing for this lecture has been a little like an archeological dig, going back
through some of the first ADTA publications: early monographs and the first
journals that date from 1977 to 1978. This in itself was quite an accomplishment for
an organization that was formalized only 11 years before. We have come a long
way from some reports in the early literature referring to dance therapy as
‘‘adjunctive’’ therapy. With the establishment of graduate training programs
requiring research theses, as well as credentialing standards for training and
practice, we, as practitioners of mainstream therapy, have evolved into a profession
worthy of respect. Looking back, we can see that our historical development moved
ahead with deliberation, though not without conflict and debate.
I have delved into these early journals, Volumes 1 and 2. They include
conference overviews, with Volume 1 dealing with the 10th annual conference held
in Asilomar, CA, in October 1975. This event was designated as honoring Irmgard
Bartenieff, a pioneering teacher, author, and therapist. Ruthanna Boris and Alma
Hawkins, as well as other notable presenters, appear, with Ruthanna supporting the
importance of dance, and Alma exploring creativity.
I was also drawn to a conference overview from the 11th annual conference in
Washington, DC in October 1976, documented in Volume 1, Number 2 of the new
journal. I served on the planning committee for that conference and was the
incoming president. The three previous presidents, Sharon Chaiklin, Beth Kalish,
and Joan Smallwood, prepared a position paper giving an historical review of the
past decade (the ADTA’s first) and projecting major concerns for the future, after
which professionals from a variety of disciplines responded to the issues addressed
therein. This thinking helped define tasks essential to an ‘‘emerging profession’’:
clarification and objectification of standards for training and practice, extending and
strengthening alliances with other professions, pursuing legislative affairs, and
seeking credentials. The journal report indicates that the program committee
designed seminars that reflected and explored these crucial topics. Indeed, among
the presenters were many distinguished professionals from other disciplines, as well
1 While I have used the term, dance therapy, throughout this lecture, a term which was used during
Marian Chace’s tenure and the early days of the profession, the American Dance Therapy Association
now uses dance/movement therapy.
6 Am J Dance Ther (2013) 35:5–17
123
as two of our first-generation members, Trudi Schoop and Liljan Espanek. Rhoda
Winter Russell presented what she named ‘‘clinical movement therapy.’’
This is just a brief snippet of our history. What is history? It can be an elusive and
evolving thing. What happened? Who did it? Answers can change depending upon
whom you ask and when you ask. It depends on what is spoken, written, and taught.
Like the childhood game of ‘‘telephone,’’ the message can become mythologized,
changed, distorted, or devolved so as to become unrecognizable or forgotten.
In our relatively young history, we have the advantage of being closer to the
creation of a profession which has now grown, advanced conceptually in both
training and practice, yet which holds to essential roots in dance. Indeed, some of us
were present at the creation. Those of us considered ‘‘second-generation,’’ having
been trained by those recognized as the pioneering ‘‘first-generation,’’ have had a
hand in shaping this developing and always evolving profession of dance/movement
therapy (DMT).
Looking back… moving forward
Many of you know my format of ‘‘looking back, moving forward�,’’ which I often
use as a structure to deal with grief and loss. Yet I find it is also quite appropriate to
this topic: Honoring History and Heritage: Roots for New Heights.
So, I ask you now to stand and, on a diagonal, look back with your left arm,
taking it all in, spiraling to your heart with that arm, as you slowly turn to face
forward, drawing a new spiral with your right arm, towards forward. If we had
space, we would move in a circular pattern, repeating ‘‘looking back, moving
forward,’’ as we move across a diagonal.
Thank you. You may sit down.
This metaphor contains imagery and our present being as we reflect on our
history, taking it in with respect as we move forward to the future: our ‘‘new
heights.’’
We are a tribe—ancient and future.We deal in ritual—utilize circles.We work for flow
Encompassed by native tribes, both ancient and contemporary, in New Mexico, I
am struck by conceiving of our DMT community as a tribe, indeed one whose
members honor ritual, utilizing sacred circles and dance as healing and working
towards flow, as native tribes have done. We are a tribe, ancient and future, we deal
in ritual: We utilize circles, we work for flow.
Here on this table are some Kachinas from Hopi and Navajo Nation artists. They
represent iconic dancers, such as the Buffalo Dancer and Eagle Dancer. I think of
them as our spirit guides.
A few weeks ago, I was privileged to attend a ‘‘blessing’’ by Dinetah Dancers of the
Navajo Nation in Santa Fe. They asked for respect to be shown by having no
reproduction of the blessing published, as they considered this dance a sacred ritual.
They wore traditional dress, with many items of stunning turquoise jewelry. Three
Am J Dance Ther (2013) 35:5–17 7
123
men and one woman were holding eagle feathers, another iconic symbol. Before they
began, the leader announced the first blessing dance to be presented would be in honor
of warriors, and he called up veterans, their spouses and children to stand outside the
circle of the dance. It was profoundly moving, as woven into the Dine language chant
one could hear the words: ‘‘World War II, Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan.’’
The leader, who referred to himself as an educator, pointed out that native
peoples have served in all wars in great numbers, on active duty in the U.S. military.
In fact, there is a famous group called the Navajo Code Talkers who developed a
communication code in World War II that was never decoded, and has been
recognized as an important factor in our winning the war. Four of these men survive
and one is an elected and much-beloved New Mexico state senator.
The educator then asked those participating in the warrior blessing to sit down
and began another blessing dance by calling up those who need healing of body,
mind, or spirit, or those who knew of someone needing healing, into the outer circle.
Many spectators crowded for healing as the dancers came close and reverently
bowed to those of us who were standing.
He directed us to a cupped hand pose, bringing the hands up to the face, blowing
into the hands, and then touching ourselves, starting with the feet and going upwards
along the body to the top of the head. Quite amazing was the response from the
several hundred people following the ritual blessing.
New Mexico traditional peoples have enacted such healing rituals for centuries.
Similarly, I understood that we dance therapists are a tribe, with ancient and future
rituals, having unwritten ties binding us together in work we cherish. Because we see
our effectiveness in working with people across a wide spectrum of experiences, we
dedicate more and more to codify best practices and learn scientific underpinnings
which validate our work. These will forge new heights for our profession.
If we are indeed a tribe, I want to acknowledge and honor the ‘‘elders,’’ whom we
commonly know as first-generation dance therapists who were working in the
1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
First-generation dance therapists
• Marian Chace
• Mary Whitehouse
• Blanche Evan
• Liljan Espenak
• Trudi Schoop
There are other important people in our heritage, but I would like to take a moment
to acknowledge members of the second-generation of dance therapists, i.e., those
who directly trained with these five. Would you please stand up as I call the names
of our elders: Those who trained with Marian Chace, Mary Whitehouse, Blanche
Evan, Liljan Espenak, and Trudi Schoop.
These are now the elders, as you can see. Please remain standing. Most of these
are charter members, our original living history and heritage—fully present and
8 Am J Dance Ther (2013) 35:5–17
123
available to all of us. Know that this incredible human resource is with us in both
body and spirit. Talk to them and honor them throughout this conference.
Thank you. You may now be seated.
I know there are many in this cohort who were unable to be here, so we are
thinking of them as well. Sadly, there are many in this second-generation who are no
longer with us in this life. All five named pioneers have also left us. We are
remembering, honoring, and missing them all today.
Carrying this heritage to the present day, let us honor those who have trained with
the second-generation cohort: Please stand. Now you are seeing those who represent
much of the current leadership in the ADTA, the educators, researchers, and
conceptual thinkers of our profession’s ‘‘new heights.’’
Thank you. You may sit down.
These, then, are our roots.
To continue to demonstrate this genealogy, we look to an important group in our
tribe: those in practice who have completed training with the most recent standees.
Would you please stand? These represent the practicing, vital core of our
membership. They are the face of our profession in the real world, working with real
clients, having real impacts on the organizations of health and healing.
Thank you. You may sit down.
An essential component of our new heights are our current students. Would those
now in training please stand up? These students represent the full circle of our
history, heritage, and potential for new heights. They are becoming our standard-
bearers, and we pass on to them a venerable legacy, for they are indeed our future.
Thank you. You may sit down.
Yes, I am chauvinistic enough to give special shout-outs to those who worked, or
trained at St. Elizabeths Hospital or Chestnut Lodge, those who have been in my
courses over the years, and those who trained, as I did, with Marian Chace. But the
dominant image I have is that of a relay, such as those seen in the Olympics. The baton
has been passed from one group of us to the next, and now down to the students. Hang
on and don’t let it fall to the ground, until it is your turn to hand it off to the next cohort.
There are others who have made important contributions to our early
development:
• Irmgard Bartenieff
• Alma Hawkins
• Eva Desca Garnet
• Elaine Siegel
• Allegra Fuller Snyder
• Franzisca Boas
• Rhoda Winter Russell
• Judith Kestenberg
• Martha Davis
• Mara Capy
• Norma Canner—a moment of remembrance—Norma recently left this earth at
age 93.
Am J Dance Ther (2013) 35:5–17 9
123
It has not been my intention to omit anyone, but these names come swiftly to
mind. If you have others, please tell me after and I will include them.
Some in our illustrious dance heritage include:
• Isadora Duncan
• Ruth St. Denis
• Mary Wigman
• Rudolf von Laban
At one point, I attempted to list, in addition to our dance heritage, the names of
some of the psychiatrists and psychoanalysts with whom our founders had studied,
but this became too extensive a list for this paper. So, I leave you to think of those
who were famous in the ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Those talented and innovative
thinkers had concrete influences on our early development.
You can see that I had a very difficult time narrowing my thoughts for this paper
as 55 years is a long work and life span. There have been so many extraordinary
encounters with extraordinary people over this course of work and life. It has been
almost impossible to focus on the most significant elements in our history. There is
current interest in and study of brain science, as in the past there was on nonverbal
communication. There have been other studies of movement observation, and many
on diverse psychodynamic theories. Dance/movement therapy is a union of art and
science with our members across our history having embraced diverse and divergent
fields towards frameworks of what it means to structure a body of knowledge. This
makes me think of scholars from Archimedes through Einstein who have written
about the ‘‘theory of everything.’’
Much of our written language is about movement, somatics, the body, and
theories from a range of fields too numerous to enumerate. Surprisingly, or maybe
not so surprisingly, a former student asked where were all the papers on dance as a
fundamental component of DMT?
So, I go back to the most basic element connecting all of us in this tribe, and that
is, of course, dance! It is wonderful that dance is everywhere these days, on
television, Youtube, flash mobs, yet where is it in our own literature?
My own dance experience goes back almost three-quarters of a century when I
took my first classes at Miss Patricia’s Dance Studio in Denver. I remember
performing in a recital duet with my older sister. In college I danced Les Sylphides,
as well as in dance concerts and in college musicals like Brigadoon. After I went to
Washington, DC to work with Marian, I studied with Erika Thimey, performing in
her concert group. I memorably took master classes with Eric Hawkins and
performed with his troupe on the National Mall near the Infinity Sculpture. I was an
active member in the Washington Modern Dance Society and was a choreographer
for the National Institutes of Health ‘Hamsters,’ an amateur performance group.
During my years at Chestnut Lodge working with Marian, her fame was
spreading and student volunteers were flocking to come and learn. At first she was
flattered, but then she became apprehensive as she saw the development of the field
grow beyond her control. She also found many advocates lacking the necessary
background in dance, which was her core foundation. This troubled her.
10 Am J Dance Ther (2013) 35:5–17
123
She often referred to her background in concert dance, performing with the
famed Denishawn troupe and founding a Denishawn studio in Washington, DC with
her then-husband. From dance, she used music to develop rhythmic structures and
movement synchrony: it was about basic human connection and communication.
She was an artist, a creative dancer, and teacher.
Marian followed a studio routine of changing from street clothes into peasant
skirt and blouse, with her favored soft Gymkhana shoes. She was a commanding
presence, striding onto wards to interact with patients who were mostly unmedicated
in those days. She was grounded, direct and clear in her movements, reflecting,
mirroring, and engaging patients in dancing.
She was fearless and, though she did speak, the primary communication was direct
and nonverbal. With an almost simplistic but clear belief in the expressive and universal
connections of people, even those who were very disturbed, she became legendary.
Marian and I also led weekly psychodrama groups that gained some respect
among the psychoanalysts as we recoded notes on an old Dictaphone each night.
These were typed up the next day by secretaries and distributed to the entire staff.
Performances had been part of Marian’s young life and so it continued. She
presented the ‘‘Hotel St. Elizabeths,’’ a penetrating view of the institution, written
and performed by patients. It was memorable. I saw it with patients I brought from
Chestnut Lodge across the city to the theater at St. Elizabeths.
We prepared a dance concert at Chestnut Lodge as well, around 1958. We had
several professional actors, from both film and stage, as well as professional dancers
who were patients in the hospital at Chestnut Lodge. Some of them performed, as
did Marian and I. I restaged a performance I had done earlier: a dance to The LittlePrince, accompanied by a dramatic narration by one of the professional actors.
Marian performed a dance to Bach’s ‘‘Air on a G String.’’ The performance got off
to a rocky start when the wrong music was cued, with Marian gliding backstage to
correct the mistake and gliding back to center stage to dance, ever the professional!
It was to be her last dance performance for the public.
Am J Dance Ther (2013) 35:5–17 11
123
It is important to note that although she is known as having worked primarily in
groups, Marian did schedule individual sessions as well. In fact, at Chestnut Lodge
she held sessions on the wards on Saturday mornings, and worked with individuals in
the studio in the afternoons. This was an open space, which even had ballet barres. As
it was being designed, she had given suggestions to the architect, a woman of some
renown. The center at Chestnut Lodge was pictured in the architecture literature at
the time as an innovative, modern, functional building. After she retired from St.
Elizabeths, Marian worked in that building until the day she died.
As I said, we had patients who were professional actors and dancers with whom
she would work individually. These were often very intense sessions. Marian,
though quite assured of the value of her work and belief system, often appeared to
be insecure and sought approval from me after sessions. I believe this stemmed in
part from her early competition with Martha Graham at Denishawn. I came to
realize that as a lifelong performer she craved approbation and applause, similar to
others in the performing arts.
She had had an evolving career, from Denishawn dancer to studio teacher. She was a
choreographer for the Cherry Blossom Festival, a significant cultural event in DC.
Teaching in the studio with people who were not studying for a professional dance career
puzzled her. She worked more and more with dance students who were stretching their
personal selves as well as their bodies, some referred by physicians. As she worked, she
gained additional recognition and support from local physicians and psychiatrists, who
sent their patients to her for their self-exploration. This was in the 1940s!
This evolution, in turn, led her to study with some prominent psychiatrists in
Washington, and soon she was invited to work as a volunteer at St. Elizabeths
Hospital. This was a federal hospital with some 8,000 patients in the ‘30s and ‘40s,
with a hundred or so buildings over 200 acres of real estate. There were special
wards for every disability: blindness; deafness (not called hearing-impaired in those
days); dementia; forensics, both minimum and maximum; as well as wards upon
wards of mentally ill persons. It did not go unnoticed that Marian had an ability to
connect and interact with even those most severely ill. A position was specifically
created for her, and she went to work full-time. She was a dance therapist!
As her recognition grew, she developed some rather basic training at St.
Elizabeths for people who came to learn about her magic. Was it just something
only she could do because she was so intuitive? Well, we dance/movement
therapists all know the answer to that one. She wrote more, presented at professional
conferences more, and developed more formal apprenticeships as well as a yearly
course at Turtle Bay in New York. Thus, she went from concert dancer, to dance
teacher, to choreographer, to dance therapist, and finally to dance therapy innovator
and teacher: the steps to an evolving self and amazing career.
Marian would always ask her patients what she should say when she was writing
a paper to present to professional groups. One very memorable response: ‘‘Tell
them, for a moment, we live!!’’ Indeed, dancing is life-affirming. And in groups, it
becomes very powerful—think of the ADTA at the banquet—hundreds of us
dancing, improvising, interacting with immense creativity. We always amaze the
bands, which usually catch the spirit with us. This is when I think of us as a tribe—
12 Am J Dance Ther (2013) 35:5–17
123
ancient and yet ongoing, connecting us with rituals of native peoples all over the
world, and yet, with our new identity as DMT healers.
This is what we bring to the interaction: our fully present selves, our groundedness,
our willingness to engage. We are creative, intuitive, improvisational, and cerebral.
Similarly, though with a more thought-out structure relating to the needs and goals of
our patients or clients, we understand the power of dance as the medium. It is about
who we are, and our ability to support transformative shared experience.
Lately, I have become concerned about recent books and workshops in the creative
arts and expressive therapies that proffer techniques: what to do and how to do it.
Recently, I was asked to write just such a chapter for an expressive therapies book; I
declined to do so. I was somewhat startled, as the proposal seemed to abrogate the
necessity for the essence of the person, our presence, our dance art, and the knowledge
that we bring to this work as therapists. Techniques alone without contextual
framework and an understanding of the need for a fully trained and grounded leader
can be fraught with real danger. It’s not about what we do, but who we are.While I am on a rant, I will name some pet peeves about the written word in
DMT. Misspellings become ingrained in the literature, and two I object to are well
known to my students. Marian Chace is spelled with an A in the first name and a C
in the last. Also, when St. Elizabeths Hospital was instituted as a federal one,
somehow the apostrophe was eliminated in official documents. Two legends abide:
a typo, or another, different, St. Elizabeths without the apostrophe had been on the
site. Other names are often misspelled, which are repeated and repeated in error.
Another peeve of mine: What is a ‘‘Chacian circle’’? I first heard this phrase from
a prospective intern who was skeptical of coming to St. E’s because he had heard
that all we did were Chacian circles. That was certainly news to me.
Circles
‘‘Circles…the power of the world always works in circles, and everything tries to be
round…. The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so
are the stars. The wind, in its greatest power whirls. Birds make their nests in
circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours…. Even the seasons form a great circle
in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of man
is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power
moves.’’ Black Elk (1863–1950), Oglala Sioux holy man (in Native Americanwisdom: From father to son, 1994, Running Press, Philadelphia, PA.)
What do we believe in? In The Republic, Socrates wrote of optimal education,
with initial focus on the physical that helps three-dimensional reasoning. Secondary
focus on music and, finally, focus on philosophy were his further tenets.
We believe that dance therapy has its roots in the physical: in dance. Dance is the
oldest of the arts, the most basic and fundamental, leading to expression and
connection of our selfhood through the body, without words. These are the deepest
unspoken feelings representing our humanness. We work with patterns and
symbolism, and often have transcendent experiences through dance.
Am J Dance Ther (2013) 35:5–17 13
123
I read recently about a weeklong fair of the Crow tribe. It was described as a
giant family reunion under the big sky. Tribes came from near and far. Like the
ADTA, the participants took part in drumming, dancing, and singing, as well as
mentoring. It was said that they were preserving the old while supporting the
new.
I have been very nostalgic preparing this paper. Attending the last ADTA
conference that was held years ago in Albuquerque, I spent some time in Santa Fe.
Though I had visited many times since childhood, this cemented my plan to retire
to Santa Fe, notwithstanding almost 50 years in Washington. Having encountered a
bobcat on my rear portal, a rattlesnake in my garage, and a favorite coyote who
leaves a ‘present’ on my driveway every couple of weeks, I am now a true
westerner again. I enjoy the Land of Enchantment, and marvel at the astonishing
sunrises, sunsets, and glorious night skies. So be warned—you may catch New
Mexico fever!
Flow
To recapitulate: We have looked at ancient and future tribes. We deal in ritual—we
utilize circles and we work on flow.
FLOW
Be
As water is
Without friction
Flow around the edgesOf those within your path
Surround within your ever-moving depths
Those who come to rest there—
Enfold them
While never for a moment holding on
Accept whatever distance
Others are moved within your flow
Be with them gently as far
As they allow your strength to take them
And fill with your own being
The remaining space when they are left behind
When dropping down life’s rapids
Froth and bubble into fragments if you must
Knowing that the one of you now many
Will just as many times be one again
And when you’ve gone as far as you can go
Quietly await your next beginning
(Source unknown)
14 Am J Dance Ther (2013) 35:5–17
123
Horizon
As we bring this tribal experience to closure, I would offer a gift from Marian
Chace—an exercise with which she ended many of her workshops, especially with
allied professionals.
Stand grounded—present yourself to the group or audience.
As performers, present yourself in relation to the horizon, before the content
you are going to perform: Draw your horizon, with you as a presence relative
to it. Each horizon in unique!
Now—you are ready to begin.
Thank you very much—onward to new heights.
Addendum
ADTA Charter Members
1. Irmgard Bartenieff, New York, NY
2. Beate Becker, New Rochelle, NY
3. Ruthanna Becker (Boris), New York, NY
4. Ruth Bernard, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
5. Mary Ann Buben, Lincoln, RI
6. Nitza Broide (Miller), New York, NY
7. Judith Bunney, Silver Spring, MD
8. Marian Chace, Washington DC
9. Sharon Chaiklin, Baltimore, MD
10. Pei-Fen Chin, Rhinebeck, NY
11. Susan Constable, Chicago, IL
12. Martha Ann Davis, New York, NY
13. Laura DeFreitas, New York, NY
14. Wynelle Delaney, Houston, TX
15. Mildred Dickinson, St. Charles, IL
16. Ledlie Dinsmore, Washington DC
17. Frances Donelan, Parkton, MD
18. Liljan Espenak, New York, NY
19. Blanche Evan, New York, NY
20. Dr. Mary Fee, Madison, WI
21. Joseph Fischer, St. Louis, MO
22. Genevieve Fox, Los Angeles, CA
23. Doris Fredericks, Longmeadow, MA
24. Su Ellen Fried, Prairie Village, KS
25. Jane Ganet (Sigel), Skokie, IL
26. Raoul Gelabert, New York, NY
27. Hawaii State Hospital, Kaneohe, HI
Am J Dance Ther (2013) 35:5–17 15
123
28. Dr. Alma Hawkins, Santa Monica, CA
29. Sally Fitzpatrick Haynes, Rye, NY
30. Mildred Hill, Bronx, NY
31. Doris Hinton, Los Angeles, CA
32. Beth Kalish, Melrose Park, PA
33. Annie Kemna, Fulton, MO
34. Ruth Lau, Rexdale, Canada
35. Ruth Lauterstein, New York, NY
36. Mary Ann Lloyd, Rossville, KS
37. Sherry Martin, Salt Lake City, UT
38. Diana B. McCarthy, New York, NY
39. Margaret Mitchell, Los Angeles, CA
40. Constance Moerman, Bethesda, MD
41. Hilda Mullin, Los Angeles, CA
42. Joan P. Orr, Pasadena, CA
43. Ruth Panofsky, State College, PA
44. Catherine H. Pasternak, Alexandria, VA
45. Marjorie Pasternank, Great Neck, NY
46. Forrestine Paulay, New York, NY
47. Elizabeth Polk, Long Island City, NY
48. Elissa Queyquep (White), New York, NY
49. Catherine Reisman, Bronx, NY
50. Irene Warsaw Reiss, New York, NY
51. Susan Rosenberg (Kleinman), Pittsburgh, PA
52. Dian Rosenfeld, New York, NY
53. Miriam Roskin (Berger), New York, NY
54. Arlynne Samuels (Stark), Baltimore, MD
55. Susan Sandel, New York, NY
56. Maxine Fineberg Schapiro, Cambridge, MA
57. Lilian Schaver, Spring Valley, NY
58. Claire Schmais, Washington, DC
59. Trudi Schoop, Van Nuys, CA
60. Stephanie Sherman (Katz), Baltimore, MD
61. Bobby Shlasko, Brooklyn, NY
62. Gloria Simcha (Ruben), Maryside, CA
63. Dorothy Steigerwald, New York, NY
64. Alice Taylor, Excelsior, MN
65. Debby Thomas, New York, NY
66. Barbara Weiner, Los Angeles, CA
67. Barbara Wintraub, New York, NY
68. Joyce Weir, Pasadena, CA
69. Griselda F. White, Providence, RI
70. Mary Whitehouse, Santa Monica, CA
71. Minnie Pearl Wilson, Kansas City, MO
72. Mary Jane Wolbers, East Stroudsburg, PA
73. Louise Yocum, Burbank, CA
16 Am J Dance Ther (2013) 35:5–17
123
Author Biography
Judith Richardson BunneyJudith Richardson Bunney, M.A., BC-DMT is a pioneering dance/movement therapist having trained and
worked with Marian Chace at Chestnut Lodge Psychoanalytic Hospital from 1957-1963. She is a charter
member of the ADTA, treasurer from 1972-76 and served as President from 1976-80. She was appointed
one of the first Trustees of the Marian Chace Memorial Fund (now Foundation) and was instrumental in
forming the National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapy Associations and served as its first Chair. Ms.
Bunney wrote the grant that supported the seminal film Dance Therapy: The Power of Movement and was
a co-producer. She helped develop the Government Affairs Committee and represented the ADTA in
federal legislative and advocacy issues that included lobbying for the inclusion of DMT services in PL
94-142, the forerunner of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). During the Carter
administration, she served on the President’s Commission for Mental Health, The Role of the Arts, and, in
1992, presented testimony, representing the ADTA to the US Senate Select Committee on Aging. She
was also appointed to the Board of Directors of Very Special Arts of the Kennedy Center. Over her
clinical career, Ms. Bunney developed a special focus on working with forensic and gero-psychiatric
clients, artists, and writers experiencing creative blocks. She has lead workshops dealing with grief and
bereavement, group dynamics and team building for professional groups and government agencies. In
1979, she followed in Chace’s footsteps to work at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, DC. As Dance
Therapy Training Officer, until her retirement in 2002, she supervised interns from graduate programs in
the US that included foreign students. She has taught at many institutes, colleges, and universities here
and abroad, including graduate training programs in: Rotterdam, Prague, Poznan, Poland, and Lviv,
Ukraine. She continues to teach in an alternate route training program at the 92nd St. Y in New York and
in ongoing programs in Rotterdam and Prague. Ms. Bunney received the ADTA Lifetime Achievement
Award in 2011. She studied dance with Darrell McOsker, Erika Thimey, and Eric Hawkins. She earned a
US Coast Guard Captain’s license for ocean sailing and is now living in New Mexico. In addition to all of
the above, she has appeared in feature films including No Country for Old Men.
Am J Dance Ther (2013) 35:5–17 17
123
