Projects

Exploring Dance Movement Therapy for Clients with Personality Disorders

This innovative PhD project investigates the potential of Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) to support individuals with personality disorders (PD), focusing on the feasibility and acceptability of a unique micro-intervention: “The Client as Choreographer” (DMT-MI). This study is a pioneering effort to systematically explore how creating and performing one’s own dance within therapy can enhance emotional regulation, self-efficacy, autonomy, and overall well-being for individuals with PD.

DMT, as a form of Creative Arts Therapy, integrates dance and movement to facilitate physical, emotional, and social health. For clients with PD, it offers a structured yet creative space to process emotions, experiences, and interpersonal challenges. Unlike other body-oriented psychotherapies, DMT emphasizes the use of dance as a therapeutic tool, fostering an aesthetic and self-expressive experience. DMT-MI invites clients to compose their own dances from improvisational material, turning personal narratives into physical expressions. This process helps clients manage emotional stimuli, expand their mentalizing capacities, and build a stronger sense of identity and self-control.

The project employs a mixed-methods approach with clients participating in two conditions: a standard DMT session and one incorporating the DMT-MI. Outcomes will focus on feasibility (e.g., recruitment and retention rates) and acceptability (e.g., client and therapist experiences), alongside exploratory measures of self-efficacy and emotional regulation.

The study is conducted at ANTES (part of the Parnassia Group, Netherlands), engaging clients in weekly DMT sessions within clinical settings. By combining qualitative and quantitative data, this research seeks to lay the groundwork for future large-scale studies, reinforcing the role of DMT as a transformative approach in mental health care.

This project is funded by Codarts and represents a significant step forward in integrating creative therapies into evidence-based mental health treatments, highlighting the profound healing potential of dance therapy.

Performing Artist Health Monitor (PAHM)

The PErforming Artist Health Monitor (PAHM) is an innovative online tool designed to support the physical and mental well-being of performing artists. Developed by Codarts, PAHM collects both subjective and objective data to monitor health, workload, and recovery in real time. This data-driven approach helps identify potential health risks at an early stage, supports personal development and facilitates tailored feedback for performers and their staff.

How PAHM works

PAHM collects health-related data through customized surveys, physical tests, and wearable devices, and provides:

• Real-time insights: Data is visualized in an intuitive dashboard, offering performers and their staff immediate feedback on health and workload.
• Evidence-based recommendations: By analyzing trends, PAHM identifies risk factors and offers strategies to prevent health problems, such as injuries and mental health challenges.
• Enhanced communication: The platform fosters collaboration among stakeholders, streamlining information sharing for better decision-making.
  
  Tailored to the unique demands of performing arts, PAHM supports institutions including dance companies, orchestras, circus organizations, and universities of the arts.
  
  Research and Innovation
  
  PAHM not only serves as a practical tool but also contributes to academic research. The high-quality data it generates supports studies on health and performance, helping to improve practices in performing arts. This project, funded by the Taskforce for Applied Research SIA, has received accolades, including recognition as the best applied research project in the Netherlands.
  
  Performance Lab: Tackling Performance Anxiety in Musicians
  
  Performance anxiety is a challenge faced by many musicians, particularly in high-pressure settings such as auditions and concerts. For musicians in training, learning to manage this anxiety is crucial, but it is difficult to practice in front of an audience without the stakes becoming too high. When musicians are given a chance to perform, the environment is often not conducive to experimenting with anxiety-reducing techniques, leading to a cycle where they cannot fully develop the skills to manage their stress during performances.
  
  At Codarts, we understand that managing performance anxiety is essential for the success of musicians and other performing artists. That’s why we have developed the Performance Lab, a unique virtual platform where students from Codarts can practice performing or auditioning in front of a simulated audience. The use of virtual environments has been shown to be an effective tool for easing performance anxiety. These digital settings offer musicians the opportunity to practice their skills in a realistic yet risk-free environment, enabling them to experiment with various techniques to reduce anxiety without the fear of negative consequences.
  
  Our Performance Lab allows musicians to become familiar with the sensations of performing in front of others and experience the pressure of a real audience without the high stakes of a live performance. This valuable practice helps to build confidence, reduce anxiety, and improve overall performance quality. Codarts has expanded the lab’s scope, offering similar opportunities for other performers, including those who need to practice public speaking or presenting in front of an audience.
  
  This innovative project is funded by a Comenius Research Fellow grant of NRO. The lab builds on initial developments made by the Royal College of Music. As Codarts continues to refine and grow the Performance Lab, we are excited about its potential to support performing artists and students in overcoming performance anxiety and achieving their full potential on stage.

Health Challenges in Pre-Professional Musicians

Musicians, especially those in training, face intense physical and mental demands. Extended practice hours and complex techniques can lead to musculoskeletal issues, mental fatigue, and performance anxiety. These challenges are especially significant for pre-professional musicians striving for excellence during their education. At Codarts, we recognize the importance of addressing these concerns early. In collaboration with the Classical Music Department of Codarts, a groundbreaking PhD project has been launched to explore the extent and nature of health issues in conservatory students.

The study focuses on:

• Quantifying health problems: Students are systematically monitored to assess the prevalence and severity of physical and mental health challenges. Common concerns include injuries, stress-related conditions, and burnout.
• Identifying risk factors: By analyzing individual and systemic contributors, such as practice habits, posture, and coping strategies, the project aims to pinpoint triggers that make students more susceptible to health problems.
• Understanding perspectives: Using qualitative methods, researchers delve into the experiences of both students and teachers. This helps uncover how health is perceived and managed within the conservatory environment.
  
  Impact and applications
  
  The findings of this research will directly inform the development of targeted preventive measures and support systems. By identifying health risks early and tailoring interventions, conservatories can better protect their students' well-being and ensure their long-term career success. Insights from this study will also empower educators to foster healthier learning environments.
  
  This project is made possible through the support of Codarts Rotterdam and funding from the Taskforce for Applied Research (SIA). It reflects Codarts’ commitment to bridging the gap between research and practice in the performing arts, emphasizing the importance of proactive health care for young musicians.
  
  Team Around the Artist (TATA): Integrated Support for Health and Performance
  
  Excellence and success define the world of performing arts, but the high physical and psychological demands on artists make them especially vulnerable to health challenges. Maintaining optimal health is essential for unlocking their full potential and achieving professional success. To meet this need, elite performers require access to health literacy, top-tier health care, and evidence-based training practices. However, the role of structured teamwork and a supportive environment in achieving these goals is often underestimated.
  
  Codarts addresses this gap with the Team Around the Artist (TATA) model—a multidisciplinary approach that integrates scientific insights into health care for dancers, musicians, circus artists and (performing arts) students. By structuring health and performance programs tailored to the unique needs of dance companies, orchestras, performing arts universities, and other institutions, TATA ensures that elite performers receive the best possible support.
  
  Key features of the TATA model:
   
• Multidisciplinary collaboration: Professionals from health care, education, and the performing arts work together to provide performers with evidence-based care, training, and guidance.
• Tailored Programs: Health and performance initiatives are customized to fit the needs of specific organizations, ensuring relevance and effectiveness through an evidence-based approach.
  
  The TATA Tool
  
  In addition to its model, PEARL offers the Team Around The Artist tool, a multidisciplinary health record system designed for health professionals working with performers and students. This tool facilitates secure communication, collaboration, and documentation, enabling teams to deliver coordinated, personalized care that promotes the physical and mental well-being of performing artists.
  
  The TATA project is funded by a SPRONG grant from the Taskforce for Applied Research SIA.
  
  Investigating the Dance Aerobic Fitness Test (DAFT)
  
  The Dance Aerobic Fitness Test (DAFT) is a field-based assessment tool specifically designed to measure the aerobic fitness of dancers in a way that reflects the physical demands of dance performance. The results of the DAFT helps dancers and their staff optimize aerobic fitness levels required for performance while minimizing the risk of fatigue-related injuries.
  
  This PhD project aims to refine, validate, and expand the applications of the DAFT through:
   
• Validation of the DAFT: Conduct studies to further establish the reliability, validity and applicability of the DAFT across diverse dance genres, skill levels, and age groups.
• Fitness and performance correlation: Investigate how DAFT results correlate with key performance indicators, including endurance, technical execution, and artistic expression.
• Longitudinal insights: Monitor dancers over time to understand how fitness levels, measured through DAFT, evolve throughout their careers and in response to varying training regimens.
  
  By providing an accessible and dance-specific fitness test, the DAFT bridges a critical gap in dance science. The outcomes of this PhD project will contribute to evidence-based practices for training and health management in dance, empowering educators, choreographers, and dancers to make informed decisions for peak performance and well-being.
  
  Potential applications
• Educational contexts: Integrating DAFT into dance curricula to monitor student fitness and tailor training.
• Professional settings: Using DAFT to monitor fitness, optimize rehearsal schedules and prevent overtraining in professional dancers.
• Rehabilitation: Employing DAFT as a tool for assessing readiness to return to dance after injury.
  
  This project is funded by Codarts Rotterdam and will further establish the DAFT as an indispensable tool for fostering sustainable careers and enhancing the longevity of dancers' physical and artistic capabilities.

Dance Movement Therapy for Clients with Korsakoff’s Syndrome: Exploring Connection through Dance Movements

This PhD project investigates the use of Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) as a therapeutic intervention for individuals with Korsakoff’s syndrome (KS) living in long-term care facilities. Korsakoff’s syndrome, a neurocognitive disorder often linked to chronic alcoholism and thiamine deficiency, results in severe memory impairments, confabulation, and difficulties with emotional regulation, self-awareness, and interpersonal connections. Current care for this population focuses on enhancing quality of life and self-management, yet little is known about the potential of DMT in this context.

The study aims to address this gap by exploring the feasibility and impact of a specific DMT intervention designed to facilitate interpersonal connection and emotional expression. The intervention, termed Bridging Dance Movements, emphasizes the act of giving and receiving through dance movements. Preliminary observations suggest this approach can influence facial expressions—an indicator of social engagement—potentially fostering deeper interhuman connections for individuals with KS.

Objectives:

• Develop a clear methodology for DMT tailored to individuals with KS.
• Examine the efficacy of the Bridging Dance Movements intervention in fostering interpersonal and intrapersonal connection.
• Create a movement profile for KS clients, identifying common physical and emotional patterns that inform therapeutic approaches.
  
  DMT leverages the body and movement as tools for emotional regulation, self-expression, and connection. For KS clients, DMT can help bridge the gap between their inner experiences and outward interactions, providing a non-verbal avenue to explore emotions and build relationships.
  
  This research is funded by Saffier, and contributes to the growing field of creative arts therapies for neurocognitive disorders. By combining clinical practice with a structured therapeutic and artistic framework, this PhD project aims to enrich care for individuals with KS and expand the role of dance movement therapy in long-term care settings.
  
  For more information about these projects, please contact the research team of Codarts.