APPLICATION OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE PRACTICES FOR PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL RECOVERY OF UKRAINIANS

Abstract

Aim of the article is to prove the effectiveness and efficiency of contemporary dance techniques and methods of dancemovement therapy for the psycho-emotional recovery of Ukrainians after the full scale invasion based on specific examples. The research methodology involves describing cases of contemporary dance and dance-movement therapy and analyzing them in the context of theoretical and practical studies, and formulating grounded conclusions in relation to their recovery effectiveness and culture impact in time of active war. The scientific novelty is to present the relevant cases of contemporary dance and dance-movement therapy in work with the military, students, IDPs and children, to analyze their effectiveness in increasing adaptability and overcoming stress, and to outline the existing and potential social therapeutic and cultural benefits. Conclusions. Understanding the body as special mean of both expression and perceiving reality, has become extremely important for Ukrainians after the full-scale invasion of Russia. On February 24, 2024, millions of people in Ukraine directly experienced the prospect of their physical existence ceasing, destruction, disintegration, and the transition of their bodies into a new quality unknown to them. Overcoming the initial feeling of horror of losing their own bodies, which also gripped many people at the same time, prompted choreographers and dancers to develop and popularize practices to protect the body, preserve its functionality and mental capacity. The basic principles of contemporary dance, somatic practice and movement organization, such as the connection between breathing and movement, work with body weight (active and passive), center of gravity, gravity itself, work with time and space, with focus of attention, "grounding", resourcefulness, etc. are proving to be effective and are used by Ukrainian choreographers to form recovery programs, educational retreats, events of physical and emotional rehabilitation, dynamic balance and counterbalance, etc. prove their effectiveness and are widely used by Ukrainian choreographers to create recovery and educational programs, retreats, physical and psycho-emotional rehabilitation events, creative therapy and psychoeducation programs, etc. in their work with both military and civilians. Techniques and practices of contemporary dance are becoming for many people a way to cultivate cultural understanding of the body, helping them to find a harmony and balanced combination of corporeality and consciousness in their movements. The self-regulation mechanisms activated by breathing, which are fundamental for contemporary dance practices, stimulate the restructuring of all systems of the body and bringing back the balance of human life on all levels: physical, psycho-emotional, and social. Further research on related topics, analysis and comparison of a more extensive list of similar initiatives involving Ukrainian contemporary dance artists will allow us to better trace their general cultural impact and significance in the context of both dance development and dancemovement and creative arts therapy development in Ukraine.