Breath Quality and Aspects of Motor Fitness are Key Indicators in Dance/Movement Therapy Assessment

Abstract Dance/movement therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach that uses movement, body awareness, and embodied communication to support healing and wellness across different populations. In dance/movement therapy treatment, movement serves not only as a primary mode of intervention but also as a tool for assessment. There is growing interest in quantifying internal and external variables within dance/movement therapy. However, the specific movement components most relevant for clinical assessment remain unclear. This study aimed to generate a framework of quantifiable components of movement and physiological function and examine how dance/movement therapists rate the importance of aspects of motor fitness, spatial engagement, and breath quality. Thirty-three therapists anonymously rated the importance of patient improvement in items defining speed/reaction time, balance, coordination, movement accuracy, agility, available space. A one-way analysis of variance revealed significant differences in importance ratings across components, F (6, 86.90) = 221.38, p < 0.001. Notably, spatial engagement was rated as “not at all important” and was rated significantly lower than all other components (all p < 0.001). Although breath and all aspects of motor fitness were rated as important, post hoc analyses indicated that breath was rated significantly more important than speed/reaction time (p = 0.029) and movement accuracy (p = 0.025). These findings lay the groundwork for understanding which components of internal and external movement are clinically meaningful and emphasize the potential to integrate objective physical and physiological data into embodied therapeutic practice.