BENGALURU: There’s no doubt that dancing can be fun but if you ask André Koschyk, it can be therapeutic as well, especially for children with special needs. So much so that the German choreographer is heading to namma Ooru soon to conduct a workshop for such children. “This is a type of therapy that uses movement to help individuals achieve emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration.
Beneficial for both physical and mental health, dance therapy aligns the mind, body and spirit,” says Koschyk, who was trained at the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts in London. It isn’t just the movement, he adds, emphasising that music too plays a role. “Dance is a physical interpretation of what the music says. It is a great way to release energy, shed inhibitions and vent out emotions. When you dance you sweat, and you release ‘feel good’ endorphins that make you happy,” he explains.
Koschyk’s desire to help kids with special needs also comes from the fact that he too is the father of one such 13-year-old girl. Calling the energy of these kids “infectious”, he says, “They do things differently and it is wonderful to see the innocence they have. As the father of someone with special needs, I have seen how beautiful these children are, if given a little attention.”
But it’s not just kids who benefit from dance. Working professionals too can incorporate some physical activity in their life through this, believes the choreographer, who says it could even help someone network with like-minded people. “Today, a lot of corporates invite my faculty to teach in the premises of their offices during/post working hours for their employees to engage in a team building art form that also helps them stay fit,” says Koschyk, who runs a dance school in Ulm, Germany, where they also run a vocational teacher training course.
Teenagers and kids too are not left behind, with dance giving them a positive outlet for their energies. “ Dance can help them improve communication, build focus and team spirit,” adds the choreographer, who is also a member of the Fellowship of Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. Koschyk is conducting a two-day workshop at Studio HappyFeet, Indiranagar, on February 8 and 9.