The effect of the practice of Authentic Movement on the emotional state

Authentic Movement (AM) is a discipline from Dance Movement Therapy in which a person moves with their eyes closed following their own momentum in the presence of a witness. By means of incidental non-probabilistic sampling 57 individuals (44 women and 13 men) were included in the study. An experimental design with pre- and post-test measurements was used. The effect on the mover's emotional state was explored after using AM in the presence of a witness. The results show a decrease in self-reported subjective experience of anxiety and happiness, and an increase in melancholy and anger occurs. This suggests that this practice would provoke the awareness of emotions that were being inhibited. The positive affective trait shapes the effect of AM on one's emotional state, resulting in an increase of the trait which is opposite to their own affective trait. This indicates that the person practising the role of the mover in AM comes into contact with repressed emotional content and faces emotions previously avoided.