Hello all,

I am new to your site, and plan on opening a dance studio in my area offering ballet, jazz, tap, and also dance therapy workshops for children with special needs. I have been dancing for my whole life and now, at the tender age of 41, am finally taking those steps. I have a son diagnosed with autism, and I truly believe in my heart there is a well-working relationship with dance and autism (as I have seen in threads discussed on this site before, which was what drew me in). Does anyone have any advice on how to begin? From a studio perspective I am building a business plan, searching for rental space... but in regards to finding a dance therapist, does anyone have suggestions on where to start?

Thanks for listening/reading. I am so thrilled to be on this journey, and would love to share my experiences along the way!

Jen

Hello, Jen, and welcome to CriticalDance! What a wonderful focus for your new dance studio! To be able to offer dance therapy in addition to the other offerings is, I believe, very courageous of you. To be honest, I have never worked for a studio that had a program of this nature. So, I don't have any personal experience to offer. I noticed this website when I googled Dance Therapy: http://www.adta.org/ There seemed to be quite a bit of resources and information linked to other sites, as well. Perhaps even contacting any major schools or companies in your area (I don't know your location) might turn up some information. Sometimes, they have community outreach programs and may have some contacts for you. Good luck with your school and we wish you all the best. Keep us posted on how it all goes.