Trudi Schoop: Body Ego Technique

 

1. I
   
   
   Check In
   
   
   II 
   
   
   Unit: Re-Integration
   
    
   
   Theme: Body-Ego Technique
   
   
   
   Introduction
    
   Theater has always been a tool for healing since the beginning of civilization. In retrospect, I feel that my own theater practice began with my own need to find a way to process trauma. Today, we will see how Ancient Greek theater was indeed a healing practice. This will lead us to Trudi Schoop, a theater practitioner who used her performance skills to help patients who suffered from schizophrenia. She single handedly developed her body-ego technique. Today we will introduce you to the concept of schema, a term which, along with body-ego, aids the therapist in understanding the body integration process.
   
   
   
   
   III
    
   Main Objectives
    
   • Understand  the role of ancient theater as a healing practice
   •  Explain the meaning of body-ego technique. 
   • Gain an awareness of the concept of schema when used to develop the ego structure of a patient with schizophrenia
   •  Experience re-integration through the development of the ego-structure
    
    
   IV
    
    Main Lesson
    

 1

 

 

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Trudi Schoop

Trudi Schoop was a comedic dancer who pioneered the treatment of mental illness with dance therapy. She was born in 1903, Zurich, Switzerland.   She died in 1999 in Los Angeles, California. Perhaps influenced by her miming skills, (mime was born in Ancient Rome) Trudi Schoop used exaggerated posture / alignment exercises and split body exaggeration, in order to provide the schizophrenic client who had limited movement, with an image of their body's potential range of motion.

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2

Ancient Healing Theater

 

As we have discussed with ancient dance, ancient theater was also a locus for healing practices. Back then, dance, theater and music were all integrated into just theater.

 

 

 Question 1

Based on the video above, write a reflection on the role of ancient theater as a healing practice.

 

3

 Body-ego technique: An educational approach to the boy-image and self-identity.

 

 

  

Question 2

Explain the meaning of body-ego technique.

 

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4

 

  

 SCHEMA 

 

Neurologist Sir Henry Head originally defined schema as a postural model of the body that actively organizes and modifies 'the impressions produced by incoming sensory impulses in such a way that the final sensation of [body] position, or of locality, rises into consciousness charged with a relation to something that has happened before'.  

As a postural model that keeps track of limb position, it plays an important role in control of action. It involves aspects of both central (brain processes) and peripheral (sensory, proprioceptive) systems. 

Thus, a body schema can be considered the collection of processes that registers the posture of one's body parts in space. The schema is updated during body movement. This is typically a non-conscious process, and is used primarily for spatial organization of action. 

It is therefore a pragmatic representation of the body’s spatial properties, which includes the length of limbs and limb segments, their arrangement, the configuration of the segments in space, and the shape of the body surface.  

Body schema also plays an important role in the integration and use of tools by humans.

 Head, H. (1920). Studies in Neurology. Vol 2., London: Oxford University Press.

Question 3

 Why is the concept of schema useful when developing the ego structure of a patient with schizophrenia?

 

V

 

A Note to Remember 

Self-portrait images allow the client to view parts of themselves that they are usually incapable of observing. Self-portrait can hold more information than what is usually noticed by the client. (Jones, 2010, p.118)

Much of what we seek to change about ourselves is rooted in a lack of self-awareness, of not truly being able to see ourselves (Jones, 2010, p.121).

 

VI

Case Study

 

 Interview with a Patient with Schizophrenia 

 

 

After watching the video above s answer the following questions:

4. What behaviors did you observe in this client that would make you think he has mental issues?

5. Do you think the verbal therapist's approach is working? Why?

6. What would you do different if you were the therapist?

 

VII

Activity

Developing the Ego Structure

 

From Last Class.

Share your dance with a partner (witness).
Exchange feedback
Write about it.
Come back to the circle and share your portrait with the group.
Summarize your whole experience on Discussion Board

 

Based on the concept of schema, students explore shapes by closing their eyes and producing a random shape using stream of consciousness.  

1. Those shapes become a phrase.
2. Students work in pairs to witness each other's movement phrases.
3. Students take turns to mirror each other phrases.
4. Student role play becoming  client and  therapist.
5. The client performs the movement phrase while the therapist:
   

a) Changes the speed (quick vs. slow)

b) Changes the boundaries of the phrase (uses the kinesphere and Laban's cube to change directions and levels) 

c) Changes the emotions (anger, awe, confusion, desire, disappointment, distress, fear and sadness)

d) Changes the attitude (positive, negative, neutral and sikken          attitudes)

 e) Exaggerates posture (shape), creates alignment exercises and split body exaggeration.

 All of the above provides the schizophrenic client who has limited movement, with an image of their body's potential range of motion.

 

VIII

 

Journaling

Groups summarize their takeaway

 

 

IX

 

Glossary

 

Sikken Attitude: Sikken is one of the most complicated types of attitudes. It reflects a constant state of negativity and aggressiveness. It's difficult to navigate this type of attitude since it's rooted in one's personality, and is very tough for people to change their viewpoint substantially.

 

Schema: (see above)

 

Body-ego: (see above)

 

 

 

X

 

Sources

 

Jones, P. (2010). Drama as Therapy: Clinical Work and Research Into Practice. Routledge 

Head, H. (1920). Studies in Neurology. Vol 2., London: Oxford University Press.

Salkin, J. and May, P.R.A. (n.d.).  Body-ego technique: An educational approach to the boy-image and self-identity. The Journal of Special Education, vol 1/ No 4. 375

 

XI

 Students' Work