I’m an expressive arts therapist, education researcher, choreographer/dance theater-maker, writer, philosopher and body awareness/movement teacher.
I have a B.S. in Dance and Dance Therapy, and an M.A. in intermodal Expressive Arts Therapy from Lesley University (U.S.) and the European Graduate School (Switzerland). I first discovered dance as improvisation while performing with Elaine Summers (Judson Church Group) in 1982, in an environmental dance piece called SkyDance II at the University of Iowa with physicist/sculptor Otto Piene. Then later I participated in the first Choreographer’s Workshop at Jacob’s Pillow and had the chance to take workshops with Simone Forti. I have danced or studied dance with Olivier Besson, Mark Morris, Carole Armitage, Debra Bluth, and many other teachers in workshops or intensives, including Katie Duck, Michael Schumacher and Andrew Harwood, each adding another layer to what has become the eclectic mix which now creates my own personal style. Avidly interested in diverse subjects such as poetry, architecture, visual arts and practical philosophy, I find possibilities for connection and contact in just about every aspect of what I do. Body Mind Centering, Yoga and Authentic Movement play large roles in my teaching/classes.
Me As Dancer/Teacher
•April 23, 2013 • Leave a CommentExpressive Arts Bibliography
•March 12, 2012 • Leave a Comment
A valuable resource for any expressive arts therapist, community arts worker, teacher...
The Therapy of Touch for All Living Things
•January 17, 2012 • Leave a CommentAs a domestic animal, you would be dependent on others for nearly all of your needs: food, fresh drinking water, safe shelter and affection. Pretty much like human babies are dependent. Every morning one of our cats, Muffin, rolls over next to me as I sit on the couch and luxuriates in the deep-tissue massage and extravagent stroking I give her. She purrs so loudly you can hear it in the next room, and I am convinced that it increases her immune system strength and overall well-being. She’s very lucky: not all animals have caretakers who lavish such attention on them but cats can still thrive without extensive human contact, as long as they have another being who will lick and groom them, and they are capable of grooming themselves. Humans are not so self-sufficient in this area. We need (safe) touch, regular and caring, in order to survive, to grow, to remain healthy, to thrive. Studies done in the 50s and 60s established that infants in orphanages who were hardly touched or not at all, except for changing diapers and feeding, withered and some of them even died! The research has continued (albeit quite slowly in my opinion) and investigators are now finding out more and more about the function and importance of touch in animals and humans. See this article for some of the newer results: http://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/02/science/the-experience-of-touch-research-points-to-a-critical-role.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
What does this mean to most of us? I would say it’s a call to accept, no, embrace the valuable and necessary practices of therapeutic massage, contact improvisation teachings, and all other related disciplines within our medical, educational, sociological and psychological frameworks. Touch promotes feelings of well-being, peacefulness, safety, pleasure and connectedness. It can help ‘hyperactive’ people to calm down and focus, premature babies thrive, those with sensory integration issues to become more integrated, heal trauma and lower the perception of pain… I’ve always wondered why massage is not covered under most health insurance plans as it has been shown to help prevent some kinds of injuries and illness and to reduce hospital staying time; thus saving lots of money in our over-burdened health care system. Happy, secure people are less of a drain on ALL of our support systems.
And what about touch on a daily basis, in our personal lives? It’s sad that my cat gets more stroking than I do, or even than I give my children now that they are in their teens. As we grow older, we experience fewer and fewer opportunities to receive safe, non-sexual touching. What a pity! I’ve seen myself the powerful effects of a hug, a squeeze of hands, a brief moment of warmth as someone lays their hand of support on your tensed and tired shoulders or the middle of your back. When I was giving body awareness/yogilates classes at the cultural center for a univsersity I observed dozens of people experiencing the profound power of someone laying their warm, caring hands on them in a way that promotes trust and healing. At nearly every beginning of semester, someone would lie on a
mat on the floor and be literally moved to tears by human touch, or their own breath. Tears of relief, tears of comfort and being alive; not tears of fear or pain. I invite you to consciously decide to practice the art of touching more often in your everyday existence. Revel in the changes it will undoubtedly mean for you, and spread the good feelings.
Namasté (and virtual hugs).
What the World Needs Now…
•December 28, 2011 • 1 CommentNow, more than ever before, we need the arts as a beacon of light to keep us company and help lead us out of this dark hole we’ve slid into. If we concentrate all of our resources, energy and focus only onto defensive/military spending, salries for those who make the rules and are supposed to be leading us and the bare minimum of services necessary for humanity to survive, how can we thrive? Humans are resiliant for sure, resourceful, yes, imaginative and spirited beyond any other species, but we need some soil in which to grow our roots; some sunlight, water and recognition of beauty in order to reach our full potential. The arts are an integral part of this process NOT AN ADDED LUXURY OR AN AFTERTHOUGHT! Now is when we need to plunge, unhesitating, full-charge ahead into the deep and swirling waters of doubt which seem to surround the issues of whether and how much to support the arts in our schools, human-care institutions, communities and businesses. If we have no supported means of personal expression; if that support comes only in spurts and dribbles as a workshop here and there or a pale imitation of true artistic sensibilities or a thin veneer of pop idoltry, will we be able to turn the world around and head towards the “right” direction? (I say “right” because there is the notion among many of us who live by metaphor and symbolism that perhaps we need to sink to the very bottom of the dark ppol and experience a sort of death before we can rise again, stronger than before, but I prefer not to actually have to hit the rocks at the bottom of the dark pool. I can see it coming already, so why not use the tools we have, which have served humanity so well for thousands of years; why not use these tools of personal/artistic expression as a continual way of life, as a philosophical framework which provides endless opportunites for reflection, change, transformation and growth, and use them to the fullest?) Invest in yourself, invest in the future of humanity… jump into the endless sea of artistic expression today. And if you can’t jump, then at least dip your toe in. Write a page in a journal, fill in a mandala, take a meaningful picture and caption it poetically, have a dialogue with a dream figure, seek out a poem or painting that touches you… Maybe tomorrow you can immerse your entire foot, or leg. After awhile you’ll start to feel deprived if you don’t get some personal expression time regularly. Change is scary but this kind of change is good. Art is what has kept communities together and thriving for our entire history: not war, not capitalism/econimics, not even any single religion or belief system; only artistic expression. I am thoroughly convinced that if each of us were to practice soem kind of artistic reflection process regularly that the world would begin to transform into a place of amazing beauty and joy, which would do much to offset the inevitable human experiences of suffering, loss and fear. I’m the pied piper of expression… follow me, follow me… the river of joy awaits you!
Intermodal Expressive Arts Therapies Course!
•December 28, 2011 • Leave a Comment
Expressive Images
First time in the Netherlands!
Introduction to Intermodal Expressive Arts Therapies Course
Intermodal expressive arts refers to the combined use of theater & storytelling, movement & dance, visual arts including photography, music, and creative writing/poetry together as a form of therapeutic support and intervention. Individual forms of art therapy such as Drama Therapy or Dance Therapy have been steadily gaining in popularity and use in many parts of the world over the past 50 years, however, intermodalexpressive arts is a newer, less known system/philosophy (it is most closely related to Creatief Therapy in the Netherlands). Using expressive arts as a way of shaping our world, to communicate deep emotion, as containment for loss & suffering and as a vehicle for transformation seems uniquely human and practically programmed into our development. Creative/expressive art therapies taps into this natural inclination through the use of metaphor, symbolism, and ritual play. It offers endless opportunities for dialogue, strengthening of personal and community awareness & growth, and provides a perfect toolkit for modern culture in the areas of educational, therapeutic and transformative practices. The expressive arts are also appropriate and effective in a great range of circumstances and situations where normal verbal skills may not be possible or appropriate (physical or emotional trauma, learning disabilities, young children etc.).
Personal Expression through Image & Fantasy
The course offers an introduction to the rationale for the use of intermodal expressive arts, and the opportunity to put the theory into practice through experiential exercises designed to provide a solid foundation of understanding of the how and why expressive arts works so well. Areas covered include:
- historical development of EAT
- methods for practicing each individual expressive discipline
- methods of integrating the discreet disciplines into individual & group sessions
- applications of both the theory & (especially) practice of EAT in diverse settings
- use of EAT as personal and professional developmental tool
- introduction/discussion of current EAT research & possibilities for future research.
44 contact hours of theoretical and practical training + some reading/assignments outside of class hours. Limited spaces available. Continuing education/academic credits may be granted.
Honors/Masters Student Workgroup in South Africa - 2011
When: 8 days over 2 months: February 4 & 5, 25 & 26, March 10 & 11, 17 & 18
Where: Two locations within walking distance of Utrecht CS
Cost: Before January 21, 2012 Private Individual = €450 (€10,23 per hour)
Instituitional Rate = €650 (€14,77 per hour)
After January 21, 2012 €500/€700
Who is it for? Students in Training for Individual Creative Therapies, Psychologists, School Counselors, Therapists, Teachers (All Kinds), Nurses/Alternative Medical Practitioners, Peace-Builders, Artists, Social Workers…
*Participants must have a reasonably good command and understanding of English, as the course and materials are in that language, however artistic work may be carried out in the Mother Tongue and some Dutch translation will be available.
Opening day of 3-day training - Welcome Circle
About the Instructor: Suzan has a B.S. in Dance & Dance Therapy from Lesley University, Cambridge, MA USA and an M.A. in Intermodal Expressive Arts Therapy from the European Graduate School, Sass-Fee Switzerland/Lesley University, Cambridge, MA USA She trained with the founder of the first intermodal expressive arts therapy program in the U.S., Paolo Knill as well as other leading scholars and practitioners of EAT from the U.S, Canada & Europe. Suzan has 29 years of teaching experience, including 10+ years at the cultural center for Utrecht University and 4 years on faculty at University College Utrecht. She’s specialized in somatic awareness/body work and performance as therapeutic intervention, is a research partner for a SANPAD project in Johannesburg South Africa, a devoted wife and mother of 2 teenage daughters, dancer, choreographer, philosopher, writer, and an independent researcher (arts in education, community arts, arts for peace-building/education) in the Netherlands.
More Information: Suzan Lemont suzanlemont@gmail.com 06 52275873 030/289 0172
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Intermodal-Expressive-Arts-Therapies-Course-IEAT-NL
Anti-Sickness Tea (Keeps Vampires Away Too ;-)
•November 11, 2011 • Leave a Comment
A friend who has been ill for a week now just reminded me to include my recipe for what to use when everything else fails: good old garlic ginger tea. Easy to make, full of nature’s antibiotics and immune system boosters, works every time I’ve had to use it (which is really a last resort and I have hardly ever been so sick that I’ve needed it, but it’s done the trick each time and others report the same positive effects, so it’s worth a try for one of those endless cough/sniffles/achiness experiences). It’s so simple to make: 8-10 raw garlic cloves peeled and chopped into little pieces; a 4-10 centimeter (1-4 inches) piece of fresh ginger also peeled and cut into smallish pieces. First bring to the boil in 4-6 cups of water, then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Strain out the pieces and drink the warm “tea” several times a day. Burns like hell going down and might make you sweat and feel a rush of blood to your head or chest (then you’ll really know it’s working 
). Don’t drink more than 4 cups a day. You can adjust the amounts and add vegetable boullion or cook some carrots & potatoes and parsley along with the garlic & ginger to make a sort of super-broth and a bit more tasty. I swear it has prevented me from lapsing into pneumonia or bronchitis from a cough/cold that persisted for a week. Give it a try and let me know how it works!
Blessings!
Heading Into the Dark with a Strong Immune System
•November 9, 2011 • Leave a CommentI’ve had a sore throat and vague achy feeling for at least a week. This is one of the biggest questions/challenges we face goin ginto autumn/winter months: how to beat the cold/flu bugs and stay “healthy”? I don’t know if it’s a magic bullet, but here’s what has kept me (relatively) shielded and fit for the past 5 years or so:
Extra Vitamins/Minerals (I only take supplements when needed, not as a regular part of my routine!):
C – time-released, 2 grams a day
D3 – recommended daily amount (RDA), I do take this most of the winter due to decreased sunlight
Zinc – 15-30 mg. a day
Magnesium – RDA or a bit higher
Selenium – RDA
A high quality multi (RDAs for everything – no super doses) won’t hurt anything, and could help by keeping everything in balance and filling in the gaps in trace
minerals or other vitamins.
Besides the vitamin/mineral supplements I take 2-3 hot mineral/mud/essential oil baths in a row at the first sign of trouble. I used to be able to buy a mud bath in a bottle here in the Netherlands but it was discontinued a long time ago, so now I make my own with Dead Sea mud (ordered in bulk on internet), epsom salts (magnesium sulfaat in NL) and essential oil of lavendar, pine, ginger, arnica and/or juniper. Helps against body aches, gets your body temperature elevated (like a fever) to fight off infection, helps removes toxins and replaces valuable minerals necessary in the fight. Don’t have a bathtub? Do the next best thing: Dry-scrub your entire body with a loofah or rough washcloth/towel and then take a 15-20 minute hot shower using essential oils on your washcloth or sponge. Then fill a bucket with water as warm/hot as you can stand and put the bath ingredients from above in and soak your feet for 15-20 minutes. Lie down wrapped up in warm blankets directly afterwards (it’s good if you can induce a sweat even); rest for at least 1/2 hour or do it just before bedtime.
I drink a tea that comes from our local supermarket (Albert Heijn for those of us in NL) or from Zonnatura: weerstand tea (iimune system/resistance). Most health food stores will have a ready-made mix for cold/fly season. I personally love the Traditional Medicinals Gypsy Cold Care and Throat Coat. Plain old ginger and lemon will work just fine too. Drink lots of it (2-6 cups a day). Room temperature water wth lemon is also good, but don’t over-use citrus fruits. Immune boosting herbs like astragalus, cat’s claw and echinacea are also good (even better if they come in tea form; the warmth and fluid of the tea are soothing and go into the bloodstream quickly).
Cut out all processed foods! Until you are out of the woods, cut out all sugar (OK, an ocassional bit of succannat, honey or arenga palm sugar won’t do too much damage), alcohol, and refined food like pasta, light breads, crackers etc. I eat simple, digestible foods like lightly cooked vegetables with sauteéd tempeh, miso soup, homemade or organically prepared soup, oatmeal or millet porridge made with rice/oat/almond milk, hemp or flax seeds and a bit of maple syrup, or simple salads of raw and lightly cooked vegetables (think beets, leeks, shallots, peppers, carrots, parsnips, turnips, mushrooms, fennel) combined with cooked whole grains
and some fresh greens like arugula or red lettuce. Use herbs and spices and a dash of tamari/soy sauce or balsamic vinegar plus some high quality olive or nut oil to dress it and provide necessary healthy fats. I don’t drink milk and only eat cheese and yogurt sparingly, but not at all when I’m getting a cold; I recommend that you cut out as much dairy as you possibly can when you’re feeling under threat.
I try and do a little stretching or movement even when I’m not feeling great. Lately I do the 5 Tibetan Rites every day, once (or twice if I can manage) with some supplementary yoga or dance poses/stretches in between or afterwards. Keeping your blood stream moving helps energize, detoxify and helps to generate and releas endorphins and other important brain chemicals which can help a lot in fighting off disease. Don’t over-do it!
Get some natural light and fresh air every day! Light has a profound impact on the body’s ability to process hormones and boost the immune system and fresh air helps stimulate the lungs and oxygenates the blood to help boost energy levels and clear out toxins.
A homeopathic or herbal anti-col/flu preparation won’t hurt and has been shown to decrease illness time or sometimes to head it off before it starts.
Know when to rest, listen to your body, let go of the need to be super-human. Being sick is, for some people, the only way they can slow down and surrender to doing nothing or not being productive 24/7. Accept the state you are in and adapt yoru habits (for at least a few days) accordingly; who knows what might emerge from the vestiges of being ill? New insights, renewed committment or perspective, better awareness… Wishing you all optimal health, whatever that is for you!
