Simone Saiya, MS Dance/Movement Therapy ’18, discovered dance as a child growing up in Mumbai. In this short video, she shares how her love for dance and the transformative role it has played in her own life led her to Pratt to pursue her goal of helping others through dance as a dance/movement therapist.

Pratt’s dance/movement therapy program is one of the few offered in the country, and teaches students art and dance/movement therapy skills that can be applied to help people in mental health, rehabilitation, nursing home, and other settings.

Creative arts therapies are a natural fit within the broader art and design landscape at Pratt. “There’s something inherent in creative work, particularly through the body or through art-making, that has its own healing capacity,” says Creative Arts Therapy Chair Julie Miller, who directs the dance/movement therapy program.

Watch the video for an inside look at Saiya’s story and the world of dance/movement therapy.