Parents' Testimony

"Through the recommendation from my son's tutor, I came to know of Dance & Movement therapy and Elizabeth. I took the opportunity to try out four sessions with Elizabeth when she was in Singapore. I was hoping to use the therapy to calm my son and improve his behaviour. To my delight, my son enjoyed attending all her sessions. The sessions allowed him to feel at ease with himself. I saw my son using his own dance movements to express his feelings, something which I had not seen him do before. He was also trying to express himself more by requesting to do writing during the short break in between his movements. By the third session, I could see even more positive results as my son was feeling more calm during the session. During the last session, I was pleasantly surprised that my son was receptive to changes when Elizabeth brilliantly led him to write on the reverse side of the drawing paper. My son had this habit of writing on only one side of the paper for years and that was the first time I saw him obediently agree to change his writing habit. I believe that my son could benefit even more from Elizabeth's sessions on a longer term basis. Unfortunately, Elizabeth is not based in Singapore and I can only look forward to her sessions again when she next visits." --- Mrs Lam, mother of a 12 year-old autistic boy

Note from author:
I work from the child's perspective in the sessions. Part of Dance Movement Psychotherapy is about looking into the lens of our clients, into their inner world.  To do that, one of the keys is by reading their nonverbal cues.  Dance Movement Therapy works in short and long term depending on the areas to be worked on in the sessions. However it is NOT a quick fixed solution to a problem.  I work on what is needed at that point of time for the child to cope with self and the environment. ~  Elizabeth Rutten-Ng

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Elizabeth was introduced by a mutual friend to work with my 7-year old boy, A. He has sensory processing disorder and dyspraxia. We did two sessions with Elizabeth in May, involving A, his four year old sister B and me (A's and B's mother).

A and B loved the dance therapy sessions. B even cried when the first session ended. The dance therapy helped A and B gain confidence in their own movements and to enjoy expressing their emotions through movement. They learnt to listen to the music, to follow the rhythm of the music and appreciate the change in tempo. 

Elizabeth worked very well with A and B. She was able to establish a rapport with the two children very easily and gain their friendship. She was in touch with their inner selves and encouraged them to try new movements. The two children enjoyed the sessions very much. I would recommend her as a dance therapist for any child who needs to express their individualism through dance / movement.

L. (A and B mummy)

*names have been changed to protect privacy. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other Testimony
An interview with mum over our programme she has attended with her son in the last three years in a video. (Click on the word 'video' to view it.)

Thank you parents for the testimonials and permission to put them up on my blog. 

* For private individual session at studio or home, please check our services on our website or contact Elizabeth.  

Lessons About Children

 "The soul is healed by being with children."
~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky,1868

Reflections on what I learn about and from the children I witness wherever I go and work with over the years. Collection of my reflections to share with you about the marvel what we can learn about and from children. More will be added as I go along with my reflections. ~ Elizabeth Rutten-Ng (Thank you to Elena, who encourages me to put them on my blog.)

'Every child is unique and special. Looking through their inner lens, 

into their inner world, we may better understand them. 

The language of movement speaks volumes.

Our body never lies and carries our every experience.'
~ Elizabeth Rutten-Ng

 
16 May 2013
Children have this natural channel of love and kindness.
It flows right from their hearts.
They give without expectation.
They share with all their hearts.

The sparkling glittering eyes shine right through from their hearts,
their smiles radiate such love, joy and presence with you.

Witnessing every child's smile in every moment teaches me to be like them.

To share, to give right from within.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
16 May 2013
Nothing can replace a child's beautiful memory of the days spent with parents.

I have observed the desire of a child's heart and wish is that parents spending time with them especially in play. Witnessing the true joy from the faces of the children when mum and dad joined in the fun with them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
29 April 2013
Children bridge relationships. Children always love to involve both parents in their activity. I witness again and again children in fact bring out the inner child in a parent, laughter and joy again through dance-play. If parents can shed the inhibition and open up to the 'calling' of the child's invitation to play and dance, it not only releases the inner child in the parent but also establishes a deeper bondng and connection between parent and child, father and mother.

Children is a gift! I am so honoured and thankful to be in this line of work - because I witness so many beautiful moments in the dancing dialogue between parent and child, father and mother as a team.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9 April 2013
Working with children, being congruence in our verbal and nonverbal communication is essential.
When it is not, it will give a confusing message.
Children are very sensitive. They sense first through their body before reaching to the brain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6 April 2013
Children always sowed beautiful priceless lessons in my heart.
They always make me smile! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
21 February 2013
Every child has different learning style.
Work from the child's perspective and understand his/her learning style first to effect optimal learning. 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
20 February 2013
What a child experiences is so important because it sets and forms the memory bank of the past to the present.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
18 July 2013
Pure connection brings joy and tears to our eyes and smile to our hearts.
Children clearly radiate and reflect deep pure connection with their presence especially in their eyes.
When their inner child speaks and meets our inner child within,
the joy is unspeakable because two souls have connected without words.
It has touched the deepest of our souls.

It is just like magic!

*Even with children with special needs. The magical moments when they make eye contact especially when it is difficult for them, that moment moves me so deeply.*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
18 July 2013
As I enter into the world of each baby through their lens, I find my own inner child being reflected back at me. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
19 July 2013
Babies are the most sensitive being. They pick up every vibes in us whether consciously or unconsciously. What goes on within, a baby senses your body.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* More reflections are in my personal profile, I will add them accordingly to the date I have posted in my posts.  Stay Tune! 

Sharing on Authentic Movement and Moving The Rhythm

My body moved to a cradle position, and I remembered my childhood photo of myself playing with my toes.

My body seemed to remember the delight and joy, of reaching out to my toes and swinging my limbs, and rocking myself left and right.The baby was curious and playing and exploring.

There was an innate intelligence that shifted me to be on fours; after all the tugging and stretching, my limbs were strong to crawl. The baby in me willed herself to keep crawling ahead; there was such a strong will to move, to expand my space boundaries. It was a fearless, independent spiritual will.

Sometimes, I sat and rested; sometimes, I paused and checked my steps; sometimes, I crawled in circles. In whatever ways I moved, I was never tired of exploring, being curious. There was not a moment of stagnancy; but full of aliveness, in rest and in movement. The movements naturally trained my body enough for the next milestone: to pull myself up and stand.

In this 20-min segment of Authentic Movement as a mover, I relearned the spiritual lessons of infancy. It was humbling and inspiring.

In all ordeals, there is a divine natural timing to our growth; our responsibility is to keep growing and learning anew in each encounter. We meet different kinds of rhythms in life and in our relationships, and they help us discover our indomitable spirit to transform, to move on, to be patient and keep practising until we get it! 

~ Goh Yee Ling, facilitator of Inner Work, attended the workshop 'Moving the Rhythm' and 'Authentic Movement - Back to Base' in Singapore 2013

Testimony

One of the participants who has been attending my workshops/sessions since 2011. This is the recent workshop, collaborated with Vincent Yong, Danspire in Singapore 2013, 'About Contact Improvisation and Dance Therapy'.

The testimony:
Saturday's workshop was very good for me...i saw myself more, the other facet of me. I knew the theory, i read a lot, i experienced in my team, yet - that one with you and Vincent is more than an insight - it was also a "doing what i am" and "conscious of my being". there are here and now experience that aligning all the theory and understanding with the act.

But i still need to learn more on the process. Yesterday i learn about my being in my group, experimenting something (and with unconditional positive regards!! THANKS!). But i also notice that the center of my thought is still on "me"..my process, etc. I have not really go beyond myself - to think and reaching others, with true love and caring. Maybe it will go along the process..hopefully....

Every moment with you - was able to draw me deeper into myself. Thank you so much. Maybe i can share with you, what has become my wish. i want to learn to love. it is the most difficult thing to do. well...what is life all about if i don't take a chance to move further.

Ms Elizabeth, there are no words can express how thankful i am ...to meet you in this journey. i knew there are no coincidence in life. it is by choice. and in 2011 when i found you, i was at the bottom of the sea, lost in the deep blue sea - don't know what to do or even who am I and what is my life purpose. But i knew - i want to serve HIM - that is my one and only reason - up to this time. so, it was also the reason that saved me from depression in 2008 -2010.

in 2011 I prayed for God to help me reconstruct my self - but i started with nothing - no real job - no money - no friend - no direction. Then i found you. Before that, i also asked God a plea, one thing i want at the end of my life : i want to dance again. I don't know why , but when i dance, i can cry ..though i am crying because of i am happy.

Amazingly, 2011 onwards, God change my life, my entire life - and the Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) become my "retreat" beside of my spiritual moment with Him. So, that's why i always cherish the day when i got there.

Thank you and thank you...I'll see you when i see you again....God bless you!
~ R. flew from Indonesia since 2011 to Singapore to attend my workshops/sessions

Testimony

Hello Elizabeth,
I hope you're doing well.. Im here to specially thank you so much for letting me and my brother A. to attend your adult session the other day in Grace for free.. i know that you're a one of the professional and giving us a free session was really a blessing to us... You remember i did told you that I had this 50% of confidence in doing things? And my free child rate was 5.. I guess sister K. did told you that we were going through a very tough time as our dad passed away not long ago and our mum is currently in depression which really at times don't encourage us to do things.. But well, after what I told you about my realization and you told me that it was good for me to voice out because when i acknowledge it, that is where i'm gonna start improving..
i did talk to God about this after that and i told God that if i have the guts to say it out already, why not? Like, if God wasn't there with me at the first place, i would have not tell what is inside of me.. So, i prayed that God will help me through this and it really came true!
Usually when my mum or any other family member asked me to pray for something, like saying grace also, i really had trouble..i would think , why me, what am i gonna pray, how.. to cut the long story short, one morning, my mum asked me to pray for her because she felt confused of herself.. at first, i was hesitated too.. but i didn't think much and just hold her hands and started praying... and words just flows out from my mouth naturally.. and i can't believe myself after doing that and it was a good start for me! And when i thought back, i think i would have not step out from this if you have not let us join your session.. and maybe God has His plan that not many were there for the session.. if it turns out to be a lot of people, i guess, i will still hold back and i would have not voice out..
So, i really like to thank you so much for having us in your session and may your teaching or coaching or whatever people call it brings blessing to many.. and even though sometimes things may discourage us as in many ways but i believed that God has His plan and purpose for each and everything..
Have a nice day and God bless you!
~ B. K. age 19, attended an adult session in the church. In this workshop, it ties in with the request of the spiritual aspect. 

Interview with Mum

Thank you Mum for the interview.  Mum and her child has attended our programme 'Move in Art Jam' and 'Sharing Dance with your Child' in 2011 and 2012; and after 'Movin' Tales' for children in 2013. 

Introduction to Sharing Dance with your Child 2010