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Video below
After spending nine hours practicing, only to take breaks to eat and take shelter from the rain, 1,500 Cebu inmates have done it again. An amazing tribute to Michael Jackson that included songs, Ben, I'll Be There, and We Are the World, was performed yesterday in the prison's exercise yard. Costumes, flags from several countries, and a massive poster of Michael Jackson were part of the hour-long show, which was viewed by hundreds at the prison, not to mention the over 600,000 who have viewed it on YouTube.
A prison guard at the Cebu prison told the Times Online that the choreographed dancing isn't a form of punishment, and participation is voluntary, and has resulted in increased discipline and morale. After failed attempts to get the inmates to exercise, they hired a choreographer to teach them to dance to the hits of rock stars all over the world.
According to the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) dance therapy is a "psychotherapeutic use of movement to further the emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration of the individual. Dance/movement therapy is practiced in mental health, rehabilitation, medical, educational, and forensic settings, and in nursing homes, day care centers, disease prevention, and health promotion programs." Dance therapy is a mind-body rehabilitation modality that helps to unite the body and spirit that is practiced all over the world.
What is most interesting about the Cebu inmates is the benefits dance therapy may have had on their lives. Dance therapy is commonly used to treat people who are emotionally disturbed, suicidal, depressed, psychotic,and who abuse substances, among a multitude of other conditions.
You don't need to enroll in a dance therapy program to take advantage of the many types of dance that exist, however. Looking in your local Yellow Pages for dance clubs, dance schools, or other community events is a great way to get started. Just imagine the benefits to your body, mind, and spirit that will begin to occur after shaking your groove thang for a few hours a week, and you'll be a believer!
Video of the Cebu Inmates' final tribute:
Please read Part I of this article for more information: Michael Jackson an Unwitting Dance Therapist?
Related Examiner articles about Michael Jackson:
- Police say Michael Jackson used Oxycontin daily
- Toxicology reports may show Michael Jackson died from drug reaction
- Did Michael Jackson die from prescription drug use?
- Autopsy reveals little about Michael Jackson death
- Could anorexia have contributed to Michael Jackson's death?
- Mixing medications:cause of Michael Jackson's death?
- Seattle Experience Music Project features Michael Jackson
- Cardiac arrest or heart attack?
- Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson’s deaths illustrate the two faces of grief
Comments
They are practicing compassion - how rehabilitative that is!
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