By: James Brown

Living in a world where mental disorders are more and more common, new concepts of mental health are more valuable than ever. Meet Fabiani Franca, the talented dancing theatre artist and a researcher who is changing the approach to mental health. Being both an academic and an artist, Fabiani is now exploring innovative ways of helping people, especially youth, learn to be more resilient and regulate their emotions.

Having started her career with an academic Turn at Humboldt University of Berlin, the extremely dynamic path and work experience of Fabiani have brought her to dance theatres across the world. Her current work on her performance residency at TFYDanza in Mexico City is one of the many projects she has been working on in pursuit of this passion. 

Today, we are going to have an interview with Fabiani to explore her unique activities on the intersection of performance, psychology, and equality.

1. Your work focuses on using dancing theatre to treat mental health issues. Can you tell us how you came across the idea of using movement to help manage mental health in the first place?

The first time I noticed a connection between dancing theatre and mental health was during a seminar in my studies on empathy and perspective-taking. It immediately struck me that in dance theatre, we constantly practice putting ourselves in others’ shoes, and that these methods can be applied to social conflict situations. By adopting the perspective of others, we can gain new insights and discover alternative solutions. I delved deeper into the effects of psychological processes on our body and its movement during my dance theatre residency with TFYDanza in Mexico City. It was here that I also realized how dance theatre can help make psychological processes perceptible and, thus, addressable. For example, the fear that figuratively “sits at the back of one’s neck” can become visible in dance when movement of the head becomes difficult, as the neck muscles remain constantly tense. Observing and becoming aware of psychological burdens is an important first step in being able to address them in the subsequent process.

1. Could you please guide us through how you approach developing a dance theatre work based on neuroscientific concepts? In what way can you make sure that you make original scientific content while using creativity in it?

When implementing projects, it is essential to understand the logic, goals, and methods of the field you are working in. This often involves translating one system of thought, such as neuroscience, into another, like dance theatre, or vice versa. A concrete example of a performative concept based on neuroscientific insights is Transmission. This project aims to stimulate discourse on the transgenerational transmission of psychological burdens. The immersive performance is structured into three parts.

In the first part, audience members individually enter a room furnished like a living kitchen. A voice from offstage begins to address them directly. Through this interaction, the audience experiences interpersonal dynamics that, according to scientific studies, increase the likelihood of passing on psychological burdens, such as the transmission of fears or devaluation.

In the second part, audience members enter a room where they can leave a trace of their previous experience. This might involve taking photos, making drawings, or recording voice memos. These traces are then interpreted by musicians and dancers in the third part. The concept is designed to make empirically researched factors of transmission tangible. Just as in transgenerational transmission, experiences are passed on and reinterpreted, with the level of abstraction increasing throughout the performance.

Conversely, approaches from dance theatre can be integrated into neuroscientific research. This requires adopting the logic of scientific inquiry. For example, changes in amygdala activity before and after a dance theatre intervention on emotion regulation can be measured. If participants are also asked whether they perceive any subjective changes in their emotional experience, it becomes possible to examine whether cerebral changes align with subjective perceptions.

1. You have academic qualifications in psychology and social work. In what ways has this interdisciplinary education impacted your perspective on developing psychoeducational interventions?

Photo Courtesy: Fabiani Franca

I believe that my education in psychology, social work, and dance theatre has opened the door for me to recognize synergies and develop well-founded psychoeducational interventions. I have the privilege of possessing both psychological knowledge about mental health and neural foundations, as well as an understanding of the social structural embedding of psychosocial burdens. This enables me to raise questions that examine how social structures, such as precarity, impact individuals on a personal level. How does our social context shape our perception and experience? Additionally, my professional training in dance theatre allows me to approach academic discourses from a different perspective and to engage in dialogue with other members of society about this knowledge. I can also combine techniques from dance with methods from psychotherapy, for instance, to stimulate self-observation or enhance self-confidence, thereby promoting resilience. Resilience is the ability of a person to maintain mental well-being despite difficult life circumstances, crises, or stressful situations, and to recover from challenging experiences.

1. What steps do you undertake to assess the effectiveness of the completed project and the improvement of participants’ mental state? There are particular success stories but could you please state if there is any specific success story you want to share?

As is often the case with scientific evaluations of the success of interventions, the process begins with a hypothesis and subjective observation. This observation must then be analysed using scientific methods. In my life, I have seen many young people find a home in dance and theatre, a supportive and appreciative community. I have watched people flourish and carry their newfound confidence into other areas of their lives, such as school. I am currently developing projects to document these success stories scientifically. 

1. Your work raises social justice concerns. What roles do you think mental health, performing arts, and social change play in each other?

There are significant overlaps and mutual influences between these three areas. In professional dance theatre, mental health is a major concern—how can we train every day while dealing with physical injuries, performance pressure, and frustration? How can institutions like companies and training centres integrate this aspect to ensure a sustainable future for performers? At the same time, the performing arts can positively impact individual or collective self-confidence. People can develop ways of expression and share their experiences and concerns with society, strengthening their sense of self-efficacy. This, in turn, can have a positive effect on mental health. This leads us to the area of social change. Through collective exchange about specific experiences, ideas, and solutions can emerge that foster social change. Dance theatre itself can also be part of the solution, for instance, when initially opposing groups work towards a common goal, such as a performance, and during the process, learn to understand each other better. 

Disclaimer: The views, ideas, and information presented in this article are those of the interviewee and are for informational purposes only. The content provided should not be interpreted as medical or psychological advice. If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health challenges, it is important to seek professional help from a licensed mental health provider. The author and publisher do not assume any responsibility for actions taken based on the information shared here. Always consult a healthcare or mental health professional before making any decisions related to mental well-being or psychological interventions.

Published by Charlie N.