Mission and vision
The International Association of Creative Arts Somatic Education (IACASE) is a professional association with international orientation and scope. IACASE promotes and supports the global development of creative arts-based somatic education in both developed and developing countries and regions, creates and safeguards the standards for the field by ensuring the quality of the professional training and practice of the educators and practitioners. IACASE believes the aesthetic and creative use of the arts, together with body-mind integration in a holistic and humanistic approach is essential to support the personal growth and well-being of individuals. IACASE encourages equality and humanity in the dialogues and exchanges across cultures worldwide.
What we do
Officially registered in Delft, Netherlands, IACASE is the authority in the creative arts somatic education field and creates professional standards and guidelines. IACASE has executive board and several committees to manage and plan its activities. IACASE evaluates and approves the training programs worldwide to ensure they meet the standards of IACASE. IACASE grants different levels of credentials in the name of Certified or Registered Creative Arts Somatic Educator, and keeps records of the registrations.
IACASE encourages both arts-based and evidence-based research for the advancement of our field. IACASE publishes its own international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal (English) Creative Arts in Education and Therapy – Eastern and Western Perspectives (CAET), the premier resource for research and studies in this field. The journal is indexed and collected by major research databases, public libraries, and universities in the world. There are over 50 leading experts on the editorial board of CAET.
Executive Committee
NAME:
Helen Payne, PhD, R-ADMP, C-CASE
POSITION:
President
COUNTRY:
UK

Helen Payne
Professor Helen Payne, PhD; UKCP; Fellow ADMP Reg. dance movement psychotherapist pioneered DMP in the UK leading the professional association, first post graduate accredited training, research and publications. ‘Chair in Psychotherapy’ at the University of Hertfordshire, School of Education, conferred as ‘Professor of Psychotherapy’ in 2007.
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NAME:
Joan Wittig, BC-DMT, MSc, LCAT, C-CASE
POSITION:
Vice President
COUNTRY:
US

Joan Wittig
Joan Wittig is Director of the Graduate Dance/Movement Therapy Program at Pratt Institute. Wittig worked for New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation for 16 years, including 7 years as Director of the Creative Arts Therapy Department at Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center.
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NAME:
Tony Yu Zhou, PhD, CMA, R-CASE
POSITION:
CEO
COUNTRY:
China/Netherland

Tony Yu Zhou
Dr. Zhou holds a doctoral degree in biomedicine and has been working and living in China and Europe for many years. Though trained as a scientist, he has been greatly intrigued by modern dance and dance therapy since 2002 and has played an important role in driving the development of creative arts therapy and somatic education in China.
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NAME:
Vivien Marcow Speiser, PhD, BC-DMT, REAT, NCC, C-CASE
POSITION:
Chair, International Cooperation Committee
COUNTRY:
US

Vivien Marcow Speiser
Vivien Marcow Speiser is the Director and Professor of the Institute for Arts and Health in The Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences, Lesley University. She is a licensed mental health counselor, a dance therapist and an expressive arts therapist and educator. Her work has allowed her unparalleled access to working with groups across the United States, Israel and internationally.
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Dr Speiser has taught throughout the world and believes in the use of the arts as a way of communicating across borders and across cultures. She believes in the power of the arts to create the conditions for personal and social change and transformation. Her interests and expertise lie in the areas of working with communities under duress through an integrated arts approach. Many of her publications are grounded in her work with trauma and cross-cultural conflict resolution through the arts. In addition, she is an expert in the creation and performance of ‘rites of passage rituals’ and in the use of performance in expressive therapy practice.
Her contributions to the field have made her an international leader in dance and expressive therapy, and most recently earned her a Fulbright Scholar Award as well as a lifetime achievement award from the Journal of Applied Arts and Health in 2019.Other awards include the 2014 Distinguished Fellows Award from the Global Alliance for Arts and Health and a 2015 Honorary Fellow Lifetime Achievement award from the Israeli Expressive and Creative Arts Therapy Association (ICET)
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NAME:
Alexandra Baybutt, PhD, CMA, C-CASE
POSITION:
Chair, Membership Committee
COUNTRY:
UK

Alexandra Baybutt
Middlesex University, Faculty of Arts and Cultural Industries
Alexandra works in movement education, performing arts and research. She has worked extensively in performing arts as movement coach/director, as well as an artist.
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NAME:
Hilda Wengrower, PhD, C-CASE
POSITION:
Chair, Research Committee
COUNTRY:
Israel

Hilda Wengrower
Wengrower teaches and lectures in Israel and internationally. Former academic director of the DMT master’s program at IL3-University of Barcelona, she maintains a private practice which includes supervision. Hilda has published papers and chapters on subjects related to arts therapies in educational settings, DMT with children with behavioral disorders, migration, qualitative research, arts based research and DMT.
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She is an active member of the Association of Creative Arts Therapies in Israel promoting and organizing conferences and activities. She is book reviews editor of the International Journal Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy and reviewer for academic journals and publishing companies.
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NAME:
Susan Scarth, RSMT/E, UKCP/RDMP, CMA, C-CASE
POSITION:
Regional Director, West Europe
COUNTRY:
UK

Susan Scarth
Susan’s psychotherapy practice integrates humanistic and psychodynamic approaches with body work, movement analysis and creative activity. Susan devises and teaches the Laban/Bartenieff Movement System (LBMS) and Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) in European programmes in Croatia, Estonia, Ukraine, Poland and Portugal.
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NAME:
Diana Fischman, PhD, BC-DMT, C-CASE
POSITION:
Regional Director, Latin America
COUNTRY:
Argentina

Diana Fischman
Diana Fischman is director of Brecha – Buenos Aires Dance Movement Therapy Institute, and is an academic advisor and professor at DMT Master at Universidad Nacional del Arte, UNA – Universidad de Buenos Aires. She also teaches at Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona DMT Master Program.
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NAME:
Devika Mehta, UK/RDMP, C-CASE
POSITION:
Regional Director, South Asia
COUNTRY:
India

Devika Mehta
Devika Mehta is a practicing Dance Movement Psychotherapist (R-DMP) registered with Association of Dance Movement Psychotherapy, UK (ADMP(UK)) and Indian Association of Dance Movement Therapy (IADMT). She is the Course Director for the Post Graduate Diploma Program in Expressive Arts Therapy at St.Xavier’s College, Mumbai and faculty for Diploma courses in Dance Movement Therapy.
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NAME:
Warren Nebe, MA, RDT, C-CASE
POSITION:
Regional Director, Africa
COUNTRY:
South Africa

Warren Nebe
Warren Nebe is an academic, theatre director, arts therapist and activist in the fields of applied arts, arts therapies and arts research. He is the founding Head and Director of Drama for Life, University of the Witwatersrand and is a Senior Lecturer. He is a registered member of International Association of Group Psychotherapy (IAGP), American Association of Psychodrama and Group Psychotherapy (ASGPP), North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA), Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)
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NAME:
Julia Morozova, RADMT, R-CASE
POSITION:
Regional Director, East Europe
COUNTRY:
Russia/Netherlands

Julia Morozova
Dance Movement Therapist registered in Russia and The Netherlands, Registered trainer/educator and supervisor with RADMT
Originally trained as a medical doctor, Julia has worked for several years in obstetrics, and at the same time she became interested in psychology and psychotherapy.
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Her interest in the transcutural aspects of psychotherapy, her medical, psychological and anthropological expertise has resulted in several DMT projects with refuges and voluntary immigrants in the Netherlands and Germany.
Julia is currently working in private practice, with both individuals and groups, and teaching on DMT programmes in Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania and other countries. Since 2017 she is a tutor and educational director in professional DMT training programme in Ukraine, run by Biosoft Institute.
From 2012 until 2018 Julia has held the position of Communications and PR on the Board of the European Association Dance Movement Therapy Currently she is a Board Member of Dutch DMT Association.
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NAME:
Steve Harvey, PhD, BC-DMT, R-DT, C-CASE
POSITION:
Regional director, AUS/NZ
COUNTRY:
New Zealand

Steve Harvey
Dr. Steve Harvey is a psychologist and registered as both a dance/movement, drama and play therapist. He has worked with children and families in the USA, and New Zealand and consulted for many years internationally on the integrative use of the creative arts therapies.
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NAME:
Lama Majaj, MA, AThR, R-CASE
POSITION:
Regional director, Middle East
COUNTRY:
Jordan

Lama Majaj
Lama Majaj is an Art Psychotherapist, a visual artist and an educator with seventeen years of program development and strategic planning experiences in arts education, healthcare, and humanitarian settings. Recognized for demonstrating a natural aptitude for program optimization, project management research and development.
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Lama’s art therapy practice integrates humanistic psychotherapy with body work, movement, and the expressive arts to support individuals on the Autism Spectrum. She is a registered member of the Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapy Association (ANZACATA). She provides supervision for arts therapists and is a part-time lecturer at the MA Art Therapy Program at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore.
Currently, Lama is a Dynamic Embodiment™️ and BodyMind Dancing™️ candidate focused on integrating skilled touch, movement, & compassionate dialogue to help individuals relieve stress, find enhanced expressiveness, and balance all aspects of the body and psyche. In her free time, she enjoys biking along the coastline and spontaneous dips in the ocean.
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NAME:
Sharon Vaisvaser, PhD, C-CASE
POSITION:
Regional director, Middle East
COUNTRY:
Israel

Sharon Vaisvaser
Dr. Vaisvaser is a Dance/Movement Therapist; she maintains a private clinic and serves as the clinical manager of an ASD kindergarten (Autism Research and Treatment Center). Sharon is a Senior Lecturerat in the School of Society and the Arts (Ono Academic College) in Israel. She completed her PhD in neuroscience at Tel Aviv University;
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NAME:
Elikem Alfred Kunutsor, MA, R-CASE
POSITION:
Regional Director, Africa
COUNTRY:
Ghana

Elikem Alfred Kunutsor
Elikem Alfred Kunutsor is a Ghanaian, who holds an MA and BA Honours in Dramatic Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), South Africa. Elikem majored in Physical Theatre and Design. His approach to the performing arts is rooted in embodied, physical presence rather than genre classifications. He is currently a PhD candidate with the University of Cape Town (UCT).
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NAME:
Karen Studd, CMA, C-CASE
POSITION:
Chair, Education Committee.
COUNTRY:
US

Karen Studd, CMA
Karen has a Master’s degree from University of Oregon and certification in movement analysis from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies. Studd serves on the education committee of IACASE (International Association of Creative Arts Somatic Education) and is also a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist and Educator through ISMETA (International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association).
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Karen A. STUDD 教授(美国):纽约拉班巴特尼芙动作研究院(LIMS)金牌讲师。世界拉班动作分析权威之一。国际创艺身心教育协会(IACASE)教育培训委员会委员。
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Advisory Board
- Karen Bradley (US), President, Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies (LIMS), New York
- Maria Elena Garcia (Argentina/Spain), University of Barcelona
- Ulrich Sollmann (Germany), Past President of the German Association of Bioenergetic Analysis, Guest Professor, Shanghai University of Political Science and Law
- Elissa White (US), BC-DMT, Creative Arts Therapies, Pratt Institute
- Marcia Plevin (Italy/US), BC-DMT, Founder and Vice President, The Association of Creative Movement
- Daria Halprin (US), Director, Tamalpa Institute
- Irina Biryukova (Russia), BC-DMT, Director, DMP post-graduate diploma training, Institute of Practical Psychology and Psychoanalysis (Moscow)
- Nayung Kim (South Korea), PhD., BC-DMT, CMA, Associate Professor, Seoul Women’s University, Graduation School of Professional Therapeutic Technology
- Ilene Serlin (US), PhD of psychology, BC-DMT, Union Street Health Associates
- Dick Swaab (Netherlands), PhD, Professor of Neurobiology, University of Amsterdam, Former Director of Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Lee Tsungchin (Taiwan), PhD, Professor of psychology, National Chengchi University; founder and honorary chairman, Taiwan Dance Therapy Association
- Zvika Frank (Netherlands), BC-DMT, Codart/Rotterdam Dance Academy
- Zhao Xu-dong (China), Doctor of Medicine, Tongji University
- Rainbow T.H. Ho (Hong Kong), PhD, BC-DMT, CMA, Professor, University of Hong Kong
- Tina Chen (Hong Kong/UK), Professor, Tongji University, China; Chief representative, Royal Ballet School (UK) in China
- Chen Xi-jing (China), PhD in music therapy, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Country contacts
- Australia: Xu Xian
- Canada: Chen Yan
- China: Chen Yang
- Costa Rica: Sylvia Ketelhohn Gron
- Germany: Ulrich Sollmann, Yuko Miyata
- Ghana: Elikem Alfred Kunutsor
- Hong Kong: Michelle Wan Lok Chan
- India: Devika Mehta, Oihika Chakrabarti
- Israel: Hilda Wengrower
- Italy: Rosa Maria Govoni
- Japan: Yukari Sakiyama
- Jordan: Lama Majaj
- Latin America: Maria Elena Garcia
- Namibia: Esmerelda Cloete
- Netherlands: Simone Kleinlooh
- New Zealand: Connor Kelly
- North West Africa: Elikem Alfred Kunutsor
- Russia: Irina Biryukova
- Singapore: Vincent Yong
- Spain: Maria Elena Garcia, Carmen Velez
- South Africa: Warren Nebe
- South Korea: Nayung Kim
- Switzerland: Brigitte Züger
- Thailand: Warin Tepayayone
- Taiwan: YuChi Lin
- UK: Alexandra Baybutt
- US: Cara Gallo
- Vietnam: Buituyet Minh
- Zambia: Nsamu Moonga