Dance & Movement Therapy

A collection of musings on Iris from friends in the Dance Therapy and Movement community. Quotes are attributed. Also included is a video interview with the American Dance Therapy Association.

For almost 50 years, Iris has been my teacher, colleague, friend, and inspiration. Our social time was often embedded in collaborative projects of teaching and writing; our friendship has been a source of incredibly open-hearted wisdom, joy, courage, grace and love, love, love.

I met Iris in 1974 at the Dance Therapy Centre in NYC. Iris was Blanche Evan’s key assistant, who guided and taught with extraordinary clarity, creativity, openness, humor, and skill. I still remember her directives and my improvisations in her class. Iris was the most knowledgeable of Blanche’s work, always learning and creating with purity and focus. As a teacher and collaborator, Iris’ clarity in pedagogy and articulation gave the work depth and flow that was graspable, allowing the work to reach others.

In 1982 Blanche and Iris published “An Interview with Blanche Evan” in the American Journal of Dance Therapy. It is a seminal piece that provides Blanche’s clearest and final statement on the evolution of her methods and objectives as a Dance/Movement/Word Therapist. I can’t emphasize how many times I’ve cited and taught from this piece. It is priceless.

In 2017 Iris, Barbara Melson, Bonnie Bernstein, and I began to meet remotely to work on a book about Blanche’s legacy. Meeting every couple of weeks over the next four years, we shared our experiences of the work and those of our current lives. Iris and I set to work on a chapter on Blanche’s system of Functional Technique; Iris’ precision, purity, and deep knowledge of the pedagogy will continue in the writing. Her contributions are foundational to the entire project.

Iris shared her deep love for her family, friends, nature, art, and beauty. Her kindness and integrity touched all who knew her. My love for Iris will always be with me. Her memory will always be an inspiration and blessing.

Anne Krantz

I met Iris in 1973 at Blanche Evan’s Dance Therapy Centre. Initially for me Iris was a teacher, a workshop leader, a beautiful, experienced dancer, dance therapist - a woman who embodied and modeled Blanche’s work in her being and teaching. Our relationship grew into a close friendship and years of leading/teaching workshops and classes together. We found we spoke the same language in teaching and practicing Evan’s Dance Therapy.

We were pregnant at the same time and nibbled on bags of nuts and raisins in between giving directives. We provided scarves and instruments for our little girls and read them the same books, and took them to the same museums in their toddler years. I was sad when the Gainers left NY for Lewisburg, but Iris and I shared a commitment to our friendship and professional connection that deepened over the years. On the phone, on Zoom, or in person, Iris was always present, loving, brilliant, funny, wise, and generous. A true and treasured friend.

Barbara Melson

Iris and I met in 1973 when I first began teaching at New York University. We became colleagues, friends and “laugh buddies” for too many years to count.

Laughter was something we shared throughout our years of teaching in academia, workshop presentations, life’s joys and sorrows ;and always with a deep recognition of the absurdity of life’s unfolding. Laughter was both the engine and the glue that moved us, held us, and helped to heal us when we got stopped or blocked in morosity and/or doomsday thinking.

Iris taught two original courses, developed by herself, and was highly regarded by all (students and faculty), and considered integral to the success of our program. The Blanche Evan core group wrote a lovely tribute to Iris which was published in the ADTA Newsletter. In terms of NYU, Iris was core to my evolving and developing the program. She was key! And my gratitude to her wisdom and knowledge in the earliest years of my tenure have been expressed many times. However, once you and Iris decided to become parents, Iris declined several of my invitations to work with me in developing the programs abroad…. so missed her input and presence, but respected her need to prioritize for sure.

Of all our years of celebration and support , of joy and sadness, of rejoicing and despondency, the memories are so numerous and profound. But, always, I will remember and be in deep gratitude for the laughter we created together. And now, in deep sadness and grief, I remember dear Iris, and know that her laughing spirit is sustaining and eternal.

Marcia Leventhal

I knew Iris well for many years, but especially the 15 years from 1975 to 1990 when we worked together in the NYU Dance Therapy Masters Program. Iris brought the work of Blanche Evan to the NYU program, which meant that the students were getting a very broad range of dance therapy approaches. And it was clear that the NYU students appreciated both the Blanche Evan approach and the unique and personal way that Iris taught. She was deeply respected and admired by the students. And so I have countless memories of lovely times together, many with Marcia Leventhal. Times when the three of us were planning the NYU curriculum and schedule, and times when we were basically just having fun together.

I do remember one time when our professional and personal experiences somewhat intertwined....when we were holding auditions for a new class. There were about 100 applicants, and so it was a huge audition...and Iria, Marcia and I were the observers as these applicants moved and danced individually and in small groups throughout the day. In all candor I cannot remember exactly what set us off, but there was a moment when the three of us all began to laugh at some occurrence in the audition process and soon found ourselves unable to stop....unless we separated. So first Iris and I would leave the room and burst into hysterical laughter together in the hallway...and then one of us would return and replace Marcia, who would then come to the hall and begin laughing..and so on and on, leaving one of us to remain officially at all times in the dance studio watching the audition.

Iris indeed had a wonderful sense of fun and a wonderful sense of humor in addition to all her other attributes....great warmth, deep compassion, clarity, intelligence, integrity and her constant openness to help if help was needed by a friend.

I also remember when Sarah was born, and we had a celebration where my husband Mark, a rabbi, held a special naming ceremony for her. I recall how happy we all were for Bob and Iris at Sarah's birth and how lovingly Mark held Sarah in his arms...and how absolutely ecstatic Iris was at the birth of her daughter.

Iris and I spent many other times together through those years, and I remember them all as times of warmth and support. It was always wonderful to see Iris at ADTA conferences after the NYU years....and also in the 1990s when I had her do a special workshop for the NYU Dance Education Program that I was directing then. Even though I did not see Iris for long stretches of time, I always seemed to hold thoughts and memories of her close....and I now miss knowing she is with us very deeply.

May her memory be a blessing.

Miriam (Mimi) Berger

Hiking in a California redwood forest I notice Iris wildflowers dotting the pathway. Hughes of light lavender to deep purple color this gracefully shaped flower, both delicate and strong. Since dear Iris’s death I have been searching for ways to honor her memory in words. The metaphor of these Iris flowers helped open a flow of memories and words to describe her as I knew her. I first turned to the definition of the Iris flower explaining that “they can represent hope, courage, wisdom and admiration”. Ahh, yes, that was Iris.

I first met Iris in 1970 while studying at Blanche Evan’s Dance Therapy Centre in New York. After an intensive six weeks of introductory courses, Blanche charged Iris with taking me on as a novice assistant in a therapy group she was leading. At age 18, I learned so much from Iris. Although she was just 26, I remember admiring her beautifully led therapy sessions, her gentleness with the clients, and how skillfully she was able to bring Evan’s methods into practice.

Our relationship continued as Evan’s trainees during hundreds of hours of workshops and training courses. These experiential sessions built an intimacy and collegial understanding; a sisterhood among those studying together. Over later years, although living on different coasts, Iris and I enjoyed times of planning and co-presenting or group-presenting workshops to teach the Evan method. Iris’s contributions came from a creative, holistic, and often playful place, always insisting on accuracy and clarity in our presentations. My memories also include special moments like dancing with Iris at my wedding and how touched I was that she traveled to California for my daughter’s bat mitzvah. As friends I felt delighted in hearing stories about her life in the Bucknell community, her family art exhibits, her joys in parenting Sarah and her fullhearted pleasure when babysitting Oliver.

The Evan writing project was another significant memory of Iris as a scholar and a generous collaborator. After Blanche Evan’s death in 1982, Iris stored mountains of boxes of Evan’s unpublished manuscripts and audiotapes in her attic. Decades later, when Evan’s close trainees decided to begin a writing project to bring some of this vast body of work to publication, Iris undertook a gigantic mailing endeavor, organizing, outlining, and posting multiple boxes of materials to her three colleagues. For the next 3 years, our small group met regularly by Zoom to plan and share writings in our effort to prepare a book for publication. Having begun her study of creative dance with Evan at the age of 3, Iris was our historian and scholar in residence, clarifying the timelines and the evolution of Evan’s theoretical orientation from their very beginnings.

My memories of Iris also turn to our many exchanges as email buddies during these past few years during her cancer treatment. She was so brave and determined to handle each challenge with dignity and grace and even a bit of humor. What stands out most is the strength the love of her family provided for her. Bob was her rock and enduring love, and when Iris spoke about Sarah, their beautiful and supportive relationship threaded throughout her experience. Her pride in Sarah extended to her love of Ian and pride in Sarah’s family life. The joy she felt from being with Oliver helped to counterbalance the pain, disruption, and disappointments of her treatments.

I learned how much she relished every walk filled with his curiosity, when he discovered rocks, jumped in piles of leaves, or enjoyed a new painting skill. Photos often came with loving stories.

In 1976, Iris gifted me a royal blue and gold dance scarf when she came to celebrate the opening of my first independent dance therapy studio. This gift and visit felt like a vote of confidence when I truly needed it. Now, when I see my toddler granddaughter pick that scarf out as her favorite to dance with, I feel a sad-delight and an honoring of Iris and her forever presence in our lives.

Bonnie Bernstein

The strongest memory I hold of Iris is of her joy and lightness. Her sense of humor that provided a balanced view of our mutual teacher, Blanche Evan to emerge through words and creative dance. Iris personally embodied the potential of Blanche Evan through her teaching and in her professional presentation. Her writing contributed to our understanding of how to make a better, more satisfying, and honorable life possible with dance therapy as the key.

Other images of Iris: visiting her and Bob in the tiny East Side Manhattan apartment. Now, realize that I have replicated the wall of books that lined the entry hall—it made that strong an impression.
Running into her on the #10 bus on 8th Avenue on Christmas Eve and inviting her and Bob to our annual party. I treasure the ornament she brought—a pink ballet slipper, of course. She and Bob gracing our December parties with their wit and kindness.

When I went to Seoul, Korea, to teach and research dance therapy, I sought her supervision and guidance in how to convey the essence of the Blanche Evan approach. From that experience, I found how the intense psychophysical therapy could emerge and be present in my own work. To me, this is a great and generous gift that signifies her warmth, compassion, generosity, and brilliance.

Meg Chang

I moved to Lewisburg in 1985, and sometime in the those first few years, Iris put a notice in Blue Notes about a pair of Birkenstocks she was letting go. Just so happened they were my size, so I contacted her and picked them up. So I knew early on where she lived, and that she had roughly the same size feet as me. And that she was someone who I would like to know better, if the opportunity presented itself.

And it did! Mary Russin was a close friend of mine, and she came back from a workshop in New England one time all excited about the work she’d done there. She had asked the leader how to continue this work, after she returned home to PA. The leader said: let me consult my directory of practitioners, and see if there might be someone near you in central PA. In those days, you’d hope there might be a practitioner in Philadelphia or Harrisburg, or maybe State College. The leader said there are not a lot of listings, but here’s one in a place called Lewisburg. WHAT!?! A dance therapist in Lewisburg? So Mary went to see Iris, then called me, and said, “Annie, you have to go see this woman! She is amazing!” And so I did — and she was amazing!

I did Dance Therapy with Iris for years. I tried to figure out the calendar years, but it’s easier to count by milestones. Iris walked me through several serious relationships in my life that blossomed, then waned over time. She was such a lifeline for me — to be able to talk & move/clear things out with her. I’m certainly a better version of myself, thanks to her, and much clearer on who I am and how I am in the world. Iris and I were both wordsmiths, wanting to use the words that had exactly the right nuance to express a feeling or emotion. I had been to “talk” therapists before, and Iris was very good at helping me sort out my “stuff”. The real gift, however, was her love and gift of movement & physicality as a way of expressing ourselves. She was so tuned into Mind-body-spirit connections. I learned to listen to my body, to pay more attention to the signals it sends, and that moving your body Is like having a conversation with yourself.

At one point in time, Iris did several Dance Therapy workshops, either a day or day & a half, at Mary’s house. Mary and I were regulars, and then 3-4 additional people (including Kelly Knox) would join us. They were such a lovely gift from Iris— lots of fun, and you always came away having learned something new about yourself. It was good work, and Iris was a very good facilitator.

So Iris was an important teacher/ coach/ therapist/ role model for me in my 50’s and 60’s. I would see her at the theater, or around town, and always gladly so. At some point, we ended up in book group together (one of Kathy KG’s spin-offs). The group read a book together, and then kept on meeting after the book was done. Not sure how to define the group … but we kept on meeting every month because the group energy was important to us. It was a safe and supportive space where you could be honest and frank about what was going on in your life. We survived the death of Pat Rock and the departure of Paula G … still the group continued. The group ended with a double whammy of the pandemic; Iris being in NYC with Oliver; and another member’s change in circumstances. Somehow this group never made the transition to zoom. Our time together, so rich and meaningful in person, came to an end.

I remember wondering when we first started meeting as a group how this was going to work. I mean here’s my therapist, who knows so much about me, in the same group. But by then, Iris and I had become friends as well. She easily and gracefully treated me as a friend in the group, and a client in dance therapy. I was impressed at her ability to separate these roles so seamlessly and effortlessly. And it was lovely to get to know Iris outside the bounds of dance therapy sessions, where I came to appreciate even more what a thoughtful, caring, and generous person she is.

I feel very blessed and grateful to have been a small part of her life on Earth. She was truly a great friend/ coach/ listener/ supporter/ comrade-in-arms/ beautiful soul. I miss her!

Ann Longanbach

I not only remember Iris’ first course at Kinections in 1998, one she gave with Barbara Melson, I still use the notes I have from that two-day weekend class. That original 15-hour, one-credit course became a 30-hour, weeklong course, and eventually an ADTA-approved course — LIFE IS MOVEMENT — The Dance Legacy of Blanche Evan: Creative Dance, Functional Technique and Methods of Dance Therapy. My notes from that first class, almost 25 years ago, include the very words Iris used at that time. I remember sensing how important it was to capture exactly what she said. Iris and Barbara had not said anything about our taking notes, yet I had an unusual urgency to do so. Students felt it too. That was lucky for me. At one point, I had become so immersed in the Functional Technique exercises, I forgot to write anything down. One student, however, treated the series of directives as dictation, taking down Iris’ words as exactly as she could. Giving Iris and the student full credit, I have been using those directives, word for word, for almost a quarter of a century when introducing Functional Technique in my Foundations and Principles of DMT course.

During the close to 25 years of Iris’ involvement in Kinections, I came to understand that original urgency in the students and me came from Iris’ commitment to sharing Blanche’s work in as pristine a fashion as she possibly could, using Evan’s words, phrases, and overall perspective at all times. She did not appear to have any personal investment in promoting her own image, developing the work, or in bringing psychology into her classes. As such, she was a perfect fit for Kinections. At Kinections, students learn from their first class that dance is inherently healing.

Iris’s respect for Evan, her teacher of 17 or 18 years, was evident each time she said, “Blanche probably would not have used those words.” Blanche aimed for non-stylized dance, free of “flourishes and decorations,” (Words, I believe, Iris used to help us understand the concept of non-stylized dance). Similarly, Iris, the humble, generous, and brilliant dance/movement therapist aimed to give us a picture of Evan’s work, free of flourishes and decorations, using language, methods, and comments as close as possible to what Evan might have said or done.

Gifts from Iris are immeasurable, not just the teaching gifts. We laughed, talked in-depth, and had good times indulging after hours in all sorts of food and desserts. Plus, in her sessions, Iris had unique ways of using our card tables and scarves making the studio her own. I miss her. We all miss her.

Danielle L. Fraenkel, Ph.D., BC-DMT, LCAT, LMHC, CGP Director, Kinections

In Memorium published in the ADTA Digest for April 12, 2023 by Bonnie Bernstein, Anne Krantz and Barbara Melson

I am so grateful to have been able to study with Iris at Kinections. Her pedagogy, kindness, creativity and strength inspires me to this day -- and will inspire me always.
Kathleen Dalton, MSW, New York City and Ohio, Dance Therapy student at Kinections

I met Iris through the zoom screen when I took her course. I was very new to DMT and didn’t quite know what to expect. What happened to me in the following weeks can only be described as magic. Guided by Iris’s experienced hand, I was completely immersed in the teachings of Blanche Evans. I was living, breathing and feeling it! I read the book about Blanche Evan which Iris helped compiled - it is filled with my handwritten notes which I still refer back to. My creative writing peaked with every home assignment I submitted - I am still journaling. During the movement parts of class, I had some of the most meaningful somatic insights about myself - those insights keep serving me on a daily basis. What made this course so special? The answer is simple: Iris! What it was about her, I cannot put in words, it’s a felt sense in the body: it’s form and freedom; movement and stillness…it’s there with me embodied and alive. Even though I did not pursue DMT as a profession, my time with Iris was life changing. As I am remembering Iris with deep respect and admiration, I am filled with gratitude to have had the honor to be touched and moved by her brilliance, and to be forever changed by it. May her memory be of blessings.
Netta Zahavi, Rochester, NY Kinections Student

I met Iris Rifkin-Gainer only virtually, but she still made an immediate impact on me. I took her wonderful course about Blanche Evan during the fall of 2020 at Kinections. This course was all online due to the restrictions of the Covid pandemic. Iris was a very kind and supportive teacher. She very much expected that all of us enrolled in the course would take an active part in the presentation of the material through our journaling, and that we would discover elements of Evan's teachings that would enrich our own endeavors. Iris was very passionate about her subject matter, and that passion was infectious. Iris was an inspirational teacher. I regret that our paths did not cross again before her passing. But I feel privileged to have had the opportunity that I did, and I will never forget her. My deepest condolences to all her family. I know you will miss her so very much.
Vanessa Waters, MM, Movement Specialist, The Hochstein School, Rochester, NY

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet her - she was kind-hearted, gentle - and so giving in her time and wisdom.
Lea Buda, DO, specializing in gerontology, Minneapolis, MO

I am so sorry for this big loss for you personally and for the DMT community. Kinections won’t be the same without Iris’s yearly visits.
Beverley Dunn, MBA, MA, R-DMT, LPC, Cincinnati, OH

Previous Students of Iris at Kinections, Rochester, NY

In Conversation with History Holders of the American Dance Therapy Association: Iris Rifkin-Gainer, 2022

Iris Rifkin-Gainer was recognized and honored at the Annual ADTA Conference in Denver, CO. on November 11, 2023, with the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Marcia Leventhal accepted the award on behalf of husband Bob Gainer and daughter Sarah. She read Bob’s letter as part of the presentation ceremony.

Dear ADTA Community,

It has been one of the great joys of my life with my wife, Iris, to have witnessed her deep devotion and meaningful life involvement as a therapist, scholar and teacher in the field of Dance/Movement Therapy.

In 1947, Iris started with Blanche Evan’s School of Creative Dance at 3 years old. It was under her mentor’s inspirational nurturance over the next 35 years, concurrent with Blanche’s own personal evolution from creative dance teacher to dance/movement therapy pioneer, that Iris’s personal and professional journey was profoundly influenced. It was not until 1966 that Iris’s and my life came together and merged for the next 57 years. I am moved to share what a unique amalgam of gifts and sensibilities that Iris brought to her work with clients, students and colleagues: her passion for dance, poetry, literature, the visual and performing arts, all manner of creative and human expressivity, and perhaps above all, her great empathy, reverence and love when encountering others’ life journeys and challenges.

My daughter Sarah and I are so very grateful that the ADTA has chosen to recognize and celebrate Iris’s life-long dedication and contributions to the field of Dance/Movement Therapy.

Thank you so much.
Bob Gainer

ADTA Conference, November 11, 2023