About the DTAA

History

The Dance Movement Therapy Association of Australasia was formally incorporated in 1994, as the Dance Therapy Association of Australia. This followed many years of work by a steering committee and operations as the Dance Therapy Working Party, a sub-committee of Ausdance. This article by Andrew Morrish, the Convenor of the Dance Therapy Working Party and Vice Chairperson, AADE (Australian Association for Dance Education, later Ausdance) Victoria outlines the development of the dance-movement therapy profession in Victoria until 1989, before the formation of the DTAA. The Development of Dance Therapy Practice in Victoria: The Status Quo and the Future, Conference paper presented at National Conference of the AADE, April 1989.

The DTAA became known as the Dance Movement Therapy Association of Australia in 2012, and then in 2014, members agreed to change the DTAA’s name and scope to the Dance Movement Therapy Association of Australasia to better include dance therapy colleagues from neighbouring countries in the Australasia region.

The DTAA has held four national conferences, in 1997, 2000, 2007 and 2015.