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Keywords
Marian Chace, therapeutic relationship, symbolic movement, rhythmic movement, group therapy, mental illness

The following article was written by Sharon on her presentation given at the third Dance-Movement Therapy Conference – ‘Weaving The Threads’ – in Melbourne in 2007.

This brief article overviews the concepts presented by DMT pioneer Marian Chace who worked using dance therapy from 1940 until her death in 1970. Sharon describes the essential elements used to build trust, support change and she overviews interventions focussed on by Chace. Sharon intended to “…provide some experiences to illustrate the way dance (in its broadest sense), the body, the role of the therapist, relationships with others, the process of a group all were part of Chace’s early observations and the way they affect dance/therapy practice.” (pp 2-3)

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Keywords
somatics, acupressure, hands-on sessions, breath dialogue, group work, consciousness

The following article was written by John on his workshop at the third Dance-Movement Therapy Conference – ‘Weaving The Threads’ – in Melbourne in 2007.

John writes “Middendorf breathwork is a modality that fits well with dance therapy because of its emphasis on embodiment, on the kinaesthetic dimension of lived experience, and because of its orientation to wholeness. At the same time, this form of breathwork also has much to offer the field of dance therapy both in its way of working with clients and in terms of the therapist’s self care.” He describes a few exercises to illuminate breath awareness in the whole body, with the use of positioning, pressure points and vowel sound making. (pp 4-7)

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Keywords
MIECAT form of inquiry, Stern, presence, movement phrase, key words, in-dwelling, clustering

The following article was written by Heather and Sue on their workshop given at the third Dance-Movement Therapy Conference – ‘Weaving The Threads’ – in Melbourne in 2007.

Sue and Heather led a workshop offering participants experiences of; presence, intersubjective dialogue through dance and recognition of moments of experiencing and the possibilities of co-creation and connection. The participants used some of the intersubjective, creative arts procedures from the Miecat form of inquiry to make sense of a moment of dancing with each other. Sue reflected on a significant moment from her witnessing a pair of dancers, by using and explaining the Miecat form inquiry ‘procedures’ to make sense of this experience. (pp 8-12)

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Keywords
collective, containment, witness, recall, embodiment, neonatal breathing pattern

The following article was written by Connor on her workshop given at the third Dance-Movement Therapy Conference – ‘Weaving The Threads’ – in Melbourne in 2007.

This article stemmed from a workshop which explored experientially the evolving practice of Authentic Movement and through this moved the participants towards conscious embodiment, which ultimately allows them to be more present in their daily lives. The participants learnt to pay attention to their body on its own terms without superimposing a structure or an aesthetic viewpoint. Philosophical influences and references are woven in to describe this practice, through which Connor proposes “as we embody further aspects of our own Self, we can allow our patients/clients greater access to their fullest expression.” (pp 13-16)

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Keywords
facilitated communication, video analysis, creative writing, Laban Movement Analysis, action research

Alice writes “This paper reports the progress made using dance movement therapy with a nine year old boy with severe autism. The dance movement therapy took place over a seven month period. The boy, whose name is Luke, used and continues to use Facilitated Communication to express himself through typing and his writings from this commentary form an integral part of the report. As Luke’s Speech Pathologist, as well as his dance movement therapist, I worked with him for some time before his behaviour improved to the point where dance movement therapy could became an option. This paper attempts to describe the progress that was evident to me and captured on the video footage. ” (pp 17-21)

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Keywords
phenonmenology, Spinelli, drawing, subjectivity, body armour, lived experience,

The following article was written by Sharon on her experiential workshop given at the third Dance-Movement Therapy Conference – ‘Weaving The Threads’ – in Melbourne in 2007. 

Sharon explains her practice “A focal point of the therapeutic work is the differentiation of awareness, expression of bodily experiences as well as expansion of the movement repertoire. By broadening the movement repertoire and dialogical processes the level of consciousness of the experience is sensitised and the new movement experiences are integrated into cognitive processes which aid the individual’s personality move towards a more integrated self. The expressive, adaptive and communicative behaviour can be observed as it is experienced through muscle tension, breath, posture, body attitude and movement. The Movement, Metaphor and Imagery experiential workshop provided participants with a safe creative space to explore dual polarities or conflicts located within their mind and body paradigms.” (pp 22-23)

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Keywords
research, Egyptian dance, Paqs Baladi, guided visualisation, kundalini, DNA

The following article was written by Maria on her experiential workshop given at the third Dance-Movement Therapy Conference – ‘Weaving The Threads’ – in Melbourne in 2007.

Maria describes her journey with dance, including her involvement in a professional dance research group experimenting with various body based modalities. Overviewing each chakra or energy centre in the body and it’s symbolic connection to the body, Maria explains her approach blending Traditional Egyptian and Middle Eastern dance forms, giving descriptive examples from her experiential workshop. (pp 24-26)

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Keywords
corporate consultancy, collective transformation, natural elements, professional development, transcultural competence, consciousness

Three articles by Sara:

1. A letter of introduction to the work she planned to offer at two professional development workshops in Australia.
2. An article about: “LIFEdance! is a facilitated process for personal and professional development that draws on DMT, leadership development, anthropology, performance, poetry, martial arts, coaching and neurolinguistic programming. The motto Live your Dance, Dance your Lifesums up the ethos of developing vital life skills through creative movement exploration and dialogue –both verbal and nonverbal.”
3. An article based on extracts from Sara’s book chapter The Body of Culture (Boas 2006) overviewing the 5 level Transcultural Competence model and how it can inform and shape therapeutic practice, community and professional development. (p. 27-33)

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Keywords
active imagination, unconscious, dissociation, post traumatic stress, somatic memory, trauma therapy

This paper is developed from a presentation made by Anastasia at the 4^th Pan-Hellenic Interdisciplinary Conference, Child Abuse and Trauma,  Athens, Greece, 2008, organised by the Greek Society for the Prevention of Sexual Abuse.

Anastasi draws on her work as Dance Therapist for the last 5 years, to write about the priceless contribution of the body in the therapeutic process. Drawing on various theorists in the trauma recovery and psychotherapy fields, she focuses on the issue of guilt and the distortion that it brings to the perception of reality, specifically for the woman who has suffered abuse in her childhood. (pp 34-37)

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Keywords
indigenous, cultural awareness training, dance education, professional development, research

Kim attended the 2008 ADTA Conference held in Austin Texas. This article is Kim’s presentation made as part of the International Panel at the conference. Mimi Berger, Chair of the International Panel, distinguished dmt and academic, ADTR, LCAT,  Program in Dance Education, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, New York University, asked dmt representatives from all around the world to respond to the conference theme: DANCE THERAPY IN DIVERSE SOCIETIES and the issues involved in providing dance therapy services and dance therapy education in societies composed of various  groups…with differences in ethnicity, culture, religion, socio-economic status, gender, sexuality, age, and physical capacities. Also to explore how cross-cultural applications of dance therapy expand our body of knowledge, and how our field might respond to this expansion. (pp 38-41)

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Keywords
Rosen Method Bodywork, transformation, unconscious, healing, embodied memories

Marja gives a brief overview of her transforming and healing journey receiving Rosen and becoming a Rosen Method Practitioner. The method is described, including it’s origins and global influences. Marja shares a personal family story of grief and suffering and how Rosen supported her and her family to ‘undo the knots’ from this tragedy. (pp 42-44)