In this volume

Read or download PDF

The following article presents basic background concepts and theory from the last fifty or more years, including body-mind integration, non-verbal communication, and other elements and precepts which contribute to the evolution of embodiment theory. In addition, many points of view leading to a wholistic view of clients in therapy are presented. Ideally, this article will assist students studying to become wholistic therapists with a basic background for working within a three-dimensional model; a model which embraces and explores the whole person, feeling, thinking, creating, and expressing.

The content on this page is accessible to DTAA members by logging into the website.

Donna Newman–Bluestein visited Melbourne, Australia, in February 2014. Donna provided members of the dance therapy community with a workshop on dance and dementia – her area of specialty. Afterwards, Jane Guthrie and Elizabeth Mackenzie met with Donna: it was a fine summer’s evening at Abbottsford Convent in Melbourne. We went there to introduce the convent to Donna, in its role as the home of the DMT community, and to share conversation and a meal. We explained how the convent buildings had housed early graduates of the first Graduate Diploma of Movement and Dance, and Dance Therapy Certificate course, in Melbourne – in fact in Australia.

Read or download PDF

In recent conversations at the DTAA conference (Melbourne, July 2015), as I was speaking about the use of hula hoops in my group work, I shared I had been writing a document about the use of props in dance movement therapy (DMT). I was encouraged to continue with it as there is a lack of written material in this area. I hope that this writing will generate further contributions from other DM Therapists about their use of other props.

We are pleased to publish a selection of contributions by students. They include assignments recently submitted by DMT students for the completion of different parts of their training. The first, by Lyndal Pope, was for completion of the Advanced Diploma of DMT for the IDTIA. This is followed by short pieces submitted for an introductory module of Explore the History and Philosophy of Dance, for the Diploma of DMT in the recent Phoenix Institute DMT course in Melbourne. The four short articles are published under the topic of Healing Dance in Human History. Ancient healing and ritual dances were given some priority in this module as having been such an important part of community life. The module emphasised the history of the circle dance, as well as other dances from various cultures that can be drawn on for dance making purposes in DMT.

The content on this page is accessible to DTAA members by logging into the website.

DTAA Workshop Feb 2015 in Melbourne with Donna Newman Bluestein.

The content on this page is accessible to DTAA members by logging into the website.

The following presentation was made at the ADTA conference in San Diego, California, in October 2015. Jane Guthrie represented Australia on the International Panel who were asked to respond to the question: “What causes intense interest in DMT in your country?” Her presentation drew on the content of the panel presentation she was involved in earlier in the year, together with Tony Norquay, Jennifer Helmich and Virginia Woods. This was at the Australasian DTAA Conference, Broadening the Spectrum in July 2015, in Melbourne. From this earlier conference panel, the presenters have developed their views on the topics discussed into an article soon to be published. The presentation Jane made at the ADTA conference showcased the work of four Australian practitioners involved in diversified practice. To her this answered the question for the International panel members of causes of intense interest in DMT in Australia.

The content on this page is accessible to DTAA members by logging into the website.