ARBN 679434649

Alexandra Jordan

Alexandra Jordan – Bio


Edition:

Alexandra is a Dance Movement therapist living and working in Darwin. She is a founding Member of the Darwin Dance Collective, and currently works as a counsellor with refugee women, children and families at Melaleuca Refugee centre. She is passionate about the development of DMT in the field of trauma, and particularly in working cross-culturally. She has recently travelled and worked with diverse populations in Cambodia, Timor-Leste and on the Thai Burma border.

The dance of life with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples


Edition: Dance Therapy Collections 4

Keywords: 

Indigenous culture, dance movement therapy, trauma, engagement, cultural awareness, cultural safety, Australia

Page #: 51

Dance and ritual have been essential parts of the cultural and spiritual life of Australian Indigenous peoples for more than 40,000 years, used to promote health and wellbeing and share cultural knowledge. Dance movement therapy utilises dance and movement to assist in integration of body, mind and spirit, in a professional modality that was identi ed only in the mid-twentieth century. Parallels between these practices observed by dance movement therapists include a holistic approach to wellness and priority on non-verbal communication achieved through shared rhythmic movement. Many of the signi cant challenges faced by Indigenous communities in contemporary Australia, including transgenerational trauma, have been impacted positively by dance movement therapy interventions in other countries. However, currently there is no documented evidence that the practice is being utilised in Australia. This chapter responds to that issue in offering ideas to support dance movement therapists to be culturally competent and respectful in efforts to engage with Indigenous peoples of their nation. Recommendations include the development of genuine partnerships and relationships that enable two-way learning, to develop culturally safe programs that acknowledge and respect Indigenous ways of knowing and living.

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Reflections on a Trip to East Timor


Edition: 2012 Vol. 10 Nos. 3-4

Keywords
professional development, on-site supervision, cross-cultural DMT, torture, trauma, refugees, asylum seekers

Alex overviews a meaningful trip to Timor-Leste, along with DMTs Kim Dunphy and Meredith Elton, to offer DMT activities across a range of group settings over a 2 week period. Gaining much more than the 30 hours of supervised practice towards her Professional Member registration with the DTAA, Alex writes about the connections with her work in Darwin working cross-culturally, and with people who have experienced torture and trauma through her role as a counsellor, with refugee and asylum seeker children and their families. The collaborative opportunities and beneficial outcomes are touched upon, with scope for exploring further applications of this work and encouragement for others to seek similar learning adventures. (pp 49-50)

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The Writings of Naomi Audette – Part 1


Edition: 2012 Vol. 10 Nos. 3-4

Keywords
research, Energy Field, quantum experiences, dyadic process, circle/spiral symbolism, ritual, ancient culture

The Writings of Naomi Audette (1970-2011) encompasses two parts, published across two editions of the DTAA’s Moving ON Journal. Part 1 of Naomi’s profuse writings on dance movement therapy, has been carefully and lovingly gathered together and edited by her colleague and friend, Alexandra Jordan, with the assistance of Monique Buggy. Part 2 follows in Volume 11, No’s 3 & 4. In Part 1, the writings comprise an introduction to Naomi and a reflection on her personal and professional journey by Alexandra. Following are the first two pieces of her work, ‘Dancing the Energy Field; Towards an integrated model of healing’, and ‘Symbolic meaning of the Spiral and Circle’. Addressing two areas of priority for Naomi, the first reveals something of her journey of discovery into the quantum realm, and the second, her research into the themes of ritual. The articles demonstrate her comprehensive understanding of esoteric literature, ancient history, myth and psychology, which she also maps to the physical realm and DMT process. (pp 14-29)

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