E. Connor (MA, ADTR, LPC), interned with Dr Judith Kesternberg, worked in the Boston area with people with developmental disabilities and with the frail elderly. Then moving to Colorado, worked with children and families and taught at Naropa.  She created ‘Physical Storytelling‘ together with husband Steve Harvey, and was very active for the ADTA, prior to moving to New Plymouth, New Zealand, with her family. Authentic Movement and La Leche League are two of her passions.

A review of the background development and use of the Shadow Dance score from Physical Storytelling is presented in this article. Physical Storytelling is a practice that has evolved from contemporary dance improvisation as well as dance and drama therapy practices which incorporate the separation of a verbal narrative and an improvised performance of that narrative so that a teller and audience can observe and develop an expanded understanding of material using the process of witnessing dance generated metaphor. This process has been used in therapy, clinical supervision, arts-based inquiries, and to integrate learning experiences from training, workshops and professional conferences using an embodied format. Several improvisational scores or general guidelines have emerged that facilitate the joining of dance and narrative. The Shadow Dance is one of these scores. A review of how Physical Storytelling emerged from experimental dance and drama practices such as Contact Improvisation, Authentic Movement, and Dynamic Family Play as well as how the Shadow Dance can be used, will be presented.

Key Words: Dance movement therapy; drama therapy; creative arts therapy; Physical Storytelling; arts- based inquiry; modern ritual

$15.00 – Purchase this article Checkout Added to cart

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

This article describes the use of the Fairytale Score used within Physical Storytelling. Physical Storytelling is a practice drawn from dance movement therapy in which a small group of dancers present a dance improvisation in response to a verbal narrative. This narrative can be provided by a client in a therapy context, a supervisee’s account of a case within clinical supervision, or in arts-based research projects to answer a question a team wishes to pursue. The Fairytale is one of several ‘scores’, or ways the dance improvisation can be organized to better fit the initial verbal story. This score can be used to illustrate narrative material that is highly emotional, confused, or presented as a dream. During the Fairytale, a single dancer improvises an imaginative and/or poetic tale told verbally while watching a small group of dancers create an improvised piece of interactive movement. This article outlines how a Fairytale Score is arranged, when it can be helpful in highlighting themes that are difficult to verbalize and provides some examples of improvised performance of this dance movement form.

$15.00 – Purchase this article Checkout Added to cart

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

Physical Storytelling (Harvey & Kelly, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2016 & Kelly 2006) is a form of dance movement therapy in which a narrative is presented as an episode of improvised dance intended to extend the emotional and creative aspects of the metaphor that has been presented in verbal story. These danced versions are understood as presenting a physical metaphor or ‘story under or within’ the verbal narrative. This form of dance movement therapy has been used in clinical intervention, supervision, as an arts-based research method, and as performance. Basic structures called scores are used to help organize movement interactions to connect the movement with the structures that are present in the narrative content. This article will investigate how the score of the ‘journey’ is developed effectively to present verbal stories of change, psychological challenge and transformation. A main goal of this article is to review how physical storytelling integrates narrative material with movement improvisation to explore the emotional, and often unconscious, elements of a narrative. A main assumption of using this form is that the use of physical metaphors and symbols can help to explore and often enhance the complex meaning within verbal stories. Future projects that use the ‘Journey Score’ to review change are suggested.

$15.00 – Purchase this article Checkout Added to cart

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

This paper addresses the use of Physical Storytelling (Harvey and Kelly, 1991, 1992, 1993, and Kelly, 2006) as a practice to investigate scenes from life, clinical practice, and research with a goal of introducing a way to make use of dance as an Arts Based Inquiry (McNiff, 1998). Physical Storytelling is a creative improvisational practice with roots in contact improvisation, authentic movement, dance improvisation, and Playback Theatre. The form incorporates improvised movement episodes in response to verbal narratives presented by clients, families, within supervision groups, and in response to research questions. In Physical Storytelling, the therapist functions as a conductor who helps to facilitate verbal reports of emotionally relevant material in a story for mat. The therapist sets up improvised movement episodes with the intention of creating dances that can provide a more meaningful perspective for the storyteller and the participants/audience through the use of performed improvisational dance interactions. This form is useful in providing expression to situations that are complex, conflicted, and hard to present in more traditional ways. The resulting performances offer an opportunity for the dance therapist to use improvised movement as a method that is closely related to their practice to investigate important questions related to their work. In this way, the dance therapist can use Physical Storytelling to create dance as a reflective process about dance therapy either as a separate process or in addition to other more verbal or quantitate approaches.

$15.00 – Purchase this article Checkout Added to cart

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

The practices of The Bartenieff Fundamental Developmental Movement Patterns and Authentic Movement were integrated into a recent experiential workshop facilitated by the author. A witness offered tactile and movement cues to a mover to highlight their partner’s unique developmental movement patterns and preferences. After this exchange and with new awareness of their own movement patterns, the mover enters into Authentic Movement. The aim of integrating these two practices was to find out whether their combination could have an impact on personal and clinical practice. Could working with Authentic Movement in this way assist movers in

Read or download PDF

A workshop presented by Professor Sherry Goodill

$15.00 – Purchase this article Checkout Added to cart

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

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.

$15.00 – Purchase this article Checkout Added to cart

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

Keywords:
dynamic phrasing, movement, observation, LMA/BF, conference, analysis

Presenter: Peggy Hackney (p. 38-40).

Read or download PDF

Keywords
professional development, creative arts therapy, dance movement therapy, drama therapy, experiential workshops, collaboration

This is an excerpt from the content:

Read or download PDF

 

Keywords
creative arts therapy, mental health, well-being, expressive therapy, Voice Work, children

Read or download PDF

 

Keywords
Neuroplasticity, Authentic Movement, Drama therapy, Expressive Arts, Children, Disabilities, ritual, breathing

A wide array of presentations and workshops are reflected on including Connor’s Authentic Movement workshop. Sessions also covered the modalities of art, drama, expressive arts, music and spiritual/cultural rituals and models. Adaptations of the various modalities with differing client groups are described from Connor’s perspective and her experiential participation in “the Fluid Body” workshop gives insight to her embodied inquiry and delightful discoveries. (pp 17-19

Read or download PDF

Keywords
Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM), PTSD, Transference, Countertransference, Journalling, Self care, Disability, supervision

Conner gives an in-depth overview of the workshops and presentations on offer including her’s and Joanna Booth’s experiential participation in many sessions including; “Counselling and the Law”, using BMGIM with complex experiences of PTSD, “…the effects of Sound on the physical and Emotional Self”,  “Self-care and safe practice – Group work and Counsellors” and “Journalling – A group process”. Presentations were also given on “Making self of Myself through Narrative and Music” with presentations on using GIM in professional practice, supervision and with cognitively impaired adolescents.  The closing ritual of the conference is described vividly from Connor’s embodied perspective. (p.14)

$15.00 – Purchase Checkout Added to cart

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

Keywords
professional development, supervision, authentic movement, improvisation, therapy, felt sense

Connor describes: “Physical Storytelling is a creative improvisational practice with roots in contact improvisation, authentic movement, dance improvisation, Dynamic Play Therapy and Playback Theatre (Harvey 1990; Harvey & Kelly 1991, 1992, 1993). This form draws on the elements of story telling, physical interaction, improvisation, and witnessing with the aim of transforming inner subjective experience through metaphor in a shared setting. The resulting performance can be thought of as exquisite communication. This form evolved and developed through practice in contact improvisational classes. Stories were added to the dances and later New Years Eve performances became regular rituals. This practice has been applied in a variety of settings including therapy, clinical supervision, performance, closing rituals at conferences and training of creative arts therapists.”  This article describes the evolution of this practice including the development of skills and the application in clinical and professional development settings, with descriptive vignette’s. (pp 2-8)

$15.00 – Purchase Checkout Added to cart

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

In this series of articles, we are pleased to present reflections on integral and exciting occasions within the conference, that included Conference Special Events: “The Movement Choir”; “Performance on the Lawn: Three Songs, Three Dances’ BAH Improvised movement collective”; “Performance from Integrate Stretch” and “Bidding Farewell Through Movement Weaving the Threads – Dancing the Metaphor.” (pp 30-35)

Read or download PDF

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)

$15.00 – Purchase this article Checkout Added to cart

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

Keywords
Mary Whitehouse, witness, kinaesthetic attunement, empathy, Long Circle, countertransferance

A descriptive piece about the authors’ engagement in an authentic movement retreat in Taranaki, New Zealand. Phases of moving, witnessing, responding verbally and journalling with keywords are shared – to expand upon and express aspects of this Jungian inspired psychotherapeutic process. (pp 59-62)

Members may log in to read this article. Non-members can buy a copy of this article:

$15.00 – Purchase Checkout Added to cart

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