Dr. Williamson  is a Somatic Movement Dance Educator & Therapist, author and researcher in the cultural politics of embodiment and dance as a healing modality.  She holds a PhD in Somatic Movement Dance Education and Therapy with a focus on health, philosophy,  and embodied spirituality. She is a registered Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist and one of the historical pioneers of this profession (please see map on historical information page). Her interest lies in supporting people re-patterning stress and actively participating  in their embodied health. Along with many of her colleagues, she has been working at the forefront of integrating somatic awareness into the broader domain of dance studies and movement health.  She is editor of the anthology, “Dance, Somatics and Spiritualities: Contemporary Sacred Narratives” and the international research journal, "Dance, Movement and Spiritualities" (with Intellect Publishers UK/USA). Her forthcoming co-edited book is: "Spiritual Herstories: Call of the Soul in Dance Research". Amanda has been a senior university lecturer in dance and movement studies for 22 years, and is currently a visiting Professor at Coventry University. She founded MA Dance & Somatic Well-being: Connections to the Living body in the UK and New York in partnership with ISMETA and Movingbody Resources in Manhattan.  Amanda enjoys co-authoring research with colleagues world-wide, and is committed to multiple voice research.  ​
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Amanda's most recent book chapter is 'Williamson, A. (2018), Falling in Love with Language, in S. Fraleigh (ed.), ‘Back to the Dance Itself: Phenomenologies of the body in performance’, Illinois: University of Illinois Press'.​ This book is edited by Sondra Fraleigh and illuminates how scholars apply a range of phenomenologies to explore questions of dance and the world; performing life and language; body and place; and self-knowing in performance. Some authors delve into theoretical perspectives, while others relate personal experiences and reflections that reveal fascinating insights arising from practice. Collectively, authors give particular consideration to the interactive lifeworld of making and doing that motivates performance. Their texts and photographs study body and the environing world through points of convergence, as correlates in elemental and constant interchange modeled vividly in dance. Selected essays on eco-phenomenology and feminism extend this view to the importance of connections with, and caring for, all life. Contributors: Karen Barbour, Christine Bellerose, Robert Bingham, Kara Bond, Hillel Braude, Sondra Fraleigh, Kimerer LaMothe, Joanna McNamara, Vida Midgelow, Ami Shulman, and Amanda Williamson.
  • Williamson, A. (2009), 'Formative support and connection: somatic movement dance education in community and client practice', Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices 1: 1, pp. 29-45.
  • Williamson, A. (2010), 'Reflections and theoretical approaches to the study of spiritualities within the field of somatic movement dance education', Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices 2: 1, pp. 35-61.
  • Williamson, A. & Hayes, J. (2012), 'Dance, Movement and Spiritualities', Special issue, Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices, Intellect, 4.1.
  • Williamson, A. & Hayes, J. (2014), 'Dancing the sacred in secular contexts', Journal of Dance, Movement and Spiritualities', Intellect, 1.1, pp 10-31.
  • Williamson, A & Njaradi, D (2014), 'Secular and personally Politicalized Spiritualities, Journal of Dance, Movement and Spiritualities', Intellect, pp. 231-239: 1.2.
  • Williamson, A. (2014), In memory of Jill Hayes, Journal of Dance, Movement and Spiritualities', pp. 215-230: 1.2.
  • Williamson, A (eds.), (2014), Dance, Somatics and Spiritualities: Contemporary Sacred Narratives, Intellect: Bristol.
  • Williamson, A. & Eddy, M. (2014), Reflections on the spiritual dimensions of somatic movement education, in Dance, Somatics and Spiritualities: contemporary sacred narratives.
  • Williamson, A. (2015), ‘Glancing back –looking forward’, Journal of Dance, Movement and Spiritualities', Intellect, pp. 361-371: 1.3.
  • Williamson, A. and Walter, C. (2015), Carla Walter interviewed by Amanda Williamson: Professorial and academic reflections 2, Journal of Dance, Movement and Spiritualities', Intellect, 1.3.pp. 657-689. 
  • Williamson, A. (2016), ‘A few Weaves on Suffering and Existential Phenomenology, Journal of Dance, Movement and Spiritualities', Intellect, 4.2, pp. 345-390.
  • Williamson, A. (2016), Reflections on Applied Existential Phenomenology to Spirituality in Somatics Movement Education and Therapy’, Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices, 8.4, 589-638.
  • Williamson, A. and Fraleigh, S. (2016), Closing Professorial reflections in Phenomenology and Spirituality, Journal of Dance, Movement and Spiritualities', Intellect, 4.2, pp. 874-890.
  • Williamson A, Eddy M, Hartley L, Talyor M, Meléndez E, Abrams M. Somatically inspired movement and prepatriarchal religious symbolism. Dance, Movement & Spiritualities. 2015 Dec 1;2(3):323-55.
  • Williamson, A. (2018), ‘Falling in Love with Language: Between body, writing, moving and painting’, in Performing Phenomenologies Of dance and enactment, Edited by Sondra Fraleigh, University of Illinois Press.
  • FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONS - 2018
  • Edited Book (International Anthology): ‘Spiritual Herstories: Call of the Soul in Dance Research’, 2018, Intellect, Edited by Amanda Williamson
  • Chapter, Williamson, A (2018), Women’s perspective in somatics, in ‘Spiritual Herstories: Call of the Soul in Dance Research’, 2018, Intellect, Edited by Amanda Williamson.​
  • Special issues of The Journal of Dance, Movement & Spiritualities
  • Dance, Spirituality & Phenomenology (2015), Journal of Dance, Movement & Spiritualities, 2: 2
    Movements of deities and the Goddess: Contemporary applications and perspectives (2017), 4:2
    Dancing on earth (2017), Journal of Dance, Movement & Spiritualities, 4:2
    Dance, Movement & Buddhism, (2017), Journal of Dance, Movement & Spiritualities, 1, 1