The Jumping Off Place
phone: (503) 265-9551
phone: (503) 706-0233
info@thejumpingoffplace.com“[What I enjoyed most about my teachers was their] participation, knowledge, laughter, ideas, love, inspiration and care for the group and each individual”
—Student class evaluation, fall 2007
Domeka Parker
From day one Domeka Parker has radiated energy. As a child this energy both propelled and hindered her. Domeka experienced the complexities of boldness and inhibition and through trial and error, a diagnoses of 'Panic Disorder' and motherhood developed theories of balance particular to her personality and experiences. Domeka is endlessly entertained by life’s lessons.
"As a student of my world, I am constantly reaching to explore and grow. As a woman I am absorbing all I can and evaluating how best to prepare my children for their experiences outside our home”.
Domeka’s skills in improvisation range from her personal orientation to life to actual pedagogy. She has been a lifetime participant in her family's professional engagement in regional theater – particularly improvisation (her parents, who instruct theater at PSU, founded Portland's premiere Improvisational Comedy Group, Waggie and Friends and brought International TheaterSports to Portland). Domeka has performed since the age of nine and, for many years observed, was a guinea pig for and often joined in her parents' training sessions for creative expression, empowerment and games-based healing strategies.
“I am inspired by our students. I learn more from watching their experiences unfold than I could have ever imagined. And, though I encourage students to guide and support one another, I enjoy offering them a foundation of information to explore and build upon. My pedagogy is modeled after teachers in my own life who trusted me to learn and grow in my own ways. What Mary and I have created is life affirming, for our students and ourselves. We took great care in melding our ideas, experiences, skills and goals to develop a warm, exciting and constructive curriculum”.