As alternative do DVORAK you could use the NEO-Layout it has a third modifier for parenthesis an that stuff.
But I think is it very dangerous to use a different keyboard layout. I used NEO quite a time and I got a bit faster than on qwertz. but sometimes i had to use other computers than mine and i this moments I were doomed. I had to use two fingers with looking on the keyboard. That was my reason to switch back.