The Alexander Technique: rediscover an ease in movement and mind
The Alexander Technique is an educational method and holistic approach that helps people rediscover ease and freedom in their lives.
Mr. Alexander discovered how to enable us to function better as a thinking, feeling, coordinated and sensitive person. He called this the Primary Control. It is this wholeness that one experiences after a tableturn which is why I include it in the first few classes.
Reaching the Goal
Beaucoup des principes de la technique défient ce que nous apprenons en grandissant sur la concentration, l’effort et la réussite, qui ont tendance à être sources d’effort, de frustration et souvent de jugement.
Comme le dit Alexander, « l’atteinte du but » lorsque le résultat est la seule chose qui compte, au détriment du processus et de la manière dont vous y parvenez. En pratiquant la technique, vous commencez à comprendre que plus vous essayez de manière intense et plus vous vous concentrez profondément, plus vous restreignez votre système (esprit/corps) et l’empêchez de fonctionner à sa pleine capacité. Cela représente à la fois un défi et une énorme libération pour les danseurs.
The Whole Dancer
Dancers often like to control parts of the body separately—but this only creates obstacles to effortless movement.
En utilisant des intentions claires plutôt que de la tension physique, en libérant et en dirigeant le flux du mouvement plutôt qu’en travaillant sur des positions, on contribue à un entraînement plus facile et agréable avec des résultats étonnants.
Being Present
Être dans le moment présent et conscient de soi-même et de son environnement aide à identifier et à perdre les habitudes nuisibles que l’on ne sait même pas avoir. Je vois souvent des danseurs qui se penchent en arrière et ne remarquent pas comment cela tend leur cou et crée de la tension dans leur corps alors qu’ils luttent pour garder leur équilibre.
Alexander Technique: Backed by Science
Contrary to popular belief, the Alexander Technique is far more than just posture correction. It based on empirical observation and is now supported by neuroscience. Even though this scientific framework didn’t exist in the 19th century, Alexander had already understood the impact of our thought patterns on physical coordination. His work was published in the British Medical Journaland was praised by Nobel Prize winner Nikolaas Tinbergen, who highlighted the importance of this approach for medicine.
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What Happens in a Session?
The teaching focuses on practical, hands-on guidance, where the instructor uses a light touch and verbal cues to help the dancer stimulate coordination throughout the entire system. The student is actively involved in this process, not a passive observer.
A commonly used approach is « table turn », où l’élève est allongé sur une table pour relâcher les tensions en profondeur. Loin de chercher à « faire » quelque chose, l’élève apprend à to use their intentionto release without judgment or effort, staying fully present in the moment.
The result? A sense of physical ease and lightness, accompanied by a calm and serene mind.
Who Was F.M. Alexander?
F.M. Alexander was born in Tasmania in 1869. He was a promising actor whose performances were often undermined by persistent respiratory problems and hoarseness. When the medical treatments of the time failed to help, he took matters into his own hands, setting out to discover the root of the problem himself.
His investigations led him to discover excessive tension in the neck,, which affected his entire posture and bodily functioning. Through self-experimentation, he developed a technique to reduce excessive tension et à and restoring more efficient coordination..
In 1904, he settled in Londonwhere he refined his teaching and began training other practitioners. By 1924, he had opened The Little School and in 1930, he established a formal training program. His groundbreaking work soon caught the attention of leading figures in medicine, the arts, and science.
Among his admirers was Nobel laureate Nikolaas Tinbergenwho dedicated part of his Nobel Prize acceptance speech to the Alexander Technique. Today, the method is taught worldwide and embraced by actors, musicians, dancers, and health professionals seeking greater ease, coordination, and well-being..
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