Benefits and Applications
of The Alexander Technique:
THE PERFORMING ARTS
Dance - Theatre - Music (Instrumental & Voice)
All performers rely on an ability to stay fit (including strength, flexibility, and endurance), balance, breath control, vocal precision, comfort and fine tuning of their whole physical being to reach a high level of skill. All of these attributes may be facilitated through the study of The Alexander Technique. Performance anxiety can be overcome by changing where you put your attention and opening yourself to communicating with your audience.
Many performing arts departments in colleges and universities and theatre schools have included AT in their curriculum.
Well-known actors who have studied and endorsed the AT includes William Hurt, Paul Newman, Jeremy Irons, Joel Gray, Mary Steenbergen, Julie Andrews, Patrick Stewart, Kevin Kline, Joanne Woodward, John Cleese John Houseman, Robin Williams, James Earl Jones, Christopher Reeve, Ben Kingsley, Keanu Reeves, Hillary Swank, Matt Bomer, Paul Dano, Leonardo DiCaprio, Josh Brolin and Juliette Binoche.
DANCE
While dancers have tremendous expertise in movement, they don't always know enough about their anatomy to notice when they are moving against their body's design. They may misinterpret instructions to pull up by arching their spines or execute a movement with too much force that is inappropriate for the intended effect. Performance anxiety may lead to tension in the neck and shoulders. An audience can sense this tension. The movement will be restricted and less appealing visually. Most importantly, injuries can result. An Alexander Technique teacher will give the dancer the correct "map" (term coined by Barbara and Bill Conable) of the bones and important muscles of their body to use in understanding how to initiate movement with efficient effort and greater ease. The hands-on work by the teacher will help the dancer release tension and restrictions.
For more information, read What Every Dancer Needs to Know About the Body, a Workbook of body Mapping and the Alexander Technique by Robin Gilmore
or listen to interviews on Bodylearningcast
THEATRE
AT is an invaluable tool for actors to enhance their movement skills, breath control, vocal production and range of physical/vocal and emotional choices. They can learn to create powerful characterizations without straining or bringing their own personal habits of use into the affects of their character. Centering and releasing tension and discovering a neutral place from which to explore character, content and action increases a sense of safety and creativity. Improving physical and spatial awareness facilitates relating to other actors, manipulating props well and making entrances and exits through a set.
Jano's Experience Giving Rehearsal Support for Actors
PEOPLE’S LIGHT & THEATRE:
2005 The Member of the Wedding – Cast
2005 Jason and the Golden Fleece – MaryBeth Scallen
2005 The O’Conner Girls – Cast
2005 Midsummer Night’s Dream - Cast
2006 Fabulation – Cast
2006 Something You Did - Cast
2007 Twelfth Night – Cast
2007 Theophilus North – Cast
2007 Tuesdays with Morrie – David Ingrim
2008 Getting Near to Baby – Cast
2008 I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda – David Ingram
2008 The Persians – Melanye Finister
2009 Nathan the Wise – Cast
2009 The Day of the Picnic - Cast
2009 Doubt: A Parable – Melanye Finister
2010 Legacy of Light – Cast
2010 King Lear - Cast
2011 Dividing the Estate - Cast
2011 The Return of Don Quixote – Melanye Finister
2012 A Wrinkle in Time - Cast
2012 Seven Guitars – Melanye Finister
2012 Shakespeare’s Will – Cast
2013 Stargirl – Cast
2013 Noises Off – David Ingram
2014 Fences – Melanye Finister
2014 Dear Elizabeth - Cast
2015 The Cherry Orchard - Cast
2015 All My Sons – Melanye Finister
2016 Richard III - Cast/Pete Pryor
2017 Project Dawn - Cast
2018 Romeo and Juliet: A Requiem - Cast
2019 For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday - Cast
1812 PRODUCTIONS:
2017 Hope and Gravity - David Ingram
ANNENBERG THEATRE:
1990 Squirrels – Natalija Nogulich
FILM
1991 Homicide – Natalija Nogulich
WILMA THEATRE:
2014 Don Juan Comes Back From Iraq – Melanye Finister
ARDEN THEATRE
2010 Romeo and Juliet – Melanye Finister
2012 Clybourne Park – David Ingram
PHILADELPHIA THEATRE COMPANY
2007 Third – Melanye Finister
LANTERN THEATRE:
2011 Uncle Vanya – David Ingram
THEATRE EXILE:
2012 Rounding Third – David Ingram
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY THEATRE
2012 Three Sisters – David Ingram
2012 Measure for Measure – David Ingram
FLASHPOINT THEATRE:
2010 Run Mourner Run – Melanye Finister
2014 The Most Spectacular Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington - Melanye Finister
INTERACT THEATRE COMPANY
2012 Some Other Kind of Person – David Ingram
MUSIC
Musicians are like athletes and have to perform the same movements over and over again. They want to perform with the greatest skill and control and need to avoid performance anxiety. Each instrument presents its own challenges physically. An AT teacher can address each of these issues according to a student's instrument, problems and learning style. How a musician sits, stands and holds their instrument effects their ability to move their arms, hands and finger joints freely and with the necessary strength and flexibility. Often tension and mis-alignment patterns can lead to pain or even the loss of the ability to play. A musician's career can be in jeopardy.
