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Conference Organisers
Judith Kleinman
Judith Kleinman
Judith Kleinman
Judith trained as a musician at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and then went on to train to be an Alexander teacher with Mr Macdonald and Shoshanna Kaminitz.
Judith is now one of the Alexander teachers at the Royal College of Music and at the Junior Royal Academy of Music. She is assistant head of training at LCATT (London Centre for Alexander Technique and Training). More
Sue Merry
Judith Kleinman
Judith Kleinman
Sue has been working with Primary School Children since 1994. Sue is generally recognised as a pioneer and world expert on teaching the Alexander Technique to children aged 3-11 in a school environment. More
Peter Buckoke
Judith Kleinman
Peter Buckoke
Peter Buckoke oversees the Alexander department at the RCM, where the technique is embedded in the undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Peter is also professor of double bass at the RCM and plays both modern and baroque bass with various chamber groups in London. More
Andy Smith
With the Cooperation of STAT
Peter Buckoke
Andy teaches Alexander Technique at Uppingham School and in his private practice in north London. As a former sports journalist and county-level sportsman, he has a particular interest in movement and performance and he also teaches Alexander-inspired running technique. More
With the Cooperation of STAT
With the Cooperation of STAT
With the Cooperation of STAT
2021 Conference Programme
01. Why the School Chair is Harmful - Richard Brennan
AN INTERVIEW
Richard Brennan talks to Sue Merry about the current situation in schools regarding the design of chairs. Richard has been actively campaigning in the UK and Ireland for the removal of backward sloping furniture in schools since 1992 because he has personally discovered that they are often a major cause of poor posture and subsequent back, neck and breathing problems.
02. Interviews with Educare Children - An Introduction
A PRESENTATION
Sue Merry briefly introduces a series of video interviews with children from Educare Small School.
03. FM's Knees Forward and Away Revisited - Malcolm Balk
AN INTERVIEW
Malcolm talks to Andy Smith about how his understanding of joint mechanics has caused him to re-evaluate Alexander's classic direction of knees forward and away. He also shares some simple activities that help promote balance and natural movement during the gait cycle.
04. Interviews with Educare Children - Devi
AN INTERVIEW
Devi talks to Sue about what she wants from education: safety, kindness, fun and a good chair!
05. Alexander at The Juilliard School - Lori Schiff M.AmSAT
AN INTERVIEW
Lori Schiff in Conversation with Judith Kleinman. This interview shines light on how Lori came to Alexander work and how she went on to build and develop the thriving Alexander department at The Juilliard School in new York
06. Interviews with Educare Children - Felix
AN INTERVIEW
Felix considers what he likes (squid), what he likes about Educare Small School, what would be his ideal school and how he might explain some of the activities at Educare. This interview includes some beautiful footage of Felix at Quiet Time, very thoughtfully helping with some hands-on Alexander work.
07. The Alexander Foundation School: An Experiment in Education - Ruth Rootberg M.AmSAT
A PRESENTATION
Ruth summarizes the history of the Alexander Foundation School that ran approximately from 1947 to the late 1960s in Media, Pennsylvania. She also relates first-hand accounts from three people who attended the school.
08. Interviews with Educare Children - Nancy
AN INTERVIEW
Educare pupil Nancy speaks with amazing eloquence about her experiences at Educare Small School and what she wants from education.
09. Creating Courses for Groups of All Ages - Angelique Swallow
AN INTERVIEW
Angelique explains her approach to creating opportunities to give public talks, how to create a curriculum and present in an age-appropriate style to different age groups. Her suggestions will help Alexander teachers to feel more confident to teach groups soon after leaving their Alexander training course. First suggestion - buy a projector!
10. Interviews with Educare Children - Zaynub
AN INTERVIEW
Zaynub considers carefully why she likes Educare so much and how the small size of the school is a major factor for her.
11. Positive Discipline and the Three Lists - Alice Olsher
PRESENTATION
A brief presentation of the “Three Lists,” a method to begin the conversation to incorporate Positive Discipline into a classroom.
12. Interviews with Educare Children - Tallulah
AN INTERVIEW
Tallulah is just about to move on to secondary school, having been at Educare since the Kindergarten. She talks about her experiences at Educare and what she wants for the future. Fun fact: Tallulah came up with the name for the Ready List!
Raymond Dart and the Art of Learning - Alex Murray
AN INTERVIEW
Alex Murray talks to Peter Buckoke about his early experiences of the Technique, his flute playing, his contact with Raymond Dart and Frank Pierce Jones, childhood development and the art of learning.
The Development of the Dart Procedures - Joan Murray
AN INTERVIEW
This interview by Judith Kleinman with the highly respected Joan Murray, reveals how Joan and Alex first encountered Professor Raymond Dart and went on to develop his work and integrate it into their teaching.
January 2021 Presenters
Richard Brennan
Richard Brennan
Richard Brennan
Richard Brennan has studied the Alexander Technique since 1983 and has been teaching the technique full time for over 30 years he travels extensively internationally giving workshops, talks and interviews about the Technique.
Richard has been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines including The Irish Times, The Sunday Tribune, The Irish Examiner, Cosmopolitan, Hello and Home and Country; he has appeared on television in the UK, Ireland, Croatia and Montenegro he has also been featured on BBC Radios 4 & 5 as well as many local Radio in Europe. He has written eight books on the Alexander Technique, posture and health which have been translated into 22 languages including French Italian, Spanish, Russian, Korean and Hebrew and are on sale world-wide They haves sold over 250,000 and include How to Breathe, Change your Posture – Change your Life and The Alexander Workbook
Richard lives in Galway, Ireland where he is the director of the Alexander Teacher Training College, Ireland (STAT approved). He is also the past president and co-founder of the Irish Society of Alexander Technique Teachers. (ISSAT)
INTERVIEW
Why the School Chair is Harmful
Richard talks to Sue Merry about the current situation in schools regarding the design of chairs. Richard has been actively campaigning in the UK and Ireland for the removal of backward sloping furniture in schools since 1992 because he has personally discovered that they are often a major cause of poor posture and subsequent back, neck and breathing problems.
Tel: +353 85 1624 300
Email info@alexander.ie
Website: www.alexander.ie
Malcolm Balk
Richard Brennan
Richard Brennan
Malcolm Balk is an Alexander Technique teacher, cellist and Level 4 running coach from Montreal, Canada. He specialises in working with musicians and athletes and has developed a unique approach to helping runners improve their performance, increase enjoyment and reduce the risk of injury using the Alexander Technique. He is also the author of two books, 'Master the Art of Running' and 'Master the Art of Working Out', and teaches his 'Art of Running' workshops all over the world.
INTERVIEW
FM's Knees Forward and Away Revisited
Malcolm talks to Andy Smith about how his understanding of joint mechanics has caused him to re-evaluate Alexander's classic direction of knees forward and away. He also shares some simple activities that help promote balance and natural movement during the gait cycle.
Joan Murray
Richard Brennan
Joan Murray
Joan and Alex Murray met Professor Raymond Dart in 1967. He cooperated in and inspired Joan and Alex’s ongoing investigation into human developmental movement as it relates to the Alexander Technique. They developed the Dart Procedures, an innovative process that influences Alexander Technique teaching throughout the world.
The Murray’s experience of the Alexander Technique began in 1955 with Charles Neil, and continued after his death in 1958, with Walter Carrington.
Joan spent nine years working with Walter Carrington, who was F.M. Alexander’s principal assistant at the time of Alexander’s death in 1955. She worked with many first-generation teachers, including: Majorie Barstow, Dilys
Carrington, Frank and Helen Jones, Patrick Macdonald, Charles Neil, John Skinner, Peter Scott, Tony Spawforth, Richard and Elizabeth Walker, Lulie Westfelt, Kitty Wielopolska, and Peggy Williams.
The Murray’s have taught extensively in London, the United States and Europe, in universities and conservatories.
During their early years in London, Joan was a well-known dancer in many major musical
productions, including My Fair Lady and The King and I. Joan taught the Technique at Michigan State University, 1967 – 1974 then spent the next three years teaching extensively in Holland and London before she returned, with Alex, to the United States in 1977 to teach at the University of Illinois and run a teacher training course.
In September 2018, Joan and Alex were given the Illinois Arts Legacy Award.
INTERVIEW
The Development of the Dart Procedures
This interview by Judith Kleinman with the highly respected Joan Murray, reveals how Joan and Alex first encountered Professor Raymond Dart and went on to develop his work and integrate it into their teaching.
VIDEO LINK
Alex Murray
Lori Schiff M.AmSAT
Joan Murray
Joan and Alex Murray met Professor Raymond Dart in 1967. He cooperated in and inspired Joan and Alex’s ongoing investigation into human developmental movement as it relates to the Alexander Technique. They developed the Dart Procedures, an innovative process that influences Alexander Technique teaching throughout the world.
The Murray’s experience of the Alexander Technique began in 1955 with Charles Neil, and continued after his death in 1958, with Walter Carrington. They spent nine years working with Walter Carrington, who was F.M. Alexander’s principal assistant at the time of his death in 1955. They worked with and were friends of many first generation teachers, including: Majorie Barstow, Dilys Carrington, Frank and Helen Jones, Patrick Macdonald, Charles Neil, John Skinner, Peter Scott, Tony Spawforth, Richard and Elizabeth Walker, Lulie Westfelt, Kitty Wielopolska, and Peggy Williams.
The Murray’s have taught extensively in London, the United States and Europe, in universities and conservatories.
Alex was principal flute in major orchestras, including the Royal Opera and the London Symphony Orchestra. Alex became Professor of Flute at Michigan State University, 1967 - 1974. Alex spent three years at the Royal Dutch Conservatory in the Hague. In 1977 Alex was appointed Professor of Flute at the University of Illinois, a position he held until his retirement in 2002. Since then he has devoted himself full-time to the Alexander Technique. In 2015 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award of the National Flute Association.
INTERVIEW
Raymond Dart and the Art of Learning
Alex Murray talks to Peter Buckoke about his early experiences of the Technique, his flute playing, his contact with Raymond Dart and Frank Pierce Jones, childhood development and the art of learning.
VIDEO LINK
Lori Schiff M.AmSAT
Lori Schiff M.AmSAT
Lori Schiff M.AmSAT
Lori Schiff is currently in her thirtieth year as a full time faculty member of The Juilliard School. Ms. Schiff teaches the Alexander Technique in the Music Division of the School and has additionally been teaching classes for staff members, alumni events, and “in house” master classes for various studios, The Vocal Arts Department and more.
She is an Associate Director and Senior Teacher for The Riverside Initiative for The Alexander Technique teacher training course.
Ms. Schiff has presented classes for A.T. teachers at AmSAT meetings, and International Congresses .
She has been introducing and teaching the work at performing arts organizations and festivals and corporate and leisure settings since qualifying at ACAT in New York in 1987.
INTERVIEW
Alexander at The Juilliard School
Lori Schiff in Conversation with Judith Kleinman. This interview shines light on how Lori came to Alexander work and how she went on to build and develop the thriving Alexander department at The Juilliard School in new York
For more information please see: www.lorischiff.com
email: LSchiff@juilliard.edu
Lori on YouTube
Lori Schiff M.AmSAT
Lori Schiff M.AmSAT
Ruth Rootberg M.AmSAT
Alice Olsher, MSTAT, MAmSAT
Ruth Rootberg M.AmSAT
Ruth Rootberg was certified by AmSAT in 2003 and teaches in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA. She came to training having been a professional singer and actress, a Laban Movement Analyst, and a Designated Linklater voice teacher. Ruth has published several articles in AmSAT Journal and has written two books of interviews with senior teachers - Living the Alexander Technique, Interviews with Nine Senior Teachers, and Living the Alexander Technique Volume II: Aging with Poise.
PRESENTATION
The Alexander Foundation School: An Experiment in Education
Ruth summarizes the history of the Alexander Foundation School that ran approximately from 1947 to the late 1960s in Media, Pennsylvania. She also relates first-hand accounts from three people who attended the school.
Angelique Swallow
Alice Olsher, MSTAT, MAmSAT
Ruth Rootberg M.AmSAT
Angelique Swallow is an Alexander Technique teacher who feels passionately about sharing the knowledge and understanding of FM Alexander’s scientific discoveries.
Through her talks in the UK and abroad, she promotes better awareness of the many benefits the Alexander Technique can provide, not only to the individual but also to society.
She has also over the years developed a curriculum to be implemented in Alexander Technique Further Education courses and strongly believes that FM Alexander’s discoveries and work can provide a way forward for human development.
INTERVIEW
Creating Courses for Groups of all Ages
Angelique explains her approach to creating opportunities to give public talks, how to create a curriculum and present in an age-appropriate style to different age groups. Her suggestions will help Alexander teachers to feel more confident to teach groups soon after leaving their Alexander training course. First suggestion - buy a projector!
VIDEO LINK
Alice Olsher, MSTAT, MAmSAT
Alice Olsher, MSTAT, MAmSAT
Alice Olsher, MSTAT, MAmSAT
Alice studied acting and singing in California and then went to London where she continued her studies at The Drama Studio. At Drama School Alice was introduced to The Alexander Technique.
After 15 years Alice decided to train to teach Alexander Technique in London with Walter and Dilys Carrington. She stayed on to teach on the staff with the Carringtons for 15 years until she returned to California to be near her family. Alice remains a Guest teacher both at CTC and at The Alexander Studio in London.
After adopting two children herself, Alice was very interested in working with children to help continue healthy development. Alice incorporated many modalities into her teaching, including: Positive Discipline/ Adlerian philosophy, trauma informed parent education, Creative Dramatics, 12-step programs, inner child work, and Eutokia child-birth training. She taught a ten week program in an elementary school in California and has worked with many parents and children as well as actors , singers and musicians. She is a Training Course Director herself now and teaches Post-Grad work to teachers
PRESENTATION
Positive Discipline - The Three Lists
This video gives a brief presentation of the “Three Lists,” a method to begin the conversation to incorporate Positive Discipline into a classroom.
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Zoom Q&A Sessions
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