Alexander Technique Workshops in Melbourne Australia

This is a list of workshops either run by the school or run by teachers who we recommend at the school. Unless indicated otherwise all these workshops are held at the school.

Prices for most of the courses include GST. Please enquire if you need to know whether GST is included or not.

With David Moore (director of the School)
Sunday 6 July 10am to 1pm – Cost $45 (or $70 with afternoon voice class)

In the morning we will cover the basic principles of the AT from a practical perspective. We will look at what individual members of the group do with themselves in sitting, standing, walking & how to change dysfunctional patterns of posture and movement. We will also look at activities which people may have particular problems with such as working at a key-board, writing, playing an instrument or a whole range of activities.

By the end of the morning you will have an understanding of the basics of the Alexander technique.

Voice tension is symptomatic of a pattern of tension throughout the whole body, and often in the process of undoing this pattern of tension will create unexpected improvements in other areas.

This is primarily a practical course. Following the morning introduction we will focus on how people are using the whole of themselves when using their voices. We will look at the singing or speaking voice depending on each individual's interest.

By the end of this session you will have a better understanding of your habits around voice production and the ability to begin a process of change.

We will cover the basic principles of the Alexander Technique from a practical perspective – looking at what individual members of the group do with themselves in sitting, standing & walking & how to change dysfunctional patterns of posture and movement. We will also look at activities which people may have particular problems with such as working at a key-board, writing, playing an instrument or a whole range of activities. We will also look at voice and breathing over the six weeks.

Monday 21st July 6.30 - 8.00pm - Cost $35 for introductory class only – or attend the following 6 weeks of classes for a total of $185 (including the introductory class)

In these classes we will cover the basic principles of the Alexander Technique from a practical perspective. We will look at what individual members of the group do with themselves in sitting, standing & walking & how to change dysfunctional patterns of posture and movement. We will also look at activities which people may have particular problems with such as working at a key-board, writing, singing, speaking, playing an instrument and a whole range of activities.We will also look at voice and breathing over the seven weeks.

You may attend the introductory night first and decide then whether you want to continue with the full course of seven classes
Payment of $35 is required with the booking

Please note that no refund can be given for cancellations received later than 10 days prior to the start of the course

THE CLASSES ARE RUN BY MATTHEW WASLEY, TEACHER AT THE SCHOOL FOR F.M. ALEXANDER STUDIES

Sunday 7th September 10am to 5pm – Cost $95
Maximum of 10 participants
This workshop with David Moore will involve an in-depth introduction to the Alexander technique in the morning and a yoga class in the afternoon applying the work to yoga. David is director of the School for F.M. Alexander Studies and has been teaching for the past 23 years. His yoga training includes lessons from Desikatchar and his teachers in Madras at the Krishnamchcarya Yoga Mandaram and with Matin Jackson in Sydnedy in Iyengar Yoga. The hatha yoga he teaches is deeply informed by his knowledge of the Alexander Technique.

Courses run on Thursdays during Term 3. The first class is on 17 July (there will be a two week mid-term break on 14 & 21 August

We run both daytime classes (from 9am - 1.00pm) and evening classes (from 6.30 - 9.00pm)
Cost $585 including GST

This course is taught as part of our teacher-training course. Work includes individual work with teachers, group work and performance groups. People attending this course have ranged from professional singers, radio announcers, TV presenter, singing teachers, actors and people with voice problems. Click here for further details as to how we work with the voice.

With David Moore
Friday 2 - Tuesday 6 January 2009
Cost $395 - with yoga sessions $475 - for extra voice session add $25
David is the director of the school.
This intensive course is suitable both for beginners and experienced students of the Alexander technique.
The course will consist of a daily private lesson, and three two hour group classes.
There is also an option for those wishing to explore the application of the Alexander technique to yoga practice to attend four yoga classes in the evenings from Wednesday to Saturday, and for thoseinterested in the application to voice to attend a voice session.

"Alexander himself found when teaching his early students that the requirements of theatrical performance imposed a salutary discipline.
He concluded that the Technique is best learnt if applied to, and measured against, the rigorous criteria of an established practical skill." Walter Carrington - Issue editorial Direction Vol 2, No 1 1973

Intensive course for performers
Our teacher training course devotes a day to looking at the application of the technique to voice.
Thursday is our voice day, to which singers and performers, who are not training, are welcome to participate.
On thisday we have a maximum ratio of teachers to students of 1:5.
The course includes a group class, individual work with a teacher, and work in small performance groups.
We offer both a morning or evening course on Thursdays.

David Moore is the director of the School for F.M. Alexander Studies and has been running classes, workshops and courses for singers, actors and those with voice problems for the past 20 years.

David offers individual lessons working with voice problems. Over the past 15 years he has worked with people with strokes and neurological disorders, stutters, and singers, teachers, actors, presenters and others suffering from problems like hoarseness, loss of voice, lack of clarity and lack or projection.

Jenny Thirtle has worked as opera singer for Opera New Zealand.
She offers lessons in the application of the technique to singing.
Jenny teaches private lessons in the Alexander technique in Bentleigh. She specializes in working with instrumentalists and singers and is available to run masterclasses and courses for choirs, orchestras and educational institutions.

Julianne Eveleigh is a graduate of the school and has taught voice and drama for many years.

David Moore describes how he works with people with voice
By guiding people with my hands it is normally possible to demonstrate to people in the first lesson, a change in the quality of their voices.

I can achieve this by helping people to undo the undue and harmful extra work they do in attempting to produce sound.
This is the easy bit.
The work then is to for the student to gradually learn how to let go of this extra tension themselves and to move and her body in a way which will allow the voice to emerge freely. Voice tension is symptomatic of a pattern of tension throughout the whole body, and often in the process of undoing this pattern of tension will create unexpected improvements in other areas.

The time it takes to achieve a more permanent change varies greatly depending on the person and the problem.

I may work with a person with a stoke over many months of two or three lessons a week.
A singer may be attuned enough to her body to be able to effect a change within a few lessons, although sometimes a singer may choose to come for many lessons as her major singing lesson.

Click here to visit Marigold's Website for more details of classes and tuition she offers at Healesville

Alexander himself found when teaching his early students that the requirements of theatrical performance imposed a salutary discipline.

He concluded that the Technique is best learnt if applied to, and measured against, the rigorous criteria of an established practical skill. We have found that for this purpose Horsemanship is ideal. Walter Carrington - Issue editorial Direction Vol 2, No 1 1973
Are you ever frustrated with yourself or your horse?

Does ease, lightness, smoothness and togetherness seem elusive?

Trying harder or doing more hours in the saddle doesn't seem to help with your suppleness and ability to move freely with your horse's movement.

Riding horses means we need balance, co-ordination, suppleness and mobility.

Tension of any sort interferes with all and any of these things.

Stiffness, unevenness, lack of balance, out of sorts - we notice this in our horses but in us it's too familiar.

We are not aware that we grip with our knees, tighten in the stomach, hold our breath, sit to one side of the saddle.

Perhaps some of these we do notice but can't change.

These habits happen to various degrees depending on how long we have been riding.

Riding is a long refined skill but whatever our level, our aim is to move freely with and not interfere with our horse's movement.

Riding instruction is mainly about horse education.

To systematically connect his mind and body while progressively developing his balance and gymnastic ability to move freely and easily on curved and straight lines, over obstacles, carrying a rider.

Where is the help for a rider ?

Instructors mean well when they tell us to sit still, not to move our hands and legs.

But even trying harder and harder our legs still move or our head nods.

We hear and understand the instructions but somehow our left hand still hangs on to the rein.

No matter what we do the horse falls in to the left and seems stiff to the right. Does any of this sound familiar?

Perhaps none of this rings true but your horse has a history of lameness or a sore back. Having done all the right things, vet , saddle check, farrier, teeth, chiropractor, massage etc the problem re-occurs. It maybe time to check out YOURSELF.

Rider - crookedness, unevenness, tension, lack of balance, co-ordination, lack of ease and suppleness is often the source of horse unsoundness.

Surprisingly, the everyday that we do often effect your horseriding skills. Stress, strain, tension, poor postural awareness, affect the ease of the way we move. Stress-filled lives plus bad furniture design contribute to many painful problems.

The way we sit, stand, turn, pick up things is so deeply ingrained and taken for granted. So familiar are your tensions, crookedness, stiffness, that when put right it will feel quite wrong.

The way we carry our handbag - always the same shoulder ?

Our child - always the same hip ?

How tense were you after the argument you had this morning ?

Or the unresolved issue at work ? How about being stuck in traffic ?

All these things effect our way of being on our horse.

The Alexander Technique can help a rider develop suppleness, co-ordination, correct muscle tone, stability and sensitivity - these are the foundations of good balance and body control needed before you can find elegance and ease admired in the horse and the rider that moves as one.

In an Alexander lesson or participation in an initial workshop, we work partly on the ground.

A teacher uses gentle guiding hands as you sit, stand and walk.

This helps you become aware of your habits of tension and how they interfere with your movement, co-ordination and posture.
Paying particular attention to the balance of the head and it's relationship to our neck and back.

Working also, in a saddle on a wooden horse, is a way of exploring your position with guidance from a teachers hands to help you release and ease out of tension without the complications of a moving horse.

Being lunged on a school horse develops the awareness and observation skills that you started on the ground.

This is a learning process that requires thoughtful participation, to achieve the best result.

The aim is for riders to have an increased awareness of how to work on themselves so they can manage to change their own difficulties with greater efficiency.

If you are using your body incorrectly, trying harder merely repeats and compounds your habits of misuse.

The Alexander Technique helps awareness of these patterns and teaches you how to eliminate excessive efforts, allowing you to move easily with natural balance, more energy and clearer thought.

The Alexander Technique can be particularly useful for

riders wanting to improve their balance and have a clearer communication with their horse
riders who suffer from pain, either from injury or tension
instructors wishing to improve their knowledge and understanding of rider positions and application of aids
dressage riders
riders starting again after a gap wanting confidence and suppleness
riders who care about the horse's well being
someone riding for the first time

By Marigold Smith, Member of AUSTAT (Aust. Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique)
Teacher of Horse Riding and the Alexander Technique.

Wanting to share the enriching experience of 30 years riding and teaching in search of that unique horse and rider union.
Marigold can be contacted at 20 Wallace Pde., HEALESVILLE Victoria 3777, Phone (03) 5962 1057

For further information about Marigold Smith and her riding and Alexander Technique school and residential centre, click here