The Alexander Technique and the Dancer
The idealized image of the dancer as a heavenly being
whose every thought transforms into graceful movement,
in daily life as well as on stage, is merely rarely
confirmed by the reality. In practice, grace comes only
as the result of rigorous discipline and is a transient
quality which in fact is hardly ever experienced as
a constant by dancers.
Among artists, the dancer is probably the one upon
whose body the greatest physical stresses occur because
the greatest possible demands are made of it in terms
of movement. All its possibilities are explored to the
fullest extent imaginable, and sometimes even beyond.
Dancers who have encountered the Alexander Technique
and have been themselves willing to make the effort
to understand and apply its principles have drawn numerous
benefits from it. They discover a greater respiratory
freedom and an improved response to the excessive demands
upon a body required to yield to the constraints of
movement in space and time.
Dancers are often drawn to the Alexander Technique
following a traumatism or dissatisfaction with their
rate of progress. Work done with a teacher of the Alexander
Technique on the relation between thought and movement
will open the way to decompressing the spinal column
and releasing the energy potential contained within
it. This provides the opportunity for the lengthened
spine to transmit its energy and flexibility to the
whole body, which will then be able to expand freely
upwards and ensure a cushioned landing, remaining free
subsequently to be redirected in any direction.
The dancer comes to see that the way to greater lightness
and mobility need not to be a torture some process and
that the result will be more effective if thought directs
correctly the movement.
This thinking in movement enables the dancer to find
an unforced, free of unnecessary tension way to create
movements which will naturally flow unimpeded from the
points of support of the body.
The enlargement of awareness in the course of movement
creates for the dancer additional time; sufficient to
feel his/her emotions, to hear the music and to experience
the pleasure of becoming at one with the movement.
The Alexander Technique being concerned primarily with
the body-mind and neuromuscular coordination underlying
human movement and reaction, dancers from any background
can benefit from applying the principles of the Alexander
Technique to improve the general use of themselves,
which they will be able to bring successfully in the
refinement of their personal style.
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