Melbourne's Premier Acting Studio for Film and Television

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE

COURSE CODE: VTA1
APPLICATIONS: Applications can be made at any time.
TERM DATES: CLICK HERE
FEE: $175 / 4 classes (Members receive a further 50% discount click here for more)
CLASS DAYS/TIMES: Friday 2-4pm

APPLICATION FORM (Course Code VTA1)
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"I really like to look into the physical acting characteristics of my character, because it helps me to transform. The Alexander Technique helps me to burrow into roles like gay cowboys and drug addicts by focusing on my posture, movement, and presence." Heath Ledger

OVERVIEW

The Alexander technique is fundamental to the training of actors in major drama schools around the world. Acting coaches such a Larry Moss consider weekly Alexander classes essential for every actor.

"Stanislavski understood that excessive and unnecessary tension interfered with creating the spiritual life of a character in performance. The Alexander technique deals with this directly. It facilitates the creation of the physical life of characters with ease allowing fuller emotional expression" (Soul of the American by actor Tom Valiliades)

The basis of the Technique is Alexander’s discovery that a certain dynamic relationship of the head, neck and torso is the main factor in determining the most efficient use and functioning of the body. As we become more aware of this dynamic balance, we can begin to change habitual patterns of movement, which are stressful to us.

The end product of an Alexander lesson is to give you a new experience which helps your recognise patterns of tension in your body. As you learn to let go of this tension you often experience a lightness of movement, because the way you use your body determines how well it works, how clearly you think, and how good you feel.

- Connecting body and voice whilst avoiding personal movement habits that do not belong to a character.
- Finding ease in performance and movement, whilst letting go of tension.
- Working with strength and endurance to create powerful characterisations without strain.

PROGRAM CONTENT

“For all of us, not just actors, life puts great stress and strain on our bodies. The Alexander Technique has given me a self-help method of teaching me to relax and adjust my posture so that my body, which for an actor is an instrument, can work as well as possible.” Jeremy Irons

As actors you need to be able to keep yourself in co-ordination even when playing a character whom is not co-ordinated.

Through Alexander Technique classes you get to develop skills for how to free your voice, and free your body. Firstly this will involve discovering the connection through your body, and between your body and mind. Once established, this connection makes connecting with an audience possible. As the course continues we will on take this onto character work, in rehearsal and in front of a camera.

If you are doing something that is not useful then you need some new information about how the body works or what to do with your thinking to change these unnecessary habits. The Alexander Technique is a skill that may be learned to improve movement, coordination, and posture.

Our bodies are brilliantly designed, many of our problems from depression, to back pain to voice loss, occur because we don’t allow our bodies to function in the way they were designed. The process of not interfering with the natural way you use your voice, walk, dance, play a musical instrument etc is a skill that can be learned through the Alexander Technique.

THE TEACHER

Penny McDonald has been teaching the Alexander Technique for 15 years at major drama schools around the country. She specialises in working with people involved in the performing arts. She comes from an acting background and has worked in the industry for 25 years.