Workshops
While nothing compares to the richness of one-on-one lessons, group courses can be a good introduction to the principles and possibilities of the Alexander Technique. Through learning to observe others, you will become more aware of your own habitual co-ordination.
January 2008:
The Energized Self (in English)
A Seminar with Pedro de Alcantara and Alexis Niki
“Energy” is hard to define, but we perceive it all around us: in the environment, in other people and in ourselves. When we enter a room for the first time, we decide intuitively whether the room has “good energy” or “bad energy.” When we listen to someone’s voice, we respond to its energy as much as to what the person is saying. When we shake someone’s hand, we “read” the person’s overall energy and react to it positively or negatively. Our own inner energies have many sources, including food, rest, emotions such as joy and desire, our subconscious, and so on.
In this workshop we’ll pay particular attention to the energy of movement and the energy of sound. You’ll learn how to sense, gather, and use energy for all your needs and goals, be they speaking, singing, performing, or simply centering yourself and enhancing your health in daily life.
When: Friday-Sunday, January 25/27, 2008, 10 AM-4 PM
Where: Atelier de la Main d’Or, 9 Passage de la Main d’Or, Paris 75011; Metro stations Bastille (lines 1, 5, 8) or Ledru-Rollin (line 8).
For Whom: Singers, instrumentalists, actors, conductors; teachers of the Alexander Technique and other somatic disciplines; healers and therapists; curious people of all backgrounds. Limited to twelve participants. First come, first served.
How Much: 110 euros per day, 300 euros for all three days. Each day is self-contained and covers a separate (though interrelated) theme. You’re welcome to sign up for one, two, or three days.
First Day, Friday: Energy & Rhythm
We’ll study Energy in movement, rhythm, and breath. We’ll learn about Direction, or the magnetic forces within the body. We’ll learn how the Opposition of many forces helps us become connected and energized. We’ll discover how the simple Intention to do something charges the body with energy; different intentions have different energies, and you’ll become able to change your bodily energies at will. We’ll practice the Swirl, a spinning exercise from the martial art of aikido that helps you become centered and calm while moving.
Second Day, Saturday: Oscillations & Vibrations
We’ll study Oscillation with the help of a yoyo, a broom, and a basketball. We’ll study horizontal and vertical pendulums and discover how to initiate and maintain movement without physical effort. We’ll study Vibrations with the help of a balloon. You’ll discover how sound is tangible and how to use your body as a resonating box. We’ll study the phenomenon of the Harmonic Series (the multiple vibrations that exist in every sound). You’ll open up your perception of sound, and you’ll speak, sing, and play instruments differently as a result. We’ll study Friction and how it changes the way you coordinate your whole body.
Third Day, Sunday: The Voice
We’ll use Shouts to awaken animal-like energies within us, and you’ll learn how to use these energies in everyday life. We’ll study the Vocal Registers and discover how to create a balanced opposition between two forces within the voice. We’ll study the Möbius Strip, an exercise that connects the body, the breath, and the voice. We’ll study an exercise called Coincidence, in which you’ll learn how to synchronize thought and speech. And we’ll use written texts and musical scores as Maps to the Treasure, the treasure being your perfect coordination and the signposts on the maps being vowels, consonants, stresses, inflection, punctuation, and timing.
Thanks to these exercises you’ll start using your daily life as a rich source of endless energy. You'll discover a wide range of energies that improve your health and wellbeing. And you'll direct your newly found positive energies to the benefit of people near and dear to you.
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February 2007:
AFDAS Workshop for Musicians
(Intermittents du Spectacle)
LE MUSICIEN INTEGRÉ: Coordination, Sonorité, Rythme
En Français.
Formateur: Pedro de Alcantara
auteur de :« La Technique Alexander pour les musiciens » Ed. Alexitère
Stage Conventionné AFDAS, INTERMITTENTS DU SPECTACLE
Technique F. M. Alexander pour :
- les intrumentistes
- chanteurs et chanteuses
- chefs de chœur et chefs d’orchestre
40 heures de stage sur 10 matinés
Du 19 février au 3 mars 2007