Mission Statement
The training course is dedicated to preserving the traditional and essential principles of the Alexander Technique, with particular emphasis on exploring the Alexander work as it expands the individual human being in terms of health, well-being, and consciousness. Our focus is on training teachers to manifest a meditative, holistic, and compassionate dimension. Alexander talked about the conscious evolution of human beings. We are always discovering what that means. The Director has experience and expertise in training dancers and other performing artists including: singers, actors, musicians and others in the helping professions. We are interested in and open to training performing artists and psychotherapists therapists and movement therapists.
Course Curriculum
First Year
Practical experiential work, familiarity with the principles of the technique.
- Reading and discussion of Alexander’s books & related materials.
- Written essays required
- Yoga, Tai Chi Chuan, Dance, and Voice application
- Functional Anatomy
- Academic Anatomy relevant to teaching AT is taught on a bi-weekly basis
- Improvement of personal use
- Individual hands-on work daily
- Practice with fellow students
- Regular practice in describing the history and principles of the Alexander Technique
Discussion and understanding of work in historical, philosophical, psychological, performance-based, medical profession, and other contexts of interest and application.
Learn the Principles:
- Recognition of the Force of Habit
- Non-doing, non-end-gaining experience and discuss
- Recognition of faulty sensory awareness
- Experience the activation of Directions or Orders
- Recognition and activation of the Primary Control
(head-neck-back relationship) - Inhibition
Work with the Procedures:
- Chair work
- Hands on back of chair
- Table work
- Monkey – lunge
- Swinger – yo-yo
- Whispered ah – voice work
Second Year
- Continuation and deepening of curriculum as in First Year
- More intensive practice and hands-on work with volunteers & fellow students.
- Discussion and creation of senior project
Third Year
Practical experiential work, familiarity with the principles of the technique.
- Practice with fellow students
- Practice with volunteers who have no Alexander experience
- Develop the tools to open a practice:
- Create a brochure/business cards
- Give introductory lectures on the Technique
- Give practice lessons
- Internship: teaching students under the guidance of the director
Independent Study/Senior Project
As a part of the training, students will complete a research project to apply the technique to an area of their choosing. At the end of the first year, students will formulate their topic for the project and finalize their decision with the Director for approval in the second year. The research will involve 160 hours of research time as a part of the 1600 hour requirement for graduation. At the end of the third year, students present their project as a class lecture demonstration and also submit a paper to the director.
Supervised Internship
During their third year, students are expected to work with two private pupils per term. This could be done with six pupils or two pupils for the entire year. The Director will supervise the initial lesson and then every fourth lesson after the cost of the training course student. This internship allows the trainee to build his/her practice under supervision.
Educational Objectives
The objective of this program is to train people to become sensitive, effective teachers of the Alexander Technique who demonstrate a high degree of professional integrity. Students develop a deep level of commitment to the work.
Performance Standards
Students are expected to demonstrate the subtle and sensitive hands-on work of the Alexander Technique as the training progresses. This includes being able to teach chair work, table work, lunges, monkeys, whispered ahs, hands on the back of the chair. Students also are expected to be verbally fluent in explaining the Technique, its history and its principles.
Admission Procedure
The director will interview each candidate for admission and s/he will need to have a number of private lessons with the Director. First term is probationary.
Evaluation Towards Certification
Each term, there is a student-director in-depth conference discussing the student’s level of progress. Concerns or questions on the part of either director or student will be addressed at this time. These conferences are held each term, and on an as-needed basis. Instruction
Course Requirements
All students must:
- Complete the Reading list provided upon enrollment
- Attend Bi-Weekly check-ins
- Attend at all training course meetings
- Attend 1 Conference per term
Instruction Hours:
Length of Program
There are 1600 hours of instruction over a period of three years.
This Teacher Training Course is divided into three 11-week terms per year, 12 hours per week, 3 months per term.
Class Schedule
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 11:00am-2:00pm
Once there are 5 trainees
we will meet
4 days per week 3 hours for each day
And one private lesson per week.
Tuition and Payment
- $2,400 – Non-refundable Deposit
Due on acceptance to the course - $720/month for 30 months
Beginning September 20, 2023 - $24,000 Total
$80 – 1 Internship Supervised Lesson per month for third-year students (72 hours of internship)
Upon acceptance to the program, the Student will be expected to make the non-refundable deposit and sign a contract agreement as to rights and responsibilities. Thereafter, tuition is due in full at the beginning of each term and is to be paid on time. However, it is possible to have a tuition agreement wherein payments are made on a monthly basis.
4 missed classes are permitted each term. Anything more than that needs to be made up at trainees expense.
One private lesson equals one missed class.
Refund and Cancellation Policy
Students sign a contract in good faith – a commitment to ongoing three-year training. No refunds will be given if a student drops out in the middle of a term. If a student is asked to leave for not meeting professional standards, she/he will be given sufficient notice and an opportunity to bring the standard up to the expected level of competence.
Additional Information
Continuous Evaluation
Students are evaluated on a continuous basis. The first term is considered probationary, and if at any time the student’s progress or conduct is thought by the Director to be unsatisfactory, the student may be asked to leave.
Conduct
Tardiness – Students will be expected to be on time and ready to work at designated class times. • Absence – Absences are allowed only for sickness or emergencies. Missed classes (after three) are to be made up of private lessons. • Make-ups – Any extended absence time will need to be made up through private lessons. Three hours of class time equals one private make-up lesson that would need to be paid for by the Student. If the teacher/trainer is sick s/he will offer private makeup lessons (at no cost). • Professional deportment – Students will be expected to demonstrate professional deportment suitable to a prospective Alexander teacher. • Continuity of Training – Students are expected to complete their three-year training in a continuous manner. There is no provision for leave of absence except in cases of illness or other extraordinary circumstances.
Professional Standards
We will uphold and abide by all certification standards as set forth in STAT and AmSAT. We maintain the high standards of expertise involved in training the skilled hands of an Alexander Teacher. The deep understanding and self-awareness needed to explain and teach the principles of the Technique will be developed in each Student. Extract or delete HTML tags based on their name or whether or not they contain some attributes or content with the HTML editor pro online program.