ABOUT
ALEXANDER
ABOUT ALEXANDER
FREDERICK MATTHIAS ALEXANDER
1869 Tasmania - 1955 London
Alexander’s promising career as an actor came to a halt when he developed a debilitating voice and breathing problem.
In seeking a solution he discovered how particular behaviour patterns or habits, of which he was unaware, interfered more generally with his posture and in particular with his breathing and speaking and how this became acutely exaggerated when performing on stage.
Over time, with determination and through careful observation and experimentation, he learned that, for his voice and breathing to recover, he needed to use his conscious thought. First he had to find a way of preventing his acquired habits. He then had to direct his attention to how he could improve his posture in general, thus establishing a better integration of his overall use. This then provided a better condition, not only for his breathing and vocal production, but for performing any activity.
Eventually, having solved his own difficulties successfully, Alexander developed a method of working with others who struggled with a variety of different problems. He established a training course for people to teach his method, now called “The Alexander Technique”.
