The Alexander technique: changing your life by changing your posture, a lesson with Jane Kosminsky - Dance Magazine recommends: be gentle to your body - Video Recording Review

Dance Magazine, March, 2004 by Wendy Perron

Wellspring Media

WE DON'T do anything. We think," explains Jane Kosminsky, a former Paul Taylor dancer who now teaches at The Juilliard School. In this lovely introduction to the Alexander Technique, Kosminsky takes actor William Hurt through concepts like "Head forward and up," breathing three-dimensionally, and fleeing the neck. Using a small rubberized skeleton, she demonstrates how the actions of the head affect file whole spine.

The approach may be strange for dancers, because it doesn't require sweaty hard work. And the idea of a "lively spine"--keeping the curves in the spine--may go against the constant ballet command to pull up. But dancers know how to use imagery to improve their dancing, so it's easy to key into this approach. "Imagine your upper arm falling like rain," Kosminsky tells Hurt. You think of the legs releasing away from the hips, and the shoulders releasing out to the side and floating on the rib cage. The idea is that, over time, visualizing these images will increase the space in the joints.

Crucial to this technique is the concept of "inhibition." This is about choosing not to respond habitually. The mindset is applied in chair work, table work, and walking.

William Hurt is a willing, low-key accomplice, a good foil for Kosminsky's gracious manner and slightly stagy cheerfulness. Together they make the fundamentals of Alexander Technique appealing. You may use this video to get started or to further your understanding of the technique, but it is not intended as a substitute for the human interaction you would have with a hands-on teacher. 75 minutes. Available at www.amazon.com for $9.98, or, with a partner video/DVD at $39.98, at www.wellmedia.com or 800.538.5856.