Dance Better Now

A technique for better dance movement: what is the Alexander technique?

For the past couple of months I have been seeing an Alexander to help improve my mobility for general benefit and to improve my dance. This post is about the benefits I had on doing this so that you can decide if it is something for you.

The Alexander Technique

The Alexander technique is a system that helps you move more efficiently so that you can perform your tasks (whatever they be) more efficiently. It was developed by Frederick Matthias Alexander who was a stage actor who had troubles keeping his voice throughout a play despite all doctors at the time telling him he was in sound health. After watching himself in the mirror as he practiced acting he noticed oddities in his posture. By focusing on his posture he found his issues was resolved. He later saw others with the same issue and noticed that by focusing upon posture and self awareness that anyone could improve their efficiency and their overall well-being.

He developed a system that could be used by what he called 'teachers' to impart better habits of movement upon his 'students'. I am unsure why he did not call them patients, but it might be because it is about teaching people better habits.

The typical session involves you taking various positions, standing or sitting or laying down, while the teacher will place hands on you to encourage the relaxation of certain muscle groups. They will also ask you to conduct certain movement as they guide your body. There will also be some imaging techniques, which are very familiar to most dancers. Finally, in my case at least, you get some exercises to do at home.

The best thing about the technique for most is that the method is very easy on you. You spend much or your time laying down so you get the benefits with little effort. 

Benefits

As a dancer I like to think I am fairly aware of my body and movement. I have been working on that to improve my dance for some time now. However, I still found more awareness from these sessions. Especially with parts of my body my teachers of the past have mentioned. Especially letting my shoulders drop. Since doing these sessions I have:

• Felt less pain when in general - we all have aches and pains at times
• Been able to adjusts what I do to limit the onset of fatigue and strain - most notably when walking while on holiday in  Tasmania, which is where Frederick Matthias Alexander was born, so that was poetic
• Felt more grounded in my feet - I have some pronation, which now feels reduced
• Felt less aches when dancing
• Felt more control over my posture when dancing

Recommendations

I would recommend this to anyone - it worked for me so it should work for you. Even if you do not get benefit from it, you at least know you have worked out that you're in good shape. However, you will probably have some issues that can be resolved. For dance I would especially recommend it if you have any of the following issues:

• Contracted shoulders
• Hunched posture
• Poor hip movement
• You fall into steps at times
• You ever feel pain from dancing for longer periods
• Stiffness in your back
• Poor head position

Where to find a practitioner

In these days of the internet it is very easy to type Alexander technique and you local area into a search engine and find someone near you. I found one a block away. 

More information

This is a pretty good article on how to be a better dancer from the perspective of an Alexander teacher - The Biggest Mistake Dancers Make. It shows both what Alexander teachers know and gives advice on how to dance better.

The bare foot dancer

A key to dance is balance and a key to balance is placing your weight over your foot correctly. To do this, you need to be able to feel weight movement within your feet to the smallest degree. Increasing this ability will make you a better dancer.

Your foot is actually made to do this. There are around 100,000 - 200,000 exteroceptors (nerves) in the sole of each foot. This makes the feet one of the most sensitive parts of the body – it’s in the same category of sensitivity as the hands. This makes sense; the feet are our connection with the environment and stop us from stepping on dangerous items. Because of this sensitivity, we rely on our feet a lot to maintain balance. However, as well as losing this sensitivity as we age, we can lose it from wearing shoes. The fact is we do not need to consider the signals we get from our feet as much as we do when we have no shoes. One of the major causes of falls as we age is our inability to sense with our feet. Imagine how detrimental this could be for your dancing. As good as shoes are, they have their downside.

Let’s now talk about increasing the sensitivity of your feet.

No shoes

This is an easy one. Simply take you shoes off and walk around on diverse surfaces – outside in a part is ideal. This will make your brain wake up to the signals from your feet so that they can be used to improve your balance.

Balance exercise

This one is a bit more involved. Stand on one foot and close your eyes. By closing your eyes you need to focus more on the signals from your feet to maintain balance. Focus on the shifts in pressure you feel in the sole of your foot. By using the pressure shifts you increase your brains tendency to be aware of this information and use it.

Engage in either of the above and notice how much more grounded you are when you dance next time. Also be more aware of your feet when you dance for better balance.

Walking your way to better dance

A key to better dance is your footwork. It gives you balance, posture, power and rhythm. If your feet don’t have a strong connection to the floor, then no matter what else you do, you will not be as good as you could. If you feel that maybe your foundation in dance is not as strong as it could be, or that you’re just not secure enough, then it’s likely your foot work. Read on and I will give you some pointers to make it better.

For footwork to be better, you need to have a well-developed feeling for your feet and how they move as you dance. One way to develop this feeling is by simply walking – but as you do in dance – slowly and with attention.

First note the different parts of your feet:

• The heel
• The inside
• The outside
• The ball
• The toes

Choose a dance style that you are currently working on. Now think about the basic figure for that dance. Now walk through it thinking about the following:

• Which of the parts of your foot first feels pressure as you move your weight to that foot?
• Where does the pressure travel to after this?
• How does the pressure travel through the foot until the time when you lift your foot from the ground?
• How much pressure is there; is there enough; is there too much?

You should feel that you move onto, through and out of the foot. There is a transition that you should feel. If you think that this is not the case, then it’s possible that you are not walking correctly or not fully aware of the weight distribution on your foot. You should also fee that the amount of pressure gives you security, balance and power by connecting you to the floor.

Go over your walks with your teacher – determine which if you are stepping correctly, then you will know if you need to change your walk or just need to be more aware of your feet.

Now think about the following:

• Do you close your feet (bring the heel and toe together) properly when you should?
• Do you brush your feet properly when you should?
• Do your feet turn the correct way as you step?

You might need to double check with your teacher or perhaps compare yourself with instructional videos in the mirror. With an increased awareness of your feet, you will be able to cross reference how feet look with how the feel. You will then be able to practice your feet work more effectively.

After focusing on how your feet feel and aligning this with how your feet are to move, you will notice quick gains in your connection with the floor and the corresponding improvement in dance that comes from this.