Technique changes bad habits

Press, 15 July 1987, Page 23

Technique changes bad habits

By

KAY FORRESTER

“You can’t do what you don’t know if you keep on doing what you do know.” The sign on David Moore’s door gives a clue to what the Alexander technique is all about, but only a clue. The softly-spoken Christchurch teacher admits that the technique —- now an integral part of many performing arts courses — is difficult to explain. It began with a perplexed Australian actor last century. F. M. Alexander could not understand why, when he stood on stage to speak, his voice failed.

Doctors could not help and the actor set about finding the reason himself. He believed it must be something he was doing wrong but it took seven years for him to isolate the body movement that was affecting his voice — and longer for him to change the habits of a lifetime.

That, says David Moore, is what the technique is about — removing the wrong uses people make of their bodies.

The technique is "miles” away from deportment where people are trained to a right way of posture. Instead the Alexander focus is on isolating the problems and removing them. How do people know they have a problem? “Pain. Usually they have some pain in some part of their body. My initial job is to find what it is they are doing to cause that. If someone

comes in wih a sore elbow it may have something to do with their arm. So first I have to locate the problem. "Then I try to change their habit of using their body in that way.” How? “It’s not that easy. People know what they are doing wrong but to change unconscious habits is difficult. You have to use your hands and show people.” He is seeking a freer, more fluent movement of the body, a reduction of tension.

Problems people have are usually traceable to a physical movement or mannerism, but not always. It is impossible to separate the body from the mind, since many of people’s movements are expressions of their thoughts, David Moore says.

The Alexander technique is a whole body and mind concept. Normally he recommends five lessons over consecutive days to help people change their habits.

What sort of people come to him for help? “More non-performers than performing artists. People with aches and pains. Performers also come — musicians who are unhappy with the bowing arm, actors... Some people are referred by their doctors or music teachers...”

Is he rather like a physiotherapist?

“No, not at all. There is no medical content. The Alexander technique is not a medical thing. We

treat the whole body not symptoms.” David Moore first became interested in the technique because of his own back problem. He read a book on the technique but had no access to a teacher until he went to England two years later.

In England he had about 30 lessons and noticed a marked improvement in his back. “I was just so much more flexible. I had been doing yoga but this gave me more movement.”

From England he went to Australia where he trained from 1983 to 1985 as an Alexander teacher. He has been teaching in New Zealand since 1985. He regularly takes lessons in Wellington and Nelson as well as Christchurch and is one of four Alexander teachers in the country. One is in Dunedin and two are in Auckland. David Moore is a member of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique, an international organisation that runs and monitors courses.

The Alexander technique is a recognised part of arts training for many musicians and performers. One aspect of particular interest to performers is the ability the technique gives people to relax.

“Relaxing is one part of the technique. We spot the things they do with their bodies when they are nervous and they can stop those.” As people learn to move in a more poised manner, as they let go of tensions in their bodies, they let go’

of tensions in the mind also, David Moore says. Two overseas teachers will give workshops in Christchurch in the next six weeks. Vivien Mackie will teach musicians and singers and her workshop will focus on voice production and projection and posture for musicians, David Moore says. Her workshop is on July 25 and 26.

Vivien Mackie is a senior teacher of the technique and a trained cellist. She has given workshops for musicians in several countries. Mary Cerny’s workshop on August 20, 21 and 22 is in dance and movement improvisation. She has danced professionally and taught movement. She teaches at the Alexander training school in Sydney.