ATTGP is now offering monthly online Alexander Technique workshops for the public on a variety of topics.
The workshops will be conducted on Zoom and cost only $10 to attend.
To be kept up to date on these workshops and other ATTGP offerings, sign up for our newsletter. We’ll also notify you about other events by ATTGP teachers, tips, resources and more. Sign up here >>
2023 ATTGP Workshops:
Note: All times are US Eastern Time.
Use this Time Zone Converter to find your time.
Playing from the Heart
with Joseph Arnold
Saturday, January 14, 2023
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM US Eastern Time
Does your music (or acting or dance) sound stale? Does your body get stiff or tight when you play? Do you long to be able to play freely and with powerful emotional expression? Genuine emotional expression in music, dance, and acting is not aided by practicing more or trying harder. Trying harder only leads to more physical stiffness and stale performances. The secret lies in connecting with your emotions as you play. This simple act has surprisingly powerful results, including greater emotional impact and surprising physical ease. In this class, you will learn one of the “inner secrets” of the arts, a technique which I call “Playing from the Heart.”
Joseph Arnold is a violinist, composer, Alexander Technique teacher, and author from Philadelphia, PA. He writes and plays in a wide variety of styles, including classical, jazz, fiddle, and the blues. Joseph is the director of the Soulforce Arts Academy, teaches musicians how to play with less pain and more freedom, and will soon release his first book, “Soulforce Arts: The Vital New Role for Musicians and Artists in a World That’s Lost Its Mind.” Learn more about Joseph and his work at JosephArnold.com.
Cost: $10
Contact Joseph to register at: josepharnoldstudios@gmail.com
Connecting to the Flow of Breath
with Heather Gardner
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
7:00 – 8:00 PM US Eastern Time
Breathing is an activity that is constant in our body. It happens when we attend to it and it happens when we don’t. This workshop will explore how we can find more ease and flow in our torso as we breathe. We will experiment with using the flow of the breath to expand this ease into our head and limbs. By discovering a deeper, full-bodied support, we can find greater freedom and ease as we breathe and do the activities we love.
Heather Gardner is an Alexander Technique Teacher and musician living, working and teaching in the Philadelphia and New York City areas. She specializes in singing 20th and 21st century works though she is equally comfortable singing Brahms, Mozart or Bach. She holds a Master’s degree in vocal performance from Rutgers University and a Bachelor’s degree in viola performance from the Eastman School of Music, where she also studied violin and voice. Heather teaches AT, singing and violin out of her West Philly studio and at the Balance Arts Center in midtown Manhattan.
Cost: $10
To register, please go to heathergardnerstudio.
March Winds: Bringing in the Spring Within
with Anne Johnson
Saturday, March 4, 2023
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM US Eastern Time
As we move from winter into spring, we can align our thoughts of self with those from nature. During this workshop, we will explore the natural pathways of flow in our body that reflect the stored energy in seeds desiring release from the winter soil. As we wake up our dynamic relationship with earth and the light of the sun, we can walk with more spring and sit with more comfort and ease. Finally, we will tune into the presence of our on-going breathing cycle as the wind that keeps us connected to our life force energy.
Anne Johnson has been teaching the Alexander Technique for over 25 years. She teaches individuals and groups in her Philadelphia (zoom) studio and the Mt Airy Learning Tree, a community education organization in Philadelphia. She has taught at the Boyer College of Music at Temple University for 15 years. Anne finds pleasure in sharing this rich body of work with people of all ages, skill levels and diverse backgrounds. She views our current world situation as an opportunity to help people across the globe access the benefits of this work via the internet.
Cost: $10
Email to Anne to register: annebeingwell@gmail.com
More information about Anne’s work at alexandertechphiladelphia.com.
Why Is The Alexander Technique Different from Other Bodywork Modalities?
with Diane Sussman
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
6:00-7:15 PM US Eastern Time
Alexander Teachers often get the question, so is the Alexander Technique like Yoga (or fill in the blank)? In this workshop we will look at the AT as a holistic approach to your awareness of the “Use” of the “Self”, F.M. Alexander’s explanation of what the Technique actually is. “Use” is a very vague and general word, but in its largest and most expansive sense, it means your total co-ordination and ideal movement potential. We will take time in this class to engage in some movement explorations with the intention of enhancing our awareness of ourselves in all of our activities.
Diane Sussman has been teaching the Alexander Technique since 1987 after she had to learn the skills and embodiment practices herself to help herself recover from debilitating back pain. She has since given many workshops in NYC and NJ, been on the faculty of ACAT for 22 years, the Alexander Training School in Manhattan, as well as creating a private practice in Philadelphia. Her special focus is in working with musicians, and giving workshops for Dancers, Pilates and Yoga students who wish to incorporate the principles into their own disciplines.
Cost: $10
Contact Diane at diane.bodymind@verizon.net to register.
Living In Balance: An Introduction to Alexander’s Discoveries
with Ariel Weiss
Saturday, May 13, 2023
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM US Eastern Time
Have you heard of the Alexander Technique and been curious to learn more?
Or have you wanted to tell people about AT and struggled to describe your experience?
This introductory workshop will outline the basics of Alexander’s discoveries – helping us balance both our attention and our bodies.
Where we put our attention and how we move matters!
Join us to discover the delight of coming back into balance.
Bring your curiosity and questions – all ages and abilities welcome
Ariel Weiss has nurtured a lively private practice in Philadelphia since 1988. Trained as a dancer and choreographer, she delights in helping people learn to move freely in service of their structure so they can feel and function at their full potential. Ariel teaches 3 classes weekly online and also teaches at The Curtis Institute of Music, Crosslands retirement community and Temple University in addition to her private practice. She presented her TEDX talk: Posture myth-busting in 2021. Certified through Alexander Technique International, Ariel is also an active member of ATLP (Alexander Technique Liberation Project). Learn more at www.atphila.com.
Cost: $10
Register here: https://calendly.com/atphila/living-in-balance
Any questions? Contact Ariel at: ariel@atphila.com
Working on Your Own
with Mary McCann
Thursday, June 15, 2023
7:00 – 8:00 PM US Eastern Time
Looking for more freedom from everyday stressors?
Are you new to the Alexander Technique?
Wondering how to work on your own?
This workshop is perfect for anyone who does not have an Alexander Technique teacher living nearby. You can learn how to bring more strength, balance, and ease to your everyday life. Get started today!
Mary McCann has presented ATTGP online workshops for the international community (2020-2022.) She has taught hundreds of AT workshops and lessons in the Philadelphia area and at universities and institutions across the U.S. Mary is a Certified Teacher of the Alexander Technique. Her background is in theatre and the performing arts.
Cost: $10
Contact Mary to register at: ma2mcca@aol.com
Summer Pause
Pause for Thought
with Imogen Ragone
Thursday, September 14, 2023
7:00 – 8:00 PM US Eastern Time
Do you struggle with:
-
- Tension and stress?
- Getting easily distracted?
- “Mental clutter?”
- Feeling pulled in too many directions?
Would you like to:
-
- Be more mindful and present in your everyday life?
- Feel a better connection with yourself and others?
- Be less reactive and make better choices?
Then join us for this fun workshop exploring what it means to pause – how it makes you feel, what it helps you do, and why it might be a useful skill to cultivate. Thoughtful pausing is central to the Alexander Technique, and you’ll come away with simple strategies and a way to practice what you have learned on your own. Suitable for beginners.
Imogen Ragone has been a nationally certified Alexander Technique teacher for 17 years, and a student of the Technique for well over 20. She initially came to Alexander Technique to help her with chronic neck and shoulder pain and tension. It did – and gave her much more than she ever imagined. Imogen has now developed her own unique approach, BodyIntelligence, that offers a path to embodied mindfulness that is gentle and non-coercive. This means it is more accessible and effective when you are feeling stressed, and makes it especially valuable to traumatized people. Imogen has been successfully working with clients online, both individually and in groups, since 2014. More info at imogenragone.com.
Cost: $10
Any questions? Contact Imogen at imogen@imogenragone.com.
The Whispered Ah:
A Practical Lesson in How to Improve your Voice Use
with Heather Gardner
Saturday, October 14, 2023
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM US Eastern Time
F.M. Alexander was known as “the breathing man” and was often called to help singers and actors with vocal issues that could have prevented them from going on stage. The “Whispered Ah” was a tool he used to help singers and actors improve their vocal function and restore the ease and expression needed for a meaningful performance.
In this workshop, we will look at the anatomy of the tongue, jaw and mouth, mapping it onto our own bodies. We will learn how the Whispered Ah works and explore the many ways it can be varied to make new exercises. By discovering more freedom and ease in the tongue, we will examine how that freedom affects the whole body and gives us more choice in our attempts to communicate with meaning and expression.
Come and see how the Whispered Ah can help you to unlock more freedom in your voice and your whole body!
No pre-requisites for this class. Everyone is welcome!
Heather Gardner is an Alexander Technique Teacher and musician living, working and teaching in the Philadelphia and New York City areas. She specializes in singing 20th and 21st century works though she is equally comfortable singing Brahms, Mozart or Bach. She holds a Master’s degree in vocal performance from Rutgers University and a Bachelor’s degree in viola performance from the Eastman School of Music, where she also studied violin and voice. Heather teaches AT, singing and violin out of her West Philly studio and at the Balance Arts Center in midtown Manhattan.
Cost: $10
To register, please go to: https://heathergardnerstudio.com/Whispered-Ah
Celebrate Self-discovery
with Ariel Weiss
Monday, November 13, 2023
7:00 – 8:00 PM US Eastern Time
F.M. Alexander made his discoveries based on countless hours of self-observation – a cornerstone which is essential to his process. This workshop will outline specific steps we can take to constructively observe ourselves in order to enact change. The quality of our observations has a direct impact on the quality of our movement and our ability to successfully and sustainably redirect unhelpful habits
Together we will explore and cultivate skills to:
- Cultivate an inclusive, multi-sensory attention
- Gather data free from judgement
- Construct reliable (habit-free) assessment tools
This workshop is open to students of all ages, abilities and levels of experience. It can serve as an introduction to the process of using Alexander’s discovered or help deepen your AT practice.
Ariel Weiss has nurtured a lively private practice in Philadelphia since 1988. Trained as a dancer and choreographer, she delights in helping people learn to move freely in service of their structure so they can feel and function at their full potential. Ariel teaches 3 classes weekly online and also teaches at The Curtis Institute of Music, Crosslands retirement community and Temple University in addition to her private practice. She presented her TEDX talk: Posture myth-busting in 2021. Certified through Alexander Technique International, Ariel is also an active member of ATLP (Alexander Technique Liberation Project). Learn more at www.atphila.com.
Cost: $10
Register here: https://calendly.com/
What’s the Role of the Arts in a World Gone Mad?
with Joseph Arnold
Saturday, December 9, 2023
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM US Eastern Time
To many, it can seem like our world has lost its mind: ecological destruction, political strife, and inequality abound. And while more and more people are now more aware of these challenges, few have practical, effective solutions. This lack is acutely felt among musicians and artists in our society, who have long received the message that the arts are important, but not practical–merely luxuries or entertainment. This leaves many musicians and artists wondering: “What’s ours to do? Can the arts really make a positive difference to the challenges of our times? And if so, how?”
The answer lies with Soulforce. Soulforce is the felt experience of aliveness and connection that happens when you create and act from your deepest, most authentic truths and desires. Soulforce is what inspires, heals, and connects. And amazingly, it is the key for both societal transformation and artistic greatness.
First coined by Mahatma Gandhi during his movement for social change, Soulforce has deep resonance for musicians and artists. It’s the “X factor” that everyone wants in a performance or work of art, and is the true source of creative genius. And just as Gandhi discovered, it has tremendous power to inspire social change and healing. Captured in a work of art, Soulforce has the potential to change the world.
In this deeply moving and powerfully insightful class, taught be professional violinist and Alexander Technique, you will learn how to tap into this creative and transformative potential through the Soulforce Arts Approach.
The Soulforce Arts Approach is a holistic arts pedagogy that centers the transformative power of Soulforce in how you create, practice, perform, and teach the arts. When you follow this approach, you will experience greater creativity, wellness, freedom of movement, soulfulness, and technical mastery.
Vitally, it also empowers you to create the kind of art that can lead to needed societal and ecological healing. Ultimately, the Soulforce Arts Approach offers you a tangible path to embracing your vital role in creating a more beautiful world.
Joseph Arnold is a violinist, composer, Alexander Technique teacher, and author from Philadelphia, PA. He writes and plays in a wide variety of styles, including classical, jazz, fiddle, and the blues. Joseph is the director of the Soulforce Arts Academy, teaches musicians how to play with less pain and more freedom, and will soon release his first book, “Soulforce Arts: The Vital New Role for Musicians and Artists in a World That’s Lost Its Mind.” Learn more about Joseph and his work at JosephArnold.com.
Cost: $10
Contact Joseph to register at: jarnold84@protonmail.com
To be kept up to date on these workshops and other ATTGP offerings, sign up for our newsletter. We’ll also notify you about other events by ATTGP teachers, tips, resources and more. Sign up here >>