‘ . . . at the stillpoint, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement
And do not call it fixity . . .’
Working on Self
Connecting to Self – Coming to Quiet – Experiencing Relaxed and Alert Readiness

In this practical 90-minute workshop, Dorothea will share a series of gentle activities and explorations and then will unpick the thinking behind these activities. The work will take place mostly in sitting and standing and, if time allows, explore going into movement.

This way of Working on Self was developed out of necessity during COVID and teaching many online Alexander lessons. Since then, Dorothea has refined these rudimentary ideas into a set of guided directed activities, using touch, breath, and thinking, incorporating the fundamental Alexander principles to provide a tool kit for students and learners to continue the work on themselves. Going through this set of movements may develop an experience of groundedness, centredness, greater awareness of being in space, and the possibility of ease of and flow in movement. The aim is that it gives the students agency to take this work into their daily lives. Usually, this work is introduced to students and pupils at some point during their course of individual lessons.

Feedback from students, especially performers, and musicians, includes that they find this way of coming ‘back’ to themselves – into the stillpoint, where the dance is – extremely useful in preparation for performance or when experiencing performance anxiety, or just getting ready for playing and practicing. Others find that it provides a means for managing demanding work life, stress, or difficult interpersonal situations in a more constructive way, or just for being able to come to rest. As an artist, Dorothea finds that using this set of activities opens the opportunity for tapping into the well of creativity.