Moving Voices with Quiet Hands

A Weekend Alexander Technique Workshop

For Voice Specialists Offered Twice this Spring:

March 25-27, 2011Nacul Center

592 Main StreetAmherst, Massachusetts

May 13-15, 2011Ryder Hall, Boston

Hosted byThe Theatre Department of

Northeastern University

Faculty:Ruth Rootberg

Christine StevensMichaela Hauser-Wagner

www.alexandertechnique.com/amherst

Why the Alexander Technique?The Alexander Technique is gentle andnon-invasive. With instructive hands-onguidance, students of this self-caretechnique develop poise, natural grace,and stage presence. They become moreflexible in their willingness to changehabits and learn new patterns ofcoordination. Imagine developing theseskills for you and the people you instruct.

Participants in earlier Moving Voices withQuiet Hands workshops have beensingers, singing teachers, speech languagepathologists, actors, theatre voice teachers,and Alexander Technique teachers.Whether you are a beginner or advancedstudent of the Alexander Technique, thisworkshop will offer you more.

Tentative ScheduleFriday6:30-7:00 Registration7:00 – 9:00 Opening Seminar

Saturday & Sunday9:00 Morning sessionLunch on your ownAfternoon session ends between 4-5Saturday; between 3-4 on Sunday.Schedule for your weekend will beannounced once registration closes.

Areas of Learning:les of the Alexander Techniqueent and its relation to voicection and breathingctive rest procedures

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• Modeling non-reactivity• Alexander’s whispered “ah”• Maintaining poise during teaching and

performing• Positions of mechanical advantage

while placing hands on others• The Alexander style of touch

Participants will be instructed infundamental thinking and non-doingprocedures that can be applied during restand activity. Learning will be supportedwith individual hands-on instruction fromAmSAT certified Alexander Techniqueteachers. Participants will learn how theywill become more effective as they adopta non-doing attitude. Group discussionand individual exploration will supportindividual learning.

This workshop is intended to help voicespecialists begin to bring the principles ofthe Alexander Technique into their workand every day activities, but is not anypart of a training course to become anAlexander Technique Teacher, whichrequires a minimum of 1600 hours ofAmSAT-certified training over a 3-4 yearperiod.

About the Faculty

Ruth Rootbergwas certified as anAmSAT AlexanderTechnique teacherin 2003 and sincethen has accruedmany hours ofadvanced training.She sang operaafter receiving her

M.M. from the New EnglandConservatory of Music. Ruth wasAssociate Professor, teaching voice as adesignated Linklater voice teacher at theYale School of Drama. Also a LabanMovement Analyst, she has presentedintegrated voice and movementworkshops for ATHE, SAPVAME (SouthAfrica), the Voice Foundation, andAmSAT. Ruth has been a guest teacher ofmusic, dance, and theatre departments incolleges and universities throughout NewEngland.

Christine Stevens isa faculty member ofthe renowned BrownUniversity / TrinityRep MFA Programfor actors anddirectors where sheteaches the AT inProvidence RhodeIsland. A certified

teacher since 1992, Christine is also on the

faculty of the Alexander TechniqueSchool of New England and has taught thetechnique at UMASS Amherst andMarlboro College. She was a foundingmember of Hampshire ShakespeareCompany and most recently founded theVillage Theatre Co. She is an actress andvoice over artist, and performs improvwith local improv group the Ha Ha's.

Michaela Hauser-Wagner, a resident ofCheshire, CT, is anationally certifiedAlexander Techniqueteacher and is also agraduate from andteaching member oft h e A l e x a n d e rTechnique School

New England in Amherst, MA. Before shecame to the United States in 1991, she hadgraduated in Speech Language Pathologyfrom the University of Tübingen,Germany and worked extensively as aspeech therapist and voice clinician inGermany and Austria. Michaela teachesthe Alexander Technique in Connecticutto individuals and small groups, includingHigh School aged acting students, andcontinues to work with people who wantto improve or heal their voice.

LodgingAmherst: See Amherst Chamber ofCommerce: www.amherstarea.com, or forjust Bed and Breakfasts, go directly to:www.fivecollegebb.com. We suggestlodging in Amherst, Hadley andBelchertown will be the closest.

Boston: For lodging up to 3 miles fromcampus, see Northeastern University’swebsite: Visit Campus, “Places to Stay”www.northeastern.edu/admissions/visitcampus/stay.html.

DirectionsYour registration will be acknowledged assoon as it is received. Directions to yourworkshop along with specific schedulinginformation will be sent via e-mail 7-10days before your weekend

All photos © Clive J. Mealey

Registration Form(please print)

I am registering for:Amherst, March 25-27; Boston, May 13-15

Name__________________________

Address________________________

City______________State___Zip____

Affiliation_______________________

Phone__________________________

Cell____________________________

E-mail__________________________

Workshop Fee:Early registration $250 received for Amherstweekend by February 14, for Boston by April 4:Regular registration: $295

Cancellation Policy:Full Tuition is refundable (minus $25) ifcancellation notice is received one week before thestart of the workshop.

Mail completed form and check to:

Moving Voices with Quiet Handsc/o Ruth Rootberg478 Old Farm RoadAmherst, MA 01002-2755

Questions?RRootberg@comcast.net; 413 687-7566

Class size will be limited to keep a low student-teacher ratio; early response is highlyrecommended.