https://poiseandpresence.info/, https://linktr.ee/ruthhommelsheim

Ruth Hommelsheim AT, London (2025)

15/11/2025

Alexander Technique Conversations: Nelly Ben-Or
https://youtu.be/Prp-kgu8npk

In this conversation I speak with Nelly Ben-Or MBE, renowned concert pianist and Alexander Technique teacher living in London.

A Holocaust survivor born in 1933 in Lwów, Poland (now Ukraine), Nelly's story is one of remarkable resilience. During World War II, she and her mother escaped the ghetto where her family was imprisoned, assuming false identities and posing as Roman Catholics to survive in Warsaw. It was there, while her mother worked as a maid, that a family discovered Nelly's extraordinary musical gift and arranged for her to receive piano lessons—a twist of fate that would define her life's path.

In 1957, Nelly came to England to take lessons and later train in the Alexander Technique with Patrick Macdonald, qualifying in 1963 as the first pianist ever to become a teacher of the technique. She has since established herself as a distinguished concert pianist and groundbreaking educator, teaching piano and the Alexander Technique at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama since 1975, where she is now a Fellow and Professor. Today, she is internationally recognised as the world's leading authority on applying the Alexander Technique to piano performance—a field in which she has specialised for over forty-five years.

Throughout her career, Nelly has performed and broadcast in numerous countries in recitals, with orchestras, and in chamber music settings. Her extensive discography includes many recordings for the BBC, spanning repertoire from the 18th to the 20th centuries. She continues to give masterclasses to pianists worldwide, sharing her unique expertise and pedagogical approach.

In 2020, Nelly was appointed MBE in the Queen's Honours List for her invaluable services to Holocaust education, honouring her dedication to preserving these crucial historical memories.

07/11/2025

In Conversation with Richard Brennan
https://youtu.be/uD7cQ-M93SM

In this conversation I speak with Richard Brennan, an experienced Alexander Technique teacher, author and Director of Training at the Alexander Technique Centre based in Galway, Ireland.

After suffering from chronic back pain and sciatica in the 1970s, Richard eventually found relief through the Alexander Technique in 1984. He qualified as a teacher in 1989 and has since established a thriving practice in Galway. He started Ireland's first Alexander Teacher Training College in 1998 and co-founded the Irish Society of Alexander Technique Teachers (ISATT) in 2004

Richard has taught at universities internationally and was the director of the 10th International Alexander Technique Congress in Limerick (2015) as well as the director of Alexander Teacher’s Conventions (2013 – 2026). He is the author of nine books on the Alexander Technique, translated into 22 languages, and has been featured in major newspapers, magazines, and on National radio and Television in UK, Ireland, Croatia and Montenegro. His practical approach focuses on helping people find solutions to pain, stress, and performance obstacles, making the Alexander Technique accessible to a wide audience.

01/11/2025

In Conversation with Carsten Moeller - Alexander Technique
https://youtu.be/B1BGXm_ifSE

In this conversation I speak with Carsten Møller, Alexander Technique teacher and teacher trainer in Denmark.

Carsten lives and works in Copenhagen, where he runs a private Alexander Technique practice and directs the Center for Alexanderteknik, which he founded in 2004.

He trained as an Alexander Technique teacher with Joseph Artzi from 1986 to 1989. In addition to his private teaching, Carsten has taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, the Rhythmic Music Conservatory, and the Danish National School of Performing Arts (Den Danske Scenekunstskole), working with actors, directors, and the dance department. He has also been invited to teach staff at various private companies and public institutions, and has led workshops for Finstatand Dflat, as well as in Germany.

Beyond his Alexander work, Carsten has practiced Ki Aikido since 1983 and runs his own dojo in Copenhagen. He has taught Aikido internationally in Brazil, Germany, Poland, Croatia, Sweden, and Scotland.

Carsten is also a certified Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist (since 2017) and an IFS (Internal Family Systems) certified practitioner (since 2021).
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27/10/2025

In Conversation with Dan Armon - Alexander Technique and Poetry

https://youtu.be/9TBtyKPfWR0

In this conversation I speak with Dan Armon, senior Alexander Technique teacher and acclaimed Hebrew poet based in Tel Aviv.

Dan Armon was born in Jerusalem in 1948. He studied Hebrew literature and theatre at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and after his studies worked at a children's theatre in Tel Aviv and for a daily newspaper. His first book of poetry, published in 1977, was followed by several additional volumes, and his literary achievements have been recognised with prestigious honours including the Prime Minister's Prize (1998) and the Pinski Prize for Theater (1999).

He trained with Shmuel Nelken—who was among the first to bring the Alexander Technique to Israel and had studied with F.M. Alexander himself—beginning in 1976, and has been teaching the Alexander Technique since 1978. Later he was invited to open a training school in Freiburg, which he ran for 3.5 years. From 1998 to 2022, he was head of training of the "School for F.M. Alexander Technique" in Berlin (later renamed the Alexander Technique Centre Berlin). Over more than two decades, he shaped the training of around 150 teachers with an approach that combines meditative depth, artistic thinking and refined somatic awareness.

As both poet and teacher, Dan Armon brings a unique integration of language, stillness and movement to his work. His teaching is known for its emphasis on the development of sensitive, responsive hands and for guiding students toward what he calls "the still point"—a state of alert presence beyond habitual reactivity. He now lives and works in Tel Aviv, and regularly returns to Germany for workshops and teaching engagements.

24/10/2025

In Conversation with Delphine Miller - Alexander Technique and the ability to stay back

https://youtu.be/QnAGnUu9YF4

In this interview I speak with Delphine Miller, experienced Alexander Technique teacher, teacher trainer, and Occupational Therapist based in London.

Delphine has roots in the performing arts stretching back to her time at the Art’sEducational School. She holds professional qualifications in Drama and Psychology, Occupational Therapy as well as in the Alexander Technique. After qualifying, Delphine worked for a number of years as a teacher trainer on Misha Magidov’s North London Teacher Training Course before becoming a member of the training team at Anthony Kingsley’s ATTS in North London.

Alongside her busy private practice in Crouch End, North London, Delphine has worked as a resident Alexander Teacher at the Bloomsbury Alexander Centre. She also has run workshops in adult education institutes. Linking with her work at senior level in the NHS she has collaborated on an innovative research project on the benefits of Alexander Technique for people with M.E. /Chronic Fatigue Syndrome at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Though practice and study she has developed a specialised knowledge in the application of the Alexander Technique to pregnancy and childbirth, and she currently provides seminars on this topic as part of the training offered at the ATTS.

In recent years Delphine has been teaching many musicians, including those studying at music conservatories such as the Royal Academy of Music. This has has developed partly due to her son Miles Mindlin, an established Jazz guitarist who has had regular lessons from an early age. During his time at the Royal Academy of Music and Manhattan School of Music, he has been vocal to his colleagues about the value the technique has brought to his performance and practice.
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26/09/2025

In Conversation with Peter Buckoke - Alexander Technique in Music Education
https://youtu.be/Zg5Uf_x55yY

In this conversation I speak with Peter Buckoke, double bass player, Professor, and teacher of the Alexander Technique based in London.

He is Professor of Double Bass at the Royal College of Music, where he also leads the Alexander Technique programme, integrating holistic approaches to performance for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. A founding member of the Schubert Ensemble of London, winners of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s ‘Best Chamber Group’ award, Buckoke has performed with premier chamber groups including the Nash Ensemble and the Alberni, Allegri, Arditi, Chillingirian, Coul, Dante, and Endellion string quartets and the London Handel Players.

He is the co-author of "The Alexander Technique for Musicians" (with Judith Kleinman), and is well known for his innovative teaching, deep chamber music experience, and advocacy for musicians’ health and performance excellence.

Peter is a qualified craniosacral therapist. This work is beautifully compatible and complimentary to the Alexander Technique.
In his spare time, Peter looks after 14 colonies of honey bees.
https://www.alexandernow.org/

in

12/09/2025

Alexander Technique Conversations # 14: Dorothea Magonet
https://youtu.be/F8ba9Q48inE?si=LQ7M4dNCD2NqDpUb

In this conversation I speak with Dorothea Magonet, Alexander Technique teacher and visual artist based in London.

Dorothea discovered the Alexander Technique in the 1970s during her physiotherapy training and went on to qualify as a teacher in 1983 with Misha Magidov. For over 40 years she has taught people of all ages in private practice in West Hampstead, London (and now also online), as well as internationally.

Since 1984 she has been on the staff of the Royal Academy of Music, supporting musicians and singers in applying the Technique to their craft. She has led workshops and conferences across Europe and Japan, collaborated with projects in swimming, dance, and early years education, and is a STAT Moderator for Alexander teacher training courses worldwide.
Dorothea has also served on the Council of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT), including as Chair and Honorary Secretary, and continues to play an active role in the profession. Alongside her teaching, she pursues her own Fine Art practice.
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in

29/08/2025

In Conversation with Gunda Fielden - Alexander Technique and Theatre
https://youtu.be/K1g-gQfTKio

In this conversation, I speak with Gunda Fielden, head of training at Alexander Technique Training South West.

Gunda graduated from AZAT Berlin in 1996. She has taught on training courses for much of her time as a teacher, working at AZAT (1996-1999), teaching voice work at BATTSA in Bristol (2008-2011), and working as Deputy Head at CCARE in Totnes (2014-2019). She took over as Head of CCARE in 2019 and changed the name to ATTSW.

Gunda has a huge experience in one-to-one lessons as well as workshops and professional development work for teachers.

Before becoming an Alexander Technique teacher, Gunda worked in the theatre as a Director and Stage Manager and ran acting workshops. She has a particular interest in voice work – helping people reclaim the natural ease and resonance of their spoken voice, and is a strong advocate of the Technique’s role in positive ageing and a better experience of pregnancy and childbirth.
https://alexandertechniquesouthwest.com/
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25/08/2025

Some more impressions from the AT Congress in Dublin
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and many more.
photos by .info

22/08/2025

Alexander Technique Conversation #12: Alan Philps (CTC)
https://youtu.be/Hk79T7xwTuA?si=rW6dOmlVQRtvMrOn

In this conversation, I speak with Alan Philps, AT teacher and director of the Constructive Teaching Centre in London.

Alan Philps came to the Alexander Technique through performance. As an actor, he trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, Australia and then moved to London to study voice with Florence Norberg in 1976.

Performers of all kinds are often painfully aware of the effects of tension and stress on their ability to perform. Chronic stress, aches and pains and 'bad posture' plague the industry. The way we use our body is also crucial to the strength of a performance - for clarity of speech, stamina, subtlety and authenticity. Alan was not alone in struggling with these issues, and it was at this time that he came across the Alexander Technique. Since then, it has been the focus of his life and career.

Alan trained with Walter and Dilys Carrington from 1983-85. Walter and Dilys were the foremost proponents of the Alexander Technique across the world for many years. They were trained by F.M. Alexander himself and continued his work, training teachers at the Constructive Teaching Centre in London. Alan has worked on that course since completing his training and is now the Director and Head of Training at CTC.

He also specialises in voice work and presents voice workshops internationally. He conducts both group and individual voice work at the Constructive Teaching Centre, where he also gives private lessons in the Alexander Technique. He also has a private practice in Wedmore, Somerset.
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15/08/2025

Have you seen this interview?

Alexander Technique Conversations #11: Caroline Dale
https://youtu.be/JZZnzfQZpkg?si=TkoYaEluL47yth30

In this conversation, I speak with Caroline Dale, Alexander Technique and meditation teacher based in Devon.

Caroline began having Alexander Technique lessons in 1996 in her search for relief from a frozen shoulder and RSI. She realised that she would probably not be able to continue with her profession as an international Art Consultant unless her problems could be resolved.

After a series of lessons, her symptoms had all but gone, and she found myself to be deeply interested in the principles underlying Alexander’s discoveries and how they had alleviated the disorders that were seriously impacting her body and general health.

Over the next two years, Caroline began to realise the potential for Alexander’s work within many areas of society, and she decided to train as a teacher. Her three-year training ended in 2001, and she has been teaching a wide variety of people since then. Her pupils have ranged in age from 6 to 94 and have included a wide variety of reasons for exploring the technique. Caroline worked as a trainer at The Alexander Teacher Training School in London for several years. She now lives and works in Devon.

13/08/2025

The is over, and I had lots of good experiences and learnings! Here are some impressions from my official job as the congress photographer.
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and many more.
photos by .info

Ruth Hommelsheim AT

15/11/2025

07/11/2025

01/11/2025

27/10/2025

24/10/2025

26/09/2025

12/09/2025

29/08/2025

25/08/2025

22/08/2025

15/08/2025

13/08/2025

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