Back to the lab again...(2)
March 31, 2004
I've thought things over, and decided that I should give mr. other teacher a fair chance. I've already gathered such a donkey full of AT luggage that this obviously clouds my objective judgement of a new teacher. So, I'll go and have lessons for another four or five weeks, and find out if...if what? Dunno, but I don't want to give up that easily.
Back to the lab again...
March 31, 2004
Just returned from a lesson with another AT teacher. What a disappointment...I guess it's also a matter of perception, but after 10 minutes, I just wanted to go home an cry my eyes out. The teacher was a really nice guy, but what he did had nothing to do with AT as I know it. He was very focussed on proper movements and balance (while I thought that AT was about losing all that in order to find something new).
I don't know, but it felt like he was not directing at all. Not in the sense of sending this little flow of energy along with my own attempts at directing. Could that be it? Does a teacher have to direct in order to make a pupil direct? Also he was pulling at my arm quite hard, which to me gave the impression of pulling it 'in' (if I don't release my arm by properly directing up along the spine, away from my neck, away from my shoulder and so on, someone pulling at my arm actually gives the opposite of what is desired: shortening).
Another question that puzzles me is the difference between these master teachers; apparently, Carrington and MacDonald were quite different in their approaches. But how can that be? They were both students of Alexander, so how can their style differ so much? Do they? Or did D. personalise his teaching style to such an extent that it doesn't resemble AT anymore? In that case, I have a problem, because I prefer his method to this fumbling around
I don't know, but it felt like he was not directing at all. Not in the sense of sending this little flow of energy along with my own attempts at directing. Could that be it? Does a teacher have to direct in order to make a pupil direct? Also he was pulling at my arm quite hard, which to me gave the impression of pulling it 'in' (if I don't release my arm by properly directing up along the spine, away from my neck, away from my shoulder and so on, someone pulling at my arm actually gives the opposite of what is desired: shortening).
Another question that puzzles me is the difference between these master teachers; apparently, Carrington and MacDonald were quite different in their approaches. But how can that be? They were both students of Alexander, so how can their style differ so much? Do they? Or did D. personalise his teaching style to such an extent that it doesn't resemble AT anymore? In that case, I have a problem, because I prefer his method to this fumbling around
Back to the lab again...
March 31, 2004
Just returned from a lesson with another AT teacher. What a disappointment...I guess it's also a matter of perception, but after 10 minutes, I just wanted to go home an cry my eyes out. The teacher was a really nice guy, but what he did had nothing to do with AT as I know it. He was very focussed on proper movements and balance (while I thought that AT was about losing all that in order to find something new).
I don't know, but it felt like he was not directing at all. Not in the sense of sending this little flow of energy along with my own attempts at directing. Could that be it? Does a teacher have to direct in order to make a pupil direct? Also he was pulling at my arm quite hard, which to me gave the impression of pulling it 'in' (if I don't release my arm by properly directing up along the spine, away from my neck, away from my shoulder and so on, someone pulling at my arm actually gives the opposite of what is desired: shortening).
Another question that puzzles me is the difference between these master teachers; apparently, Carrington and MacDonald were quite different in their approaches. But how can that be? They were both students of Alexander, so how can their style differ so much? Do they? Or did D. personalise his teaching style to such an extent that it doesn't resemble AT anymore? In that case, I have a problem, because I prefer his method to this fumbling around
I don't know, but it felt like he was not directing at all. Not in the sense of sending this little flow of energy along with my own attempts at directing. Could that be it? Does a teacher have to direct in order to make a pupil direct? Also he was pulling at my arm quite hard, which to me gave the impression of pulling it 'in' (if I don't release my arm by properly directing up along the spine, away from my neck, away from my shoulder and so on, someone pulling at my arm actually gives the opposite of what is desired: shortening).
Another question that puzzles me is the difference between these master teachers; apparently, Carrington and MacDonald were quite different in their approaches. But how can that be? They were both students of Alexander, so how can their style differ so much? Do they? Or did D. personalise his teaching style to such an extent that it doesn't resemble AT anymore? In that case, I have a problem, because I prefer his method to this fumbling around