Jamie Mc Dowell

The Arm - An Overview of its Structure, Function and Use
 
The human arm is an interesting and complex part of ourselves. It provides us with the capability for locomotion as well as the means for the precise and sensitive picking up and manipulation of small objects. Activities and enterprises as diverse as playing sport, making music music and writing literature would barely exist without the use of our arms. The workshop will be mixture of lecture/demonstration and practical work in pairs. In the workshop we will explore the following topics: The practical anatomy of the arm as a system. A short review of the evolutionary context in which the arm and hand developed. Comparison with other primates: arboreal life and diet, knuckle walking. Features of the human hand: fingers and thumbs. How the arm functions in relation to the rest of the body. How we use of our hands in teaching.


 

Styles of Teaching
 
Most of us have teaching style that is familiar to us but which is
different from the styles of some others who are also 'teaching the
Alexander Technique'.
We might think that we are teaching the pure form while they are not. They might have reached the same conclusion. The idea of a 'pure' form does not appeal to me. It seems at variance with the reality of the world around us and leads to isolation.

I'm curious about teachers who have a different style from me and I want to know what's the value of that other style. I would like to reach and extend my own understanding of what is good, useful and appropriate in Alexander teaching. I would like to make a small exploration into this big and important topic. I will propose a simple model of three different styles, attempting to describe their significant features, their main focus of interest and the principle ideas which inform them.

In practical work, we can explore the ways of working which are familiar and also some ways which are unfamiliar. Part 'lecture' part discussion, part practical working together.