Cultivating a lively use of tension: the synergy between Acting and the Alexander Technique
Teva Bjerken, Belinda Mello and Robin Mello
Theatre, Dance and Performance Training Volume 3, Issue1, 2012

Abstract:
This paper explores how the Alexander Technique concept of ‘use’ provides a means for exploring tension within the pedagogy and practice of mentoring young actors/artists. It presents examples taken from classroom instruction, linking the Alexander Technique with acting performance as two related and synergistic processes. It also provides examples from basic curricular processes and examines a composite case study, which stands as an aggregate portrait for students working in a university-based conservatory training program. The discussion concentrates on how learners develop a lively, flexible and psychophysically grounded craft and ends by reflecting on the function of the Alexander Technique and its ability to provide a framework for theatre artists.

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The Alexander Technique offers more than a relief of physical tension for the actor. It is an effective means to come to know habits of posture and movement and to develop a greater range of conscious choice directly relating to embodiment. Additionally, the AT thought process begins with a positive suggestion of “Letting/allowing…”, just as the acting process asks for “Yes, and…” to engage impulse, imagination and lively exchange. The psycho-physical freedom that this thinking invites, allows the actor to suspend the habit of controlling response and limiting authenticity. The actor is also more able to access and incorporate on an intuitive level all of their research and personal investigation. In this open and readied state, the actor moment to moment expresses truth through his/her physical being, as informed by craft and intuition.

Teva’s class redefined how I relate to my body- onstage and off. I’m now more aware of how attention, desire, and tension shape the way I move through the world. As an actor, that awareness is essential to telling the story I want to tell. One of my most valuable takeaways has been crafting an intentional AT warmup that helps me center myself and move with ease. Whether I’m in a high-stakes audition or just standing on the subway, I now have tools to return to myself and share from a place of flow. This work has been very personal, and, at times, challenging, but ultimately transformative.

    Nicholas Matos, original cast member of SMASH on Broadway

I have been fortunate to work with Teva now for the past seven years. The majority of that work started in grad school, and it is without a doubt some of the best actionable learning I received in my Acting MFA. As professional colleagues, I have continued to take private lessons with Teva to help with everything from role preparation to physical upkeep. There are few things that make a middle-aged actor with a history of chronic illness feel as physically capable as this work, specifically through Teva’s guidance. Her process of releasing unnecessary tension and embodying character has been among my favorite tools for any performance I am working on – from improv comedy shows that have complete unpredictability to feature films with tight technical specifications. If part of acting excellence is physical transformation (which I believe it often is), the AT is a cornerstone.

Mike- film, theater and improv comedy actor