IADMS Madrid 2001   [back to the Category]

Using touch and imagery to improve alignment and flexibility   [read the french version]

Author :   Eric Franklin, BFA, ETH

Friday 2 November 2001
9:00 – 10:00 am

Using touch and imagery to improve alignment and flexibility

Eric Franklin, BFA, ETH, Institute for Movement Imagery Education, Wetzikon, Zurich, Switzerland

This session will show how to use touch and imagery to create effortless alignment and increased flexibility. As stretching may not be unproblematic for the dancer, it is important to introduce alternative approaches to flexibility training.
Flexibility and alignment are interrelated. Incorrect alignment causes muscular imbalances that are detrimental to flexibility. Also, conditioning with poor alignment can lead to loss of flexibility by building strength into undesirable movement patterns. Imagery can be used to increase efficiency by which your nervous system directs the movement and help achieve maximum flexibility during a conditioning routine.
In the first part of the session the attendees will experience how to use self touch and imagery to improve upper body alignment and release shoulder and neck tension common in dancers. Touch and imagery will be introduced to deepen the breath, create a sense of grounding and improve balance. The session will demonstrate different types of imagery-touch combinations and discuss their benefits in the classroom teaching environment
Many dance teachers use touch and imagery in class. This session will therefore introduce the issues that need to be considered when using touch. Also, the way imagery is combined with touch can greatly increase the efficiency of each of the individual modalities. Other practical applications of the session are improving pelvic alignment and hip flexibility as well as releasing tension in the lower back.