This paper discusses the way we use our bodies. It considers the role of muscle tension and proprioception, or body awareness, in dancers alignment and movement quality from the perspective of the Alexander Technique. It then discusses the Alexander Technique as a method for facilitating ease of movement while dancing. It benefits both teachers and students to 'make it easy' for themselves. Alignment, Tension and Proprioception Bodily alignment plays a very important part in ease of movement and coordination.
Movement looks better and feels better, when a dancer or student has a well balanced alignment.
We all have a characteristic alignment, which is usually thought of as the arrangement or 'stacking' of our bones on top of each other. Alignment involves more than this however, it forms the dynamic series of inter-relationships between the various parts and structures of our bodies. It is changing constantly, and yet always changes within a characteristic pattern, reflecting your personality. Your alignment reflects the way you 'use' your body , the way in which you integrate all of your parts together, how they interact and relate in movement. It is by their characteristic alignment that we recognise our friends from a distance, yet our own alignment resides almost completely out of our conscious awareness.