History of the International Congresses of the F. M. Alexander Technique
| At the 1st International Congress in New York in 1986. From left to right; front row: Dilys Carrington, Marjory Barlow, Marjorie Barstow, Shoshana Kaminitz. Back row: Michael Frederick, Wilfred Barlow, Walter Carrington, Patrick Macdonald, Lena Frederick. |
| It was the American teacher Michael Frederick who set up the first congress in 1986 in response to the need for exchange of work and ideas between different strands of teaching. Since F. M. Alexander's death it was inevitable that different teachers would evolve in different directions, although the principles of the Technique have remained the same. Due to the openness and independence of the International Congresses, they have succeded admirably in bringing together all different traditions and styles of practising and teaching the Technique.
For an article by Doris Dietschy on the history of the first five congresses, see "Background and Significance". For an article by Michael Frederick on the origin of the International Congresses, see "Reflections". For an article by Jean M. O. Fischer on the 7th International Congress, see "Oxford". The table below outlines some details from previous congresses. |
| No. | Place | Date | Theme | Number of participants | Directors | Papers published |
| 1st | Stony Brook, New York, USA | 1986 | "The Alexander Technique, a Worldwide Perspective" | 250 | Michael Frederick | none |
| 2nd | Brighton, England | August 1988 | "Research, Training and Stagecraft" | 500 | Michael Frederick | The Congress Papers - Towards Unity (Direction, Sydney, undated) |
| 3rd | Engelberg, Switzerland | August 1991 | "The Development of a Profession" | 560 | Michael Frederick | The Congress Papers - A Spirit of Learning Together (Direction, Sydney, undated) |
| 4th | Sydney, Australia | July 1994 | "125 Years On: The Meaning of Change" | 250 | David Garlick | The Congress Papers - 125 Years On: The Meaning of Change (Direction, Sydney, 1996) |
| 5th | Jerusalem, Israel | 14-20 August 1996 | "Back to Basics" | 200 | Shmuel Nelken, Ora Nelken, Rika Cohen | The Congress Papers - Back to Basics (privately printed by Shmuel Nelken, Jerusalem, 1999) |
| 6th |
Freiburg, Germany | August 1999 | "An Ongoing Discovery: Looking Towards the 21st Century" | 550 | Karoline Erdmann, Daniel Susstrunk, Michael Fortwangler, Doris Dietschy | The Congress Papers - An Ongoing Discovery: Looking Towards the 21st Century (STAT Books, London, 2000) |
| 7th | Oxford, England | 16-22 August 2004 | "Exploring the Principles" | 710 | Jean M. O. Fischer, Peter Ribeaux, Lucia Walker | To be published. |
|
Sydney 1994.
Australia Congress participants. |
 |
|
Home (The International Congresses of the Alexander Technique)
|
Feedback | |
| 7th Congress introduction | History | |
| Congresses: background and significance | ||
| On the origin of Congresses | ||
| Site map | credits | report site troubles |