From how we’ve made it here to where we stand now: The presence of the Alexander Technique in higher education in Brazil

Abstract

This article traces the arrival of the Alexander Technique in Brazil in the 1980s and its later insertion in higher education in the country. It focuses on two experiences: one at Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – UNIRIO (Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro) – as a university extension course for musicians and one at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais – UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais and State University of Campinas) as an elective subject for dancers as part of the undergraduate dance course. The article aims to discuss the particularities as well as the challenges of introducing the Alexander Technique for the first time to trained dancers and musicians. The methodological approach included interviews with Alexander Technique teachers working and living in Brazil as well as the author’s personal experiences teaching the Alexander Technique in a university setting, articulated with the literature on this topic. The article hopes to contribute to the reflection on the role of somatic practices in higher education in order to collaborate with strategies that may help the teaching-learning process in an artistic-pedagogical academic environment.