2023 Annual Conference Sponsorship Election Applications

Hello! Please read through our ATI Sponsor applications, both for re-election, and new nominations. Click through the table of contents below to read through the information from each applicant. If you would prefer to read the application in a different language, feel free to change the website into your preferred language using the Google Translate feature. 

ATI Sponsors up for Re-election

William Conable
Robin Gilmore
Junko Nakashiro

New ATI Sponsor Nominations

Belinda Mello
Ariel Weiss

 

ATI Sponsors up for Re-election

 

William Conable

Applicants Sponsored in last 5 years:

  1. Gabriele Breuninger, Arashiyama, 2018
  2. Cannot remember the name, Boone, NC, 2018

ATI Annual Conference & AGMs Attended: 

Japan - 2018
Ireland - 2019
Online - 2020
Online - 2021
Online - 2022

Committees:

  1. Agenda Planning Committee
  2. ATI Board

Number of lessons per week: 3

Number of workshops presented in the last 5 years: 11+

Training apprenticeships or programs:  IMAT-Director (Spokane), CBAS-Guest (Greensboro), Corinne Cassini-Guest (Boone)

Reason for re-qualifying as an ATI Sponsor: To continue to support my own and other students, to uphold high practical standards

Describe how you evaluate candidates: Talk with them about the AT, watch them teach, have them teach me, teach them. I am reluctant to participate in online sponsorship.

Teaching approach/philosophy: My teaching is based on my training with Marjorie Barstow and Frank Pierce Jones along with extensive development of the concept of body mapping and the recent work I have done to integrate my Alexander experience with my training in energy work. This last does not change the Alexander work, but mainly clarifies it.


Robin Gilmore

Applicants Sponsored in last 5 years:

  1. Judith Cline, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, 2018
  2. Eric Kildow, Greensboro, NC, 2018
  3. Peter Legowski, Greensboro, NC, 2018
  4. Meredith Cooper, Greensboro, NC, 2019
  5. Mike Dillman, Greensboro, NC, 2019
  6. Daniel Hearn, Greensboro, NC, 2018
  7. Rebekah Chappell, Greensboro, NC & online, 2020
  8. Joe Pecoraro, Greensboro, NC & online, 2020
  9. Toni Sheads, Greensboro, NC & online, 2020
  10. Kristin Kundert, Greensboro, NC & online, 2021
  11. Ashlee Daniels Taylor, Greensboro, NC & online, 2023
  12. Bridget Rue Esterhuizen, Greensboro, NC & online, 2023
  13. Kevin Streich, Greensboro, NC & online, 2023
  14. Davis Hill, Spokane, Washington, USA & online, 2023
  15. Alyssa Franks, online, 2023

ATI Annual Conference & AGMs Attended: 

  1. Online - 2020
  2. Online - 2021
  3. Online - 2022

Committees:

Nominations Co-Chair 2022-present

Number of lessons per week: 1-2

Number of workshops presented in the last 5 years: 15

Training apprenticeships or programs: Chesapeake Bay Alexander Studies (CBAS), North Carolina Training Program, Director, 2004-2022;KAPPA, Kyoto, Japan, 1993-1999, DirectorIMAT, Spokane, Washington & online, Guest Teacher, 2018-2022

Reason for re-qualifying as an ATI Sponsor: Training AT teachers is my passion. I have been an ATI Sponsor from the beginning. To me, the Sponsorship process is continuing education and is the beginning of a lifelong process of growth and development for each candidate.

Describe how you evaluate candidates: With all candidates, whether in person or virtual, I want to observe them teach a 30 minute lesson to someone who is new (or newish) to AT. If possible, I also observe the candidate teach a short activity lesson in front of a group. Following the observed teaching, the candidate and I discuss how it went (what went well, what could use improvement, what to do with that student in future lessons, etc.) This feedback session is a constructive dialogue. For years, I have covered the Code of Ethics in a separate session PRIOR to the observed teaching. With small groups of trainees, we do this together, taking turns reading the Code of Ethics aloud. We pause for questions or discussion after each point. With individuals who aren't from my training, I do this same process either in person, by phone or virtually.

Teaching approach/philosophy: 


Junko Nakashiro

Applicants Sponsored in last 5 years: 

  1. Keiko Hirayama
  2. Kbnako Matubara
  3. Kei Horiuchi
  4. Akio Takaoka
  5. Yoshiko Takeda

ATI Annual Conference & AGMs Attended: 

  1. Japan - 2018

Committees:

毎年年末のスポンサーミーティングに参加しています。

Number of lessons per week: 7回から10回

Number of workshops presented in the last 5 years: 1年に2

Training apprenticeships or programs: 1990年からトレーニングコーススタートし、1997年に1600時間を終了し、卒業しました。

Reason for re-qualifying as an ATI Sponsor: 谷村英司氏主催のトレーニングコースの教師として今も指導しています。生徒が卒業後ATIに入会する、手助けをしたいと思っています。

Describe how you evaluate candidates: アレクサンダー原理の理解、ハンズオンの技術のレベル、レッスン中説明する言葉の使い方、解剖学の基礎知識。

Teaching approach/philosophy:  生徒自身が気づけるようにアプローチし、実践を通してアレクサンダー原理が使えるように指導しています。私自身は、忍耐強く生徒の話しを聞くこを大切にしています。そして理解しやすい言葉を使うようにしています。


 

New ATI Sponsor Nominations

 

Requirements for applying as an ATI sponsor:

 

The qualitative nature and inclusivity of the application process places trust in the good judgment of the candidates nominators, the CCC and the membership.

 

  • Members applying for an ATI Sponsor position must find three ATI members in good standing to nominate the applicant, at least one of whom is an ATI Sponsor. Nominators must have first-hand knowledge of the applicant as a teacher and have experienced the applicant's Alexander Technique teaching.
  • The applicant holds an ATI teaching certificate.
  • The applicant has currently been a member of ATI for several years and during that time has served on a committee or board of directors for more than one year and has attended the business meetings at more than one annual conference.
  • The applicant has been teaching the Alexander Technique professionally for at least 7 years.
 

Belinda Mello

Date of ATI Certificate: 07/31/1996

Nominator 1: Sarah Barker
ATI Sponsor?:  Yes

ATI_Mello_SponsorNomination_SarahBarker.docx

Nominator 2: Bill Conable
ATI Sponsor?: Yes

ATI_Mello_SponsorNomination_BillConable.pdf

Nominator 3: Dana Calvey
ATI Sponsor?: No

ATI_Mello_SponsorNomination_DanaCalvey_2023.docx

Training teachers and locations: 

  • Marjorie Barstow: Nebraska summer programs, AT Foundation in Philadelphia, 1985-89
  • Bruce Fertman, Martha Hanson Fertman, Meade Andrews, Jan Baty, AT Foundation/Alexander Technique School of Philadelphia, 1985-89
  • William Conable, workshops, private lessons, co-teaching, locations include Columbus, Ohio and Spokane, WA, 1985 to present
  • John Nicholls, New York City, Post-graduate course in the Carrington Way and private lessons, 2003 – 2004
  • Luc Vanier, Rebecca Nettl-Fiol, Dart Procedures Post-Graduate Course, NYC 2015
  • Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Developmental Movement and Endocrine System, Amherst MA and NYC 1980-87

Training dates: 08/30/1985 - 05/30/1989

How long have you been a teacher?: 34 years

Have you served on any ATI Committees?: 

 

Just Inclusion - Working Group: Currently a member Anti Racism and Diversity Working Group: 2020-2022 Membership Committee Chair: 2018-19 AGM Site Coordination Committee Chair 2015-17 Website Committee member 2009-11 Liaison to ISMETA 2008 Ethics Committee member 1996-2000

 

Have you been teaching regularly since you completed your training?: Yes

Average # of lessons/classes: 15 - 20 lessons and 2-5 classes per week

Do you train Alexander teachers?: No

How long have you been training Alexander teachers?: N/A

Number of teachers trained: 0

Do you give post-graduate workshops for other teachers?: Yes

Are you an ATI Certified teaching member?: Yes

How long have you been an ATI member?: 27 years

Have you attended an ATI Annual Conference?:  Yes

Which conference?: 

2021, 2020, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2011, 2009, 1998, 1996, 1994,1993

Why you want to be a Sponsor: Becoming a Sponsoring Member of ATI reflects my commitment to the growth and strength of ATI and our community of members. Having served on ATI committees and working groups, I understand the importance of our continued growth and our ability to welcome new, well-prepared teaching members. I envision our membership reflecting a wide diversity of people who value the discoveries of FM Alexander. I am prompted to apply for the role of Sponsor by my experiences in teaching trainees and teachers of the Alexander Technique, many from other AT certifying societies. Along with individual instruction, I offer post-graduate courses on group teaching and course development grounded in over 25 years of experience in university and conservatory programs. Like many of my colleagues in ATI who share a lineage through Marj Barstow, I am a self-directed learner and teach in the role of mentor. I am known as a keen observer who can offer precise feedback with compassion, respect and humor. I believe that 35 years of mentoring and coaching has uniquely prepared me to be a Sponsor, and it would be an honor to contribute to ATI in this way.

Outline of teaching/administrative experience: In Chronological Order:

  • 1989 - Completed teacher training and began 7 yrs of teaching at The Open Center in NYC where I helped coordinate an AT teachers’ collaboration
  • 1995 - Began work as a guest artist & teacher in the New York City Area, where I still work today with organizations such as, the Siti Company, Brave New World Rep, etc.
  • 2000-2015 - Worked as Adjunct Professor on the faculty of City University of New York/ Brooklyn College Theatre Department
  • 2008 - re-branded and launched private studio business: AT Motion, providing individual and weekly group instruction as well as summer intensives for performing artists
  • 2010 - Began work as guest artist and teacher of workshops and intensives in cities outside of NY including Spokane, Columbus, Toronto, Colorado Springs, Phoenix
  • 2012-2021 - Co-designed and ran the Freedom to ACT Conference on acting and the Alexander Technique in New York City every year for 10 years
  • 2012 - Joined faculty of conservatory acting programs in New York City including Tom Todoroff Studio, The Barrow Group, The Siti Company Conservatory, Terry Knickerbocker Studio where I still work today
  • 2015 - Ran the Live-Streaming Class Series: Freedom for Acting: in collaboration with Ann Rodiger (Invited guest teachers: Jessica Wolf, Betsy Polatin, Meade Andrews, Kathryn Armour)
  • 2016 -19 - Collaborated with the Poise Project: Developed group course curricula for care-partners of people with Parkinson’s Disease, teacher training and featured presenter in Basel, Switzerland
  • 2018 and 2022 - Presented at AT International Congresses in Chicago and Berlin
  • 2018-2022 - Developed AT Motion Center for Actors with Dana Calvey in New York City. Our projects included online classes.
  • 2022 - Relocated AT Motion Studio in New York City where I am offering advanced study and application for actors and planning to offer a new program, AT Teacher’s Forum, in Fall 2023Publication: Teva Bjerken, Belinda Mello & Robin Mello (2012): Cultivating a lively use of tension: the synergy between acting and the Alexander Technique, Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 3:1, 27-40

Details of trainings and courses: 

  • Post Graduate Courses at AT Motion, New York City:
  • 2013: Seminar for teachers. Topic: how to design a course for acting students. Four monthly meetings Syllabus and rubric design
  • How to: Building a learning environment
  • Offered matching support materials, assignments to lesson plans, coaching and support for new teachers2015-17: Teaching Groups/ Building Groups
  • Six bi-weekly meetings
  • Discussion of principles and how to build a class progression
  • Provided examples of experiential learning and evaluation
  • How to use games or activities with different populations. (Included concepts from Theater of the Oppressed.)
    • Note: This course ran 3 times. Attendees included teachers from other societies and teacher-trainees from The Philadelphia School.

If you have helped assess teachers in someone else’s training or for another Alexander society, please give details: I have done assessments of student growth outside of a teacher training program. As a college and conservatory teacher, I have built rubrics, used a variety of tools for assessment including video. As an organizer of the annual Freedom to Act Conference, I have assessed presentation proposals from other AT teachers for clarity of communication of AT principles.

Other relevant info: I have been actively involved with the AT Diversity Coalition, the AT Liberation Project, the ATI working group on anti-racism and Just Inclusion. Diversity and equity in the AT and in the AT workplace is of great importance to me personally, and I think of this as a global concern. I took online training in 2020-2021 on this topic: Embodied Social Justice and Council Circle Facilitation.

Procedures for evaluation: 

I am new to this process. This is how I would begin – I’m ready and willing to learn more. Careful consideration of any available information about the conduct of the candidate. In doing so, I would also request of myself an attitude of kindness, patience and respect. Discussion with the candidate to determine strength of their conceptual integration of principles and literature. This could be done on a zoom call. I would ask about what they most appreciate and enjoy about the Alexander Technique. By starting with their personal motivation as the topic, I will get an opportunity to observe how they treat themselves, how they coordinate when speaking about something they care about. I would be listening to the quality of their voice throughout the interview. Continuing, I would ask about their understanding of Alexander’s discoveries and how they have influenced their development as a teacher and other aspects of their life. The candidate would be asked to relate this discussion to AT literature, giving specific examples that they would share with a student. Demonstration of embodied principles in daily activities. I’d like the candidate to actively demonstrate how they might teach a lesson involving a simple activity from daily life. This is an opportunity for them to include some mapping or simple anatomy. This combination of discussion and demonstration without an actual student present will allow me to observe how the applicant embodies the principles with less pressure than when a student is present. It gives them a chance to show me if they can constructively teach an activity lesson. Demonstration of a short introductory lesson. I would prefer to meet in person, but I am skilled at teaching online, so this could be a zoom meeting. I would be looking for the applicant to show their ability to clearly and simply communicate. I will be asking these questions as I observe: Can they demonstrate and explain the Alexander Technique in a manner that matches the pupil's learning ability and the concerns the pupil has brought in with them? Do they introduce the use of their hands appropriately? Does their instruction allow pupils to sense a positive change in their coordination? The demonstration lesson will be followed by a discussion. I will be listening for honest and specific self-evaluation. The applicant should be able to attend to both themselves and their student.I will offer feedback about what seemed most effective and areas of concern.

 


Ariel Weiss

Date of ATI Certificate: 06/20/2003

Nominator 1: Debi Adams
ATI Sponsor?: Yes

ATI_Weiss_SponsorNominatorsForm_DebiAdams.docx

Nominator 2: Bob Lada
ATI Sponsor?: Yes

ATI_Weiss_SponsorNominatorsForm_BobLada.docx

Nominator 3: Martha Fertman
ATI Sponsor?: No

ATI_Weiss_SponsorNominatorsForm_MarthaFertman.docx

Training teachers and locations: 

  • Marj Barstow workshops in Lincoln, NE, NYC and Washington, DC 1983-90
  • Bruce and Martha Fertman Philadelphia + Hampshire College 1983 - ?
  • Thommy Thompson Philadelphia, Cambridge and DC 1983- ?
  • Barbara and Bill Conable Antioch College and Philadelphia 1978-88
  • Don Weed n Lincoln, NE 1983-90

Training dates:  01/05/1985 - 06/30/1988

How long have you been a teacher?: 35 years

Have you been teaching regularly since you completed your training?: Yes

Average # of lessons/classes: 20 lessons/ 3 classes

Do you train Alexander teachers?: Yes

How long have you been training Alexander teachers?: 10 years under Martha Fertman's direction at the Philadelphia School for the Alexander Technique

Number of teachers trained:  30+

Do you give post-graduate workshops for other teachers?:  Yes

Are you an ATI Certified teaching member?: Yes

How long have you been an ATI member?: 20 years

Have you served on any ATI Committees? 

Site Committee Co-Chair, August 2014 through January 2016

Have you attended an ATI Annual Conference?:  Yes
Which conference?: 

Maryland, Philadelphia and Boone (upcoming)

Why you want to be a Sponsor: I have a keen interest and deep commitment to furthering our work as AT teachers in the world. in order to succeed and flourish, I passionately believe we must support new teachers and engage younger generations in a way that is both relevant to today's world as well as informed by, and respectful of our AT traditions and history. I am interested in supporting and mentoring the AT teachers of tomorrow by sharing my perspective and experience across a wide range of teaching and leadership activities. My AT background spans 4 decades and includes teaching privately, in groups, in person and online. I have been active as a presenter at AT conferences and elsewhere and have been training teachers for over 10 years as well as taught in numerous academic settings.

Outline of teaching/administrative experience: I have maintained a lively private practice since 1988 and coached musicians at the Curtis Institute of Music since 1998. Additionally I have taught AT courses as an adjunct professor at DeSales University, University of the Arts, Temple University and for Pig Iron School for Physical Theatre. I've taught at Crosslands and White Horse Village retirement communities, Philadelphia Skating Club and have presented numerous workshops and residencies nationally and presented at 11th and 12th International Congresses, numerous Freedom to Act conferences and was the site coordinator and presenter for the ATI AGM in Philadelphia. I previously co-produced the Freedom to Make Music conference in NYC. I served as faculty for the Philadelphia School for the Alexander Technique for 10 years have been guest faculty for training programs in Toronto, Tokyo and Osaka. I currently coordinate a Wellness Program for the Otolaryngology department at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Details of trainings and courses:  

The Philadelphia School for the Alexander Technique - 2012 - 2022- I taught workshops on how to build a successful AT practice and was a core faculty member teaching trainees each month. Sinclair Studio, Toronto - Susan Sinclair, Director 2007?- I was guest faculty for Susan Sinclair during her maternity leaveAru Quality Training, Osaka - Akemi Kino, Director- I was guest faculty summer 2017Alexander Technique Tokyo School, Japan - Sakiko Ishitsubo, Director- I was guest faculty summer 2017

If you have helped assess teachers in someone else’s training or for another Alexander society, please give details: We met regularly as faculty for the Philadelphia School for the Alexander Technique. During the pandemic, we paired each student with a faculty member in a mentoring relationship. We informally met with our mentees each month to touch base and provide individual guidance and met as a faculty annually to discuss and assess each student's progress. Our assessments included each student's theoretical understanding of AT principles, their ability to practically apply those principles, their own use and coordination, their ability to convey and communicate with words, demonstration and words to their students and their level of commitment (this is especially crucial in anon-residential training where the students must be motivated to maintain consistent self-study.)

Other relevant info: In addition to my private practice and academic teaching I have been active in promoting AT publicly and also in helping build and support our AT community. In addition to producing the Freedom to Make Music conference, I am a founding member of Alexander Technique Teachers of Greater Philadelphia and have helped organize and present online workshops for our Annual online Alexander Summit for the last three years. During the pandemic I created two online video courses and presented a TEDx talk Posture Myth-busting: it's easier than you think in Waltham, MA. I have published papers for the 11th and 12th International Congresses and host the Move Free, Play Free FB group for musicians and the Pedagogy Geeks podcast: exploring embodied musicianship.

Procedures for evaluation: I will ask to meet each candidate and ask them about their background, training, teaching background and their core teaching values and priorities. Additionally I will invite them to describe a recent teaching challenge and their process for assessing, navigating, redirecting, experimenting and reaching a viable way forward in that situation. This interview portion of the assessment will give an indication of the candidate's clarity of thought, fluency in AT principles and their ability to clearly articulate and communicate those concepts. I will then have each candidate describe an example of their own experiments around a "coordination problem or puzzle" and then demonstrate their ability to redirect their own thinking/moving system. Then they will demonstrate a mini lesson with either another student or myself in order to assess their ability to communicate ideas, movement and coordination through the use of spoken word, demonstration and hands-on guidance.