I began my study of ballet as a young child. Over the years as a student, dancer, and teacher, I acquired habits that did not benefit me, but it was not until I was an adult, teaching ballet full‑time, that these improper habits started to cause pain in various parts of my body. Contacting Bette was one of the best decisions that I ever made. I had always been told that I was too tense as a dancer. Working with her helped me to identify unnecessary tension, but more importantly she helped me to release the tension and gave me ways to think so that I could continue to work/live with an awareness of the unnecessary tension in my body. By focusing on the Alexander Technique principals, Bette essentially changed my entire approach to ballet, I now feel so much more at ease while I am dancing – I certainly have more energy and am in much less pain. As an added plus, my students have benefited as well. I am better able to teach them how to move with ease and grace from a very young age – I teach in a manner that will stop habits of tension before they can ever take hold.
Susan Sorota – Teacher of Ballet
I was diagnosed with scoliosis as a young teenager. For all of my adult life I have had back discomfort related to scoliosis. My back has been especially uncomfortable when doing normal every day activities such as sitting in folding chairs, sleeping on soft beds in hotels and taking road trips in the family car. Over time I came to accept my back issues as a given – and I had no expectation that anything would change because my scoliosis wasn’t going away. But all of that did change when I started working with Bette and learning the Alexander principles. Over the time I have worked with Bette, my back discomfort has decreased significantly – I thank Bette for imparting her knowledge of Alexander principles and encouragement in a way that has changed my physical well being, as well as my dancing for the better!
Anne, Pro-Am Ballroom dancer
“Studying AT with Bette, I am no longer suffering from a repetitive strain injury (I can play the saxophone pain free again) and, wonder of wonders, the chronic pain that I’ve had for a number of years in my right hip has disappeared.”
~ Steven Hartman, Saxophonist
This is the only thing that I have done for body awareness, health and efficiency that I could call upon without having to go to someone else to fix me so it was really freeing in that I didn’t need to spend the money and time on massages especially with our busy lives, traveling dancing and everything that we do. With Bette, I was still able to use this practice in my daily life, my dancing and in my teaching.
~Erin Marie Aiken – Professional Ballroom Dancer/Teacher
“Paying attention to how I hold my body and how I move helped me with my long hours of sitting in front of a computer. The attention to form and alignment that I learned in my lessons also improved my yoga practice. Practicing awareness of how I hold tension in my body and breath helped me manage my stress and anxiety better.
I had no idea how profound this work would be! Of course most of it has to do with Bette’s expertise and innate sense of what I need. It was like magic – my head no longer felt heavy and my jaw, shoulders and neck were free of tension. Through common sense and subtle reminding without actually DOING, I have been able to address my unconscious habits which have freed my body and thus my emotional state considerably. I highly recommend this work for everyone who moves!
~ Susan Borofsky, Singer
She spoke with me a second time as well and she again gave me the benefit of her experience with some advice about movement/exercise. We also discussed some logistics about travel and cost (I do not have a car and was in a stressful place financially). Again, her thoughtfulness was so evident, that I made up my mind that she was the right teacher for me. I called to schedule an appointment within a few weeks.
Knowing no one in the area (my teacher had been in New York City and moved away many years ago), I found her practice on the internet and phoned her. She was leaving her house, but arranged to call me back. She did so and her generosity was evident immediately as her thoughtful questions and conversation made me feel listened to and respected. She even emailed me pointers for “Constructive Rest” so that I could begin to get some of the AT benefits even before my first session. I thought, “Wow! She is helping me before any money has been paid. And she doesn’t know me!” If you’ve grown up in New York and New Jersey, you know how rare that is.
It is really important to choose the right instruction tailored to your needs. Bette’s extensive movement background coupled with her acute sensitivity and gentle style put me at ease immediately. Starting off on that note allowed me to be the most receptive in getting a lot out of each session.
~ Terri Gelenian-Wood, Artist/Silversmith
