“This class deepened my appreciation of the interrelatedness of technique and anatomical understandings of the body. I liked the open spirit of creative engagement that both professors brought to the material. There was a dialogue between moving and reflecting that I found extremely useful. I saw weekly opportunities to reframe my teaching and to apply this material to students of all ages.”
—Functional Awareness course participant
Tips for Hips through Alexander Technique & Functional Awareness®
with Nancy Romita
Saturday July 11, 2026
9-10 am (Eastern Time US)
Zoom
Each person navigates hip movements through a unique body construct. This one-hour zoom workshop honors and examines these structural and learning variances. The session provides Functional Awareness® verbal, auditory, visual, tactile, and proprioceptive cueing during gentle body movements to promote both stability and mobility of the pelvis and hip joint. The prompts are offered to support learning in the Alexander Technique in ‘sit to stand’, walking, & shallow bending, and daily actions. Functional Awareness® movement explorations draw from ongoing literature reviews and action research in functional anatomy and motor learning. We design strategies to deepen body understanding, improve movement skills and foster self-agency. The self-guided prompts partner well with Alexander Technique during self-guided and teacher facilitated mindful movement practices as well as during rigorous practice in other activities.
Enrollment is limited, so register now.
Session fee $20.00 ( Add $5 if requesting asynchronous video access for 7 days following the session)
To register https://secure.
Functional Awareness® Mindfulness Practices in Embodied Anatomy for the Dance Educator
Asynchronous Online Learning:
Summer Course: June 8-July 17 2026
Course Description:
Functional Awareness® (FA) is a practical approach to dance pedagogy using anatomical imagery and reflective practices to enhance movement potential, facilitate ease in action, and improve dynamic alignment. This 6-week course curriculum is an opportunity to reinvigorate teaching practices and renew personal movement practices for self-care.
The course utilizes engaging lectures, readings, and active movement explorations that present current research on motor learning skills for core strength, improving standing leg balance, and other dance skills. The course is conducted as weekly sessions. The sessions include asynchronous webinars and optional opportunities to meet synchronously with the instructors and cohort to share insights and questions. Learning outcomes include the ability to utilize FA verbal, tactile, & visual cues to enhance efficacy in action, employ FA rubrics to assess student learning, and acquire a language for providing feedback to students that encourage student agency. Each week, participants learn strategies to improve movement skills while employing tools for dancer wellness and injury prevention. The course content is appropriate for all movement populations and is applicable for all dance styles. The modules integrate practical applications in functional anatomy and somatic mindfulness practices to support inclusive learning and diverse perspectives in dance.
