Alexander Technique
What Is The Alexander Technique?
The Alexander Technique is an educational process involving inquiry into the ways we move and think about movement. This process teaches an awareness of postural and movement habits that cause muscle tension. It also provides a method for changing these habits. The benefits of the Alexander Technique include: injury prevention, improved coordination, stress reduction, and body awareness. It is a method for enhancing health and well-being with proven therapeutic results.
The Alexander Technique can benefit individuals of all ages and lifestyles. As an Alexander Technique teacher, Chloë Nagle Çetinkaya has worked with dancers, musicians, singers, and actors on stage presence, coordination, creative expression, and breath support. Whether you are a performing artist, roller derby enthusiast, yogi, or writer, Chloë works with individuals and groups to address their specific goals and concerns. She is committed to supporting people in doing the activities that they enjoy, healthfully, for life.
Credentials
Chloë Nagle Çetinkaya became an AmSAT certified teacher of the Alexander Technique under the direction of Rose Bronec in 2021. She completed one year of her training under the direction of Joan and Alex Murray.
Chloë was first introduced to the Alexander Technique by Luc Vanier while studying dance as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. As a dancer, the Alexander Technique improved her coordination and body awareness, allowing her to make new creative choices and perform with more ease, presence, expression and less performance anxiety.
When Chloë trained to become a teacher, she also experienced mental health benefits from the Alexander Technique. She learned to pause, pay attention to sensations and feelings, and make healthier choices that reduce stress.
Having personally experienced the benefits of the Alexander Technique both on and off stage, Chloë is committed to teaching the Alexander Technique and advocating for its efficacy.
Chloë assisted Alexander Technique for Dancers courses at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (IL), Brian McCullough’s Alexander Technique for Musicians course at the University of Minnesota School of Music (MN), and Ann Rodiger’s Alexander Technique training course at Balance Arts (NY).
She taught an Alexander Technique workshop for dancers at Zenon Dance School (MN) as well as for singers and actors at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts (MN).
Chloë currently serves as a member of the AmSAT Diversity Committee. In 2024, she presented a trauma-informed workshop titled, “Accessible Language: Exploring the Words We Use and Embody” at AmSAT’s annual conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is a volunteer on the Disability Access Team, helping to plan an accessible 2026 conference at the Manhattan School of Music.
Resources
Recent studies have shown that the Alexander Technique is effective for addressing back and neck pain with positive, long-lasting results. Whether you want to improve your performance in a physical activity or art form, prevent injury, improve posture, or relieve stress and strain, the Alexander Technique is a proven way to reach your goals.
To learn more about the effects of the Alexander Technique on neck pain, please read: “Alexander Technique Lessons or Acupuncture Sessions for Persons with Chronic Neck Pain”
Read more information about the American Society for the Alexander Technique.
Patricia Wolf, 2022
“I looked into Alexander Technique because I was suffering from chronic pain after several concussions and a shoulder tear that I received while playing roller derby. The lessons not only helped with these issues but also with neck and shoulder pain that I have had for at least 20 years…
I really enjoyed working with Chloe. She brought a fresh perspective to each lesson and even helped me work through physical therapy and yoga positions to do them in a more restful and useful manner. I still think of many of the suggestions we discussed during my daily yoga practice and while I was pregnant with my recent child. Because of this I didn't seem to get the back pain that is so common with pregnancy. I recommend trying the technique. You'd be surprised what a difference it might make!”
Rates: $60/lesson
Venmo, PayPal or cash are accepted
Payment is due before or at the time of your lesson.
24 hour prior notice of cancellation required. You are expected to pay in full if you don’t cancel within 24 hours of your scheduled lesson time.
If wearing sandals, please bring socks to wear during your lesson.
Photos by Tom Smouse, 2023
About Lessons
Individual lessons are private and last 50 minutes. During lessons, you will develop body awareness through simple activities involving sitting, standing, and/or walking. Verbal guidance and optional, non-invasive touch are offered as teaching tools to help you gain new anatomical understanding. You will learn to approach movement in ways that improve coordination, balance, stress relief, and safety. Lessons are taught in a judgement-free environment that encourages curiosity.
During the lesson, you may be asked if you would like to lie in a constructive rest position (on your back with your knees bent and feet on the ground) on a massage table or the floor. This is called a lie-down. The instructor offers optional touch, verbal guidance, and gentle movement to give you an experience of resting your back and decompressing the joints. This is called table-work.
Different from massage, table-work doesn’t involve deep tissue manipulation and you remain fully clothed. Also, different from chiropractic, there is no forced realignment of bones or joints. The benefits of table-work include relief from muscle tension and stress, relaxation, and deeper breathing. You will learn how to practice a lie-down on your own, so that you can continue to practice this valuable wellness technique at home.
From the first lesson onward, you will learn practical applications to movement that you can take with you into everyday life. Please, reach out with any questions or to schedule a free 15 minute consultation to see if the Alexander Technique is right for you!
Chloë is currently offering Alexander Technique lessons online and in-person. Please contact for more information.
Consent: The practice of the Alexander Technique may include gentle, non-invasive touch as a teaching tool. I am committed to creating an environment where students feel safe and respected. You have full agency over your body at all times. Any hands-on guidance that I offer is always optional. I will ask how you feel about hands-on contact and you can tell me if it’s okay or if you prefer verbal or other guidance. This will in no way effect your ability to benefit from the Alexander Technique. I want to teach in a way that best supports your learning!
Workshops
Workshops are taught to groups of 2 or more. The principles of the Alexander Technique are playfully introduced through guided activities and games. Workshops may include a gentle warm-up, guided movement explorations, and discussion. Through solo, partner and/or whole group activities, you will learn Alexander Technique principles applied in motion. Workshops can be tailored to meet your group’s specific areas of interest such as dancing, acting, singing, or yoga. All activities are optional and students have agency to modify activities to meet their needs.
Past workshops have focused on: Alexander Technique applied to Contemporary Dance Technique; Stage Presence and Breathing for Singers and Actors; and Alexander Technique applied to Yoga Asanas. Whether your group would like to feel more confident on stage, deepen anatomical awareness, sharpen your kinesthetic senses, prevent injury, or have a simple introduction to the Alexander Technique applied to daily living, workshops are available to meet your needs.