Alexander-Technik Meeting Gut Falkenhain 2010

Our summer meeting of international schools took place this year in Gut Falkenhain, approximately 100 km north of Berlin, in the rural splendor of Land Brandenburg’s Uckermark.

We were four schools: from Paris with their director Odyssee Gavoue, from Milan with Danielle Bottaro, from Kopenhagen with Karsten Moeler and us from Berlin with Dan Armon. Besides the students and accompanying assistants, many teachers came from all over Europe and Scandinavia, enriching this now well-established Alexander Technique gathering. We were honored to host, and profit from their experience and guidance, our senior guests Linda and Sheike Hermelin, directors of a school in Tel Aviv.

Gut Falkenhein is a farmhouse beautifully situated in an undulating countryside of low hills and green fields. Its seminar room, richly adorned with paintings of various centuries, and a grand balcony opening out on to a voluptuous garden, offered an intense and generous environment for the work. The beauteous nature of the view, a wild pond animated by the flight of geese and sound of frogs and a distant horizon of an engaging terrain, all added much inspiration to the seriousness of the work. The farm was otherwise populated by animals: horses, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, geese etc. adding to the peaceful atmosphere; the sound of machinery or traffic was far away. Just the birds…

Our meals were served in the barn beside large bales of straw, and we ate under its high ceiling accompanied by the sounds of the birds or outside in the sun. The Barn became the setting for a panel discussing on Saturday night. Our theme was: While defining our work as preventive and not curative, how do we nevertheless relate to the problems people bring to us? This talk was recorded and some of it will soon be published. Sunday night was party night. A few of the musicians formed a band, playing and singing till the early hours, and outside people sat around a big fire. To all those who have photos of this event: please send us some. It would be good to add them to this site.

We were more than 70 people in total, immersed in the beauty of our work. A blend of seriousness, serenity and humor made the event very impressive. Lets do it again!!!

Dan Armon