History of the Association

In 1994, a workshop entitled “A Creative Look at the Alexander Technique”, run by Melissa Matson and organized by Martina Süss, was the foundation for the Alexander community, which has meanwhile grown to considerable size.

The steady increase in a creative approach to Alexander Technique developed into the 'Insitut Alexanderbewegung', offering special basic training and advanced training. In 1997, the first two-year training course in Alexander Technique was launched in Linz.

This led to the foundation of the association 'at.at Alexandertechnik Österreich' with the following aims:

  1. Effective public relations – thus becoming a serious partner for both the general public as well as the official health care system.
  2. Covering the needs for information and communication of Alexander Technique teachers in Austria.
  3. Developing ethical norms and quality standards for teachers of Alexander Technique.
  4. The vision of a strong Austrian association which is clearly linked with ATI (Alexander Technique International).

Our initial vision was the image of a creative, vivid association. We do not view ourselves as a service organisation but as a team that cooperates. We apply principles of Alexander Technique in order to establish an effective communication network among each other as well as promoting and spreading Alexander Technique across borders.

Subsequently, further training for teachers of Alexander Technique and Alexander Technique movement practitioners takes place regularly, organised by the association. These courses are led by renowned visiting teachers: Tommy Thompson (USA), Melissa Matson (USA), Rosa Luisa Rossi (Switzerland), Richard Brennan (Ireland), Avi Granit (Israel), Michael Schürks (Germany), Peter Ribeaux (Great Britain), Zoltan Hegedus (Hungary).

The association’s general assembly takes place every two years. In recent years it has been combined with advanced training workshops. All during this period, regular meetings of the managing board are held and various task groups are at work, concerned with PR activities, planning and designing the website etc.

Since the beginning, international networking has been an important issue of the association. It had its initial appearance at the Alexander Technique Congress in Ireland in October 2001.  The association has been represented at international congresses ever since.