A Short Biography of Christine Rapley

I am a teaching member of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT). I adhere to their code of conduct, have professional liability insurance and enhanced CRB.   I qualified as an Alexander Teacher in December 1992, began teaching in 1993 and have taught continuously since.  I offer lessons in Lichfield and have taught many people of all ages including the elderly.   

My professional background prior to training as an Alexander teacher

was in the performing arts. I trained as a dancer at the Rambert School of

Ballet and London School of Contemporary Dance. I gained a

scholarship to train further at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Cente

r in New York. On my return home to England I worked professionally

as a teacher/ dancer/ choreographer from 1976 to 1990. I was Director

with Tony Thatcher of a small company Dancework that toured

throughout the UK. We were the first Cunningham based dance

company in the UK. I taught Cunningham based technique in London

and frequently guest taught in the UK and abroad.

Photo ©Irene Hall

As a freelance dance teacher I worked with many well-known

dancers on the London dance scene. Amongst those I taught as

guest teacher were Second Stride, Extemporary Dance Theatre

and Dublin CDT. Professional dancers and actors attended by

dance classes (Steven Berkoff, playwright/ film and theatre

director and actor attended some of my classes at Islington Dance

Factory). Greta Scacchi once turned up amongst the dancers to my

open professional class at Pineapple Dance Studios Covent Garden.

            Photo © Eleni Leoussi        Solo "Sidescraper" 1981

I taught contemporary dance at many leading training schools and was frequently a guest teacher in the UK and abroad. The latter part of my dance career I was company teacher and rehearsal director for Micha Bergese's company Mantis in London. I was awarded a bursary by the Arts Council of GB to spend a month in the 1980s with the GRCOP (Groupe Recherche Choreographique de l'Opera de Paris).

It was whilst training as a young dancer in the late 1970s that I first

encountered the Alexander Technique. My first lessons were with Elke de

Vries and Ann Massey Lynch. Initially I saw the Technique as a mean

s to improving my work in dance. Later I realised that it was a

meaningful and effective way of working on the self, and that it can be

applied to every aspect of ones life. The Alexander Technique is often

described as a skill for life. I became a student on a Training Course

in 1988 and qualified as a teacher in December 1992. I have taught the

Alexander Technique continously since.

My interests include anything that relates to the Alexander Technique,health and self development. I seek to maintain a lively interest in the world about me, to cultivate a broad outlook and to go on learning. I have a fascination for natural history, particularly wildlife. I am an avid reader of Alexander Technique related and diverse literature.

Dancework collaborated with "home grown" , American, Italian

& Swedish dancers - choreographers, and musicians.

We commissioned works by composers Gavin Bryars,

John White and Christopher Benstead. The work was innovative

and one of the most ambitious projects included film with 3 projectors

on a back screen ("Grey Window choreography by Tony Thatcher

music composed by Gavin Bryars", film by David Robinson).  

         Photo © Irene Hall      Solo "Heartghosts" 1990