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.
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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
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