Alexandroid – this is an unofficial term and is best avoided if a pupil may take offence, or tends to be vulnerable.

However, ‘Alexandroid’ is sometimes used by teachers, with gentle humour, to describe an Alexander pupil who is trying too hard to get things right and is ‘doing‘ the Technique, in particular the directions to think ‘up‘ along the spine.

The outcome of this over-doing, is frequently a rather stiff, stilted and even a trance-like appearance and a reluctance to allow the head to move whilst walking, which can look odd and somewhat robotic. Walking in this restricted way can also be very unhelpful for instance, if you are going down a busy road like Oxford Street. In such places you need to be alert, free to move your head to see where you are going, plus be able to dodge around the crowds with freedom and alacrity.

Alexandroids are particularly common in Introductory Group Courses, when participants are often asked to walk round the room whilst giving themselves directions. Fortunately, because they are in a group, people can see what this looks like and can see the humorous side to this unofficial AT term!

Usually, once the Alexandroid tendency has been pointed out to people, they are able to laugh and free up their movements so that they are more comfortable in themselves and look more naturally poised.

I hasten to add that this use of the term ‘Alexandroid’ has nothing to do with the Russian music group of the same name…