By students of brigitte and Francis Caron
For private lessons
I invited Francis Caron to lead a session at a movement research residency I was hosting at Tangente — a local contemporary dance theatre. Francis is amazing. He was quick to adapt to the people in the room. It is clear that he can teach folks who both do and don’t know a lot about their bodies or anatomy. He is an exemplary, embodied practitioner and a concise and generous teacher. The technique is precise, patient and deep work.
Kelly Keenan, Part-Time Faculty at Concordia University and UQAM,
Independant Dance artist/teacher, www.kkeenan.com
brigitte’s passion for the Alexander Technique has created a supportive community of teachers and trainees. Her knowledge, professionalism and compassion are clear from the moment you walk in the doors of her school. Trainees receive comprehensive and powerful instruction, and she regularly invites well-known teachers from across the globe to give workshops. I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with brigitte and take part in some amazing workshops. Everything I’ve learned through her teaching and her school have helped deepen my understanding of the Alexander Technique. Montreal is lucky to have brigitte Caron as a teacher and practitioner.
Caroline H., Ph.D. candidate, McGill University Schulich School of Music
Between 2016 and 2019, I had the opportunity to learn both Argentine Tango and Alexander Technique with Francis. I had no prior experience with somatic practice, but he was able to make the pillars of Alexander Technique understandable for me. He’s a patient, generous, challenging yet fun teacher. Francis gave me the tools and confidence to use what I’ve learned in Alexander Technique in other areas of my life. When it comes to learning new things, approaching habits that I might want to change, or finding the value in uncomfortable change, I feel more than prepared, and for that, I’m grateful.
Jewel A., Argentine Tango Teacher, Siempre Tango
My experience with brigitte was always positive and such a treat for my body. I always left my sessions feeling 10 feet taller. I had made an appointment with her as I had heard good things about the Alexander technique and I was curious to see if it could improve my posture, I knew my posture was not great and I felt like my head was too heavy for my neck to carry. brigitte’s teaching helped me increase my awareness of how I hold and move my body in space. The results in my everyday life were so much more than I could have imagined. brigitte is a pleasure to work with and she has endless patience with her clients.
Carol S., holistic practitioner and ballroom dancer
The Alexander Technique helped me improve my posture and increase my awareness of how I move, sit, relate to my neck and head which tremendously helped with my frequent and painful migraines. Most of my headaches originated from my tense neck muscles, and no matter how many stretching exercises I did, or how many massages I went to, the effect was not long-term. Learning this powerful technique helped me improve the quality of my life as I am now aware of how I relate to myself physically, and am able to self-correct and thus release my neck tension before it triggers major headaches. I absolutely recommend Francis as a teacher of the Alexander Technique. He always listens to his student’s needs, gives excellent feedback, is tremendously patient, always making absolutely sure that you can apply the principles of the A.T. successfully.
Gordana T., Senior Data Scientist at Shopify
Also enjoys tango dance, swimming and travelling
brigitte me guide en me donnant des directives apaisantes. Je respire et j’exécute ses instructions. Elle aligne mon corps déformé par une scoliose grâce à son toucher unique. Une heure plus tard, je me remets sur pieds. Je me sens détendue. J’habite mon corps sans intervention de ma volonté. Je suis entière. Je forme avec moi-même une entité harmonieuse.
Marie-Andrée, retired translator
Rencontrer brigitte et bénéficier de ses cours m’a ouvert un long chemin sur lequel je continue à évoluer. Avec beaucoup de bienveillance et de professionnalisme, brigitte m’a enseignée certaines bases de la technique Alexander que j’utilise encore quotidiennement. Elle me les a présentées et fait pratiquer de façon à ce que je les vive comme la fondation de toutes autres activités afin d’utiliser, de vivre mon corps, avec le plus de douceur et de facilité. Je lui suis très reconnaissante et j’ai hâte de pouvoir reprendre les cours avec elle.
Zoé B-F, Yoga practice guide
For professional and personal development
“Deciding to throw myself into the intensive Alexander Technique training has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life. My interest initially started purely from a singer’s perspective—I wanted to improve my vocal ability and had a feeling I was preventing myself from improving because of habitual tensions in my body. Not only did I improve as a singer, over the course of my 500+ hours, but I eradicated my neck tension, completely changed how I use my body on a daily basis and in the gym, and as a result physically changed my appearance and posture. The way you use your body on a daily basis informs how young, agile, and resilient you are in your body: I don’t think I was aware of how truly stuck in my physical self-imposed limitations I was and how much preventable tension I was living with until I got into this work. brigitte and Francis both offer very clear understandings of what it means to do this work, how to do it correctly to change your coordination and use of yourself. They are positive, supportive, and endlessly patient teachers.”
Jordanne Erichsen, vocal coach and founder of Express Voice Studio
After studying Alexander Technique on and off for decades, I finally made it to Montreal where I was able to study with both brigitte and Francis as a guest student in association with their A.T. teacher training program. What a wonderful experience it was. brigitte and Francis are two of the best teachers I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Their knowledge of the technique, their canny awareness of the educational aspect of the form, as well as their personable approach really allowed me to come away with new insights from every session. In each session, they were able to adapt to the needs, curiosities, or physical challenges I was facing and offer me seeds of knowledge that were transformative as I moved back into the world. I am extremely grateful for their knowledge, for being able to witness how they train others, and I will be certain to come for lessons any time I return to Montreal.
Melanie K., Professor, Dance,
School of Creative and Performing Arts, University of Calgary
En tant qu’étudiante invitée, l’École de Technique Alexander d’Ottawa m’a offert la possibilité et le temps de prendre davantage conscience de mon corps dans l’espace et des habitudes physiques qui me limitent. Il est précieux de trouver un contexte qui offre un encadrement propice à la quête de profondeur, tant physique qu’émotionnelle. brigitte est une enseignante hors-pair, généreuse et attentionnée, qui a à cœur l’expérience authentique que vivent ses élèves, tout en sachant sagement lâcher prise pour permettre au cheminement de chaque individu de suivre son cours.
Emmanuelle, violist, music educator
brigitte, ma belle amie et collègue depuis plus de 10 ans. Être dans ton école, c’est arriver en soi, chez-soi. Tu as le don de nous faire sentir l’expérience des directions Alexander. Sous tes mains et tes paroles très claires dans leur intention on rencontre notre sol, on s’allonge tout naturellement. Étudier, chercher, découvrir avec toi ce merveilleux monde du geste juste entre tension et relaxation. Ton école est un lieu de grande qualité d’apprentissage.
Depuis plus de 30 ans, la Technique Alexander fait partie de ma vie. Celle-ci a été un phare dans ma vie personnelle et professionnelle. brigitte grande chercheuse, tu amènes cette technique au-delà d’une technique. Tu es incontestablement la fille de F.M. Alexander.
Line Prince, stress management, Ensemble réflexe
Lors de mon premier cours avec Brigitte à l’été 2020, j’ai trouvé exceptionnel la perception profonde qu’elle pouvait avoir du fonctionnement de mon corps en relation avec la Technique Alexander. Étant fibromyalgique, il était important pour moi de rencontrer une personne qui avait les compétences pour vraiment m’aider. Ce fut et c’est toujours le cas. J’ai donc rapidement souhaité approfondir cette fort bénéfique expérience et c’est pourquoi je me suis inscrit à la formation complète. Honnêtement, c’est l’une des meilleures décisions de ma vie.
Pierre C., Tai Chi and meditation enthusiast
En tant que pianiste curieux et pointilleux, plusieurs professeurs m’ont quelques fois reprochés de trop m’en faire et de simplement être relax lorsque je joue. Insatisfait de ces réponses, c’est là que j’ai pris connaissance de la Technique Alexander. Grâce à Brigitte, Francis et les autres étudiants de l’école de Technique Alexander, j’ai appris à mieux utiliser mon corps non seulement sur le piano, mais aussi dans les mouvements courants de la vie de tous les jours. Combinant les principes de la Technique à des connaissances sur l’anatomie, les enseignements de l’école m’ont permis à mieux connaître mon corps et à mieux le gérer. Très content de cette belle découverte.
Charles Éric G., pianist
For musicians
Taking Alexander Technique lessons this year with Francis has been a transformative experience for me. My posture has improved and I feel way less discomfort in my body doing everyday activities as well as while playing the piano. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
J. Devey, piano student at McGill
I have treasured my time studying with brigitte. As a teacher, she has conducted our jam-packed lessons with patience, support, curiosity, passion, gentleness, generosity, seemingly limitless wisdom, and refreshing humour. I have never walked away from a lesson without learning something new or being challenged to revisit a familiar concept from a fresh, new angle. Thanks to her guidance, my understanding of the Alexander Technique has deepened greatly, and my usage of myself has improved immensely—not just in my work as a musician, but in my day-to-day living.
Chris H., musician
brigitte has a great personality and she is a lot of fun to work with. She is also a passionate advocate for musicians’ wellness. She believes very deeply in a holistic approach, and she tailored our AT sessions to my individual needs as a performer and a whole person. Through working with her, I became more attentive to my whole body at the piano and in many daily activities. This has helped me feel more comfortable and confident when playing, and has also given me a greater awareness of how I move in everyday life.
Jeff S., pianist
Alexander lessons with brigitte were some of the most formative moments of my music education as a performer. Her hands taught me a way of playing no instrumentalist could ever convey. And her words guided me through a way of thinking that changed how I approached my performances and my daily activities.
On top of everything, brigitte’s passion for what she does is infectious, and her warmth will immediately put you at ease. She is a master at her craft, and a decade later I still apply her teachings consistently throughout my life.
Krystal Morrison, a very satisfied student
Oui, la Technique Alexander a beaucoup amélioré ma qualité de vie. J’y ai retrouvé de la souplesse dans mes jambes, surtout dans mes genoux. Ça a ralenti la progression de l’arthrite. Après une session en Technique Alexander, je me sens plus légère, plus dégagée. Descendre les escaliers se fait alors avec assurance. En tant que musicienne, j’en ai tiré des bénéfices pour ajuster ma posture par rapport à mon instrument. Ceci facilite ma concentration et mon endurance. Merci Brigitte!
Hélène B., music educator
Grâce à brigitte Caron, j’ai découvert la Technique Alexander. J’étais à la recherche d’un moyen de résoudre des problèmes constants de dos et des difficultés dans mon interprétation en tant que chanteuse. Cette approche a changé ma vie. brigitte sait présenter les choses de façon très claire et facile à comprendre. Grâce à ses conseils, j’ai pu corriger des défauts de posture à l’origine de mes maux de dos. Comme chanteuse, j’ai constaté une grande amélioration dans ma capacité de chanter. L’approche de brigitte est graduelle, par étapes adaptées à ma situation. Je recommande sans réserve ses services. Vous serez étonnés des résultats.
Micheline B., singer