Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery

by Eric N. Franklin

Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery, Second Edition, expands on the classic text and reference written by Eric Franklin, an internationally renowned teacher, dancer, and choreographer who has been sharing his imagery techniques for 25 years. In this new edition, Franklin shows you how to use imagery, touch, and movement exercises to improve your coordination and alignment. These exercises will also help you relieve tension, enhance the health of your spine and back, and prevent back injury. This expanded new edition includes • more than 600 imagery exercises along with nearly 500 illustrations to help you visualize the exercises and use them in various contexts; • audio files for dynamic imagery exercises set to music and posted online to the book’s product page; and • updated chapters throughout the book, including new material on integrated dynamic alignment exercises and dynamic alignment and imagery. This book will help you discover your natural flexibility and quickly increase your power to move. You’ll learn elements of body design. You’ll explore how to use imagery to improve your confidence, and you’ll discover imagery conditioning programs that will lead you toward better alignment, safer movement, increased fitness, and greater joy. Further, you’ll examine how to apply this understanding to your discipline or training to improve your performance. Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery, Second Edition, will help you experience the biomechanical and anatomical principles that are crucial to dancers, other performing artists, yoga and Pilates teachers and practitioners, and athletes. The techniques and exercises presented in the book will guide you in improving your posture—and they will positively affect your thoughts and attitude about yourself and others and help you feel and move better both mentally and physically.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Fitness, Grad School

448 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1996

Reviews

[WT Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fountain of youth! Eric Franklin's work is profound. This series is a must-read for all physicians in America dealing. Not only is this a marvelous tool for adults to awaken to their bodies' potentials, but for children to engage early on!

[Aelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful tips and exercises.

[Jana Rađa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd time I read Eric Franklin's Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery. The 1st time I read it was two years ago and although it was interesting, I wasn't ready for it. This time, it seems I finally know just about enough to appreciate the text and apply some of Franklin's imagery in practice. It is a beautifully done text that goes in great depth, and yet remains simple and purposeful.

It is a book to be re-read regularly, as our "alignment changes throughout the day and will be changing throughout [our] life. Awareness of how to maximize postural potential on a given day is much more useful than using a fixed set of postural rules" (p. 394). I will definitely be consulting the book often as I find it totally eye-opening in many respects, and there are plenty of imagery exercises that I still haven't tried.

Eric Franklin is director and founder of the Franklin Institute in Uster, Switzerland. He has more than 35 years' experience as a dancer and choreographer, and he has shared imagery techniques in his teaching since 1986. Check this guy out; he's awesome.

[Jeremy Swenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished this book for my wife. I was reviewing for appropriateness as a middle school dance text book. As a none dancer I found it interesting especially the exercises in imagery