Paul Versteeg and Tessa Marwick
Paul and Tessa are recognized teachers of the Nederlandse Vereniging van Leraren van de Alexander Techniek (NeVLAT), the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT) and International Affiliated Society (ATAS).
They have been giving private lessons for more than 30 years and have been running a 3 year Alexander Teacher Training Course since 1994 in Amsterdam.
Paul Versteeg
After graduating from the Theatre School in Amsterdam (1969), he continued his Theatre Studies at Mudra School with Maurice Bejart in Brussels and Merce Cunningham in New York, the process culminating in forming his own company Dramatic Dance Theatre.
In 1980 he settled in London and with Tessa Marwick performed, directed and ran workshops all over Europe while continuing to teach at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), Drama Studio and East 15 Acting School in London. He trained as an Alexander teacher with Walter and Dilys Carrington in London from 1981 to 1984.
Tessa Marwick
Tessa completed her Bachelor of Arts (English) and Teacher's Diploma in Speech and Drama at the University of Cape Town (1964).
She continued her research into movement and theatre, training as a modern dancer with Sigurd Leeder (London & Switzerland) and teaching at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), Drama Studio and East 15 Acting School.
After fifteen years' work in theatre in South Africa, England and Europe performing, directing and teaching - Tessa trained as an Alexander teacher with Walter and Dilys Carrington from 1980-1983.
Paul and Tessa
While continuously maintaining a private practice since 1984, Paul and Tessa also began developing and exploring their theatre work from out of the Alexander principles
They continued their own performance work, teaching and giving workshops and carried out Alexander/theatre projects in Switzerland (4 months) and Sweden (2 years). They taught and directed in the Theatre Department of Williams College, Mass. USA, in 1990.
After these many and varied experiences in working internationally with individuals and groups they opened their own training course for Alexander teachers in September 1994, in Amsterdam.
Since then they have qualified more than 80 teachers.
Usually there are about 10 students of different nationalities on the course and each day Paul and Tessa together with other teachers are working and maintaining a ratio of 1 teacher to 3 students. Paul and Tessa personally take care of all ’hands-on’ groups assisted at times by other experienced ATCA and guest teachers.
At the International Congress for Alexander teachers in Lugano (Switzerland) in 2008 and 2011 and in Limerick (Ireland) in 2015 they were two of the featured second generation heads of training courses invited to teach and perform. They were also invited to teach at the AGM for STAT (London) and AMSAT (Virginia, USA). In August 2022 they will be teaching again at the International Congress in Berlin (DE).