Alexandra Berger, LMSW
A certified practitioner of the GYROTONIC Expansion System® since 2005, Alexandra earned her MSW from Fordham GSS in 2023 and is licensed in New York State. Her time at Fordham included internships with AHRC/NYC and the United Nations.
With interests varying from military and indigenous populations to dancers and elite athletes, as well as the many-layered impacts of climate change, Alexandra is most drawn to our shared human experience. She continues to investigate how the arts can intersect with other fields to improve our systems for a healthier and more inclusive society.
As a dancer, Berger has worked professionally in New York since completing her BFA at The New School in 2003. She has had the privilege of dancing for and with, among others, Pat Catterson, Ellen Cornfield, Merce Cunningham (RUG 2007), Douglas Dunn, Rachel Monosov (Venice Biennale 2017), Roz Newman, Sally Silvers, Dǔsan Týnek, Vanessa Walters, and Matthew Westerby.
Huffington Post named her as one of the best performances of 2016 for her role in Tynek’s Logbook, and she has had the privilege of touring to myriad venues throughout the U.S. and abroad. She has been a member of the adult teaching faculty at the Mark Morris Dance Center since 2007 and is also an authorized teacher of Cunningham Technique® with the Cunningham Trust.
Alexandra’s experience with Cunningham Technique®, combined with her study of GYROTONIC®, provides her not only with a clear language and path to longevity as a performer, but also with the tools to bring the excitement and athleticism of dance to others. Teaching dance to a wide range of ages and skill levels, Berger approaches these techniques with a holistic philosophy.
Guerriere Danseuse
Studying classical ballet and jazz from an early age, Alexandra finally found herself within modern dance technique.
Professionally, Berger has enjoyed a predominantly freelance career, which included a long-term commitment to Dusan Tynek Dance Theatre as a founding member and ultimately serving as artistic associate and rehearsal assistant through the final years of the company.
With Dusan and with many others - most notably Pat Catterson and Douglas Dunn, with whom she continues to dance - Berger has had the artistic privilege of originating most roles she has performed.
The experience of collaborating with numerous choreographers and other artists is one of Berger’s most treasured experiences as a dancer, co-creating a world to inhabit and bring to life for the audience.
Encountering Cunningham Technique® in 2006, she at once felt truly at home in her dancing, and had the great honor of being chosen to work with Merce as a member of the Repertory Understudy Group to the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in 2007. There she participated in the reconstruction of multiple works in the repertory while also being an intimate part of the creation process.
About GYROTONIC®
GYROTONIC® works on the central nervous system, stimulating and opening the spine, which in turn affects all other functions in the body. The circular motions and different spiraling actions of the exercises unravel and unlock tension and inhibitions. Muscles respond to an increase in circulation, in turn allowing for mobility in the joints. A corresponding flexibility in the ligaments allows for a greater freedom of movement. The system then facilitates strength from a deeper place within the body, so that one can experience internal strength while remaining open.
A fluid non-weight-bearing yoga for the spine, GYROKINESIS® focuses on opening up the joints and muscles from the inside outward through movement. Starting in a seated posture, the class warms up with gentle spinal motions in all directions, utilizing an active breath to slowly deepen the action. Adding in the legs and then moving to the floor, the class gets in touch with every part of the body with a focus on expansion through strength in the core. GYROKINESIS®, as the non-machine format of the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM®, is gentle enough for a non-mover, yet can work deep enough for a very active individual, providing an excellent form of cross-training for any athlete. A person who adds GYROKINESIS® into their regular routine will find more ease of movement in their daily life.
