Lesson Details
Accent Reduction
- Levels Taught:
- Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Alexandra teaches
About
- Teaches students:
- Ages 5+ and special needs
- Teaching since:
- August 2012
Alexandra has a BA from the University of Southern California (Recipient of Doolittle Award: Outstanding Female Performer of graduating class) and an MFA from the American Repertory Theater/Moscow Art Theater Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University. Acting has taken her to Paris, London, and Moscow and has given her the opportunity to work with exceptional artists, such as Neil Patrick Harris, Neil Gaiman, Scott Zigler, and Kevin Bright. She coaches students privately and is currently teaching at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and The New York Film Academy. She is also a monthly column contributor to the popular online arts magazine, Bleep.
+ Read MoreExperience
Movement Instructor/Voice and Speech Instructor
Jun 2015 - PresentIn my movement course, students explore their ability to engage the body in a full and courageously unedited manner as a tool for performance and to cultivate tools with which the students can externalize their internal life in an authentic manner on impulse and through movement. Various training methods will be taught, including but not limited to Viewpoints, the Suzuki Method, Dance, Yoga, Laban Analysis, Contact Improvisation, Grotowski, and Chekhov Technique.
In my voice course, students develop a free and healthy voice and an awareness of vocal tendencies and adverse conditioning. Various techniques are taught, including and not limited to, Fitzmaurice Voicework, Knight-Thompson Speechwork, Linklater, Lessac, and Skinner. Through exploration of phonetic sounds and optimal vowel formation a deeper, more precise and nuanced experience of sounds will be felt. Students experience a more visceral and more direct connection to their voice unimpeded by habitual tension.
Acting Instructor
Apr 2014 - PresentSeveral types of teaching opportunities: Going into schools and leading Shakespeare workshops, teaching Academy classes on Shakespeare and performance at the theatre, leading workshops in stage combat, dance, text analysis, and Greek theater, as well as working as a group leader for Youth Drama Camp and a workshop instructor for school field trips.
Worked with juniors at an inner-city high school in creating their own performance pieces based off of moments in American history. This 12-week curriculum focused on building an ensemble, improving communication skills, furthering their knowledge of American history, and cultivating an eye and ear for theatrics. Returned and worked with sophomore class on creating various interpretations on Shakespeare's Macbeth; culminated in a class performance.
Duties include maintaining positive lines of communication between directors, teachers, and students, leading students through various ensemble and acting games, creating lesson plans, acting as a liaison between parents and camp directors, and directing plays, workshops, and scenes.
Voice and Speech Instructor
Jun 2012 - PresentVoice and speech instructor for first year students at acting conservatory; course work focuses on accent reduction, alignment, posture, breath, resonance, projection, and speech. Other duties include research, making deadlines, communicating between student population and departmental heads, and creating an overall positive and supportive environment conducive to the students’ growth and maturation as artists.
+ Read MoreEducation
MFA Acting
Jun 2010 - May 2012BA Theatre Arts; minor in Communication within the Entertainment Industry
Aug 2006 - May 2010Languages
French
Russian
Certifications
Master of Fine Arts
May 2012American Repertory Theatre/Moscow Art Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University
Bachelor of Arts
May 2010BA in Theatre Arts (Acting) and a minor in Communication within the Entertainment Industry
Awards
UCB Scholarship Nominee
May 2015Best Actress
May 2010Best Actress in a Leading Role
May 2010Affiliations
Voice and Speech Trainers Association
Aug 2015VASTA is an international organization whose mission is to advance the art, research, and visibility of the voice and speech profession. Goals: SERVE the needs of voice and speech specialists, teachers, and students in training and in practice. ADVOCATE for those who work and study in the field. PROMOTE the vital role of voice and speech specialists for all professional voice users. BROADEN public understanding of the nature and importance of voice and speech use and training. CREATE opportunities for ongoing education, and the exchange of knowledge and information among professionals in the field. CULTIVATE diversity within our membership, and encourage a liveliness of thought and opinion. UPHOLD and advance excellence in voice and speech.
+ Read MoreAssociation for Theatre in Higher Education
Jun 2015The Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) is a comprehensive non-profit professional membership organization. Founded in 1986, ATHE serves the interests of its diverse individual and organizational members, including college and university theatre departments and administrators, educators, graduate students, and theatre practitioners
+ Read MoreActors' Equity Association
May 2012Actors' Equity Association, founded in 1913, is the labor union that represents more than 49,000 Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society.
+ Read MoreScreen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
May 2012An American labor union representing over 160,000 film and television principal and background performers, journalists, and radio personalities worldwide.
National Society of Collegiate Scholars
May 2006The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) is an honors organization that recognizes and elevates high achievers. NSCS provides career and graduate school connections, leadership and service opportunities and gives out a million dollars in scholarships annually. NSCS members are deeply committed to scholarship, leadership and service and as a result, are impacting their campus and local communities every day.
+ Read MorePhotos & Videos
43 Reviews
Write a ReviewThis was my first class with Alexandra.
She is wonderful and I’m very excited about our future classes.
I’m thrilled that I found her.
I would describe this instructor as polite, courteous, relaxed, punctual, calm, non-judgmental, competent, and prepared. The session began promptly at the appointed time. The video and audio connections worked flawlessly with no lag time. The video began with the casually dressed instructor seated in her residence. After brief introductions, the instructor asked what I wanted to get out of these lessons. I explained that I wanted to learn how to slow down my speaking voice and to lower the pitch of my voice to come across as more authoritative. The instructor then explained that my goals were common and that she believed she could help me. At that point, the instructor began discussing psychological and emotional issues, which caught me by surprise. After a brief discussion, the instructor then told me her thoughts and opinions, which were based on psychological and emotional issues rather than what I considered to be voice or speech issues. The instructor thoroughly explained the correlation between the two in a way that I understood. Finally, the instructor proposed a lesson plan and sent me a few resources to review before the next session. I went into the first session open minded without any concrete expectations and was pleasantly surprised. There were no mind games, gimmicks, or tricks. The instructor was pleasant and seemed genuinely interested in my case. I did not hesitate scheduling the next session.
+ Read MoreAlexandra is an inspiring and professional instructor!
She diagnose my pronunciation problems and provided very useful tips to improve my pronunciaiton accuracy. These tips are really good take-home toolkit because I can practice my pronunciations anytime.
I am more confident in speaking English. Thank you!
This was bomb and she rules. 100 percent recommend her for make-up tips. :D
She is perfect! I made a mistake previously with my review!That was an issue with my laptop. She is very nice! She is very professional and knowledgeable.
Alexandra was awesome. She listens to you carefully and finds places to improve and suggests to use it in daily work.
Love it very much , thank you Alexandra for you help today ❤️️
She was very helpful and made it easy to understand and do!
Helpful, does not just tell u she gives u a chance to tell her your thoughts and then she goes from the!
Very excited and grateful already. Can't wait for more lessons!
It was really fun and informational minus the sound issue but we fixed it and made it through the lesson!
it was great!!
Fantastic Teacher. Patient, Non-Judging with a great energy.
She is amazing a great speech teacher. People are noticing the difference. If you are an actor, shild, public speaker, a librarian, whatver... and need help with speech, diction or voice. Sign up with her, She is five stars plus.
She is a great teacher with in-depth knowledge about acting and a great experience to back that up. She will help you reach your goals faster whatever your goals are when it comes to acting.
Very informative, laid back and helpful! Made me feel very comfortable and gave me a ton of practical tips :)
I really enjoyed our talk. She is a great listener and she seems to ask the right questions at the right time.
Alexandra is very professional and her speech lessons are very helpful.
Amazing!
Alexandra is awesome!!! She is easy to understand and makes the class go by so fast... I always look forward to the next class.
Very pleasant and extremely helpful! Thank you!!!
This was my daughter's first experience with acting lessons, and Alexandra made it fun and engaging. She was patient, positive, and encouraging during all of the lessons. We'll definitely choose Alexandra for future lessons!
Quick and precise hints for better writing. We made a great plan for future lessons. Alexandra doesn't waste words, but uses the available time optimal.
Alexandra is fantastic! Super personal, gifted and able to teach her acting skills very well and easy to work with!!! We love her!!
Very knowledgeable!
Cares about the learning of her students!
A++!
Alexandra is a very bright and personable teacher. She's very patient and works great with students of all ages.
Alex is so personable and welcoming! She gave me such an excitement for acting even with just the first lesson! I would definitely recommend her to any one looking for an acting teacher. I am so excited to see how far I'll grow with the coming lessons!
+ Read MoreAlex was my Movement and Voice/Speech instructor in my graduate programme. I had done my undergrad in acting overseas and then moved to LA to complete my MFA in Acting. In my undergrad programme, I absolutely detested every Tuesday and Friday when we had Movement and Voice...but all that changed when Alex became my teacher for these subjects. Suddenly these were my favourite subjects. She made me actually look forward to going to class at 9am. I looked forward to what I was going to learn next from her.
She was so attentive to ALL her students, no matter your level. She always found time to work with you in whatever you were struggling with. She really truly cared about us. It was unlike anything I'd experienced with any other teacher I'd have ever. At one point, I was victim to some intimidation from another student in my class. Alex was the first person I confided in and she guided me through what I should do and how I should handle it, she was completely there for me, even allowing me to call her past 10pm to calm me down after one particularly bad encounter with said student.
Her lessons are prepared, structured and completely engaging. Somehow she is able to detect exactly what you personally need to work on and makes sure you are offered the most appropriate advice that best suits your personal needs. I can't even quite express how much I have learnt from her in the short four months that she was my teacher. She has exposed me to so many different techniques and exercises which, through her guidance, afforded me the opportunity to choose what worked for me.
If there is one thing that you cannot deny about Alex, she genuinely cares about her students, sometime to the detriment of her own life. She is an extraordinary teacher and an even more exceptional woman.
As cliche as this is, she inspires me to not only be a better actor, but to just be a better person.
Alexandra was a God-send for me. She was able to give me the instruction I needed to fine tune my audition pieces for my USC MFA in a matter of 3 sessions. She is very passionate about the craft and is a genuine person. She knows how to work with each actors' strengths to bring out their best performances. She works with you on getting of rid of habits that hinder your true potential. I am so blessed to have worked with her. I auditioned for the USC program after coaching with her and I feel confident about my chances. I highly recommend her.
+ Read MoreIncredibly helpful. Had an answer for every question. She is supremely qualified and it shows. Left with a better understanding of myself as an actor and what I need to be doing to succeed. Thanks Alex!
Alex is amazing! She has excellent communication skills and always responds to my emails quickly. She is willing to spend the extra time and go the extra mile to ensure you're getting what you need. She's friendly, punctual and easy to talk to. I was lucky to find her!
+ Read MoreAlexandra has been great! She has really taken my skill to the next level. She's very talented and really knows how to break down a scene. She's so passionate about what she does that it makes it fun to learn from her - she is always so patient and takes the time to work through any issue I'm having. I'm already seeing a difference in my auditions! I highly recommend working with her!
+ Read MoreShe's great 👍🏻
Alexandra is excellent! She is a true professional with a real passion for teaching. I began seeing Alexandra for vocal lessons a few months ago and I have learned so much more then just the basics of speech.
She not only gave me a solid foundation to build upon, but also provided me with a deep understanding about how powerful and personal voice work really is. Together we have worked on both the inner and outer aspects of my voice. After only a short time, I have seen a huge improvement in my vocal projection, breathing, presence and confidence.
She has a wealth of knowledge which has continued to give me new insights every lesson. If it isn't obvious- I highly recommend Alexandra.
Alex is quick to asses the essence of a scene. This makes her an ideal addition coach. Not only that, but her background in classical theatre really sets her apart from other coaches I've worked with. She gets tone, she gets, comedy, she gets characters. Alex turned my audition from a flat/static piece to something with depth and charisma. Highly recommend.
+ Read MoreAlex is the best acting coach I've ever had! She worked with me before a major audition and was incredibly insightful. She helped me get to the truth of the pieces I had chosen and instilled confidence in me. The audition was a success! Couldn't have done it without her.
+ Read MoreAlexandra was my primary coach when I was applying to MFA Acting programs last year. She is the best! She was instrumental in my success at every step of the process: helping me to pick material, coaching me on how to highlight my unique skill set, preparing me for what to expect in the room, and even in-home coaching while I filmed a taped audition. She is insightful and clear in her instruction and the breadth of her theatrical training allows her to tailor each session to the specific needs of each client. If she hadn't already helped me get accepted to one of my top schools (where I'll be starting this fall!) I'd absolutely hire her again. I can't recommend her enough!
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