Education
BA University of the South (Sewanee)
MFA University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
About
Amanda Blair MacDonald is an AmSAT-certified Alexander Technique teacher. She completed a 1600-hr Teacher Training program at the Dimon Institute in NYC and continuing education work with Alexander Technique teacher trainers Joan and Alex Murray, Beret Arcaya, Luc Vanier, Judith Kleinman, Sue Merry, and Mio Morales.
Amanda has had a lifelong interest in music and the performing arts. She grew up playing flute, guitar, and piano and has toured nationally and internationally with musical theatre and singing groups, performing in Switzerland, England, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and most of the 48 states on the US mainland. Favorite roles include: Mistress in
Evita, Peggy Sawyer in
42nd Street, Lola in
Damn Yankees, Beggar Woman in
Sweeney Todd, and Mrs. Cratchit in Toby Nicholson’s musical version of
A Christmas Carol.
In addition to her experience as a performer, Amanda has an extensive background in teaching. Her teaching credits include: The American Musical and Dramatic Academy-NY, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts-NY, The Ailey School, The 92nd Street Y, The Joffrey Ballet, and Chicago Lights, as well as multiple schools, studios, master classes, and teacher professional development workshops. Amanda incorporates the Alexander Technique, developmental movement, Brain-Compatible Lesson Planning, and anatomy mapping in her teaching methods to a full spectrum of individuals and groups – ranging from toddler age to adulthood. She currently teaches Alexander Technique at both the DePaul University School of Music and The Theater School at DePaul.
After earning a BA in Theatre Arts and Speech with an emphasis in Music from the University of the South (Sewanee), Amanda moved to New York City to pursue a career in musical theatre. While in New York, she studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy where she earned a Professional Certificate in Musical Theatre Performance and left for her first tour the day after graduation. She completed her Alexander Technique training in 2006, and later went to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She completed her MFA in Dance with an emphasis on Somatic Movement in 2017. While in Milwaukee, Amanda developed an interest in Movement Pattern Analysis (MPA), which was developed by Warren Lamb out of his work with Rudolf Laban. Amanda entered MPA training while still completing her MFA and became a registered Movement Pattern Analyst with the Warren Lamb Trust in January 2019.