Irene Tasker

Irene Tasker (1887–1977) was a pioneer teacher of the Alexander Technique, and a trusted assistant to F. M. Alexander for many years. Irene Tasker was one of the first people in Britain to train in the Montessori method in 1913. After becoming Alexander’s apprentice in 1917, she worked with him for the next 17 years and assisted with the editing of three of Alexander’s books. She pioneered the Alexander Technique in education when she set up a school for children in 1924, in London, based on the principles of the Alexander Technique. After ten years of running the school Irene Tasker moved to South Africa where she introduced and taught the Alexander Technique, again specialising in teaching children. She also taught doctors, lawyers and educationalists, generating a movement which culminated in attempts to incorporate the Alexander Technique in South African schools. For this purpose a plea was made directly to Alexander for more teachers to come to South Africa and for a teachers training course to be set up. These attempts having failed, Irene Tasker returned to England in 1948. She continued running a busy teaching practice, and was involved in bringing teachers of the Technique together after Alexander’s death in 1955. Irene Tasker was a resilient and independent woman, an innovative educationalist, and one of the earliest teachers of the Alexander Technique. This is the first biography of Irene Tasker and is based upon the research and study of primary sources. The book casts new light on the history of the Alexander Technique. The appendices bring together all known published writings by Irene Tasker. In addition, there is a substantial collection of newly discovered material. This includes letters and other documents by F. M. Alexander, Irene Tasker and others, as well as Irene Tasker’s notes of attending Alexander’s first teachers training course, a refresher course with Alexander in 1938, private lessons with Alexander and her personal reflections.