Maggie Black

She coached dancers such as Martine Van Hamel, Kevin McKenzie, Natalia Makarova and Gelsey Kirkland.

She stressed moving from a neutral spinal and pelvic alignment with weight evenly distributed throughout each foot.

[2] Black was born in Rhode Island in 1930, and moved to New York City at the age of 16 to study dance.

She spent multiple hours a day in front of a mirror developing her theory of physical alignment that became the foundation for her teaching.

Moving from a natural alignment allows for freedom from tension and clarity of line and movement quality.