September 2008
The IFF DC is pleased to announce that Week 3 of year 1 (1980) of the Amherst training has been released! [Click here to purchase][Link not yet ready]. This gem joins the other valuable IFF DC products, including the Vancouver MP3 which was released this summer. Vancouver features 45 hours of Dr. Feldenkrais teaching to the public in 1973. A great resource for those who like to listen to a lesson while they learn it.
For those interested in purchasing the entire Amherst training on DVD, read Richard Ehrman's update on this multi-layered project.
The IFF DC has many materials to choose from, if you need help making a decision about what to add next to your collection, you may contact me at 503.243.3354 or sales@iffmaterials.com. I'm happy to assist you.
Sincerely,
Allegra Heidelinde
Office & Operations Manager
IFF Distribution Center
NEW PUBLICATION AVAILABLE
Amherst 1980 Week 3Held June 23 thru June 27 in 1980, Week 3 of the Amherst training includes 15 Awareness Through Movement® lessons.
As Arlyn Zones, Feldenkrais® Trainer, wrote in the introduction, "The Amherst Training was the last practitioner training that Dr. Feldenkrais conducted during his lifetime. In 1980 his reputation was growing quickly in North America, Europe and Israel. Over 200 people traveled to Amherst, Massachusetts in order to study with him....This was the third practitioner training that Dr. Feldenkrais taught and true to his nature he set about it in a manner completely different from the previous ones. The material found in these pages was to become the basis for the curriculum in many Practitioner Trainings that followed."
For seasoned practitioners and beginning students alike, the Amherst training transcripts are valuable additions to your personal learning library. You may order this latest edition by going to the IFF Distribution Center website.
Amherst Training and Functional Integration® lessons on DVD
~By Richard Ehrman, Chair, DC Board of DirectorsAmong the richest treasures in the recorded legacy of Moshe Feldenkrais’ teaching are the videos made by Jerry Karzen at the Amherst training 1980/81 and the Functional Integration (FI) lessons given after the training day. The Amherst training tapes were used for a number of trainings after Dr. Feldenkrais died and for some time were only available to trainers and assistant trainers. The FI videos were placed in several Continental Libraries for rentals to practitioners. A few years ago the estate of Dr. Feldenkrais agreed to make the training materials available to all practitioners.
As the use of digital formats spread, the Distribution Center (DC) negotiated an addendum to the contract with the estate governing the distribution of digital versions of the material. The DC produced two new volumes of FI videos [Volume 1: Ken 1980 and Volume 2: Margaret, Merrill and Will] with 8 lessons. We also began investigating converting the training videos to digital formats [NTSC and PAL] to be accessible the world over.
Early quotes on converting the 148 Training videos to a digital format and producing DVDs were prohibitively high. DC Resources have been concentrated on completing the San Francisco training and finishing the Amherst written transcripts. As such, we did not have the funds to move forward with Amherst digitization. In the summer of 2007 the DC began working with a vendor in Israel in hope of reducing the transfer costs. At that time we were hopeful we’d have a set of the Amherst tapes available that year. However the video quality of this overseas transfer combined with inconsistencies between the DVD and the published Amherst transcripts led us to continue to seek a better source for the digital version of the Amherst training and FI lessons. The DC is committed to producing the best product possible, and accuracy is important to us.
At the 2008 IFF Assembly DC board members Richard Ehrman and Rob Black reviewed the history of the Distribution Center and the IFF Archive of the Feldenkrais Method®, and surveyed member organizations on the future of financing these programs. On behalf of the Archive Working Group, Richard Ehrman proposed that the Assembly vote for funds to convert all of the Amherst Training and the Functional Integration lesson videos into digital format for distribution on DVDs, rather than waiting for Distribution Center to be able to afford to fund this important project. The Assembly agreed to a direct investment; this will lead to widespread distribution of the Amherst Training materials.
Currently we are getting bids to make the transfer directly from the U-Matic tapes, (the closest to the originals) and organizing the FI materials to move from VHS to DVD format. Once published, copies of these materials will be available to IFF member guilds for distribution to their members via their libraries. The DC will also offer the material for sale in a variety of combinations and packages. We are investigating direct downloads of some of the videos.
Digitizing over 250 hours of video is a large project that the DC is committed to executing to the highest standards possible for these archival materials, even as this means a longer wait. However, when finished, the community will be able to view each Training day and the evening FI videos as a whole and see how Dr. Feldenkrais related his work in each realm to the other. We are excited to be working on this and will keep you informed on our progress.
Richard Ehrman,
Board Chair, IFF Distribution Center Inc.
MORE THAN MATERIALS
The view from behind the counter~Allegra Heidelinde
Attending the Feldenkrais Guild® of North America's Annual conference in Boulder, Colorado to run the DC bookstore reminded me why the IFF Distribution Center's work is so valuable. I believe that anyone who is pursuing an understanding of the work of Moshe Feldenkrais is engaged in a vital and life affirming process. As such it is a privilege to work within an organization dedicated to providing transcripts, recordings and articles which preserve the singular teaching of Dr. Feldenkrais.
As I watched practitioners and students flit from one engaging workshop to another, I felt grateful that we continue to come together as a community to preserve and develop this delicious work.
I'd like to thank the seemingly tireless volunteer Board of Directors who serve the IFF Distribution Center and who remain committed to producing the highest quality materials possible. They recognize the inherent value in Dr. Feldenkrais' teaching and want his teaching materials to be available to practitioners and trainees the world over. This is a vision worth working towards.
Remember that with each purchase, you not only receive materials to further your own professional development, you also are supporting the continued production of new resources for all practitioners and trainees.
