COMPANION

Rosemary Roberts Earle

Rosemary (‘Rome’) Roberts Earle (1929–2021), UK-born US teacher of the Alexander Technique.

Life

Rome Roberts Earle was the daughter of Dorothea Pyman Bell and Kenneth Bell. Rome Earle was introduced to the Alexander Technique by her mother, who travelled from Hull in Yorkshire to London to have a series of lessons from Marjory Barlow during WWII. When the family moved to London Rome also had some lessons with Marjory Barlow.

Rome joined F. M. Alexander’s teachers training course for three months at the age of 15 or 16, but found it difficult to fit in, and went to study dance in Machester (at the Art of Movement Studio with Laban and Lisa Ullmann). At the age of 19 she returned to London and continued the teachers training course, but due to family problems had to leave the training course in 1951. She gave birth to Mark Alexander Roberts 20 January 1952. She moved to Ojai, California where she had three more children (Jennifer Eckersley 2 December 1954; Melanie Dawson 12 June 1961; Sean Roberts 2 November 1963).

Some years later Rome met Judith Stransky and started having lessons again. Soon afterwards she met Patrick Macdonald, and returned to London to join Macdonald’s training course for one year, graduating in 1973. She moved back to California where she first taught privately. From 1983 to 2003 she worked regularly on Frank Ottiwell’s training course. Rome then went on to assist Giora Pinkas on his training course 2003–06. She also worked for three months at ATA (Alexander Technique Associates) in London (at Don Burton’s invitation).[1] She later assisted Alice Olsher on her training course in San Diego. She married Arthur Earle in 1985.

Pictures

The Leader Magazine of 11 December 1948 contains four pictures of F. M. Alexander working on Rome Roberts Earle. They were reproduced in The Philosopher’s Stone.[2]

Writings

  • A 2014 panel discussion on the subject of ‘Keeping it simple’ included Rome Earle.[3]
  • ‘Finding my own way’ by Rome Earle interviewed by Ruth Rootberg.[4]
  • ‘Alexander Technique in my life, past and present’ by Rome Earle is her F. M. Alexander Memorial Address to AmSAT in 2006.[5]

Obituary

  • ‘Farewell to a foundational era’ by Alice Olsher.[6]

Rosemary (‘Rome’) Roberts Earle (nee Bell) *28 October 1929 – †22 October 2021

References
[1] ‘1993 AGM Keynote Address’ by Rome Roberts Earle, NASTAT News issue no. 22, Autumn 1993, pp. 8-10.
[2] The Philosopher’s Stone edited by Jean M. O. Fischer (Mouritz, 1998).
[3] ‘Keeping it simple – Judith Stransky and Rome Earle’ by Carol Prentice in AmSAT Journal no. 7, Spring 2015, pp. 26–33.
[4] ‘Finding my own way’ by Rome Earle interviewed by Ruth Rootberg in Living the Alexander Technique by Ruth Rootberg (Off the Common Book, 2015), pp. 92–107.
[5] ‘Alexander Technique in my life, past and present’ by Rome Earle in AmSAT News issue no. 71 (Summer 2006), pp. AGM13–AGM18.
[6] ‘Farewell to a foundational era’ by Alice Olsher in STATNews vol. 11, no. 4 edited by Jamie McDowell (STAT, January 2022), p. 47.
Taxonomy: 
Later Generation Teachers

Share links