Happy, Healthy, Confident & Expressive in Dance: The Franklin Method®
"It is not helpful to tell a dancer what not to do without replacing it with a clear new way to do this action." Eric Franklin
Unlock optimal performance and biomechanical efficiency with Sarah Pritchard (MSMT, MSME), a 1st Generation Level 4 Franklin Method® Educator and Pilates Tutor for FABRIC's Centre for Advanced Training in Birmingham.
Tell me more about Franklin Method® in Dance
Franklin Method® is a system created by my teacher, Eric Franklin. It is cutting edge within the movement world and is highly respected and its knowledge sought after. It is used by elite dance companies and schools such as the Royal Ballet School, Laban and the Juilliard School to maximise performance outcomes for their dancers. You may even have one of Eric’s books on your shelf or in the dance section of your library, the most famous dancer books being: Conditioning for Dance or Dance Imagery for Technique and Performance although there are a lot more than these two! Franklin Method® has many scientific papers published proving its efficacy within dance, which you’ll find me discussing on my blogs or social media from time to time. You can discover more about what I teach to dancers through my Wellness Wednesday that was published for One DanceUK and Franklin Method® which you can find on their website or in my Journal too!
How can the Franklin Method® help dancers?
Optimise a whole array of skills you need: performance, technique, conditioning or developing the mental skills needed to become the best dancer you can be.
Work with your body efficiently, in an anatomically and biomechanically correct way. When you do that you will find that you optimise your body, you’ll become more flexible, powerful and learn how to use your body in such an intelligent way. Taking a journey beyond bone or muscle we can harness multiple systems in your body using our system of imagery coupled with scientific understanding to create healthy, comfortable, powerful expressive movement.
Franklin Method® can help with expressivity in dance, offering dancers ways to use imagery in a codified and intelligent way to develop as artists. It can also help dancers who are often overworked and stressed out wind down and get rest in a healthy way, as well as lessen anxiety and worry.
The Pelvis: Such a key place for dancers to embody because of its role in force transmission and absorption. Higher jumps, softer landings, greater alignment and greater comfort in the lower backs well as less wear and tear on your body are all found by developing your embodiment of the pelvis. We learn the fine bone rhythms of the pelvis in plié to develop a deeper effortless plié ensure your landings are safe and secure as well as fundamental articulation at the hip joint to safeguard not only the hip joint but the spine and the knees and feet.
Tell me why you teach Franklin Method® to dancers
Happy, healthy and more confident in dance - my mission for dancers harnessing the power of the Franklin Method®
I’ve had my own journey with dance as a dancer and ballet teacher and then as a remedial specialist I have worked with dancers of every age range within rehabilitative Pilates Studios. The injuries I have witnessed dancers endure from every generation are often the result of moving in a way that was detrimental to their physical health, reducing or ending their dancing life and in some cases leaving them with problems beyond dancing.
My Franklin Method® for dancers focuses on changing that and working with dancers before they get those issues or problems (although I can help there too!) and helping them become really happy, more confident and the best they can be.
I’ve been teaching Franklin Method® with a dance specific focus since 2018 working from Danceworks in London, on livestream across the world and back to the ballet school in person! I have taught and continue to teach professional dancers privately across the world who are either currently in performance or developing their own work in the somatic sphere. Franklin Method® is integral to all of the work I do and is taught in its own right as well as part of my programming for injury prevention and Pilates at FABRIC, the Centre for Advanced Training for Contemporary Dance in Birmingham. You don’t have to be an elite dancer or dancer in training though, and it doesn’t matter what level of dance you are at, you are now able to experience the same system. As I work in person as well as on livestream I can help dancers from across a wide range of areas access something that would be harder to reach in the past.
Why come and work with me? What my dancers say…
“If you’re hypermobile and / or a dancer keeping your body healthy through movement is crucial. But, understanding movement is essential... Sarah’s Franklin Method® classes are mind blowing and I can’t recommend them enough”
— L.R. Nutritionist with Specialisms in Dancer Health and Hypermobility
“Sarah is a wonderful teacher. Endlessly knowledgeable by conveys complex ideas in a straightforward way. My mind is calm and my body can do things I never thought possible... get in touch if you want to move beautifully but without the strain”
— C.W. Social Dancer
“I have been practising Franklin Method® now for several weeks in class and at home. I have found it has helped my dancing so much, and this week my dance teacher has remarked how much longer my legs look. It really helped me in ballet class while I was at Danceworks”
— R.D. Choreographer and Professional Dancer
Further Reading & Somatic Resources for Dancers
Dive deeper into how the Franklin Method transforms dance technique, prevents injury, and enhances performance through my curated articles and national publications.
Insights from the Somatic Movement Journal
1
Explore dynamic, anatomical approaches to flexibility that go beyond traditional static stretching, using the Franklin Method to create lasting change in dance conditioning.
2
Learn how dancers and movers can use neurocognitive mental imagery and simulation to maintain technique, accelerate healing, and navigate movement during and after injury.
3
An inside look at how discovering the Franklin Method fundamentally shifted my relationship with dance, movement education, and somatic bodywork.
4
Browse more articles on biomechanics, Pilates conditioning, and somatic practices designed to help you move with ease and efficiency.
Published National & International Resources
1
Read the official resource guide I authored for One Dance UK, the national body for dance in the UK, introducing somatic imagery to the wider dance sector.
2
Access my contributions and features recognized by the global Franklin Method organisation, highlighting evidence-based imagery and anatomy education.
About Sarah Pritchard: Dance & Somatic Specialist in Birmingham
About Sarah Pritchard (MSMT, MSME): Dance & Somatics Specialist
1st Generation Franklin Method® Level 4 Expert Educator & Movement Specialist Based in Birmingham, UK, I specialise in helping dancers, athletes, and movers unlock their physical potential through an integrative blend of Pilates, Somatic Movement, and the Franklin Method. As an ISMETA Registered Master Somatic Movement Therapist (MSMT) and Educator (MSME), my work bridges the gap between professional dance technique, functional biomechanics, and evidence-based dancer wellness. I am one of the few Level 4 Franklin Method® Educators in the UK, having trained directly under the method’s founder, Eric Franklin. Reflecting this close professional connection, I have also been featured as a guest teacher in Eric Franklin’s official global Virtual Studio, delivering advanced somatic imagery and anatomical conditioning to an international community of movers.
My current and past appointments include:
Pilates and Wellbeing Tutor at FABRIC’s Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) for Contemporary Dance (based at the Birmingham Hippodrome), training and conditioning the next generation of elite dance talent.
Somatic & Pilates Educator for the national Yuva Gati program, the National CAT strand dedicated to nurturing South Asian dance forms.
Registered One Dance UK Healthcare Practitioner, ensuring my conditioning and injury-prevention methods align with national standards for dancer wellness.
Member of the Birmingham Dance Leaders Group, actively collaborating to drive the growth, community health, and professional development of dance across the West Midlands.Whether through specialised workshops or 1-to-1 coaching across Birmingham, my goal is to support injury prevention, efficient alignment, and expressive, pain-free movement.
Guest Teacher for prominent regional training schools and creative companies, including the Nicholson School of Dance Summer Intensives: Perfecting your plié, Buoyant Effortless Jumps and Landings, Deep Stability for Adage and Dancing Strong Movement Lab sessions on the organs in movement. Delivering tailored somatic education, conditioning, and workshops directly to the local dance community.
Professional Standards & Safeguarding
I am fully committed to delivering a safe, inclusive, and elite educational environment for all movers. My practice is backed by:
Master's-Level Pedagogy: Holder of an L7 PGCE in Education, ensuring advanced, evidence-based teaching methodologies.
Sector-Approved Inclusivity: Completed specialized training with BAiD (Black Artists in Dance) to support equitable, diverse, and culturally responsive somatic practices.
Full Safeguarding Compliance: Maintained enhanced DBS Clearance for institutional guest teaching, youth company intensives, and private coaching.
Want to learn more about my background, qualifications, and full portfolio? Read my full story and background here.
Work with me and discover Franklin Method® for Dancers in Birmingham and Virtually.
Email me to work with me 1:1 for personal coaching or combine it with Somatic Pilates in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham.
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Looking for General Workshops or Immersives?
Beyond my specialised work in the dance sector, I bring the transformative power of somatic imagery to movers of all backgrounds.
Discover the foundational science behind my approach on the About the Franklin Method page,
View upcoming UK immersives on my Franklin Method Workshops and Masterclasses calendar.
Immerse yourself deeply in the world of somatic movement and somatic movement therapy at an upcoming Somatic Movement Retreat.
“I love how she invites me to be curious about my own body: about how it feels in the moment and how it might be possible to increase physical ease and peace of mind. Her enthusiasm and passion for sharing her knowledge of anatomy, coupled with her deep experiential understanding of the subtle rhythms of the body result in engaging classes; while her creativity in explaining these ideas and capacity to bring them into an embodied experience make the learning experientially-informed”.
— S.C. Dance Psychotherapist
Ready to Elevate Your Dance Technique?
Unclog your physical potential, protect your joints, and transform your relationship with movement. Contact me today to discuss private somatic coaching or professional dance training availability.