The roots of Syntonics® began when Ms. Koltai read the seminal book by Thérèse Bertherat: The Body has Its Reasons in 1979. She established correspondence with Mme Bertherat and, in 1981 was accepted as one of 6 students, selected from all over the world, to attend the first training offered by Madame Bertherat in Paris. She was granted the “Diplome Technique Corporelle Thérèse Bertherat”.  As part of this training, she also attended lectures and demonstrations by the legendary physiotherapist, Françoise Mézières.

 

Simultaneously with her other studies and work, Ms Koltai began, in 1973, a long-lasting and impactful apprenticeship in the discipline of Sensory Awareness with the late Charlotte Selver. This relationship, apprenticeship and correspondence lasted 30 years, ending only with the death of Ms. Selver in 2003 at the age of 102.

 

In 1983 Ms. Koltai trademarked the term Syntonics® to represent her synthesis of the principles and practices of Bertherat, Mézières and Selver into a new and evolutionary humanistic physical discipline.

 

Her inquiry into the discipline of Authentic Movement began with her developing interest and practice in Dance Therapy. She was greatly influenced by the writings of Mary Starks Whitehouse, and met Ms. Whitehouse in the mid-70's. Participating in a number of workshops with this remarkable teacher had a strong and lasting impact. After Ms. Whitehouse's death, Ms. Koltai remained an avid student of all of Mary Whitehouse's writings. Later, she undertook studies through practice and reading with Janet Adler, one of Ms. Whitehouse's leading students and the outstanding contemporary scholar and practitioner of the Discipline of Authentic Movement.

 

As her understanding and practice of Authentic Movement deepened, Ms. Koltai embarked on forging her own way and methodology.  Her work with actors led her to her pioneering approach in the application of Authentic Movement to the creative and performing arts; specifically to voice, text, writing and the initiation of original work.