Introduction
Performing can be physically intensive. The fitter you are, the more capable you are of coping with the demands of a career in performance. Performing is an expressive art form. Therefore, it is important to have an understanding of movement and emotional expression.
The workshop will combine of series of physical exercises, yoga and acting workshops. The mains aims of the workshop are to provide techniques to improve stamina, core strength, flexibility and confidence. The workshops also aim to improve understanding of movement and devising techniques.
Primary Focuses
Stamina
Flexibility
Anti-Aging
Core Strength
Knee Strengthening
Confidence
Expression
Physical Exercise
Warm-up Game
Fact catch: Performers walk around a room. A ball is thrown to a performer. The performer shares a fact about themselves to the group. The ball is then thrown between the performers repeating the process. The catch and throw must by performed in a stylistic or dance like manner. The warm-up game serves many functions. It's aim is to gently warm up the body, but also to encourage play and stylistic movement, to work on reflexes, co-ordination and also to build trust within the group.
I devised this game because I am new to the group and therefore felt it would be a useful icebreaker. It would also be useful for any new group, especially if I am ever to run my own workshops with people I do not know. The game can be varied, but by sharing personal facts, we get to know some information of each person in the group, which is useful for building trust.
Shakedown: This is important for me to ensure my joints are in place and not popped out before exercising, such as my shoulder or hips.
Standing muscle warm up (shoulders, hips, legs). Before performing any activity, gentle warmups should be used. This is especally true for a senior such as myself.
Warm Up dance
Dancing is useful (and fun) for exercising and building confidence. The movements can loosen the body and increase heart rate. The music is also uplifting and gives energy to the performers.
Semi choreographed routine with some focus on hip and shoulder movements, but the whole body will be covered.
Song: Luis Fonsi - Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee
As sometimes I lack confidence, using a freestyle dance for a warm up is useful for breaking inhibitions. The dance is also fun, the music up beat, so it sets the tone for the workshop. I use dance to help keep me nimble and to boost my confidence, I focus on developing fluidity and coordination to improve my movement style.
General Stretches: It is important to warm up and stretch before exercise. The stretches are needed to ensure I am ready to perform intensive exercises such as Interval training and in order to help prevent injuries. Due to my age and physical state, I am vulnerable to muscle injuries. I experience tightness in areas such as the hamstrings, quads, hips and shoulders, so it is important that I stetch to relax the muscles before exercise.
Interval training:
Performers can benefit from athletic training. Training can improve areas such as stamina, power and core strength. Interval training is useful as is utilises a number of challenging exercises combine with low level exercise (walking). This maintains the heart rate whilst allowing pacing, which is important for improving stamina. Due to the physical demands of performing, I will need to improve on my stamina in order to be able to perform for extended periods. Interval training is useful as it is flexible, therefore it can be adjusted to the needs of the performer.
As I am still in early days of building on my stamina and fitness levels, Interval training allows me to work at a tempo and perform exercises that allow me to pace myself and train, whilst not completely burning out. I can walk or run. I have the choice of simple or more complex and demanding techniques. I can vary the repetitions to avoid exhaustion, reducing the reps as I fatigue.
Length: 8 mins.
Exercise: Walk around the room at good a pace. At each marker, perform the instructed exercise for 5 reps. Reduce number of reps as you fatigue.
Normal Walk, Backwards, Normal walk, Run
4 exercises: 1 for each corner plus sides.
Press up (style optional)
Squat jump
Leg Raises/Sit Ups/Planks 'Ups'/ bridges
Squat Thrust/Burpee (Squat Jump, Plank, Press up)
(Print Exercise marker sheets for use in workshop)
Yoga:
Yoga is a useful tool for performers and has multiple benefits. Yoga techniques are used for deeper and extensive stretches which enhance flexibility. Yoga techniques are also useful for focusing on breathing and relaxation. The aim of the yoga routine is also to eliminate distractions, walls and baggage from the mind, liberating the performer to devise new creative ideas. Different performance styles requires flexibility, so its important that I use stretches to remain flexible. Due to my age, flexibility can also naturally deteriorate. I also experience muscle tension in back, leg and shoulders, so I can use yoga to help manage these issues. I also found performing Yoga in class relaxing and sets me up for performing in additional workshops. I also introduced a knee exercise which is important for strengthening my knee to prevent aggravation of the cartilage during impact activities like running and jumping.
Deep breathing: 1 Minute lying down. Deep Breathing helps bring focus away from thoughts and towards the breath. This is important for alleviating anxiety and bringing my thoughts into the present moment.
Baby Yoga: 1 of: Knee bend rock, Landau Reflex, Moro Reflex
Sequence: Standing superman, warrior lunge, forward fold, downward dog, yoga press up, cobra x 2, child pose, cat/cows, plank, cobra, child pose, hero pose (quad stretch), shoulder stand, child pose, pigeon, forward fold with calf stretch.
I selected the moves to cover all muscles groups. The moves have been sequenced to be fluid.
Deep breathing, 2 minute nap.
Devising Workshops:
James Bond Intro Walk
Performer must produce their own James bond intro walk. No wrong answer. Any style. The performers will also practice hitting a mark during the routine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkNeQdLg6Nc
Due to my lack of performing experience, I am not used to all the directions of stage and film. When performing, an actor will have 'marks, which are positions an actor may be asked to move towards and speak dialogue. Therefore, it is important that I become accustomed to hitting a mark and to become aware of the mark, but without making it obvious. To make the exercise fun and to add context, I used the 'James Bond Intro' theme.
Biomechanics Workshop 'Throwing the stone':
Biomechanics is useful for emphasising movements without emotional attachment. Each action has a purpose, rather than being a reaction to our feelings. The exercise aims to make the performer think differently about actions and movement. The movements starts and ends with a dactyl (the claps) and broken down into a sequence of purposeful actions.
1. Dactyl,
2. 2 Stance
3. Preparation to run
4. Seeing the stone
5. Falling on the stone
6. Lifting stone to feet
7. Transitioning stone from foot to knee
8. Preparation to run
9. Spinning stone
10. Taking aim
11. Preparing to throw
12. Throwing the stone
13. Identifying the strike of the stone
14. Turn + Final Dactyl
Meyerhold’s techniques and focused on developing the actor’s movement style. The movements are specific and purposeful. This technique is therefore useful for developing a new understanding of movement. The exercises are also fine and technically challenging. By performing these exercises I gain new understanding of movement and I am able to develop my ability to perform in this style. There is coordination in the movement. The movement is broken down into 16 steps. I can apply this technique to any performance in order to develop a sequence for a scene. I can study my scene and decide movements that are essential and purposeful. This is particularly useful as I have little experience as a performer and acting in characters through a scene will often require purposeful movements and actions. When I perform an action, is this action purposeful, or am I just wandering?
Touch Stimulus Workshop – Developing opportunity for communication from touch
Exercise: Round-by-Through.
1. Move around and 'through' partner
2. Pressure, resistance.
3. Opportunity for lifts
Each touch can create an opportunity for communication
Movement is characterised as an Event. The events are broken down into three 'universes'.
1. Before touch
2. During touch
3. After touch.
Each section of the movement should be different.
During the term, I came across Frantic Assembly through Sonia and my own research. The workshops are challenging and different. The touch workshop is a useful exercise for developing close coordination between performers. As an new member of the group, I felt that exercises such as the touch workshop would be useful for developing chemistry with the performers. The workshop also encouraged the development of a scene via actions, rather than relying on coming up with a pre existing idea. Natural scenes develop from the improvised interactions. This is useful for me as sometimes I have difficulties coming up with ideas on the spot. Overall, I choose this exercise as a devising tool. Natural characters develop through the interaction of actors, scenes then develop from the characters created.
Status Workshop
Performers practice high status, or low status body movements.
Solo Practice – Performers practice on status movements individually
Status Creature – Performers act as a high/low status creature. Their actions and answers must be in chorus.
The King – Performers take turns playing the king. The other performers become servants/slaves who are at the whims of the king. The servants job is to please the king.
Devised workshop: The performers take on high status roles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-_QItaSa4I
The status workshop is a characterisation exercise. It uses contrasting characters king/slave to devise scenes. Each actor is given opportunity to play the king. During the performance, natural characters develop from the slaves. Each slave may become a soldier, an assistant, a chef, an entertainer depending on the demands of the kind. The exercise is useful for devising natural characters and scenes. Although in this instance, varying pre determined contrasting characters can also be used. Therefore, as a devising tool it can be used to improvise themed scenes. The exercises such as the 'status animal' are useful for developing coordination between actors, by asking them to work in chorus as a single unit. This is important particularly as a new member of the group, where I am working to develop chemistry with the other students.
Commedia dell'arte workshop:
An early form of improvised theatre. Commedia dell'arte used stock characters in improvised, non-scripted, performances. Often used grammelot (gibberish) instead of real words, sounding 'French', but not speaking French words.
Performers learn characters and improvise a performance based on interactions of these characters. Use of Grammelot but not actual words. Non sense words acceptable. Teaches basic understanding of character and practice acting in character. Traditionally, most of the performers wore masks, so therefore emphasis is placed on physical body expression.
Character Sheet
Commedia provides a list of pre-determined stock/stereotyped characters. Each characters has a specific set of physical characteristics, actions, and interactions. The Harlequin for example, is sneaky and acrobatic. The characters need to be studied and then performed from this understanding of attributes. This is useful for developing a basic understanding of character and learning to express specialised characteristic. Commedia performances are also improvised and do not require script, so the focus becomes on physical expression and gestures in order to convey a message. I found that through Commedia, I was able to gain a basic understanding of characterisation through movement. I have also discovered characters that are closer to my natural persona. I imagined myself like a Harlequin and how I also used Commedia because it requires improvisation, but provides some details. Therefore, it allows focus on the improvisation without needing to devise new and original characters. I appreciate the historical context of Commedia dell'arte and many styles and practices can be linked back to it. Therefore I felt it was important to have a understanding of Commedia, as it provided background for the modern day physical theatre and devising techniques. This workshop would be more useful for individuals who have less experience in performing due to not needing to create characters or learn from script, but the historical context is useful for performing arts students.
Labens Eight Efforts (optional)
The Eight Efforts are used to cover a wide range of specific movements. The movements can be combined to create devised performances. In workshop, performer will work in pairs or small groups. Each performer will choose 2 of the efforts and improvise a performance based around their chosen efforts.
Further Infortmation:
The technique is useful for refining levels of tension within a characters performance. I act on each level of tension so I understand how to perform passionate, or cathartic. It also encourages breaking inhibitions and tapping into varying energies. The technique can also be used to change and develop scenes. The technique can also be useful for devising scenes. By changing tension of a character, it changes the scene. I found the tension scales are important for any form of theatre. Different characters and scenes will require different levels of tension. By training in in the 7 levels of tension, I am able to refine the emotions and physical expression of my characters.
Movement Scale Workshop (optional)
Using various scales of contrasting movements, such as fast/slow. They are useful for refining emotions and movements. Practising extremes and finding middle grounds leads to an understanding of my extremes and allows expression of a particular scale of emotion. The movements are are similar to Lecoq's '7 Levels of Tension'
Human/Animal Scale
Scale of 1-10, 10 being 'above human', 1 being completely wild, feral, aggressive and animalistic
Fast/Slow scale
Movement is random and dance like
1= Slow. 5= Neutral, 10= Ludicrous speed/Loss of control
Old/Young Scale
1=Very old person , 10= School child. Explore characteristics
Movement scales are useful for understanding contrasts. I can develop and refine movements depending on the levels. By acting at each level, I refine my understanding of my requirements. The human animal scale is a particularly beneficial exercise due to the obvious contrast. It also provides a baseline of my own movement. Am I naturally moving at a 7-8, which is closer to 'normal' human movement? Do I show some animal traits? By developing this understanding I can express myself accordingly to the requirements of the scene. As my character was very animalistic in their behaviour, the animal/human scale was a use technique for developing and refining my characters movements. I aimed to be unrecognisable and using this technique in practice was essential for my characters creation.
Finale
Create a short performance, based around a stimuli. Emphasis on movements, but improvised script can be used.
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