Our Body’s Movement as Educator

Acting from the Body Self

Context

• A university’s role:• “is their purpose, their proper purpose, to turn

out young adults with well stocked minds that can think critically?”Michael Buerk, Radio 4 Moral Maze October 21,2009

• Active but managed curiosity

Research

• Research as thinking in company

• Palatine case study of movement in actor’s training as springboard for research

• Developing techniques for warm-up, building character, observation skills and knowing one’s own movement preferences.

Acting Training

• Vocational course; training for the industry

• Transferable skills:presentation

voice work

ability and awareness of communication

• Non-verbal communication and neuroscience research

(Dr. Martha Davis, Professor Michael Gazzaniga)

• Understanding self through movement

Body movement as expression and communication

Movement as Expressive and Impressive

• The how, not the what of the movement gives the expression

• Quality of movement gives feeling both internally and externally

• Our movement patterns are individual, unique and recognisable.

• The body’s movement style tells the story of the character

Training Actors’ Bodies

Movement Analysis Trains the Mind

• To quote from the Palatine report on my teaching in this area:

(the) teaching method is not based on the students copying or mimicking what the tutor does,….the goal of this approach is to create a skilled practitioner able to observe the totality of movement in others, analyse the total act into its movement components and their effect on both the mover and the observer, understand how those movements are created by the body and use their own body to create the same movement and effect. (Lisa Whistlecroft, Palatine report 2008)

Laban Movement Analysis

• Body Effort Shape Space (BESS)– Learned through movement improvisation and

observation structures

Case Study

• Ballad of a Sad Café

• The actor’s journey from self to character:– Pedestrian activity studied from self and from character . From six

foot 20 year old to four foot middle aged hunchback.

Conversation, movement sequences and production stills.

From Rhys to Lyman

Rhys• Body: slightly concave body

• attitude

• Effort: free flow, quickness, direct focus, light

• Shape: shape flow support for most gestures

• Space: easy verticality, three dimensional gesture system, medium kinesphere

Cousin Lyman • Body: upper unit bent forward

over lower unit, asymmetrical upper from hump, head tilted to side

• Effort: bound flow, quick time used repetitively often with direct focus.

• Shape: very little shape flow, directional gesture system

• Space: saggital use of body parts, small kinesphere

Sense of Self and How to Adapt It

• Completing the quote:“(the) teaching method is not based on the students copying or mimicking what the

tutor does,….the goal of this approach is to create a skilled practitioner able to observe the totality of movement in others, analyse the total act into its movement components and their effect on both the mover and the observer, understand how those movements are created by the body and use their own body to create the same movement and effect.

The analyisis – re-synthesis creation process is at the heart of ‘graduate thinking’. In this case, the thinking – both analytical and synthesising – is an intensely physical process as well as an intellectual one.” (Lisa Whistlecroft, Palatine report 2008)

This is what I (hope to) leave with my graduates. With this empowerment they are fit for purpose and fit for their future challenges.

References

• Gazzaniga, M. The Science of Mind Constraining Matter. Gifford Lectures 2009 University of Edinburgh

• Davis, Dr. M Movement Characteristics of Hospitalised Psychiatric Patients. Fifth Conference Proceedings (170) American Dnace Therapy Association pp.25 - 45

• http://www.outube.com/user/edinburghuniversity