LABAN

I really like the work that I have done on Laban

It is really applicable and works from impulse in a particular way. The actors are given rules and restrictions and they become rich to play with. Especially when mixing an inner and outer effort can the effect of 'acting' take shape.

The elements are a great way in to the continuums (space, time, weight, flow) so again a cross over to Le coq's work is good to see. I also found cross overs with the states of tension, as I say to my students tension gives intention. I still believe that and it came back to me today.

You can play the efforts in big, comic and grotesque ways but also disguise them within naturalism. We explored the efforts for their rhythms, directions and use of space in fairly abstract way as pure movement. The way to consolidate one effort was to visit another effort that has one different element and then build in more differences afterwards. Then we played with a mixture of pacing around in the space to gestures and keeping the effort in 'stillness' before breaking into movement again.

We took a simple task of walking to a chair and sitting down, starting in one effort and making the change to another at any point. So if I travelled over in a Wring (Indirect, heavy, sustained) and I changed when I saw the chair to a flick (indirect, light, sudden) this adds meaning and then styles choices must be made to propose interpretation.

TERMINOLOGY

KINESPHERE - the bubble or personal space that surrounds you sometimes referred to as aura
PATHWAYS - movement pathways, neural pathways (nervous system), circulatory pathways (cardiovascular- respiratory systems)

ways in to efforts

Arc like or curved movements are INDIRECT they have no clear beginning or end which proved challenging when INDIRECT met SUDDEN. The dynamic of sudden normally comes out of a contrasting rhythm or pattern of movement for example a shock, or burst of laughter or high emotion rather than a constant speed. So to keep a sudden tempo while your movements have no punctuation and are continuous provided a challenge. Was this a challenge of the mind or the body? although some wouldn't separate the two as in Feldenkris training you are just your 'self'. Nevertheless where does the challenge occur in perception or action?.

Does one element rely on a exact set of circumstances to remain correct? or are we just most familiar with movement principles from our daily lives and therefore that is our benchmark? In movement training we take what is real and we dissect it for use elsewhere. By extracting movement principles we have more playing options whether we want to recreate something that looks very life like or something more stylised the source is the same.  Our experience of movement through the tension, action, emotions and challenges that we feel and observe in others is our source and should be understood and manipulated for use in theatre. It is the conflict that we must chase to find new movement 'pathways' and understand more.

In all movement work we are trying to identify the pattern and rhythms that we head towards in order to know what we avoid. In the ones we avoid we may find the golden ticket to the factory of delights and more importantly orange dwarfs. The process of identification is key, what are my habits and the contractions within me am I a floating, fire, gorilla searching for eyes and bodies to play with? do I try to thrust but end up wringing and flirting with with air? I love to be strong, acrobatic and warrior like but also to morph and be less obvious make space for dreams. Indirect or direct what is most prominent at the moment my peers would say I am direct. I think I am externally direct and internally indirect. Tension level 5 but 0 is intriguing and is entering my body easily at the moment. None lives in one completely or if they do they become comic and extraordinary. To visit these different restrictions is the actors work.

Inner efforts get me excited and brought up an interesting question, where do I place the breath?. If the breath helps us to articulate the effort in every case from the external, it is also needed for the internal effort and then how can you share it or find a flow between the two needs for breath.  It feels like a rub your tummy at your head situation.

BREATH IN MOVEMENT

Breath and impulse are so closely related in acting how do we find natural flow of opposing impulses. I say natural because I do it when I run for a train (Thrust - direct, Heavy, sudden movement) and think happy thoughts (Float - direct, light, sustained movement).

Glide, slash, float, glide, thrust, dab, press, wring...

Glide - direct, light, sustained
Float - Indirect, light, sustained
Wring - Indirect, heavy, sustained
Press - Direct, heavy, sustained
Flick - indirect, light, sudden
Slash - Indirect, heavy, sudden
Thrust - Direct, heavy, sudden
Dab - Direct, light, sudden

which are you?