Semester 2 Week 1 Technical Notes

Voice w/ Kevin

Day 1

Partner Massage (Breath Compressions)

·      One partner stands behind the other and lightly massages the neck, back and rib cage (back and front)

·      Massaging partner wraps arms around the other’s upper rib cage (sternum/ chest area) and ‘squeezes’ or ‘hugs’ while they exhale

·      Massaging partner helps other push to the end of the breath by breathing with them and taking some of their weight

·      Repeat 3 times

·      Do a second massage, but tracing the lower rib cage in the front and back

·      Repeat compressions, but lower down, under the diaphragm area and taking more weight (closer, tighter hug)

·      Repeat 3 times

Pushing the Breath (Solo Compression)

·      On an exhale, push one hand into the stomach area right above the belly button

·      Imagine pushing through the torso to the wall behind

·      Release to inhale and repeat

·      Change the direction of the push, going up, to either side and down toward the ground

·      Go through these positions in one movement (in both directions) like the hand of a clock using as many breaths as necessary

Sucking in the Stomach

·      In a slightly bent forward position, knees bent, feet parallel and shoulder width apart, arms pressing into legs, sacrum released (lower back rounded) exhale to the end of the breath

·      At the end of the breath press with the arms further into the legs and allow the stomach to occupy the space left empty by the contracted lungs

·      Don’t suck in breath or try to suck the stomach in but let the push extend the held breath and push the stomach up

·      Release the hold before inhaling again

Rolling Sighs

·      Roll down the spine on 4 or 5 voiced exhales (sighs)

·      Release sacral area

·      Roll back up on 4 or 5 held notes

·      Repeat

·      Holding the note at the top of the second roll, the group can intersperse, weaving in and out of one another while maintaining the sound (breathing when needed and changing pitch when desired)

·      Stop in a clump where every person is in contact with someone else in the group

·      Disperse again, reforming a large circle

·      Find a group stop

‘Breathing is the Most Important Part’

·      Sung in rounds by groups of 4

·      Trios in rounds

·      Groups of 4 singing in rounds with one leader using variations of step rhythm to keep tempo

·      Same groups move as lozenge (diamond) shifting the leader depending on the direction the group faces

Softcops Group Read

·      Read thru text by two males

·      Read thru text by two females

·      Read thru text by male/ female couple on feet

·      Couple allowed only to face audience, one another, or opposite direction of each other (actors not required to face same direction at once i.e. one faces audience, other faces away)

Day 2

Warm-Up

·      Sighs up and down in pitch while jumping softly (opening body)

·      Repeated ‘G’ or ‘gah’ sound

·      Repeated ‘ng’ sound (bouncing tongue off of soft palate)

·      Bulgarian folk song (one group sings first phrase and holds one note, other sings all the way through song on top of held note from first group)

·      Transition from ‘ng’ sound to open ‘aw’ sound

·      Play with different physicality for each sound (animalistic)

·      Play with opposition in body (arms and legs in different directions) for ‘ng’ sound

·      Play with stretching and opening upwards and/or arms being held up while head is being pulled down for open ‘aw’ sound

·      Play with the transitions between these two new physicalities between the sounds

Crave by Sarah Kane (sp?)

·      In groups of four, take the text and find a simple way to stage the section while playing with the musicality of the dialogue and the relationships between the characters

·      Return after 15 minutes and show to rest of class

·      Based upon the showings, determine the next step to take and what more is needed for each group to work on

·      Continue to work in groups for ten more minutes

·      Return and show scenes again

Movement w/ Claudia

Day 1

Warm-Up/ Yoga

Cobra into curved sacrum

·      Lay on front, arms bent and next to shoulders, push up from pubic bone

·      When fully extended from pubic bone, press hands into floor and extend arms, raising into Cobra

·      Release back down to laying on front

·      With arms bent and next to head, roll back with forehead and curve lower back

·      Keep the groin on the floor but raise the top of the pelvis

·      Look at belly button

·      Alternate between these two positions

Bridges

·      Lay on back, feet in standing and hands next to head preparing for supporting weight

·      Press into feet and raise pelvis off of ground

·      Roll head on ground and balance weight between feet and crownof head

·      Return to first position

·      Repeat, but reach arms out, pressing into feet and taking weight into the head

·      Keep neck long

·      Return to first position

·      Repeat, but cross arms (grab elbows) and place in front or behind head

·      Balance weight between feet and forearms on ground

·      Return to first position

Partner Bridge

·      One partner in first bridge position

·      Other partner stands above partner’s head facing toward partner’s feet

·      First partner grabs the ankles of standing partner and goes into full bridge using the partner’s feet for support for hand placement

·      Standing partner reaches under other’s back, lifts from the shoulder blades and leans back, helping bridge find full extension

·      Bridge releases neck, opens chest and presses into feet allowing partner to help find the extension

·      Stay in bridge for two or three rounds of breath and then release down

·      Repeat and then change roles

Pelvis Roll/ Spring Up

·      Starting on knees, advance pelvis while going back with shoulders and head

·      Suspend position until last possible second and then roll forward

·      Pelvis lands first, then hands help catch weight as the front rolls on ground all the way up to the chest

·      As the front rolls forward, the pelvis stays arched and thus rocks up off the floor and legs come off the ground

·      When chest is on floor weight rocks back and front rolls back down to pelvis

·      When legs come back to the floor, shift backwards to child’s pose

·      Repeat but from standing, knees advance first

·      In child’s pose with arms back, spring up onto feet, remaining crouched (knees bent, feet on floor) but opening out with arms and head forward

·      Combine roll and jump, starting from standing, so when prepared to roll back and assume child’s pose, spring into crouched position

Worm

·      Starting from bench, slide on leg back and into the air, let other follow

·      Take weight into arms and roll from chest to pelvis

·      Repeat but letting both legs go at once

·      Repeat from crouched

·      Repeat from standing

·      Repeat, but after rolling back, slide arms back to pelvis and repeat action with legs, making a chain of undulations

·      Do ‘the Worm’