Week 4 Technical Notes

 Voice w/ Kevin

Day 1

Dry Shower

Use hands to ‘scrub’ all over body (arms, legs, chest, head, etc.)

Attraction/ Repulsion

Move parts of body toward each other and then force them apart, alternating body parts (sternum/ tail bone, back of head/ heel, pelvis/forehead, etc.)

Get creative with body part combinations

Try different ways to bring body parts together or force them apart

Gather and Strew

In big, sweeping gestures that move the body through space, draw the space into the body (gathering) and then spread the space away from the body (strewing)

Relay around the space in big circle, gathering halfway round and strewing the rest

Once one person finishes the next starts

Emphysemic Sound

 Extended vocal technique that sounds like a mixture between vocal fry and a forced yawn

Bacchae Text

Crumble, Bow, Cry, Fire, It’s Up It’s Down, Neck Arched, Throbbing Fear, Leap Free

Personalize movements and sound qualities for each word/ phrase

Just movement or just sound then both together

A point and B point

One partner at a time takes the text in hand and delivers it one ‘line’ at a time (from one punctuation mark in the text to the next) while alternating between two points on the floor

Start at A, look at text, take in the phrase (breathe it in), look at partner and deliver line

Move to B and repeat

Alternate until full text is delivered and then change roles

Day 2

Sacro- Lumbar Rolls

1. Lay on back with toes against wall, heels on floor, knees bent
2. Roll pelvis toward wall on slow inhale, letting backs arch
3. Push with toes on exhale and roll pelvis up toward rib cage, letting head roll back
4. Add a soft sigh to the exhale

Spinal Isolation

1. Start lying on back, feet standing, knees bent
2. On three out breaths release the chest, belly and pelvis toward the ground
3. Repeat, but with shoulders against wall, and releasing spinal segments into the wall

Wall Relations

Using contact with and relationship to the wall to explore different qualities of sound using one line of text as one moves around the wall

Partner Text Exercise

Using the words from the Bacchae text explore relationship with partner using different types of movement

Pushing

Pulling

Single point of contact (finger, toe, elbow, etc)

Isolations

A or B partner moving independently (one at a time), other frozen

A and B moving at different tempos

Pauses

Level change

Weight share

Day 3

Partner Massage

One partner stands

The other starts at the feet and quickly rubs up and down all the way up the back of the legs to the shoulders then showers down from the head while the standing partner exhales on a ‘hiss’ sound

Repeat two more times

Individual body part massage

Upper then lower arms

Whole arm in descending motion

Upper and lower leg

Whole leg in descending motion

Each section happens times

Standing partner exhales on ‘hiss’ sound each time

Sound Circle

Playing with consonants

‘f’ moving to ‘Fuh’ sound

‘v’ to ‘Vu’

‘s’ and ‘z’

Buzzing lips

Pulling ears up

Alternating between ‘d’ and ‘g’ sounds

Piano work

Sirens (glissandi on fifths)

Physicalize in different planes with arms and legs

Sagittal, lateral, horizontal

Combinations of two at once

Vi vi vi Oh oh oh ohs

Text work

A point and B point

With full text of the Bacchae Chorus (Crumble Palace, Throne Fall)

One partner at a time takes the text in hand and delivers it one ‘line’ at a time (from one punctuation mark in the text to the next) while alternating between two points on the floor

Start at A, look at text, take in the phrase (breathe it in), look at partner and deliver line

Move to B and repeat

Keep eye contact through delivery and transitions

Only break eye contact to take in new parts of text

Alternate until full text is delivered and then change roles

Repeat exercise except use change of level instead of transitioning between A and B

Actioning

“I Verb You”

Using this format and filling in the verb with a simple intention, deliver this phrase to partner and then as much of the text as fits that action

Physicalizing the Actions

Add pushing, pulling, point of contact, etc. to the text

Explored just physicalizing actions without text

Movement w/ Claudia

Day 1

Seated Feldenkrais

From a seated position with feet in front, soles together (butterfly), revisit pelvic clock exercise

Make circles with pelvis, sternum, and head

Engage all three parts at once and allow body to move as a single 3D object

Repeat from bench position

Yoga and Stretching

Fast Yoga Routine

Crow Position

Hands down

Knees on upper arm (above elbow)

Twist to side

Take weight onto hands and lift feet from ground

Like the Baby Freeze but without touching head to the ground

Flamingo

One leg crossed over other

Hands down

Crossed leg against elbows

Take weight onto hands and lift feet from ground

Headstands

Triangle

Roll out

Push up with arms and tuck head toward chest to roll out of headstand position

Partner Roll (through Bench)

Both partners cross the mats together, switching from bench position as a base to rolling over the other’s back

Partner Back Lifts (with suspension)

Back to back, partners lock arms

One partner slides down, pelvis under pelvis, legs wide, knees bent

Lower partner leans forward while lifting up with pelvis (arching lower spine, not rounding), straightens legs

Other partner leans back and bends knees to bring feet off of ground

Return to starting position and alternate roles back and forth

Play with dismounting to either side rather than returning to the start position

While in the start position, one partner will walk forward (the other backward) and use the momentum to start the lift

As the other partner is returned to the ground the couple will change direction and head the other way using the momentum to pull the other partner up into the lift

Continue to alternate back and forth

Barrel Rolls (in trios)

Two partners and a spotter

In same base position as the back lift, one partner bends knees, opens legs into a wide base and pushes arms against knees (supporting torso), flat back

Other partner approaches the base partner the same as the partner rolls through the bench position, but instead from standing

Lining up pelvises, the ‘flyer’ rolls over the base’s back

Base helps flyer by anticipating the weight and helping push it off the other side

Spotter is there to catch in case anything goes wrong

“Eeling”

Two partners cross the floor together in a low level (as if they were eels)

First with perception of each other, allowing stops

Next, must keep eye contact

Last, allowed to break eye contact and allowed to touch, offer and take each others weight

Day 2

Sitting Feldenkrais

Repeated exercise from previous class but did in side saddle position rather than butterfly and added restrictions

Hands on head in lateral plane (opening ribs)

Hands in front

Hands to one side then other

Discover how restrictions change the motion

Revisit sitting position and feel the difference

Move through space in levels with restrictions

Hands on head, blocking neck

Arms over head, joined in ‘crossways’ position

Fingers laced

Arms crossed in front of chest

Partner Hip Dance

One partner with hands on others hips

Following then leading

Let go and just observe

Joined hips

Explored levels, weight share, rolling, etc.

Group Dog Walk

In small groups (lines at first), roll down through spine together and then walk backwards in dog position to the wall, walk up the wall to handstands and then walk back down, forward to the starting position and then roll back up

Then the same but had to keep contact with shoulders (line of 6)

Then clumps (not strict lines)

Tripod headstands

From sitting, kneeling and then standing

Handstands with partners

Check each other for technique, correcting lines

Statue/ Pedestal

One partner chooses a position to serve as a pedestal and the other uses that position to give weight to the base and assume a position on top

Alternate and explore several different positions

Partner handstand lifts

One partner in a handstand, the other takes the weight and lifts them off the ground letting them hang upside down for a few moments

Acting w/ Michele

Day 1

Explore Bubbles in the Space

·      Change of levels

·      Dark side of the moon

·      Attraction to empty space

·      Reacting not doing

Personal Movement Score (the Bubble Chain)

Series of 7 actions or movements learned from the previous session

Including but not limited to: walking, jumping, sitting, rolling, 4 bases, handstand and cartwheel prep, skydive/huggybrear, etc, etc

Play with the chain in degrees of time, tone, and volume

Add group start and stop

Vocal Imagery

Starting from stillness, visualize an image and a destination for a sound

Gradually, allow movement or physicality that matches the sound (time, tone & volume)

Soloist and Choruses

One actor out of 6 would play either a high or low tone, rhythm or volume while the others played the exact opposite and then swap

Puppetmaster

Two actors ‘on stage,’ one is the puppeteer and the other is the puppet

The puppeteer is behind and unseen to the puppet, but has to affect the puppet and get them to move by only using the voice

No words allowed

Day 2

Open body, voice and awareness to space in the same way as the bubble exercise from the previous class

Bubble Chain

Allowed to explore the voice through text or song

Allowed to join other chains but coming back to the point of departure afterwards and continuing

Repeated in two groups of six and observed each other

Zanni—Diagonal Mask

Standing

·      Start from neutral

·      Bend knees

·      Turn out one foot 45, lift heel

·      Align pelvis, chest and head with the diagonal

·      Arm over raised knee is lifted 45 above horizontal and follows the same diagonal as the knee

·      Other arm is perpendicular to the unchanged foot and horizontal (parallel w/ floor)

·      Forearms are straight up and hands facing inward toward the head (‘look at me!’)

·      All the weight is in the stable foot and mask is always held on the diagonal

Shifting weight

·      Pull the floating leg in to the heel of the stable leg and kicking leg up and out the other way as the heel comes down

·      As the leg kicks out, the pelvis, chest and head follow

·      The arms switch positions and the weight shift ends in a mirror image of the initial position

Turning (Internally)

·      Lift floating leg

·      Kick foot in front of stable knee

·      Let momentum pivot body on toes of supporting leg

·      Place floating leg back on ground with toes on floor, heel lifted (standing position)

Turning (Externally)

·      Dig toes of floating leg into ground and push (or kick) foot in front of stable knee

·      Pivot opposite direction of internal turn

·      Replace foot of floating let to standing position

Add a little ‘tok’ or flourish with the hands to signal when a turn or weight shift is complete

Arlecchino—Diagonal Mask

Standing

·      Start from neutral

·      Bend knees

·      Turn out one foot 45, straighten leg, keep foot flat

·      Align pelvis, chest and head with the diagonal

·      Hands are at side, thumbs ticked in belt, palms turned out

·      Elbows forward, chest out

·      Can lift toes of straight leg to indicate ‘love’

Turns (internally and externally) and shifts weight the same as Zanni

Running

·      Start the internal turn (raise foot and kick in front of knee) but instead of turning, kick leading foot back out and shuffle on the diagonal, bringing hind leg to meet leading foot

·      Shuffle twice on one leg then switch legs for two shuffles

Walks ‘normally’ but has both feet turned out and arms hanging from elbows

Brighella 1 (Good Brighella)—Front Mask

·      Start from neutral

·      Bend knees

·      Turn out toes

·      Elbows forward

·      One hand across chest (holding towel)

·      Other swings free when walking

·      Steps lightly and lifts heels quickly (like walking on hot sand with bare feet)

·      Head bobs quickly from side to side (laterally)

·      Sometime add a quick shoulder shrug as a tic

Turns and shifts weight like Zanni and Arlecchino

Brighella 2 (Bad Brighella)—Diagonal Mask

·      Start from neutral

·      Bend knees

·      Turn out one foot 45, lift heel

·      Align pelvis, chest and head with the diagonal

·      Lean over raised knee

·      Front arm rests on leg above knee

·      Other arm is hidden behind back

·      Walks keeping this position, just steps with supporting leg past the raised heel then steps out with floating leg

·      Keep heel raised during whole step (limping)

Turns and shifts weight like Zanni and Arlecchino

Smereldina—Front ‘Character’ (no mask)

Female Zanni

·      Start from neutral

·      Bend knees

·      Turn out one foot 45, lift heel and pull in toward other heel

·      Elbows forward

·      Hands on hips, palms turned out

·      Chest slightly forward (showing off assets)

Running

·      Lift skirt to allow quick feet movement

·      Kick out with one leg

·      Run forward

·      Jump back a step to stop

·      Drop skirt

·      Replace hands on hips

Day 3

Opening bodies into the space by exploring bubbles of attention (influence)

Bubble Chain

Allowed to use songs during exercise

Allowed to step out of exercise (no more than two at a time) and observe others

Repeated exercise but not allowed to stop moving until group found ending together

Pantalone—Profile Mask (or frontal)

·      Start from neutral

·      Bend knees

·      Turn both heels in

·      Push pelvis forward

·      Thrust chin

·      One hand is in front holding change purse, other behind back holding cape

·      Shoulders back, chest straight (open)

Walks by taking very small, quick steps, like each heel revolving around the other

Turns with head first and body follows before starting to move in new direction

Il Dottore—Frontal Mask

·      Start from neutral

·      Bend knees

·      Turn out toes, turn out heels to wide parallel and then turn out toes again (one and a half shoulder width)

·      Straighten legs

·      Pelvis back

·      Lean back a little

·      Drop chin

·      One arm holds a book to chest, the other hangs or goes to belly, but does not swing much

Walks in big (exaggerated) steps with straight legs, but doesn’t travel far with each step because the hips are turned out

Turns internally by maintaining distance from target and pivoting forward during a normal step

Turns externally by closing distance to target and pivoting during a back step

Il Capitano—Diagonal Mask

·      Start from neutral

·      Bend knees

·      Turn one heel in

·      Straighten other leg

·      Align pelvis and chest with the diagonal

·      Pelvis back, chest forward (open)

·      Left hand is always on sword (to control it swinging when walking or turning)

·      Other hand is free to make grand gestures or rest on hilt (not closing chest when reaching across body)

Walks with large steps, heavy but with bent knee (developing leg from the ground with each step)

Changes direction simply by shifting weight from straight leg to bent leg (straightening one knee and softening the other) and alternating which heel is turned in

Mask (nose) faces the opposite direction as hips and switches with every turn, weight shift or step

Elements of Action

Action-The intention with which a character enters a scene

Block-An event happens and makes the character stop, freeze and drop intention

Mask shot-Character looks to the audience to let them in and then back to the event that caused the block

Receiving-Inhaling, taking in the new focus and letting the new event affect character

Reaction-Exhaling, reacting to the event in a positive or negative way and starting a new action

Mask Shots can come before or after Receiving

If before, neutral look to audience (no intention to ‘show’ the audience, not ‘mugging’)

If after, hold received affect to show the audience

Mask shots are never held or long, just a quick look at the audience and back

Two actors at a time would work on these steps while the audience observed

Developed short solo pieces with an object (either solid, long or soft) using these elements