Movement 1

Unlike other artists who might have paintbrushes or pianos, an actor’s entire body is the instrument of expression and one must train it, care for it, and ultimately master it, so that it can fulfill the demands of your creative imagination. Without movement training, an actor will experience physical discomfort, tension, or self-consciousness on stage, on set, or in an audition. On the other hand, actors with a strong physical practice are more open, available, and capable of true experiential freedom in their work.This first level of movement training focuses on releasing the constrictions of the actor’s body and freeing the actor’s emotional life. In order to process the particularly emotional demands placed upon actors, it is imperative that their bodies be released, responsive, and free. Though helpful at any stage of training, the correlation between what happens in Level 1 of movement and the work of the first year actor is significant. Using the fundamentals of the Williamson Technique, this class functions as a physical guide to help begin to identify your own unique habits of tension and to begin to let go of extraneous physical behavior. In doing so, the actor will become less physically cluttered and more capable of creating expansive, unapologetic behavior with ease.

Special care is given to creating a safe and nurturing environment where actors can begin to give themselves permission to move away from pedestrian, socialized behavior and to embody a more authentic and unbridled state of expression. Acting is a collaborative art, and a lot of what being an actor includes is dealing with human contact, and Level 1 students are consistently challenged to be physically released during simple, truthful exchanges with their ensemble. Students will learn the foundation of the Williamson Technique, the open choreography. They will also gain basic alignment and release vocabulary and learn exercises that will be immediately applicable in their acting work and training. Students will begin to understand themselves and their bodies in a vivid, authentic way.

Movement 1 is a requirement for Business 1.