Applying the theories Rudolf Laban, Frederick Matthias Alexander and Arthur Lessac in practical drama
This term we were taught some of the practical applications of theories by Rudolf Laban, Frederick Matthias Alexander and Arthur Lessac. Each of these practitioners formed certain theories and created certain exercises that can better one's performance of physical theatre. In this essay I will be explaining how some of these theories and exercises improve your practical abilities and performances.
Laban's movement analysis is about understanding effort and body attitudes. Your effort is the amount of energy in, and the dynamics of your movement. These are things like the flow, weight, time and space effort. Understanding and interpreting these forms allow us to be able to characterize during practical performance. For example, an old man would have a bound flow of movement because the elderly aren't very limber. His weight would most probably be heavy and his time effort quite slow, and so on. So we can see that Laban's effort analysis can be applied to all areas of movement, and thus help us to characterize easily and efficiently.
Both the body effort and body attitudes can help us to extend our repertoire of characters and become more creative. One of the exercises we did in class was to enact inanimate objects like the ball, wall, pin and the screw. This greatly helped me creatively, I never would have thought of making characters out of things, and that can greatly contributes to originality in physical performance.
The entirety of Rudolf Laban's movement analysis helps us to be conscious of our every movement, and to pay special attention to the connotations audiences will make with certain body efforts and attitudes.
The Alexander technique was created in the late 1800s when Frederick realized hoarseness in his voice after performances. He shared this problem with many actors of today, and he realized that the carriage of his head had much to do with this problem. The way in which we position our bodies has a great effect on what we are able to do with
Laban's movement analysis is about understanding effort and body attitudes. Your effort is the amount of energy in, and the dynamics of your movement. These are things like the flow, weight, time and space effort. Understanding and interpreting these forms allow us to be able to characterize during practical performance. For example, an old man would have a bound flow of movement because the elderly aren't very limber. His weight would most probably be heavy and his time effort quite slow, and so on. So we can see that Laban's effort analysis can be applied to all areas of movement, and thus help us to characterize easily and efficiently.
Both the body effort and body attitudes can help us to extend our repertoire of characters and become more creative. One of the exercises we did in class was to enact inanimate objects like the ball, wall, pin and the screw. This greatly helped me creatively, I never would have thought of making characters out of things, and that can greatly contributes to originality in physical performance.
The entirety of Rudolf Laban's movement analysis helps us to be conscious of our every movement, and to pay special attention to the connotations audiences will make with certain body efforts and attitudes.
The Alexander technique was created in the late 1800s when Frederick realized hoarseness in his voice after performances. He shared this problem with many actors of today, and he realized that the carriage of his head had much to do with this problem. The way in which we position our bodies has a great effect on what we are able to do with