The Knowing Body: Awareness Techniques for Performers

Semester and Year	SP 2011
Course Number	ARTS-UG1106
Section	001
Instructor	Robin Powell
Days	Tue
Time	6:20 PM - 9:00 PM
Units	4.0
Level	U
Foundation Requirement

Description

Mind/body awareness techniques increase one's ability to strip away any physical and mental interferences which often appear as stiff, held muscles, poor body habits and impaired concentration. These methods are vital to the creative process and help students to honor inner knowledge. In this workshop, performance will be viewed in terms of concentration, breath, tension/effort, energy/presence, body behaviors/habits, and mind/body integration. Students must be prepared to perform a solo piece of their chosing (or an activity to be observed) by the third week of class and work on it throughout the semester. Kinetic Awareness, the Alexander Technique, meditation, visualization, and energy work will be learned and applied to student's performance piece. Open to performing arts students who wish to deepen their relationship to their bodies, increase awareness, and draw on inner reserves. Readings will include Knaster's Discovering the Body's Wisdom, Steinman's The Knowing Body, Crow's The Alexander Technique as a Basic Approach to Theatrical Training, and Kohnlein's Listening from the Physical Body.

Course Type

Arts Workshops (ARTS-UG)