Professional Physical Performance Training By

This professional physical performance training and mentorship programme is for actors, dancers, creators and performance artists. Performers will be given a rigorous training in Lecoq based physical theatre and devising, with in depth exploration of comic and tragic territories plus time with creative writing, dance-theatre, capoeria, contact improvisation, yoga and meditative practices. The 4 week immersion uses a 'whole person' approach with plenty of activities to connect fully to yourself, and to nature outside the rigorous daily schedule. This mixed methodology invigorates your creativity, relaxes the self and opens the performer to expanding potential, ideas and skill. The teaching will equip you with a diverse set of skills, enrich your repertoire, and further develop your ability to create and perform genuinely original and inspiring work. ‘It’s a magical place and inspiring community – so artistic – and not ruled by the fear of Covid. I recommend every artist to get out of the city and come to Arambol.' Theatre and Film maker Who is this course for? This is for professionals, who want an injection of dynamism and vitality into their practice, teachers who want to expand their techniques, actors who’ve always known they can express more with their body, dancers who want to develop and integrate theatricality into their dance performance, movers, shakers and story tellers who know they have strong creative impulses and want more techniques to fly. Course overview We will delve into tragic and comic territories, move emotions, develop use of image, understand how to use and transform space - to create epic landscapes in small spaces, intricate pictures in a vast space. We will build skilled use of rhythm and ritual, deepen awareness of ourselves, of surrender, of our vulnerabilities and inner-idiot, of our expressive range, of all the characters living within, of ensemble and devising practice. Comic territories include in-depth clown, commedia dell’arte and physical comedy training – these enhance performer-presence, playfulness, risk-taking and enables you to expand your choices in the present moment. The course provides an immersion in Jacques Lecoq pedagogy, applies techniques used by leading UK companies Gecko and Frantic Assembly and draws upon contemporary devising practice. Melissa’s training in Jacques Lecoq pedagogy, and over 20 years of creating and training dancers and actors, her practice now incorporates adapted Stanislavski and Meisner methods, principles of Grotowski, Eugenio Barber and Meyerhold with therapeutic arts, psycho-drama and forum theatre: always at the service of empowering the creative elasticity of the performer, enlivening the relationship with the audience, and reaching depths of authentic expression. Special guest clown teacher Ashwath Bhatt will take you on a journey into your authentic self, and the immensely talented contemporary dance artist Purnendra Meshram will facilitate your physical flow and help you find your flying body. Outline of the four weeks: Week one: Over 4 weeks: Week one: • Preparing the expressive body: awareness, presence, articulation, energy, neutrality • Moving elements and emotions in the body, through the space • Ensemble techniques • Movement improvisation: solo, duet, group • Grotowski meets Meisner – physical impulses and emotional palette Week two: • Animal movement and study of myth and archetypes • Mask work: working with neutral and character masks • Creating rich, contradictory characters: understanding mask, counter-mask, social mask. • Tragic chorus and melodrama – transforming the three-dimensional image “There are three masks: the one we think we are, the one we really are, and the one we have in common” Jacques Lecoq Week three • Comic territories: proportions and distortion, the art of playfulness, use of rhythm, complicity, timing • Finding your inner idiot: towards simple clown • Pathetic and tragic clown, parody, pastiche, caricature, bouffon. • Comic structures, quick-change Week four • Devising and creative practice training • Lifting, contact, simple choreography as it applies to story • Group devising techniques – roles and practice • Live performance In addition, special sessions in contact improvisation and capoeria are offered as well as a reviving and enlivening practices: massage, sound healing, authentic relating and ecstatic dance. Adventures into the inspiring surrounding nature and personal professional mentorship will give nurturing and grounding to all the artistic souls who participate. More info/ application process: email [email protected]. uk / Whatsapp: +447542630069