random thoughts of a new horizon...

The narrative in my head now given my age is to be more succinct with my education.

What fascinates me is that it doesn’t matter what I teach I get amazed at the lack of specifics most student don’t pick up on – they appeared to be obsessed with getting it right and the net loss is the details and specifics. It impossible  for an actor to look at the entire picture (by picture I mean choreography or sequence of movement etc) presented to them and then up load that and perform it straight away with extreme accuracy. I would even go so far as to say there is a disconnect between the upper body and the lower body in young actors today.

So what and how do I help to create a more detailed and specific physical actor ? That is my dramatic question.

My Principles are:

• Process (working through something)
• Product (result)
• Content (task / exercise at hand)

During the exercises I set; students always struggle to
remain in process because they will think the content
is asking them for a product.

My belief is that to stay in a process a student needs to be in a state of emptiness. So to keep them in a state of emptiness I use this compass to help them navigate their own journey. The 12 points on the compass are access points for me to unpack further concepts and ideas. None of these words are original it's more about how I have arranged them in this compass.
 

EMPITNESS COMPASS

Chaos & Order

 Spirit & Energy

Listening & Sensitivity

Time & Space

Structure & Alignment

Function & Form

Empathy & Harmony

Patience & Understanding

Versatility & Adaptability

Truth & Logic

Contrast & Contradiction

Problem Solving & Prioritising 

The combination of the Emptiness Compass and the Principles makes up my iOS. To have a deeply well programmed iOS one needs to develop deep processing power. Once you have that the iOS runs in the background so one can make deliberate choices. To extend the metaphor a little; learning a waltz, sword fight, footwork, slapstick routine or any other expression of movement for story telling are just the 'aps' that are opened up and run by the iOS.

This is how I navigate an actor’s development and what is happening in the room for me so I can make a choice about their journey. And truly speak to the moment as a teach / to go where the class or moment is taking me and therefore truly be there for the student.