Back in the day when I saw a listing for a movement for actors class, I thought to myself, “This could be interesting.” I began to imagine how such a class could apply movement principles to the craft of acting. What do actors think about when trying to figure out how their character would move? What sorts of methods do they apply to determine that? And how can an actor manipulate their body in a way to portray the type of person they will need to be on stage?

What I expected was something innovative, something with a sense of self-discovery from a technique that showed me which behaviors were unique to me and defined my personality. What I got instead was a simple toned down pre-beginner dance class.
I can appreciate the need for dance in the actor’s repertoire of techniques for honing their craft. But “Movement for Actors” was and is, as I still often discover, a misnomer.

Most movement for actors classes are simplified dance techniques mixed with some eccentric breathing jabbering and/or screaming from a base of improvisation, which I agree and insist are a benefit. All the esoteric mainstream or unconventional physical explorations of eccentric indulgences with a twist of new- age’ism mixed in I appreciate for what they are.

But I thought there must exist somewhere a class or technique that explores the physiology and psychology of behavior, of personality, in a way that allows the actor to have unique insights into the human condition, and that helps him or her construct the physical life of their character. I searched for a technique that was designed to acutely hone in on those specific “behaviorisms” that made a person unique unto themselves, and how to transform physically into a different uniqueness. Is there anything out there that does this?

Well first I had to define what “movement for actors” actually means. From the actor’s perspective, movement is generally that which deals with the physical and kinesthetic motions of the human body. Acting involves a concentrated specific reality presented on a stage through imagined circumstances. Through speech, and through physical behavior, the actor creates the character on the stage. An actor accomplishes this through doing, or physical action. So the movement an actor is most concerned with is the physical actions or human behavior. Movement for actors therefore involves teaching an actor how to use the faculties of movement that benefit his or her craft, as I specify in my technique, the four elements of behavior being posture, gesture, mannerism, habit. Not just its characteristics, but its causes and origins as well.

Movement for actors is, or at least should be, a way in which an actor can do the following:
1. Understand what causes/motivates the 4 basic types of behavior: posture, gesture, mannerism and habit.
2. Define how social protocols and stereo types operate, and the subtleties and nuances that underlie them and make a character unique in relation to the circumstances.
3. Achieve a mindset of intuitive investigation of behavior so the actor can at least differentiate between his own movement in contrast to others, both personal, and for the characters.
4. Develop and hone the ability to observe at levels that most are oblivious to.
5. Develop their sense of intimacy, empathy, and intuition.
 
This list is by no means complete, but at least a beginning.

If an actor assumes a character that is a tango master for example, he or she could take tango lessons, which would take several years to master and be able to emulate those subtle mannerisms that betray the essence of the tango master. The kind of subtle behaviorisms betrayed in pedestrian moments.

Or if the actor possesses the faculties necessary, could observe the master in circumstances as similar as possible to those he has to portray, and be able to assimilate those nuances and subtleties into his behavior and look as if he was a tango master.
I believe this is the essence of the art of acting, being able to observe those characteristics in a person and assimilate them into your body to represent this person, whether real or fictitious, and also constructing a character from real and imaginary sources that the actor makes real.

Have you ever seen a film actor play a baseball pitcher for example and be able to look as if he was in fact a seasoned pro? Or did the actor betray your faith when some subtle behavior screamed “He looks like he never even picked up a baseball”. Have you ever seen a professional singer have to portray an amateur and sing badly? Did they pull it off or were there tiny moments that made you think they were faking it?

I remember seeing an actor who was portraying an alien who never saw baseball, but he picked up a bat and swung it around like he was a major leager – oops. But maybe he was portraying an alien who was gifted and could pick up anything quickly. Perhaps, but actors don’t have time to be brilliant or clever, just truthful. Or some actors are stupid, and when given a fresh full cup of coffee, swing it around like a tennis racquet. If it were real and not just an empty cup, there would be coffee spattered all over the place. Sometimes they sip it like they are doing coffee shooters. I have yet to see an actor receive a fresh cup of coffee delicately, hold it gently, and test the first sip to see how hot it is, and hover over the cup to smell the aroma – rather than swig it into his mouth like moonshine.
So, dance classes teach coordination and grace, and improv helps you expand your range among other things, and having an academic and knowledgeable sense of your own physical limitations as well as potential is the first step towards achieving this, but this is just part of it. The fundamental rules that underlie how behavior happens and where it comes from is the foundation from which you launch all your physical and psychological faculties to create a character that is believable. The actor needs to know how to recreate behaviors as if they were their own, and not be just an actor who uses his own familiar and comfortable postures, mannerisms, gestures and habits in every role he or she may perform, like most personalities in hollywood film.

Movement is behavior is communication. The text an actor speaks is a result of the expression of the intent from the cognitive faculties and feelings which comes forth as physical behavior, which speaks volumes and underlies the text, the text just being the tip of the iceberg.

The first thing is to know thyself, to get an intimate understanding of your own human condition and state of mind. Knowing how you react in various circumstances helps you discover how the choices you make affect your environment to fulfill your desires and intentions. It gives you a clue, both consciously and subconsciously, as to why you made those choices. The second is to take on another’s behavior to get a sense of this character’s state of mind and being and explore how this character interacts through their environment according to their desires and intentions. Thus, a character develops from these exercises in behavior that rings true, and doesn’t appear to be manufactured.
 
Davey Bellerose
www.SimpaticoMovement.com