Animal Etude

 

I

 

Warm Up

 

II

 

Eleonora Duse 

 

Uncanny control of her instrument through natural choices.

Unaware of the audience, channeling of spirit archetypes, dissolving the ego through possession (what she called "The Grace"). No makeup, emotionalism or realism, Quintilian's ideas about acting, leading to Stanislavsky's method.

 

Question 1

 

What is at the core of Duse's method? 

 

III

 

Detail in Movement: Pause and Connection

John Cage

 

(min 0:00 - 11:00)

 

"The pause provides some room for the experiencing of the divine."

 

 Question 2

 

After reading the quote above, what do you think John Cage meant?

 

 

IV

Rainer Maria Rilke

"Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower" by Rainer Maria Rilke, 

A Poetry Film by Matt Huynh & Mila Nery

 

Letter 3. Rainer Maria Rilke

https://rilkepoetry.com/letters-to-a-young-poet/letter-three/

 

“Works of art are of an infinite loneliness and nothing can reach them so little as criticism. Only love can grasp them and keep hold of them and be just to them. Always trust yourself and your own feelings as opposed to any such analysis, review or introduction; if you should be wrong, then the natural growth of your inner life will lead you slowly and in time to new realizations. Allow your judgments their own quiet, undisturbed development, which like all progress must come from deep within you and cannot be forced or hastened by anything. The whole thing is to carry the full time and then give birth; to let every impression and every germ of a feeling consummate itself entirely within itself, in that which is dark, inexpressible, unconscious and unattainable by your own intelligence, and to await the hour of the delivery of a new clearness of vision. That alone is to live an artistic life, in understanding, as in creating.”

― Rainer Maria Rilke 

 

Question 3

 

After reading the paragraph above, choose one advise given by Rilke that you feel applies to you?

 

 V

Animal Etude

 

Heron Dance

Deer Dance

I. Watch the Above videos

Activity

 

Discuss with your group your reflection on these videos. Write a statement in which you reflect on the value of observing animal behavior for the purpose of creating a character. Those of you making up, create your own phrase using this idea and add it to your movement structure. Write your reflection about the process on Discussion Board.

Create a new phrase using your animal study.