Dare to Be Wrong: The Teaching of Judith Leibowitz by Kathryn Miranda Barbara Kent

Author:Kathryn Miranda, Barbara Kent [Kathryn Miranda, Barbara Kent]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B00M5OB8FA
Published: 2014-07-25T21:00:00+00:00

Start Simple and then Add On

In 1985, Judy went to San Francisco and gave a workshop for teachers. In this transcript, she takes the teachers through a sequence that she used at The Juilliard.

Alexander worked out this Technique because of his vocal problems. Since actors tend to be a big part of a teacher’s clientele, it’s handy to work with vocalizing. I’ve worked out a step-by-step process that I think one can use very well. I start with the simple and then add on, so that each step along the way becomes clear for the student. I’ll take you through this procedure that can become a sort of a ‘self-lesson.’

I start with sitting. One can do this sitting, standing or even on the floor if you want to. I do it sitting for my convenience, because if I’m working with tall people it’s too hard for me to reach the head when they are standing.

The first thing is to make sure that you’re sitting on your sit bones. One way of finding the sit-bones for people who are very tight in the hip joint is this: First, sit with your legs apart and move the torso forward, letting the spine round in a long arc. Keep moving forward until your torso is dropped between the thighs, let the thighs open up and let your torso fall between your legs. To come back to the upright, you just uncurl up, finding the contact between your sit bones and the chair as you begin the movement.

We’re now going on to deal with neck free, head forward and up, torso lengthening and widening.

Neck free is a letting go of the tensions that have shortened the cervical spine and have pulled the head back and down onto the back of the neck. Head forward is from the base of the skull. The jaw, being head, is going to go forward with the forward of the head. Head up is the whole head moving off the end of the spine. You’re going to lengthen and widen the torso to follow the head, because the head leads the spine. And you’re releasing between jaw and neck.

You’re going to start with your own hand, the hand leading, the arm following and you’re going to bring your hand to the back of your own neck at the base of the skull.

You’re remembering to breathe. Feel what happens at the base of the skull as you inhale and exhale. Just feel. Just recognize. What you might feel is a little pressure at the base of the skull or you might feel the muscles tightening. If you feel anything happening there, tell yourself, “Well, I’m going to let go of all of that tension.”

If you get tired, bring the other hand up. Remember that when you bring the hand up, you’re leading with the hand and you’re not pressing down anywhere. You don’t want to feel any downward pressure at the base of the skull.

Now you’re going to think of the jaw opening, which is coming from the cheeks.

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