Actor Training the Laban Way by Barbara Adrian

Author:Barbara Adrian [Barbara Adrian]
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781581157482
Publisher: Allworth Press / Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. (Perseus)

Floor Patterns

“Floor Patterns” is the term used to describe the pathways we take to move across the floor. It is important and clarifying to note that correlations exist between the Modes of Shape Change and Floor Patterns. Imagine that you are traveling in wet sand and, when you look back at the trail, you see straight lines. This is mimicking the Spoke-like Mode of Shape Change. If your feet left a trail that arcs, its correlative would obviously be the Arc-like Mode. Likewise, if your feet left a winding pathway, this Pattern would be a correlative to the Carving Mode of Shape Change. Although locomotion with your feet is referenced, keep in mind that traveling doesn’t always happen on your feet. Crawling, rolling, slithering, and walking on your hands also represent “traveling.” Some of the following exercises alternate between improvising with a scene partner and working alone.

• Work alone. Improvise moving your body on straight, arced, and winding Floor Patterns on impulse.

• With several partners watching, motivate three entrances into the studio playing area or stage. The first entrance will be on a straight Floor Pattern, the second on an arced Pattern, and the third winding.

• Report your experience to the observers and get feedback on what they observed.

• Work with a partner. In silence, improvise moving on the Floor Patterns. Can you shift easily among the Floor Patterns in response to how you are affected by your scene partner?

• When you and your partner have intuited the end of the improvisation, share your experiences with each other.

• Work alone. Experiment with moving on a particular Floor Pattern and gesturing with its correlative. For instance, move on a straight line and gesture in a Spoke-like manner.

• Work alone. Experiment with moving on a particular Floor Pattern and do not gesture with its correlative. For instance, move on a straight line and gesture in the Carving Mode.

• Work with a partner. In silence, improvise with movement. Allow the Floor Patterns and the Shape Changes that emerge to be born out of your impulses.

• When you and your partner have intuited the end of the improvisation, share your experiences with each other.

• Work alone. Travel on one Floor Pattern but vary the Shape Change of your sound. For instance, can you travel on an arced Floor Pattern while sounding in the Carving Mode? Allow there to be interplay among structured and unstructured sounds.

• Work with a partner. Improvise with sound and movement, using the Floor Patterns and the Modes of Shape Change on impulse as your “script.”

• When you and your partner have intuited the end of the improvisation, share your experiences with each other.

The changes in your attitudes or moment-to-moment feelings are revealed to the outside world through the corresponding shape shifts of your body and voice. These shape shifts initiate in your core and radiate out to become the physical manifestations of your attitudes. It is important to sensitize yourself to these internal physical shifts. Each Shape Change has the potential to enrich the story of your character.

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