Warming up your body before a performance is critical for the actor.
There are acting warm ups aplenty out there and each teacher will have their own spin on the classics.
So, whether you warm up with the rest of your cast or solo, chances are you’ve used a myriad of different exercises.
Physical warm ups like spinal rolls and shaking your whole body.
Vocal warm ups like tongue twisters and ambulance wails.
These can get boring and old after a while.
But, have you ever done them as your character?
It can be a great way to leave the issues and stressors of your life outside of the performance space.
Plus, it’s a great way to remind your body of how this character moves and speaks differently from you before you step out on stage or in front of a camera.
The fun thing about this, too, is finding ways to engage your body when you play a character who has a challenging movement signature, such as a limp, or does everything quickly.
Perhaps you’re playing a sedentary character who wouldn’t in their right mind participate in such warm ups.
So, put them through their paces, and try them. How would they react?
Here’s five acting warm ups that you can use to switch up or add to your pre-show ritual.
Plating
Plating is an odd warm up but is great for a variety of things.
It helps with balance and hand-eye coordination and getting a good stretch in.
You want to start in a wide stance and turn the palms of your hands up.
Imagine one hand is balancing a plate on it.
Now, keeping your feet firmly on the ground, stretch and explore the space without letting that plate slide to the floor.
Silent scream
It’s all in the name.
You want to scream, using your body as much as you can to express all those emotions-
Without making a sound.
Body scan
This is a great warm up to help you tune into your body and can be a great transitioning point of taking on your character physically.
Take a moment (or two or three) to yourself, or queitly if you’re in a group, either laying down or sitting, eyes closed or open, and turn your focus on your body.
How you’re breathing? Is it shallow and in your chest? Or relaxed, deep breaths from your diaphragm?
Where is the tension in your body?
As you start to notice where your tension is how your breathing is, begin to think and shift how these things would be for your character.
Do you breathe in different ways?
Hold tension in different spots?
Shake it out
Again, it’s all in the name.
However this character would shake away their stress: give it a go.
I would advise easing into this one, especially if it’s the first warm-up you do.
It can be easy to tweak your body, even throw your back out if you thrash about too quickly.
Character walk
Although this one works best if you’re warming up as an entire cast, it can totally be done solo and imitating another character in the cast from memory.
Start walking around your space as your character, sinking into their movement signature.
Try daily simple tasks like sitting down and standing up.
Then, switch it up and imitate another character’s walk in the show.
See how it feels different.
Does it shed any light on the relationships these characters have?
Bonus
If your cast likes to warm up together, consider building a machine with the twist of doing it as your characters.
One person starts by planting themselves and beginning a simple repetitive gesture.
This can be with or without a sound.
The next person joins in and adds to the machine to connect to the first.
You continue to add people until everyone is a part of the machine.
Aside from warming up your bodies, you’re also revisiting the relationships between these characters.
And who knows, you could discover something you hadn’t in rehearsals.
Here’s a few other acting warm ups from Masterclass.
Have you got a favorite warm up not mentioned in this post?
I’d love to hear about it! Shoot me a comment below.
Happy moving!
