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Acting toolbox Body Awareness Breathwork Character Movement Work

Simple ways to discover how your character breathes

Posted on April 13, 2022
breathe

How does your character breathe?

How we breathe can say a lot about us.

If we’re in distress, we tend to breathe faster or harder.

If we’re relaxed, our breathing slows and softens.

Breathwork has become quite the buzzword recently, and rightly so.

Learning how to tune into our breath can help bring about a lot of self-awareness, which is crucial for any actor at any stage of their craft.

Going further than that, incorporating breathing exercises can also benefit our bodies and minds in so many ways.

As actors, part of our job is to encompass aspects of our world. 

Or, to put it another way: to be an actor is to be a student of the human condition and share it through storytelling. 

There’s a great deal to be said about the importance of breathwork for the actor.

Projecting to the back row of a 500 seat theatre every night without damaging your voice takes skill. 

Harnessing your breath and voice is a significant pillar in an actor’s toolbox.

But what if you were to take it a step further and think about how any given character might breathe in comparison to you?

Add it to your character’s baseline movement signature or psychological makeup?

This post will take you through some things to ponder and some examples of different ways you or your character might breathe.

Breathing normally

Firstly, as with constructing any character physically, you start with yourself. 

This is why it’s so important to understand how your body works, to have body awareness, and to know your tendencies and habits to either amplify or minimize them for a character or performance.

So, what is normal breathing for you?

Perhaps you breathe quickly or slowly through your nose or mouth, into your chest, or diaphragm. 

Or somewhere in-between all or one of these extremes of the spectrum. 

So, take a moment and sit.

Closing your eyes can help, and focus on your breathing. 

Where do you breathe from?

There’s no right or wrong answers here. Simply facts. A fact about yourself that is really good to know. 

Do you breathe from your diaphragm?

Your chest?

A combo between the two?

If you’re a notetaker, like me, it might be helpful to jot this down. 

It will help you compare to the other types of breathing I’ll mention below. 

(A QUICK AND IMPORTANT NOTE: BE AWARE OF YOUR BODY AND BREATH AS YOU GO THROUGH THESE SHORT EXERCISES. NEVER PUSH YOUR BODY TO DO ANYTHING IT’S NOT WANTING TO DO. YOU KNOW YOUR BODY BEST. PLEASE STOP ANY BREATHING PATTERN THAT CAUSES YOU TO FEEL LIGHT-HEADED OR ANY OTHER SYMPTOMS.)

Breathing from your chest

If you don’t naturally breathe from your chest, go ahead a give it a try. 

Breathe in your normal rhythm, in and out through your nose or mouth, whichever is normal for you.

The only variable I want you to focus on changing is concentrate on breathing into your chest.

How does this feel vs. your norm?

Breathing from your diaphragm

Now, let’s switch it up and have you focus on breathing from your diaphragm. 

It can be helpful to place a hand on your belly, just above your belly button, and focus on inflating it like a balloon. 

Again, breathe in your normal rhythm through your nose or mouth, whichever is normal for you.

The only variable I want you to focus on changing is concentrate on breathing into your diaphragm.

How does this feel vs. your norm?

Breathing shallow

Next, let’s look at breathing shallowly. 

Just take a few breaths in and out, making your inhale short and exhale quickly. 

Try it a few times by breathing in and out through your mouth. 

Note how this feels.

Try it again, this time by breathing in and out through your nose.

Does this feel different?

How does breathing in this way make you feel physically?

Did either shift your emotional state?

Perhaps you felt more anxious or rushed?

Breathing deep

Now, let’s try deep breaths. 

Long inhale, long exhale. 

As long as you’re comfortable with it.

Again, try a few rounds breathing through your mouth, then try another set through your nose.

How do these make you feel physically?

Did it shift your emotional state?

Did you feel more relaxed?

Holding breath

One other piece I wanted to share is the awareness of holding our breath.

If done intentionally and safely, it can have benefits.

However, unconsciously, it can lead to problems long term.

The writer and consultant Linda Stone writes, “I’ve just opened my email and there’s nothing out of the ordinary there. It’s the usual daily flood of schedule, project, travel, information, and junk mail. Then I notice… I’m holding my breath.”

It’s called Email apnea, which Linda coined as “a temporary absence or suspension of breathing or shallow breathing while doing email” (Linda Stone, February 2008), and it’s relatively common now in our modern world. 

I felt this important to share for character work or even just your daily life. 

As I’ve found myself, unconsciously, during intense scene work specifically, to be holding my breath. 

Not exactly great for projection, and not feeling light-headed under lights, etc.

So, even if this may be appropriate for a character at the moment, it’s not one I recommend unless you’re hyper-aware and use it incredibly sparingly.

Experiment!

So, now that you have some new tools play around with these different ways of breathing. 

Try different combinations and see how you feel. 

Think about what kind of character might breathe this way. 

Pause a moment and jot down anything that comes to mind. 

This, like acting in general, really, when one’s in the experimenting and playing phase, you’re conducting your own science experiment. 

It’s the best way to expand our capabilities as actors, and hey, this may be a new way to literally breathe new life into your characters.  

A final note on safety

If you’ve decided you’re going to experiment with breathwork for the construction of your characters, please make sure you have a character exit strategy

As actors, our bodies are our instruments, and therefore we need to take care of them as best we can. 

Here’s a blog post from a while ago that can offer some guidance: 3 free and easy ways to aid your body.

If you’re interested in a few other resources, check these out:

In choosing a breathing pattern for a character and having an exit strategy, please make sure that what you’re working with is sustainable for the amount of time you’re portraying that character.

Discoveries!

Did you try the mini exercises above?

Comment and let me know how you got on! 

What did you learn?

Any challenges?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Happy breathing (and moving)!

Animal work Character Movement Work

Pfeiffer’s Catwoman: An amazing study in character movement evolution

Posted on March 11, 2022
catwoman

In honor of International Woman’s Day, I asked my Instagram community at @kstroller what some of their favorite female-presenting character movement performances were. 

One brought up a phenomenal example that I embarrassingly hadn’t thought of in a long time.

Michelle Pfeiffer’s Selina Kyle/Catwoman from Tim Burton’s 1992 Batman Returns.

I knew I needed to do a character movement study immediately.

So, here we are.

If you’re not familiar with Batman Returns, here’s the trailer

Now, there are countless interpretations of Catwoman out there. From film, tv, comics, etc. and it’s a challenge to compare them all as they all are different and have their merits. 

But for me, Pfeiffer’s portrayal was my first and easily my favorite.

I admit I’m biased.

As said by Moira Macdonald in her Seatletimes article, “It’s one of those performances that sears itself into your memory.” 

Her transformation from Selina Kyle to Catwoman is a sight to see. A balancing act full of incredible movement and vocal work that is a journey of a woman’s trauma, self-discovery, and power.

So, this is how I would break down the movement signatures of the three ladies within her: Selina before the fall, Selina/Catwoman, and Catwoman.

I’ve no clue if Pfeiffer used Labanotation in her character construction, so this is solely how I would break it down.

If you’re not familiar with the work of Rudolf Laban or Labanotation, check out my intro posts of how his groundbreaking dance notation system can help you develop unique characters from the ground up. You can check them out here and here.

The first dives into his basic building blocks, while the second goes into his eight more nuanced efforts of movement. 

Selina Kyle before the fall

Selina’s movement signature before she’s pushed out the window by her boss is overall timid. 

We get glimpses of the powerful woman trapped within, but they’re fleeting. 

The primary Laban building block she has here is bound. In most scenes, her shoulders feel like they’re bound in place, nearly around her ears. 

Her whole upper body feels fixed like her elbows are tucked in when she’s serving coffee. 

There’s a weight to her movements, even how she tosses off her shoes in her apt. 

She’s heavy and more in the lower half of her body, leading to her slight slouching. With slouching, she closes off her heart. 

This, to me, is a fantastic example of how character movement goes hand in hand with the psychological makeup of a character. She’s trapped, unhappy, wounded, and she’s hunched over to protect her heart. 

She’s more sustained and predictable in her movements. As an example, when she’s moving around the table to pour coffee when we first meet her. 

The way she moves around the table, leans over, and stretches out her hand to pour the coffee is one continuous movement. 

One key factor I also notice is that she leads with the top of her head, her eyes often downcast. Which comes across as being submissive to those around her. 

Though her head is held higher when she first meets Batman.

So, how does her movement signature evolve after the fall?

Selina and the Cat

When she walks through her apartment door after the fall, her lead point has shifted to her hips, yet it doesn’t feel like her center of gravity is where it was before. 

She’s no longer hunching over, and even though she still lounges, her posture remains more upright than it was before. 

Her movements, although chaotic, are direct. There’s a sudden and slashing way she maneuvers from one chaotic moment to another.

Specifically, in this scene where she tears apart her apartment and constructs her suit which you can watch here.

Catwoman

Catwoman herself is light on her feet. She appears to be on the balls of her feet, regardless of the fact she’s wearing heels. 

She’s incredibly direct, especially when she’s brandishing her whip. 

Having become the hunter, she’s always got her gaze fixed on what it is she’s after. 

She’s more slinky, sustained, and free as she moves about. 

Conclusion

There’s a reason Pfeiffer’s Catwoman has stayed the test of time. 

Her performance is magnetic. And, as mentioned in Collider, “Pfeiffer’s Catwoman proves that camp and good acting can (and should) go hand in hand.”

Often ranking top cat (or close to it) in popular blogs such as whattowatch, and coming soon. Though Zoë Kravitz is currently taking Gotham by storm, and rightly so.

Do you have a favorite Catwoman?

Let me know in the comments below, and happy meowing!

Acting toolbox Breathwork Character Movement Work

Why acting warm ups are better as your character

Posted on March 4, 2022
acting warm ups

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!

Character Movement Work lessons and musings Stories

The truth about my biggest acting mistake

Posted on February 25, 2022
acting mistake

We all make mistakes. 

I’ve made plenty in my life so far, and I know there’s more to come.

It’s how we learn. It’s how we grow. 

But, as an actor and character movement coach, there’s one acting mistake that often comes to mind. 

It’s embarrassing if I’m being honest. 

But hey, it’s a great teaching tool now. 

So, what was it?

I created a character movement signature that wasn’t sustainable. 

Very briefly, if you’re not familiar with movement signatures, it’s basically your character’s physical baseline. 

It’s their default way of moving.

Such as they walk quickly or have a limp.

Slouch or gesture a lot. 

You can check out my post that delves a bit deeper here.

You can create a lot of trouble for yourself by constructing a movement signature that isn’t sustainable.

When a movement signature isn’t sustainable

So, some context. 

It was my first professional gig, a children’s show, back in 2015.

I played the role of a monkey and a wise old iguana. 

Other characters that inhabited this world were a spider, toucan, and turtle.

As you might expect, it was a high-energy show, full of chase sequences, bouncing excitement, and overexaggerated movements. 

It was a fun show, and I learned a great deal. 

Now, there are two facets to my mistake, the first being that during rehearsals, when experimenting with my character Monkey, I discovered an excellent baseline posture was to squat. 

It looked great, I felt good doing it in rehearsals, and even more, the director loved it. 

Not fully clocking that I would perform this, five days a week, two shows a day, for multiple weeks (it was five if my memory is correct.)

Often at 9am.

Maybe a week into performances, I realized that my energy on stage was lower, my squat wasn’t as deep, and I struggled to maintain the posture the director had loved and approved. 

I was having difficulty sleeping because of the degree of my muscles aching each night, and there were many days I didn’t want to perform. 

I thought about bringing this up to our stage manager and the director, as he was still present in the production. 

However, after much worrying, I decided to remain silent. 

I wasn’t in too much pain.

I could handle it.

Just needed to suck it up and do my job. 

Do it for the kids.

“The show must go on” after all, right?

The mistake of not speaking up

The second mistake I made was not speaking up about what I was going through.

See, I was new in my career, eager to please, and wanted to do what was best for the show. 

Regardless of what it was doing to my body. 

Every morning, “The show must go on” played in my mind like a mantra as I hopped on stage for a 9am curtain. 

Now, to be clear, I was never forced to continue the work that I was doing. 

What I was going through was ‘minor’ enough that I could mask the discomfort I was in day after day. 

To my knowledge, no one ever knew. At least, it was never brought to my attention. 

It never led to issues on stage, missing entrances, or an inability to walk or do the show.

And yet, my not wanting to speak up, for fear of being seen as ‘difficult,’ is what kept me from saying anything. 

After all, actors are a dime a dozen, right? And this was a place I had hopes of working with again. 

What made the situation worse for me in hindsight is that I never saw it as ‘major’ enough to warrant saying anything. 

Nothing was broken or strained to the point of not moving.  

Also, in hindsight, the issue would have been relatively easy to fix. 

I simply needed to ease out of the squat as Monkeys baseline. 

I needed to adapt the movement signature.

This is what I ended up doing, on my own, paranoid that someone would notice and call me out on it. 

No one ever did. 

It’s your body

Sometimes shows and productions need to pause, or adapt, to protect those working on them. 

Regardless of how minimal the issue may seem. 

And the truth is, you may be the only one who notices the issue.

I know that I would have enjoyed my first professional gig more had I spoken up.

An article posted at Theatre Art Life delves deeply into this, talking about safety standards for the actor and the entertainment industry as a whole, regardless of what your title is. You can read it here.

My relationship with the phrase, “The show must go on,” has shifted dramatically since my time of playing Monkey.

And I’m grateful for the experience.

I often question it when it’s used, and I find many other actors struggle with similar issues of not wanting to appear difficult. 

Using the phrase as armor or a way of misguided comradery to push through potentially harmful situations.

Just because actors are a dime a dozen doesn’t mean we don’t have a voice. 

So, please, protect yourselves.

Speak up if you find yourself playing a character that is becoming a struggle to sustain, physically or mentally. 

You’re worth more than the role. 

Is there an acting mistake you’ve made that led to growth?

I’d love to hear about it 🙂

Happy (safe) moving!

Acting toolbox Body Awareness Character Movement Work

Why it’s important for actors to understand body language

Posted on February 18, 2022
body language

As an actor, body language is an essential tool in your toolbox. 

Not only does it bring awareness to how you slate or behave outside your performances in an audition setting, but it also sheds light on the characters you play. 

Understanding what body language conveys to the people around you (whether you’re on stage or in front of a camera) is the best place to start when physically crafting your characters. 

So, what exactly is body language?

What is body language?

From the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition of body language states it’s “the process of communicating nonverbally through conscious or unconscious gestures and movements.”

It includes a variety of behaviors such as facial expressions and the use of space. 

Body language is both universal and cultural. 

It’s the whole idea of being lost in translation. Not everything is about verbal language.

Have you ever misinterpreted the tone of a text message or email?

I certainly have. 

It can be tough to gauge a situation when we can’t see the person.

“Communication is made up of so much more than words. Nonverbal cues such as tone of voice, gestures, and posture all play their part.”

So, as an example, if you’re playing a character of a different culture, it would benefit you to do some research to see if there’s any specific cultural gestures you could incorporate into your character’s movement signature, 

One great way to do this is to consume media of that culture. 

Whether it’s the news, movies, music videos, the internet is your friend here. 

Importance of body language

I don’t personally see body language as being good or bad inherently. However, they do convey positive and negative information, often unconsciously.

Forbes said, “With the face alone being responsible for over 250,000 signs (the body over 700,000), according to a report by Personal Power Information, the silent signals you portray may be harming your business without you even knowing it.”

The Personal Power Information post it refers to also offers some incredible insights, mainly that: 

“Albert H Mehrabian experimented in the late 60’s and early 70’s and came up with this calculation in terms of how important the non verbal movements, signals, and gestures are when it comes to the overall effectiveness of our communication in relaying our message to others. Words account for only 7% Tone of voice accounts for 38% Body language accounts for 55%”

Safe to say, body language and understanding how we communicate non-verbally are essential as a human and vital to acting. 

Now, let’s dive into some examples.

Fristly, because pictures are worth 1,000 words:

Some other examples of body language:

  • crossed arms 
  • eye contact
  • a smile that doesn’t meet the eyes
  • personal space
  • blinking quickly
  • blinking very little
  • leaning in 
  • playing with hair
  • nail biting
  • upright posture

So, expanding on this, someone who has their arms folded can come across as uninterested or angry. 

When you’re introducing yourself during an audition, this probably wouldn’t be your best choice. 

But, if the character you’re playing is in an argument or is closed off emotionally, crossing your arms can become a fantastic movement choice. 

Talking with someone who smiles, and that smile doesn’t seem to reach their eyes? How does that make you feel?

And yes, I’m thinking of Tom Cruise and how Christian Bale used Cruise as his influence for the serial killer, Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. This is a great post diving into that if you’re interested.

Now, all of this leads to first and foremost, we have to be aware of how our bodies move BEFORE we can truly dive into our character movement work.

Awareness of your bodies habits

If you’ve read other posts of mine, followed me on social media, or worked with me personally, you’ll know this is a big thing for me. 

Body awareness always comes first. 

See, our bodies and minds are conditioned from a very young age to behave in specific ways.

We’re sponges where we’re small. We absorb all the things around us from who raises us, our local community to the larger society we live in. 

Do you naturally slouch? Nod when you say ‘thank you? Gesture whenever you talk?

To be clear, this conditioning isn’t a bad thing at all. 

It’s simply you.

But, to be a chameleon as an actor, you have to become aware of your own conditioning if you’re going to portray characters different from you. 

The foundation of character movement work is you, like yourself, at your baseline.

I wrote more about why character movement work is so vital to the work of an actor, you can check it out here.

So, how, as actors, do we harness body language?

Leveraging body language 

Leveraging body language to your advantage as an actor and for the characters, you play is vital to basically everything we do. 

In the audition space or performing. 

One great way to become more aware of body language is to people watch. 

Casually people watch. No need to make anyone uncomfortable. 

Another is to tape one of your monologues, or even just talk about anything you’d like and watch it. 

Guarantee you’ll spot gestures or micro-expressions or other aspects of how your body moves that you didn’t know about. 

When in doubt, as those close to you if they could share their thoughts on your default body language. 

Then, in turn, think about theirs. 

The best thing you can do is continue observing, experimenting, and learning.

Happy moving!

Acting toolbox Body Awareness Character Movement Work

Actors: Do your hands have a mind of their own?

Posted on February 11, 2022
actors hands

As an actor, I bet, at some point, you’ve said: “I don’t know what to do with my hands!”

If you haven’t, then I’m sure you’ve heard another actor say it. 

Now, there are many ways our hands like to operate in this context.

They like to flap about, pretend they’re a T-Rex, go into mime mode, or freeze in unnatural ways. 

Our bodies, especially if we’re not terribly aware of them, like to run riot sometimes. 

It happens to everyone, actor or not. 

The key is our bodies are kind of incredible. 

See, we’re energy-producing creatures. 

Our “movement produces kinetic energy, which can be converted into power.” 

Which is absolutely brilliant!

And, one way or another, that energy, that power, has gotta get out. 

The energy’s gotta get out

When we’re learning how to act, say in school, a workshop, or on the job, be it on stage or in front of a camera, chances are, we’re nervous and maybe a bit excited. 

Either nerves or excitement, that energy has to find a way to exit the body. And it can sometimes happen when we don’t even know it. 

It’s why body awareness is so important for actors. You can read more about that here.

See, if we don’t allow this energy to flow, to work with it, it builds up and finds its way out. 

Some ways it may do that is:

  • Bouncy-knees
  • Tapping feet
  • Fast flying hand gestures
  • Pacing
  • Finger wiggling

The list goes on. 

Now, back to those hands of yours. 

They’re the tip of your extremities, right? Upper extremities, to be exact, as they’re connected to your arms. 

(Now, this applies to those who suffer from wandering feet, the tip of the lower extremities: your legs.)

As nervous energy likes to tumble out of our bodies, a way to work with this is to relax or release said energy. 

(Pro tip: If you’re playing a nervous or excited character, it helps to channel the nerves you’ve already got.) 

Having a short routine or ritual before a performance, whether it’s for an audition or a scene study class, that releases some of that nervous energy that’s building can help lessen those hands from lifting off on their own. 

Some examples of such rituals are:

Another option is to shift that nervous mindset towards excitement. 

Nerves vs. excitement

From a psychological standpoint, anxiety or nerves and excitement are very similar. 

In how our bodies respond, that is.

“Anxiety and excitement are both aroused emotions. In both, the heart beats faster, cortisol surges, and the body prepares for action.”

At times, it can be hard to tell the difference. 

And sometimes, they happen at the same time. 

Sure, you’re nervous about an audition, but you may also be excited because you get to perform. You love this monologue/scene and are excited for the potential opportunity of working on the project.

I’m thinking of Little Red Riding Hood song I Know Things Now from Into the Woods, where she’s recounting her run-in with the wolf and says:

“Once his teeth were bared, 

Though, I really got scared-

Well, excited and scared!”

So, if anxiety or nerves and excitement operate similarly in the body, how does that help us with uncooperative hands while acting?

Working with the energy

If you’ve tried one or all of the tools listed earlier, such as box breathing, and they’re not working as well as you’d like, it can help to focus on the energy of the character you’re playing. 

By working with your character’s psychological makeup from all the script analysis you’ve done, can inform how your whole body moves, especially your hands.

I love this quote from the Acting School of Scotland,  “…have a psychological action to do as we speak.”

Think about how this character would have their hands. 

Folded calmly in their lap or on a desk?

Perhaps they do gesture a lot. But, be specific. What kind of gestures? When? 

If they move their hands, do they do it slowly or suddenly?

These types of questions can help you link these movements to your character’s personality.

And by asking other questions like this and answering them, you’ve created a basic movement signature for your character. 

You’ve crafted the baseline for how their body moves. 

This means you’ve also already done a lot of work to understand how your body operates differently from theirs.

And as actors, body awareness is critical. 

Happy cooperative hands

So, as an example, by combining a ritual of shaking out your nerves AND having gestures logged away that are psychologically linked to your character, your hands are in a much better place to play along. 

Because we want to work with our bodies, not against them. 

Happy moving!

Acting toolbox Character Movement Work

Posture: a simple yet powerful tool for character construction

Posted on February 4, 2022
posture

How we carry our bodies says a lot about us. 

Therefore, as actors, how we construct how our character moves is an essential tool for portraying a well-rounded, real-life human. 

The popular blog, Stagemilk, wrote a great post about this a few years back about why movement is essential and sharing places that are a great place for actors to start. 

I also delve into detail about what character movement is in this post and why it’s vital for all actors. 

There are many different facets to think about when looking into character movement work. 

It can honestly feel overwhelming at first. 

To focus on aspects of movement such as body language, body control, proximity to others, posture, the use of speed, and stillness. 

But, it doesn’t need to be complicated. 

Even focusing on one of these elements above can make a huge difference in performances. 

One element, in particular, comes to mind. If you work on being more aware of it and employ it in your characters, you’ll notice your characters come alive differently. 

Which element am I referring to?

Posture.

You can convey a lot about a character by how they move and behave. 

How they sit in a chair or how they stand. Here’s another resource from Masterclass. It focuses more on writing characters, but everything still applies.

Posture can inform others of our age, health, confidence levels, previous injuries, attitude, and mood. 

What’s your posture?

Firstly, body awareness is critical.

Before you can focus on your character’s posture, you need to understand your own. 

Now, you may already know the kind of default posture you have. 

But, if you don’t, you’re not alone. 

This post, by Ergoline, with whom I have no affiliation, breaks down the four main types of posture.

A great way to see what posture you have is to take a picture of yourself from the side, both sitting and standing and take a look. 

Good or bad posture?

What is considered good posture? 

Is it about someone’s moral character?

Not so much.

Posture, good or bad, speaks more to our daily activities. The habits we do every day, and if you’re playing an older character, can also show a distinct history of their movement.

A kyphosis posture, as an example, can be a result of what we called student syndrome when I was in college. 

We often associate that hunched over a computer slouch with elderly people and those who work at a desk all day. But, it’s not an all-or-nothing catch-all. 

And posture can indeed erode over time if we’re not mindful of it, hence it being a stereotype for older generations.

Posture stereotypes

So, elderly and working at a computer aside, from a body language standpoint, what would be a stereotype for someone that slouches?

Perhaps they’re lazy.

For someone who always stands up super straight?

Full of confidence? Maybe even a superhero. 

What other stereotypes of posture exist? Do they have to be adhered to when constructing a character’s movement signature?

Character creation-going with or against stereotypes?

What’s always a great deal of fun when constructing how a character moves is to experiment with going against stereotypes. 

Perhaps your superhero slouches.

Or your crafty criminal stands as though there’s a steel rod strapped to their back.

The best part is that there’s no right or wrong answer here. 

When constructing a character’s movement signature, you get to create what feels the most natural to them. 

A tool for your toolbox

Posture is a great tool to utilize, and it’s often one of my first places to go when constructing a character physically from scratch. 

It works great as a stand-alone element or woven alongside other movement-building blocks to construct a movement signature.

Happy moving!

Character Movement Work Character study Labanotation

Topsy & Bopsy: successful storytelling through movement

Posted on January 28, 2022
Topsy and Bopsy

Topsy and Bopsy from HBO’s Lovecraft Country, portrayed by Kaelynn Gobert-Harris and Bianca Brewton, are easily some of the most incredible movement performances I’ve seen in a long, long while. 

To put it plainly, they’re absolutely terrifying.

So, if you haven’t seen Lovecraft Country, a picture probably wouldn’t go amiss here to truly display the creepy.

(A picture I don’t own in any way, of course.)

Photo: HBO. Topsy (left), Bopsy (right)

How they move is an errie blend of human and supernatural. 

But firstly, some context.

Lovecraft Country and Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Now, if you’re unfamiliar with the show, it aired on HBO in 2020 and was created as a continuation of Matt Ruff’s novel of the same name. 

Developed by Misha Green, Lovecraft Country, plot explained by Rolling Stone magazine, “follows Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) as he joins up with his friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) to embark on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father (Michael Kenneth Williams). This begins a struggle to survive and overcome both the racist terrors of white America and the terrifying monsters that could be ripped from a Lovecraft paperback.”

In episode 8: Jig-A-Bobo, we’re introduced to Topsy and Bopsy, who are malevolent ghouls taking the form of “pickaninnies”, an offensive name for a small black child, who are terrorizing Diana (Dee), Atticus’ younger cousin.

The character of Topsy is arguably the “original ‘pickaninny’ caricature, who was first introduced in the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Racism holds the spotlight tightly in the storytelling of Lovecraft Country and what I love about Topsy and Bopsy is that they use movement to tell their portion of the story. 

They bring very different energies individually but seamlessly blend into each other to create an intricate relationship. 

Topsy is calculating, while Bopsy is playful. 

Bopsy is extroverted, while Topsy is more introverted.

But, there’s never any doubt that they wish Dee incredible harm. 

Enter Jamaica Craft

Jamaica Craft was the choreographer tasked with creating the movement of Topsy and Bopsy. 

Jamaica is a choreographer, and creative director and has worked with some of the biggest names in music from Usher to Nicki Minaj. Her first professional gig was in Atlanta, GA, working as a dancer for MC Hammer.

She developed movement for Topsy and Bopsy that, in an interview with Bossip, described as a fusion, “Chicago style that’s coming through the choreography, mixed in with a Miami vibe, mixed in with just an actual minstrel jig and how the movement was at that time, so it’s a combination of things that I researched, mixed in with modern and old school.” 

Using no special effects, Kaelynn Gobert-Harris and Bianca Brewton employ incredible precision, speed, and stillness to move relentlessly towards Dee. 

“It’s a different way for a scary movement to happen. It’s not your typical same zombie kind of movement, arms straight out and walking stiff… It’s incredible dancing, it’s incredible feet work, it’s incredible high energy, it’s the back story to it all. “

Now, having studied Labanotation, naturally, it’s my initial framework of how I view the world in movement. 

I was immediately struck by how these two characters moved and wanted to take a moment and break down their movement signatures.

Topsy and Bopsy movement signatures

If you’re not familiar with Labanotation, check out my intro post about Rudolf Laban and how his groundbreaking dance notation system can help you develop unique characters from the ground up.

Topsy’s movement is incredibly direct. She’s focused on her target and often relies on a sustained slow movement to creep us out. 

This is extra off-putting because she has moments of sudden bursts of energy, which leaves us wary of what she might do next. 

Bopsy, on the other hand, is playful in her relentless stalking. She’s light on her feet and more indirect. She’ll get to her target eventually. She also operates more suddenly than Topsy, which creates a different sense of unease. You expect her to zag, and she zigs instead. 

The primary difference I see between them is that Bopsy is excited about moving closer and closer to Dee, that she can’t help but dance about it. 

Whereas Topsy is methodical and reserves her energy. 

As Jamaica put it, “She’s ( Bopsy) like, ‘Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God, when we get here, when we get here, when we get here, it’s gonna be so great! Oh my God Oh my God.’ And Topsy is like, ‘Yeah sis, I’m going straight to her, that’s all great. Yeah, uh-huh, I’m going to keep going straight for her.“

Together, they create an unpredictable, playfully haunting pair.

But don’t take my word for it. 

Here’s a clip from episode 8, when Dee first sees Topsy and Bopsy.

A quick warning if you’re not a fan of horror. It might be best to skip the clip.

(It goes without saying here, but legal things, I don’t own this video.)

Storytelling through movement

Nothing hits my character movement sweet spot more than telling a narrative through movement alone. 

Sure, words are incredibly important, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that there are times where they’re not needed. 

This is one of those moments where words would have ruined a performance. 

It’s a great reminder of an old exercise I used to do while in scene study classes. Can you take out all the dialogue and still get the story across? 

That’s how vital movement is to storytelling. 

Do you have a favorite character movement example where words weren’t required?

Happy moving!

Acting toolbox Character Movement Work Labanotation

12 Unique ways to use habits for daily character movement work

Posted on January 21, 2022
habits

Truth: it’s challenging to build the habit of working on your acting each day.

Especially given the busy lives we lead. 

To truly further your craft, some may say that you have to work at it for hours a day.

Every day.

That’s simply not sustainable. 

The question of ‘what should I prioritize?’ can often spiral into: 

  • Finding new monologues?
  • Memorizing monologues? 
  • Searching for auditions?
  • Going to auditions?
  • Taping auditions?
  • Watching shows?
  • Reading plays?
  • Networking?
  • Social media upkeep?

Truthfully, none of these can be avoided. 

These are all (and more) part of the process and practice of a career in acting.

The balance to strike is to fit it into your schedule each day. 

Now, some days, you may have the luxury of pounding the pavement for 4hours and doing all the things.

Other times, you may only have 10 minutes between other responsibilities.

Because we all have them. 

We all have shit we need to get done.

So, here’s the deal: you don’t have to do these things all day, every day. 

Please, don’t let anyone convince you that you can only ‘make it’ if you spend 8hrs a day doing all of the above each day. 

Firstly, the concept of saying if you do all these things for 8hrs a day does not equal ‘making it.’ 

It’s more complicated than that. 

The world is a spectrum, after all. And there’s a great deal we cannot control. 

So, what about the things we can control?

We can control the small moments. 

Those bits of downtime where most of us, myself included, have a tendency to reach for our phones. 

So, what would be a good bitesize actionable habit for character movement work?

Daily habits

So, habits. 

I’ve been reading a lot about habits lately (you may have noticed) and how James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, puts it: 

“Habits are the small decisions you make and actions you perform every day. According to researchers at Duke University, habits account for about 40 percent of our behaviors on any given day. Your life today is essentially the sum of your habits.”

The same is true for the characters you play. 

Now, more involved ways to get to know your characters physically is where they may lead from (link) or developing their movement signature to line up with the personality and relationships. 

These are important and often a must in developing a character. 

But let’s say you’re not currently preparing for a role. 

You just want to get some character movement work done daily to create a habit for yourself to play, explore and deepen your acting craft. 

I wrote a post about the 3 M’s or micro-movement-moments a while back and how switching up the tiniest thing in how you move can unlock inspiration for character movement work. 

Do you brush your teeth with your right hand?

Try it with your left.

Now, let’s take this idea and run with it a bit.

Daily habits for character movement

Here’s a few ideas of things you (probably) do daily that are fun to switch up each day to see how a character might move differently than you. 

  • Getting out of bed
  • Bushing/flossing your teeth
  • Take a shower
  • Put on socks
  • Shave
  • Putting on makeup
  • Tying shoes
  • Eating any meal
  • Throwing away trash
  • Drinking a hot or cold beverage
  • Washing dishes
  • Folding laundry

Labanotation each day

To take it just a micro-step further…if you’re familiar with me or this blog, you know I work with Labanotation as a primary practice for character movement. 

If you’re new to me and this blog-

Firstly hello! You’re most welcome! 

Secondly, check out my intro post about Rudolf Laban and how his groundbreaking dance notation system can help you develop unique characters from the ground up.

You can dovetail Labanotation with these daily habits and see where it leads you. 

Say you’re going to try brushing your teeth with your left hand AND add Laban’s light element to it. 

It could be challenging to do this and still get your teeth properly cleaned. Perhaps it takes longer?

Or, adding heavy could imply a character going through the motions, tired, their heavy body because of a lack of sleep. 

At the end of the day

The options are endless. And as with any habit, once you start doing it day after day after day, it becomes second nature to think of how someone else may perform a daily task. 

And for an actor, that’s gold. 

Keep experimenting.

Keep playing.

Keep learning. 

And when life is busy, as it often manages to be:

Know that one minute a day is sometimes all you need. 

Happy moving!

Acting toolbox Animal work Character Movement Work Labanotation

Does your character have a bird counterpart?

Posted on January 15, 2022
birds

A few weeks ago, I wrote about lizards. Well, about animals in general really, and how animal work can help develop a character movement signature.

I had a lot of fun writing that post, so I wanted to bring up something that’s been a part of my character development process for a long time. 

And this isn’t just from a character movement work perspective. 

It’s a great thinking outside the box exercise (especially if you love animals.)

And that’s giving your character an animal counterpart. 

Give your character an animal counterpart 

Did you ever play that game of taking your group of friends and looking at their personality and muse on what breed of dog they might be? 

This, of course, is painting with a broad brush but can still offer some insights. 

I also like to think of it as if the character was to have its own coat of arms. What animal would appear on it and why?

What stereotypes of said animal fits and what doesn’t?

Because nothing fits into perfectly labeled boxes. 

So that group of friends…say so and so would be a golden retriever because they’re excitable, lovable, and have a lot of energy.

That other friend is focused, protective and hard-working maybe they’re a german shepherd.

Then there’s the friend that could lift your wallet without you knowing, slip $20 into it, and put it back in your pocket/purse. Who knows what breed of dog they are, but definitely a crafty mutt. 

And so on and so forth.

By doing this exercise, not only can you uncover some interesting personality traits, but it can inform a character’s movement too.

So, birds.

How would your character fit in the bird kingdom?

Now, I’m a bit biased. 

I’ve been a birder arguably my entire life, having grown up with a naturalist. But it’s only been within the last few years that I’ve made birding a practice.

Birds offer a colorful, elegant, and sometimes quirky view into how we can utilize observing nature as actors.

So, here’s a few examples of birds I’ve really enjoyed observing that have offered me character movement insights. 

 (For the record: I own none of the videos in this post.)

Secretary Bird

The secretary bird, hailing from Africa, is elegant and tall. 

They’re also mighty hunters. 

What I love about them is their walk. 

With their long legs, they can have incredible strength and a long gait, but there’s quite a bit of stooping going on when they reach down to the ground. 

So, how can this information inform character movement work?

From a movement perspective, specifically Labanotation (LINK), you could break down how they move into sudden, heavy, and bound. Especially when they’re hunting. 

Seriously, how they hunt is a sight to behold. Check out the vid below. 

Black Phoebe

Black Phoebes are found along the western coast of North and South America, ranging from Oregon to Argentina.

They’re flycatchers, which means they can move at incredible speeds, often diving to catch prey, mainly bugs. 

What I probably love the most about them is they perch a lot. They find the highest ground, whether it’s a sprinkler head two inches above the grass or a rooftop. 

Now, looking at character movement, Phoebes are great because they have a baseline of sustained when they’re keeping their eyes open for prey, followed by a burst of sudden when catching said prey. 

Of course, this is definitely a trait that can be seen in all predators. 

This video below shows a phoebe hunting slowed down to catch their incredible agility. 

Northern Flicker

Northern Flickers, who are found all over North America, are a part of the woodpecker family and are gorgeous birds. 

They’re also incredibly skittish. 

I like to think that their constant head tilting is looking out for danger.

From a movement perspective, these are great traits to log away. Perhaps it would fit well for a character who is constantly on high alert, scanning their surroundings in a very sudden fashion.

The video below is a great into to the Northern Flicker. Maybe you’ve seen one in your neighborhood!

American Coot

Oh, coots. You’ll find them in areas where there’s a lot of water, specifically marshes, in my experience. 

I absolutely adore them. 

They’re so odd and so delightful. 

They’ve got a funky walk as it clearly takes a lot to work with brilliant feet like that! 

How they walk is a great character movement study. Where do they lead from? From their knees? Forehead? They have to get a lot of sustained momentum to lift their feet under the water.

This video is an excellent display of said quirky walk.

White-Tailed Kite

I had to have a bird of prey on this list, and the white-tailed kite has some fantastic behavioral patterns. 

Found in North and South America, they may be best known for how they hover when they’re hunting. 

Kites, especially when they’re hunting, are so laser-focused. I immediately think of a character who moves from their forehead, with their neck pushing forwards as they complete a task. 

The video below is of a kite hovering. The power in those wings as they pump to say in place is incredible.

In conclusion…birds are cool.

Whether you enjoy bird watching or not, observing any and all animals, even the ones you spot as you walk down the street or see from your car, can help inform your characters.

After all, such a huge part of acting is observing and logging the info away. 

And just as people watching at the mall, farmers market, or wherever people convene these days, can be logged away for future character inspirations. 

So, do you have a favorite bird that could inspire your next character’s movement?