For actors: 5 powerful thoughts on movement

Words of wisdom are wonderful, right?

I’m a fan.

So, that being said, I wanted to give a short shout-out to some of my favorite quotes about movement (well, one isn’t about movement specifically, but I just love it so much I had to include it 🙂 )from well-known movement practitioners and developers I’ve collected over the years as both an actor and movement coach. 

Now, to clarify, each of these people quoted below are linked to a form of movement in the theatre or dance spaces. 

These techniques and practices have a huge dose of knowledge to offer, regardless if you decide to practice it yourself. Though, I would argue if you’re struck by one of these quotes, prob would be worth your while to give their work a try. 

Who knows what you may discover, right? 🙂

To the quotes!

F.M. Alexander

“You translate everything, whether physical, mental or spiritual, into muscular tension.”

Tatsumi Hijikata  (founder of Butoh along with Kazuo Ohno)

“When one considers the body in relation to dance, it is then that one truly realizes what suffering is: it is a part of our lives. No matter how much we search for it from the outside there is no way we can find it without delving into ourselves.”

Anne Bogart

“We are debris arrangers. Equipped with what we have inherited, we try to make a life, make a living and make art. We are assemblers. We forge received parts into meaningful compositions. This state of affairs is our plight and our destiny, but it also offers the opportunity to find meaning as well as to find communion with others.” 

Rudolf von Laban

“Existence is movement. Action is movement. Existence is defined by the rhythm of forces in natural balance.”

Jacques Lecoq

“There are three masks: the one we think we are, the one we really are, and the one we have in common” 

So, which quote struck you the most?

If you’re interested in any of these incredibly innovative people, I’ve written about them all a bit, so feel free to check those posts out. (For a bit more about Butoh, check out my non-stage/pen name freelance writing site)