Lesson Objective
Students will be able to explore their bodies movement in a purposeful way by participating in space walks and reflecting on what they learned in an informal journaling activity.
Materials Needed
Open space (maybe even stage?), speakers, music (“She’s on Fire” – Train, “Once Upon a December” – Anastasia, “Bombay Dreams” – Bombay Dreams, “D’amour l’ardente Flamme”- Fauste, “Top of the World” – Carpenters)
Hook (5 min)
Have students take out their homework. Then instruct the students to stack up their chairs, put down the tables, and stack the tables in the closet and the chairs on the edges of the room. Then they need to find a partner.
Teaching Presentation
Instruction (5-10 min)
Explain that they need to discuss what movement they observed, what meaning they derived from it, and what they learned from it with their partner. After it seems that the partnerships are winding down in discussion ask the class to share some of what they discussed, what they found interesting, etc. Make sure and apply what they observed/learned to non-verbal communication in acting.
Transition (2 min)
We are going to talk about about different ways that we can use our bodies to manipulate what we are communicating and we are going to experiment with that just a little bit. Turn off one set of the lights. We are going to do what is called a spacewalk, this is a SILENT activity, if you are not silent you will return to your seat and will not get to do the activity. Why do you think that we need to be quite in this activity? What purpose would that serve? This is meant to get them to realize that when we are working on isolating our physical communication it is helpful to be silent so we can really focus.
Guided Practice (10-15 min)
I want you to just start walking around the space, focus on walking throughout the entire room, and don’t react to those around you aside from avoiding walking into them (called a soft focus), focus on your own movement, your own walking. Make sure you are breathing and just walk, explore the whole space. Take note of how fast you are walking, how big your steps are, and how much your arms are swinging. Where are you leading from? By that I mean does your head lead the way like so? Does your chest, hips, feet? A combination of both? Walk around and focus on how you are leading. Now I want you to choose one of the other “leaders” I listed that you don’t do naturally. Head, chest, hips, feet. Does this change the way you feel? Does this change the speed you walk at? Does this change how your arms sway? Do you take longer or shorter steps not that you have changed? Repeat this 4 times so that everyone tries each one. On the last round ask them continue walking with the leader they chose but to notice those around them. What do they think about the people leading with their head? Chest? Hips? Feet? What kind of person are they, what do they like to do? What do they think of themselves? That do they think of others.
Discussion/Checking for Understanding (5 min)
Take a seat where you are. Now you get to talk by raising your hand, tell me what you observed about your peers as they were walking around. Please state what they were leading with (or what you think they were leading with) and your impressions. What kind of person are they, what do they like to do? What do they think of themselves? That do they think of others. How can this knowledge help us as actors or performers?
Guided Practice (10-15 min)
I want you to just start walking around the space, focus on walking throughout the entire room, and don’t react to those around you aside from avoiding walking into them (called a soft focus), focus on your own movement, your own walking. Make sure you are breathing and just walk, explore the whole space. Take note of how fast you are walking, how big your steps are, and how much your arms are swinging. I am now going to play some music and I want you to “walk” in response to the music. First play a fast tempo song- “She’s on Fire” by Train. When they start to stop exploring ask them to try something new, exaggerate their movement, “do” more. Notice where you are leading in response to this music. Does it change or not? Then play a slow tempo song, “Once Upon a December” from Anastasia and/or “D’amour L’ardente Flamme” – French Opera Arias. When they start to stop exploring ask them to try something new, exaggerate their movement, “do” more. Notice where you are leading in response to this music. Does it change or not? Then play a stylized song “Bombay Dreams” from Bombay Dreams and/or ”Top of the World” by the Carpenters. When they start to stop exploring ask them to try something new, exaggerate their movement, “do” more. Notice where you are leading in response to this music. Does it change or not?
Discussion/Checking for Understanding (5 min)
Everyone take a seat on the floor where are you are. What did you learn about movement through this activity? How do you change your movement based on environment? Feelings? Etc. Why do you think where you lead changed in response from one song to the next? What characters were you maybe portraying for each song?
Closure (5 min)
I want you to remember all that we have learned today and be MORE aware of your own movement. This weekend you are to be thinking about your movement. How do you move differently when you are tired, when you are frustrated, when you are angry, etc.? We will take a moment to respond to these observations next week so be thinking.