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"I am always on the lookout for an acting guide that is practical, that gives an actor concrete exercises to follow, and this book is that, but it is something more -- it makes you find within yourself that which turns your work into something that is uniquely yours." (from a reader review)
Are you ready to move from tension to freedom? To escape from "trying too hard" to complete physical responsiveness? To seamless communication between your body, mind, and imagination?
Your Body Knows, A Movement Guide for Actors provides the foundation actors need to move with ease and power. It is a practical guide to movement starting at the very beginning: knowing your body and experiencing how it works.
Through the work of F.M. Alexander, Rudolf Laban, and Michael Chekhov, this book offers basic training in movement fundamentals. Its step-by-step process supports actors in any acting or movement training program and as a working professional.
The book focuses on three main areas of exploration:
- Body facts – Know your body and its design for movement. Let go of misinformed ideas about your body. Move more freely, avoid injury, and develop a strong body-mind connection.
- Movement facts – What is movement? Discover the movement fundamentals that can serve your art. Explore new ways of moving.
- Creative Inspiration – Connect your body, mind, and imagination to liberate authentic and expressive character movement.
Your Body Knows: A Movement Guide for Actors is an excellent resource for acting students and their teachers, promoting a strong onstage presence and awakening unlimited potential for creative expression. Here is what one reader had to say - on Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars Put meaning and action into your work
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2021
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I am always on the look out for an acting guide that is practical, that gives an actor concrete exercises to follow, and this book is that -- but it is something more -- it makes you find within yourself that which turns your work into something that is uniquely yours. Don't get me wrong, this is a book with real concrete exercises to teach you, but those exercises lead you on a path to create something transcendent for you and your audience.
It starts easy and simple -- what do I do with my hands? -- but ends with an actor whose body, mind and voice are integrated into a total performance. Andrews and Tift have created a practice that trains the actor like an elite athlete. And I can see the difference in a piece before I use the methods they teach and after, emotion and subtext and meaning suddenly aren't abstract, they are just inside the performance.
Every couple pages, there is a distinct exercise they have created to illustrate the lesson and it's fun -- and sometimes scary -- but if you're trying for a strong performance, perfect.
And if you're a teacher, you've got a great class here.
Order Your Body Knows here: https://www.routledge.com/Your-Body-Knows-A-Movement-Guide-for-Actors-1st-Edition/Andrews-PhD-Tift-MFA/p/book/9780367258825 Also available online at Barnes and Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com) and at Amazon.
If you read it and like it, please leave a review! And thank you!