Movement and Voice with Glynn MacDonald - Report by Martine Dunn, Voice and Performance Coach and Speech Examiner
This session with Glynn MacDonald, Master of Movement at the Globe Theatre, proved a treat and an inspiration. The vigorous three hour mind body session went quickly but we all came away with oodles of fresh ideas for teaching not only Shakespearean verse but characterisation and actor physicality too. We started by thinking about the 4 Reflext movements: Respiratory, Spring (jumping), Startle Pattern reflex (flight or fright) and Cross Pattern reflex (right/left, left/right) as in crawling baby and discovered that the crawling action corresponds in experiential learning time to reading and that dyslexic actors find saying the lines easier when crawled. As for myself I found trying to re-learn a reflex baby movement difficult and only succeeded when I stopped thinking about it and trusted my body's own muscle memory! We then explored the Three Circles of Space, these being Me (and world). Me and another and lastly both, in relation to audience. We were reminded about personal space and closer positions of confrontation and intimacy.
Glynn demonstrated the 5 point star of you in her own unique and highly engaging way, showing how this is 3 dimensional, including both forward and back direction and movement and also diagonals. We then milled separately within the group, exploring these planes and discovering the freedom that width and acting space and the backward energy bring to character study and vocalisation. We walked tall, (ie UP), LOW, WIDE and NARROW, allowing muscle memory and reaction to others and then mixed the directions, as prompted by lines from Shakespeare to bring out, through movement and visualisation, conflicting energies and physicality that really brought new vigour to the words, eg Viola 'I left no right with her' (forward and back) demonstrated that Cross Patterns can happen simultaneously, or change frequently. We covered so much in the session, including the 6 Movement Directions which included the Sagital, or direction of your arrow. I cannot close without referring briefly to these as physical, simple and hugely enjoyable ways of feeling Iambic Pentameter and of using verse with direction. The stages and precise stance of the shooter focus eyes, mind and body on the target, which was also the direction of the audience. Separating the group into halves, we each took turns in being the audience, with each participant delivering their arrow on a Shakespeare line and continuing the energy by following the arrow in flight. Just as empowering and highly amusing was our Galloping practice, as we discovered that our steeds were all individual but had the same basic iambic rhythm Again we rode, delivered the line and left maintaining the energy throughout the who choreography of entrance, address and exit.
We also explored the Elements in relation to posture and breathing and Archetypes for stance and movement. The session was a gem - I can't wait to hear when she is returning.
Accenbt Method Taster Session - Report by Cindy Strickland, Speech and Language Therapist
Sarah Harris and Dinah harris gave us all a very entertaining and interesting introduction into the Accent Method. Invenbted by Svend Smith to help stammerers, it is now used widely by voice teachers and SLTs working with a range of voice disorders. Its base is in the myoelastic-aerodynamic theory of voice production resetting the co-ordination between respiration and phonation which is "conditioned in" through frequent repetition of the exercises (motor learning theory)., There is the Danish school and the Swedish school of the Accent Method. However, Sarah and Dinah favour the Swedish version so it can be used more flexibly.
The Accent Method involves the therapist modelling a rhythm (using voiceless and voiced fricatives, accompanied by a drum which the client then copies. This progresses to fricatives coupled with closed vowels. The rhythm changes, gradually speeding up, moving on to short words. phrases, even nursery rhymes using varying intonation patterns, moving towards modal voice. (This may take several sessions). As the client focuses on repeating the rhythms, they unconsciously use a diaphragmatic breathing pattern. This needs to be practised daily to consolidate their modal voice.
We all joined in the exercises and I, for one, found the exercises very relaxing (or was it the hypnotic sound of the drum?). Gesturing and body movements can occur naturallyl while phonating in time with the rhythms, which should be encouraged. One can also have "prosodic conversations" using different intonation patterns.
The Accent Nethod is certainly one many of us will now use with our clients, both in groups as well as in individual sessions, as long as the clinician is comfortable demonstrating the the clients are willing to participate in something which may seem a little bizarre! It should achieve good carry-over as the exercises are easy to practise and gives them kinaesthetic feedback of how their breathing is working while vocalising effortlessly.