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Release Technique is a training method for contemporary dance but how can it help you as an actor? If we see release techniques it appears to be a methodical approach to build a dance piece and is often considered as a practice rather than a stand alone dance piece. This training system doesn't have a fixed or framed choreographic vocabulary. As it is not defined it holds for endless aesthetic bodily movements.
The very exploration dates back to 1930s by Mabel Elsworth Todd, she created a sort of somatic education which evolved in US 1970s to what we know today as Release Technique.
Why is movement even necessary for an actor? Each and every act has inner motive derived from inner response towards the surroundings be it a mental or physical state. Here, somatic movement comes into play, it is performed consciously with the intention of focusing on the internal experience of the movement rather than the external appearance or result of the movement. In order to be effective the movements are done as slow as possible, conscious attention is the key to learn this process.
It's very important for an actor to be aware of himself and his surroundings and only then one can learn something new. The exercises involve contemporary floor work and bodily movements centering energy to the core with the movements played conscious to one's bones.
The process involves improvisations, it's about exploring your own emotional and physical responses and bringing in a sync between the two. It's about exploring the dynamics of your body so that you as an actor can unconsciously control your movements through your inner experience. It is the next meditation therapy for performers. The improvisations may help to remove creative blocks and open arrays of open thoughts and possibilities.
As an actor you need to know how your body reacts to a certain movement. Each character has their own traits and conditioning. Each character has it's own way of walking, gestures and physical response to every emotion. The dynamism can only evoke once you practice this very sync between mind, body and soul.
(To know more about Release Technique, visit: https://www.contemporary-dance.org/release-technique.html for somatic education, visit: https://somaticmovementcenter.com/somatic-movement-what-is-somatic-movement/#:~:text=A%20somatic%20movement%2C%20generally%20speaking,the%20health%20and%20wellness%20industry. )
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