MOVEMENT & THEATRE

'The action is well-paced and never stops long enough to wallow in itself' -

The Escape of Iris Dupont directed and performed by Freya Stang

Voila! Europe Festival, London | November 9-22, 2020

Nick Awde | THE X REPORT

Freya combines the experience of having been a student and teaching assistant at Desmond Jones School of Physical Theatre and Mime, London (3 years) ) with the movement mime methods of corporeal mime with Etienne Decroux of movement and motion analysis, gestural grammar, body articulation, counterweights, displacements in space, mobile statuary, memorisation, figures - together with Helikos School of Theatre Creation, Florence (3 years) with the movement methods of Jaques LeCoq with physical states, movement articulation, breath voice, greek theatre, tragedy, clown and mask theatre.

She is a Pilates and Yoga teacher, trained in Stage combat and Aikido, and a bodywork therapist. She was Head of the Department for Health and Movement Studies at London's City Literary Institute and acted as an Examiner and Internal Quality Assurance for CYQ Pilates in the UK.

Freya has developed a movement repertoire where nature, in the sense of 'movement of life, is our greatest teacher'. The experience and study of the body moving in space leads to the progressive discovery of the principles of movement and of artistic creation. There are infinite possibilities of movement with poetic dramaturgy, the use of masks, music, films, texts and indoor and outdoor settings..

The shapeshifting actor

The actor, as poet, player and creator, is a shapeshifter and a state-shifter, journeying in and working to refine and develop her perception of reality and to train his expressive skills. In the journey of discovering the world, the artist encounters herself in a new state of self-awareness.

the 20 movements of Jacques Lecoq

Each of the movements is a referential movement that allows the actor to understand the many expressive variations of that movement.  They are practised in a state of neutrality. The body is constantly reminded to stay in a pre-character state. The actor's persona disappears and

THE movement appears.

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Breath, movement and character

Movement and character ride on the flow of the breath. Be aware of subtle inner shape changes in the cavities (mouth, chest, abdomen)

The neutral mask

Through the Neutral Mask we discover a state of physical presence, calm and openness to space. It’s a challenge because In terms of movement, no-body is neutral: every-body carries themes that are profoundly expressive em-bodied in everyday movement. There is a web of "non-neutral attitudes" and physical and emotional “background noises" within each person's movement and physical presence. With this mask the actor explores the state of neutrality that exists before the action.

Movement through NATURE

Through the observation and imitation of nature and everyday life, we reach a bodily awareness that is based on a network of movement, shape, actions, reactions, relations and interconnections This is the dynamic core of the stories that theatre will tell.

Chorus movement is a unique form of group movement theatre that focuses on engaging participants through listening, rhythm, space, pace, silence and energy.

Participants explore how to move in unison and how to create a collective energy through silence or the use of music and sound. Chorus movement also emphasizes the importance of listening to one another and responding to the flow of energy between individuals. Through this practice, participants learn to create a space that is both safe and powerful.

Silence is a key component, as it helps to create a sense of stillness and presence that allows for deeper exploration of the movement. The practice of Chorus movement encourages participants to explore the power of collective energy and to connect with each other in a meaningful way.