Theatre and Dance 146 01, 02, 03,
BEGINNING MOVEMENT FOR ACTORS
Spring 2007
Instructor: Denise Myers Office: 210E Shilling
Office hours: 10-11 M/W, 9-11 F Office phone: 424-5097
or by appointment dmyers@millikin.edu
Departmental Learning Goals
Professional, Collaborative, Technical, and Analytical Learning in pursuit of a life of meaning and value.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is the second semester of a full year class in beginning movement TECHNIQUES for the actor.
Methods will continue to explore physical awareness for centered movement, alignment, flexibility and
breath that employ the full integration of your body, mind and emotions. Specific exercises and projects
will explore sitting, entrances/exits, gestures, props, and t’ai chi. Nutrition, daily self use habits, and
the actor’s health and wellness needs will also be discussed.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The projects are meant to exercise your creativity and imagination as well as to help you physically reveal
your character's life actively in different ways. By the end of this semester’s work, you should have begun
to develop a personal process that enables you to achieve alignment, centeredness, and release. You should
have techniques that allow you to play the actions and thoughts of your characters. Hopefully you will also
have gained a new amazement, respect, and healthful use of your physical self as a person and as an actor.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Daily focused attendance and completion of all class projects.
Folder assignments and postings continue as your record of your work and development in this
class. You are writing your own movement text about you, for you. Use class time for doing and
watching, the folder projects and postings for evaluating, reflecting and understanding.
The work in this class will be helpful only if you find relevance and application for it beyond this
classroom. Therefore, I encourage you in your postings as well as through comments and questions
in class, to note connections between the work we are doing now, and what we did last semester, as
well as links between your other theatre and non-theatre classes.
To learn new skills and to develop your creative imagination, I encourage you to have an
open mind, to give all exercises an honest engagement, to enjoy grappling with new ideas
and ways, which may seem awkward, and to ask questions.
Do not give in to the enemies of art: fear, laziness and utility (doing things just the easy way)
3 projects (gesture, prop, final) will be taped.
Either re-use last semester's folder or purchase another 3-pronged paper folder--NO BINDERS.
Dress: Women: leotard, gym shorts, gym shoes. Men: tank top or leotard, gym shorts, gym shoes
No zippers. If you are cold wear tights.
Grading 10 Postings (3 points each) 30 points
3 Project presentations (each 12 points) 36 points
(gesture, prop, final)
Folder #1 18 points
Folder #2 16 points
Total 100 points
If you have any questions or concerns about this class, PLEASE come to talk with me
