The Active Voice
This workshop applies L/BMA concept of Effort to speech. It is meant to help you speak confidently, with clear expressive choices as you prepare for your next audition or performance. You will leave this workshop able to say:
I understand the factors of Effort, my own Effort preferences, and how to make choices for my character.
I have the tools to make expressive choices in my speech.
I am prepared to perform for an audience, and have the technique to draw on this state of preparation whenever I need it.
The Active Body
This workshop applies L/BMA concepts of Body, Effort, Shape and Space to embodied character work. It is meant to help you move with confidence, make creative offers and choices that serve you as you develop your acting technique, and your character. These tools will prepare for your next audition or performance. You will leave this workshop able to say:
I have the tools to make expressive choices in my movement and speech.
I am comfortable and confident moving in my body and I understand my body language.
I am aware of how choices in Shape and Space affect my character’s relationship(s) with other characters.
I am prepared to perform for an audience, and have the technique to draw on this state of preparation whenever I need it.
Acting the Action
This workshop applies L/BMA concept of Effort to character motivation and choice. Laban’s Effort category was combined with Stanislavsky technique and psychoanalytical finding from Carl Jung to create Yat Malgrem’s acting technique, also used by Uta Hagen. Learning about Effort, and the unconscious psychological affiliations it renders can help you make character choices from an embodied place, that is all about action, not emotion. This workshop will help you make clear expressive choices. You will leave this workshop able to say:
I understand the factors of Effort, my own Effort preferences, the unconscious messages movement suggests, and how to make choices that serve my character.
I have the tools to make expressive choices in my movement that serve my character.
I am prepared to perform for an audience, and have the technique to draw on this state of preparation whenever I need it.
Audition Prep
This workshop is meant to help participants prepare for their next audition as they become aware of movement and speech patterns in their own signature that may or may not be serving their character. We will explore the categories of Body, Effort, Shape, and Space as a way to develop technique for movement and speech. Participants are encouraged to attend this workshop with at least one monologue for in-class coaching. A mock Dance Call will also be included. There will also be time for personal reflection. You will leave this workshop able to say:
I understand my personal preferences in Body, Effort, Shape and Space.
I have the technique to make creative choices in each of those categories that serve my character.
I am prepared to perform for an audience, and have the technique to draw on this state of preparation whenever I need it.
Performance Prep
This is a 2-part workshop that includes Audition Prep, plus an introduction to Motif Writing and Laban symbols that can easily be used as blocking notation.
Laban for Performers Online Course
Includes Effort, Shape, and Space explorations, as well as Motif Writing for blocking notes! Participants are encouraged to attend this workshop with at least one monologue or character in mind. There are guided personal reflections. You complete this workshop able to say:
I understand my personal preferences in Effort, Shape and Space.
I have the technique to make creative choices in each of those categories that serve my character.
Starts September 16. See the Events page.
Laban for actors
What people are saying about our Laban Workshops:
“Nicole did an excellent job of making the Laban Efforts applicable to actor/rehearsal work. Hearing the theory from another person and not just reading a book made it much more accessible. I will definitely be using this work in rehearsal.”
“Momentum’s Laban class was an excellent way for me to expand my understanding of Laban’s movement system. I had some experience with it college, but I had no idea how much I had missed until Nicole’s class. This is a great way to get a full overview.”
“You provided our students with a marvelous introduction to the
subject matter, engaged them in experiential learning through an active (and fun!)
workshop, helped them relate what they learned to their individual creative
processes and gave them valuable resources that they can use to investigate further
on their own.”
“I have never considered myself
to be ‘in my body’ but rather ‘in my head’ so learning this technique allowed me to
put the brainiac and the artist together.”
“Thank you so much for the insightful and deep look into Laban, it was so helpful to work all together....”
“I really enjoyed learning new concepts by an expert in the field”