Maximus's Movement Questions

CREATIVE MOVmfENT

Questions to Consider

            Range of Movemenc What is range in movement, physical, emoüonal, and mental? Is it limited by personal image, fear, physical or energistic blockage or ignorance? What are ways of moving or "being" that allow for greater diversity and availability? – Range is limited by all negativity that one lets in to their energy; however it is stretched immensely when one lets go of fear and blockage in their life. Movement that is relaxed, but focused is good. One needs to “be” centered and channeling their energy in the correct way.

            Seeing Others: What does movement feel like and look like in others? Where is the movement free; where is it not being allowed to have full expression? Which words, exercises, or activities in.hibit and which free the physical and nonphysical systems? Is the pain necessarily where the problem is? – People control their movement more closely when they know someone is watching, if they are not fully relaxed. After becoming comfortable with the situation, or with the people one is around then they begin to move more freely. Meditation and/or yoga are good for inhibiting freedom and comfortability.

            Relating to Others: How can I move in a way that affects others constructively? How can we "meet"? What ways of moving produce distance? What ways of moving produce communication? –Moving with precision and strong intention allow messages of the mover to be communicated better. Quick/fast/broad movements create distance.

           

Body Awareness: Which parts of my body do I feel familiar with? Which parts are unknown, uncomfortable, less expressive, particularly alive or vital? How does body awareness and movement relate to awareness of feeling, emoüons and intentions? – I feel as if I understand my body. I am ready to use this understanding in order to learn my most expressive features. Understanding body movement in relation to emotion, intention, etc, is to understand the natural flow of human nature. We cannot be truly authentic to human life without using all mediums of expression which we are given.

            Flexibility: To what extent am I flexible in body, mind and spirit? My body is decently flexible, my mind and spirit are immensely flexible.

            Spatial Awareness: Am I comfortable %ith space externally and internally? Am I able to arrange my body in space in a nay that feels safe, appropriate, conscious? Am I able to make choices väth objecs and other people's bodies and feelings üat are spatially aware? – I feel an acute sense of the people and objects around me in life and when I am focused on stage. I feel safe when close to edges or fellow actors. There are times when another actor can take things too far and create an unsafe environment for the others. I do my best to not be “that guy.”

             Can I feel when to move, stop, wait, act, go fast, go slow, apply pressure, back off? – I feel and recognize these instincts within my body, acting on them is much more difficult and I cannot yet keep it consistent.

             Am I able to be open to unexpected possibilities, unknown territory, new ideas, other points of view and other ways of being and to allow my movement to express many options? – Most definitely!

            Engagement and Follow Through: Am I fully present with self, other, and the activity at hand? Will I stay with an activity and commit to a rightful and complete resolution? --     I am very engaged when I understand my character’s intentions in the scene. Putting my focus into reading the movement and intention of the other in the scene helps to keep me engaged as well

Creative Problem Solving and Imagination: Do I see my many movement options and possibilities in the face of problems? Am I able to use my body and mind in new ways and old ways with tie greatest efficiency possible considering the task at hand? -- When in the moment I am not great at considering my movement options.

·       Am I able to have fun moving and investigating who I am, who others are, and how relate to each other? -- Most definitely able to have fun.

             Am I locked in categorical habit patterns of movement or am I able to react freely? -- I feel that I am moving away from being locked in to habits, but old habits do die hard.

            Adventurousness and Daring: Can I go where I need to go to find what I need to find and do what has to be done, or am I afraid to move in directions that are appropriate?-- I believe I am able to go where I need to go to do the things I need to do.

            Expressiveness: Am I able to clearly and appropriately express in movement my feelings, philosophy, and inner creative forces? Does my movement speak of who I am? -- Not clearly, yet. I also feel that my movement does speak of who I am because I am still moving towards being clear of who I am.

            Musicality and Rhythm: What is my rhythm habitually? Can I adapt to other pulses, phrasings, tempos? I feel that I am good at adapting to other rhythms, however my natural rhythm is a quick/fast one.

            Tension and Release: Am I holding? Am I letting go? Where am I too tight or too loose to move with integrity and clarity? How do I let go or be more precise? -- I am much too tight in my shoulders, neck, lower back, and abdomen. I need to come up with a routine of stretching every day and meditating in order to focus on the release and balance of my instrument.

            Breath Am I breathing in a manner that is free and allows motion of energy, feeling, and body? How does the way I affect the way I move and the I move affect the way I breathe? -- I am very close to breathing strictly into the lower part of my body. My breath sometimes likes to escape into the upper part of my body rather than staying low and expanding into the diaphragm. My breath is becoming a tool of focus for me, so I feel that it is starting to move along with my actions.

— Application: How is what I or learn about my own body and my way of moving relevant and/or useful to my professional and personal life? How does investigating movement apply specifically and generally to the art and craft of performance and to my way of practicing it? -- Without movement one cannot stay true to life and create a full character. What I learn will be directly applicable to my professional life as well as helping me to be more whole in my personal life. I have been so focused on the development of my vocal instrument that I have not been able to explore movement deeper than what I naturally have.