This week I've been able to get back to the gym and lift weights and soak, b/c my husband's injury is getting much better. So we've been concluding the full-body circuit. I've also ridden the bike up and down this insane hill from my house to the grocery store, so. We'll ba adding the elliptical to our new circuit this summer.
Hey! All of you should look into taking my stage combat class this summer--it's staffs. I'll post a thingie about it here soon.
Showing posts with label Workout log. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Workout log. Show all posts
May 4, 2011
Apr 29, 2011
What Happened to the Semester???
So my husband has been injured most of April, I have been not going to work out three days a week. Instead, I've been home doing stuff 'cause he can't. But today he was mended enough to go do a round of 10 reps each of the exercises I mentioned (way) earlier, and a hot tub soak. Oh, but I have been taking several bike rides down and back up the big hill between my house and the grocery store.
And some of us found the Godot Waiting Area. So. See you tomorrow. ~Prof. Jenn
And some of us found the Godot Waiting Area. So. See you tomorrow. ~Prof. Jenn
Apr 2, 2011
I'll Bust your Keaton.
First of all, I have to disagree about the spontaneity thing. While there's a 1,000 hours of prep work that goes into acting, into movement, into everything that is art, it's nothing without spontaneity. Improv in particular has to have that at its core, and to say that no good art is spontaneous is insulting to me. Plus, there's what Christy talks about in direction - 95% of the time when you pull something out of your butt, it's crap. But 5% it's totally brilliant. This is not to downplay the importance of prep work and artistry, but man, to say that no good art is spontaneous? Nahhhh.
As for the rest - interesting understanding the thinking behind the three second game. I can dig it. But if I hadn't taken improv already, it would have put me more in my head, I think. As is, it did give me a couple seconds to center myself and stop letting my brain dictate. So that was cool.
The analysis on Chaplin and Keaton, though, that is pure gold. I particularly liked the interjection of training Robert Downy Jr. I love that biopic, his performance in it was so damned amazing with the physical comedy that I had to go back and watch as much Chaplin as I could (and since this was before the days of the Internet, that was like, five movies available at the library.) I kind of wish he'd talked about Harold Lloyd a little more, the guy was a genius as well - not as good as Keaton and Chaplin, but he was amazing in his own right. He's notable, too, being one of the few slapstick clowns who turned a profit with talkies. Mad Wednesday is one of my favorite films because of him.
Right. Workout log: I went dancing for the first time in ages, and not only did I need less alcohol to start dancing, but it felt so much more natural this go 'round. I wasn't in my head and I had a really good time. My muscles hurt all over the next day, but it was totally worth it. Also did some sit-ups over the course of the break, and I'm getting some really good core strengthening as a result.
As for the rest - interesting understanding the thinking behind the three second game. I can dig it. But if I hadn't taken improv already, it would have put me more in my head, I think. As is, it did give me a couple seconds to center myself and stop letting my brain dictate. So that was cool.
The analysis on Chaplin and Keaton, though, that is pure gold. I particularly liked the interjection of training Robert Downy Jr. I love that biopic, his performance in it was so damned amazing with the physical comedy that I had to go back and watch as much Chaplin as I could (and since this was before the days of the Internet, that was like, five movies available at the library.) I kind of wish he'd talked about Harold Lloyd a little more, the guy was a genius as well - not as good as Keaton and Chaplin, but he was amazing in his own right. He's notable, too, being one of the few slapstick clowns who turned a profit with talkies. Mad Wednesday is one of my favorite films because of him.
Right. Workout log: I went dancing for the first time in ages, and not only did I need less alcohol to start dancing, but it felt so much more natural this go 'round. I wasn't in my head and I had a really good time. My muscles hurt all over the next day, but it was totally worth it. Also did some sit-ups over the course of the break, and I'm getting some really good core strengthening as a result.
Mar 18, 2011
Clowning
So it turns out I've been clowning since I was, like, four, without ever realizing it. Well, I knew I was goofing around, but I never called it clowning. I called it being an attention whore when I got older, which, in retrospect, makes me understand why the hell theater was so appealing. I used to look in the mirror for hours, practicing facial expressions just so I could see what I looked like as opposed to what I felt like my face looked like. The difference was kind of striking. But it helped me get a lot of control over what kind of expressions I wanted to make. It's how I learned how to arch either one of my eyebrows at any given time. Seeing Marcel jogged that memory. He holds the honor of being the only French comedian I've liked as well as the only mime. Well, okay, Rowan Atkinson's miming bits are amazing. The drum piece is my second favorite performance in that medium. My absolute favorite is where he's in a fight with the invisible man. That rubber-faced bastard is amazing.
I'm bringing in a wool stretchy hat tomorrow so I can simulate both a normal hat and a sweatband at the same time. I think it will be adequate to learn everything I need to with the hat movements. On that same note, Irwin was friggin' amazing. Jenn, do you have any info on the context of that clip? It was so...surreal. I'm not sure what to make of it, other than the bits.
Re-reading the chapter from Stage Combat, I was reminded of every performance I've used that kind of movement in. The running and different types of locomotion haven't come up much, but the falls have been valuable time and time again for a wide variety of performances. Now that I remember how to do the front-falls, I think I might use them for working out. It really worked some muscles I need to get back into shape.
The reading on clowning seemed familiar to me, but I knew I'd never read the book before. It was only at the end when they were going through takes and such that I realized there's an episode of Tiny Tune Adventures that explains all those elements of clowning (except for the different genres, like miming) in almost word-for-word descriptions. They even have a clown running in the background three times during the episode and explain at the end he's the running gag.
So. Yeah, pretty damned cool. Workout log: More walking. As the weather gets better I feel encouraged to walk more places and do more things. My pace is getting faster and faster, day by day. I love this time of year.
So that's it for me this week. See y'all in class.
I'm bringing in a wool stretchy hat tomorrow so I can simulate both a normal hat and a sweatband at the same time. I think it will be adequate to learn everything I need to with the hat movements. On that same note, Irwin was friggin' amazing. Jenn, do you have any info on the context of that clip? It was so...surreal. I'm not sure what to make of it, other than the bits.
Re-reading the chapter from Stage Combat, I was reminded of every performance I've used that kind of movement in. The running and different types of locomotion haven't come up much, but the falls have been valuable time and time again for a wide variety of performances. Now that I remember how to do the front-falls, I think I might use them for working out. It really worked some muscles I need to get back into shape.
The reading on clowning seemed familiar to me, but I knew I'd never read the book before. It was only at the end when they were going through takes and such that I realized there's an episode of Tiny Tune Adventures that explains all those elements of clowning (except for the different genres, like miming) in almost word-for-word descriptions. They even have a clown running in the background three times during the episode and explain at the end he's the running gag.
So. Yeah, pretty damned cool. Workout log: More walking. As the weather gets better I feel encouraged to walk more places and do more things. My pace is getting faster and faster, day by day. I love this time of year.
So that's it for me this week. See y'all in class.
Prof. Jenn: Her Life and Times
I've supposed to have been weight-lifting 3X a week for the past month, but lately life has gotten in the way and some of those weeks we've only done one or two days. Today we did all our exercises (described earlier) at 1 set of 10 reps @ 75% heavy. Then we soak in the hot tub. Ah...
Also, who here besides me was ridiculously sore after last week's class? :)
Finally, for your amusement, I post this pic of me and friend in our high school's clowning unit. This would have been back in '89 or '90--as our exam for that clowning unit, our teacher made us go out on Pearl Street Mall and clown in public for at least one hour. I remember amusing quite a few people...
Also, who here besides me was ridiculously sore after last week's class? :)
Finally, for your amusement, I post this pic of me and friend in our high school's clowning unit. This would have been back in '89 or '90--as our exam for that clowning unit, our teacher made us go out on Pearl Street Mall and clown in public for at least one hour. I remember amusing quite a few people...
Mar 5, 2011
We did have an entry due this week, right?
'cause it's really unusual for me to be up at this hour without anyone else having posted. I am a confuse.
Still life - the shit about Yeats was fascinating. I had no idea he was into theater, and he keeps popping up in my readings lately, from comic books to (apparently) stage movement. Weird, huh? In any case, I can see the power of stillness, but I've yet to see it employed in a very staggeringly interesting way. Well, no, I take it back. I don't remember what play I was watching, but there was one where the characters were standing still, and the fact that they weren't moving drove me nuts with anticipation. When they actually moved (I think it was to kiss? It was either kissing or putting a hand on a shoulder, or something affectionate - this was ages ago), it was like a total relief. The whole moment probably only lasted five seconds, but it felt like an eternity.
I've been playing around with gestures to figure out my persona for the Rivals. The voice came to me right away, but what's appropriate movement has been a challenge. But I'm coming to see that I get an easy job with Sir Anthony: He gets to move quite a bit in the whole of our scene, since he's lost his cool facade long before the scene takes place. Makes it a bit more natural feeling to me when I let him go. The fact that he's with a family member helps as well, so all in all, I'm really glad we chose this scene.
Let's see. Workout log: Once again managed to pinch a nerve in my back, not quite sure how as it wasn't the same exercise this time. Mostly focused on abs, but did quite a bit of walking. I really wish calves were still a sex symbol. I could totally show mine off.
Anywho. I'm going to go take a muscle relaxer and conk out. G'night.
Still life - the shit about Yeats was fascinating. I had no idea he was into theater, and he keeps popping up in my readings lately, from comic books to (apparently) stage movement. Weird, huh? In any case, I can see the power of stillness, but I've yet to see it employed in a very staggeringly interesting way. Well, no, I take it back. I don't remember what play I was watching, but there was one where the characters were standing still, and the fact that they weren't moving drove me nuts with anticipation. When they actually moved (I think it was to kiss? It was either kissing or putting a hand on a shoulder, or something affectionate - this was ages ago), it was like a total relief. The whole moment probably only lasted five seconds, but it felt like an eternity.
I've been playing around with gestures to figure out my persona for the Rivals. The voice came to me right away, but what's appropriate movement has been a challenge. But I'm coming to see that I get an easy job with Sir Anthony: He gets to move quite a bit in the whole of our scene, since he's lost his cool facade long before the scene takes place. Makes it a bit more natural feeling to me when I let him go. The fact that he's with a family member helps as well, so all in all, I'm really glad we chose this scene.
Let's see. Workout log: Once again managed to pinch a nerve in my back, not quite sure how as it wasn't the same exercise this time. Mostly focused on abs, but did quite a bit of walking. I really wish calves were still a sex symbol. I could totally show mine off.
Anywho. I'm going to go take a muscle relaxer and conk out. G'night.
Feb 26, 2011
Spherical Sphery Spheres (And back-bone parentheses)
So have you ever screwed with people's personal space bubbles just to see how they work? I think it's pretty fascinating. I think it's kind of a misnomer to call them space bubbles, though. It's more like space-half-spheres, at least in America. I've walked right behind people without them noticing me or feel discomforted, as long as I'm quiet. But if i walk in front of them or beside them, they want to move further to the side, further ahead, or way further behind. I generally try not to push this one too much, as the result could easily be mace or pepper spray. thankfully, I'm one of the least intimidating looking people on the planet. But, there are other ways to experiment, such as when we willingly destroy the bubble, like in an elevator. Turning around to face the crowd totally screws up the half-sphere. Likewise, turning to face peoples eyes from any direction on the light rail totally screws with the half spheres.
I have also noticed that certain friends that I feel more comfortable with have more sphere to them. You can totally disrupt their space by waving your hand near their back, at least if they have decent spacial awareness. Try it out, theatre folk. The results are very amusing.
As for the sense spheres - that's really interesting. I've been tinkering with the idea of a growing and contracting range for my senses, but I never would have thought of it as a sphere, even though that makes sense. I have noticed that my own and people's ability to comprehend a sense changes drastically depending on environment, but I never thought it had to do with space as much as how much stimuli that particular sense had to process. The sad thing is, this just makes me want to screw with it to see how it works in people. Now the question is whether I start with friends, family, or innocent bystanders.
The vocal sphere makes perfect sense to me. I do notice that voices change radically due to space, besides other factors. I'm always amazed at how some people without any training at all can fill a room with their voice without any technological help.
So, posture. I totally dig the parenthesis argument, and I like the idea of no natural straight lines. I've also come to realize that I've been holding my legs in a slightly wrong position after looking at the diagrams. Which leads me to a question: Why do so many cultures have different postures? And what is the most "natural" posture? Even among the hunter-gatherer cultures still alive today, I notice that from tribe to tribe posture is way different.
Anywho...oh my I need to leave. Right, workout report: I didn't do anything this week. I felt kind of sick. Not a great excuse, but I'll try to make up for it in the coming week.
I have also noticed that certain friends that I feel more comfortable with have more sphere to them. You can totally disrupt their space by waving your hand near their back, at least if they have decent spacial awareness. Try it out, theatre folk. The results are very amusing.
As for the sense spheres - that's really interesting. I've been tinkering with the idea of a growing and contracting range for my senses, but I never would have thought of it as a sphere, even though that makes sense. I have noticed that my own and people's ability to comprehend a sense changes drastically depending on environment, but I never thought it had to do with space as much as how much stimuli that particular sense had to process. The sad thing is, this just makes me want to screw with it to see how it works in people. Now the question is whether I start with friends, family, or innocent bystanders.
The vocal sphere makes perfect sense to me. I do notice that voices change radically due to space, besides other factors. I'm always amazed at how some people without any training at all can fill a room with their voice without any technological help.
So, posture. I totally dig the parenthesis argument, and I like the idea of no natural straight lines. I've also come to realize that I've been holding my legs in a slightly wrong position after looking at the diagrams. Which leads me to a question: Why do so many cultures have different postures? And what is the most "natural" posture? Even among the hunter-gatherer cultures still alive today, I notice that from tribe to tribe posture is way different.
Anywho...oh my I need to leave. Right, workout report: I didn't do anything this week. I felt kind of sick. Not a great excuse, but I'll try to make up for it in the coming week.
Feb 16, 2011
Workout Log
Hi kids,
Well yesterday (2/15) I continued this "hundred pushup" sequence my husband found. This time, it was 10/12/7/7/9 (or max).
Today I lifted weights and soaked in the hot tub. Same sequence of weights as last week, only this time it was 3 X 3 @ 90%. Whew! I plan the same for Friday (I also have a massage scheduled. Yay for living near the Massage School!
See you (in ARTS 271) Saturday! ~Prof. Jenn
Well yesterday (2/15) I continued this "hundred pushup" sequence my husband found. This time, it was 10/12/7/7/9 (or max).
Today I lifted weights and soaked in the hot tub. Same sequence of weights as last week, only this time it was 3 X 3 @ 90%. Whew! I plan the same for Friday (I also have a massage scheduled. Yay for living near the Massage School!
See you (in ARTS 271) Saturday! ~Prof. Jenn
Feb 12, 2011
Workout log.
Worked out carrying boxes all over campus in the awful hellish snow on Tuesday. Not sure if that counts, but man it got me tired.
Worked out by doing ab crunches past couple days. Trying to get up to three sets of twenty a day, with each crunch lasting a minimum of three seconds. We'll see how that goes.
Worked out by doing ab crunches past couple days. Trying to get up to three sets of twenty a day, with each crunch lasting a minimum of three seconds. We'll see how that goes.
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