The Northern Centre for Voice and Movement was set up last year by Gary Horner, Course Leader for the MA in Professional Acting at ALRA North. Set picturesquely amongst the canals at Trencherfield Mill in Wigan, its purpose is to bring top-notch practitioners to work with performers and teachers based outside of the South East, for professional and personal development.
Jackie Snow's excellent day of Pure Movement completed the first round of workshops. These have included voice and text with Barbara Houseman, a day run by vocal guru Kristin Linklater, and another about Rudolf Laban's approach to movement.
We began the day with a few words on the origins and context of Pure Movement. Jackie's teacher Trish Arnold drew on her own experience of ballet and European dance theatre, alongside emigrés such as Litz Pisk and Laban, to develop movement skills in actors; they wanted to make the actors’ inner world visible to the audience through freeing their bodies.
Jackie Snow is a passionate, kind, inclusive and clear movement teacher, and the studios at ALRA North are very comfortable, light and spacious: a joy to move, breathe and stretch in.
The day was organised into four classes, with time to rest, share and ask Jackie questions, which she answered with generosity and humour. Her first session warmed us up as a group: connecting to ourselves, the space and each other. After this we moved onto freeing our joints, particularly the ribs, spine, shoulders and hips. We worked with our breath and imaginations as well as our bodies.
The second session was an introduction to swings; according to Trish Arnold swings contain all the elements of dramatic action. While doing the ‘bow and arrow’ swings across the spacious floor I felt part of something bigger than myself: a Greek chorus or an army in a Shakespearean history play!
The third session, after lunch, was primarily relaxing floor work: joint mobilisations, gentle stretching and core strengthening exercises. Our final session put the whole day together using partner work, travelling across the floor and changing directions. We ended with deep relaxation and gentle massage. After a productive discussion around the concept of ‘actor's neutral’: how it is more to do with fullness and potential rather than ‘emptiness,’ we left ALRA feeling embodied and rejuvenated.