The project The Body’s Journey is the fruit of 20 years of experience in the theatre field (training, university research, teaching, devising). It is driven by the desire to work towards the development of the stage presence and the creative autonomy of the actor/dancer, and to develop a Center for Research and Creation in Paris.

The Body’s Journey – project of training, research and creation – is concentrated on the encounter of two contemporary techniques for the actor/dancer: the organic research developed by Jerzy Grotowski and then Eugenio Barba (Theater Anthropology) and the Corporeal Mime of Etienne Decroux. These techniques complement each other in that they develop the actor/dancer’s stage presence and the autonomy as a creator.

The exercises of the organic process liberate the energetic flux at the spinal column which propagates beyond the physical body. The actor/dancer thus develops his concentration and identifies his centers of physical, emotional and mental. Instead of searching for an expression, the actor/dancer dives into a real process of organic research, which unveils and artistic expression. The corporeal movements are the results of impulsions born from the interior of the body and then extend themselves from these sources. The research of theatre anthropology is based on the inspirations of traditional theatre forms form diverse areas of the world.

In the practice of Corporeal Mime, the actor/dancer finds the possibility to create personal compositions and to isolate different parts of the body, by mastering the articulations, and playing with the different speeds, resistances and designs of corporeal movement.

The acting and the pleasure of acting, the improvisation of listening and sharing, the exercises with masks and objects, the acrobatics and the voice training are also part of our training, research, and devising.

Our project, The Body’s Journey, guides the actors/dancers on a pathway to self-awareness so that the exploration of the Body’s Journey occurs from listening to impulsions, abandoning the stereotypes and habits, discovering the respect for the innate organicity of the body. The body work executed with attention and sensibility allows the actor/dancer to develop an original language capable of touching a larger audience and to cultivate openness to oneself as well as others, a constant part of the training of actors throughout the ages and across cultures.

The creation of a group of 15 actors/dancers (students or professionals) will be directed by Leela Alaniz.

Training Program :

• Organic voice exercises
• Research of organicity, energetic flux, unblocking of the body and of abandon
• Stage Presence
• Acrobatics, contact improvisation
• Corporeal Mime – Technique Etienne Decroux
• Articulations, counterweights, dynamo-rhythm, causalities intra-corporeal and inter-spatial
• Mask Acting
• Development of Character through the body
• Alexander Technique – relaxation and the liberation of articulations
• Working with objects
• Voice – corporeal resonators, text
• Improvisations, acting
• Compositions, structure
• Final Project, Devising