Allow opportunities to react and respond to the elements around you to drive movement. People from our years embarked on various projects, whilst we founded Brouhaha and started touring our shows internationally. Lecoq's influence on the theatre of the latter half of the twentieth century cannot be overestimated. He offered no solutions. From then on every performance of every show could be one of research rather than repetition. Bouffon (English originally from French: "farceur", "comique", "jester") is a modern French theater term that was re-coined in the early 1960s by Jacques Lecoq at his L'cole Internationale de Thtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris to describe a specific style of performance work that has a main focus in the art of mockery. Because this nose acts as a tiny, neutral mask, this step is often the most challenging and personal for actors. Decroux is gold, Lecoq is pearls. Simon McBurney writes: Jacques Lecoq was a man of vision. Thank you to Sam Hardie for running our Open House session on Lecoq. In working with mask it also became very clear that everything is to be expressed externally, rather than internally. For him, there were no vanishing points. Actors need to have, at their disposal, an instrument that, at all times, expresses their dramatic intention. Later we watched the 'autocours'. Table of Contents THE LIFE OF JACQUES LECOQ Jacques Lecoq (1921-99) Jacques Lecoq: actor, director and teacher Jacques Lecoq and the Western tradition of actor training Jacques Lecoq: the body and culture Summary and conclusion THE TEXTS OF JACQUES LECOQ Through his techniques he introduced to us the possibility of magic on the stage and his training and wisdom became the backbone of my own work. [8], The French concept of 'efficace' suggesting at once efficiency and effectiveness of movement was highly emphasized by Lecoq. Last year, when I saw him in his house in the Haute Savoie, under the shadow of Mont Blanc, to talk about a book we wished to make, he said with typical modesty: I am nobody, I am only a neutral point through which you must pass in order to better articulate your own theatrical voice. I was able to rediscover the world afresh; even the simple action of walking became a meditation on the dynamics of movement. Shortly before leaving the school in 1990, our entire year was gathered together for a farewell chat. What he taught was niche, complex and extremely inspiring but he always, above all, desperately defended the small, simple things in life. This is a guideline, to be adapted. In fact, the experience of losing those habits can be emotionally painful, because postural habits, like all habits, help us to feel safe. In devising work, nothing was allowed to be too complex, as the more complex the situation the less able we are to play, and communicate with clarity. While Lecoq still continued to teach physical education for several years, he soon found himself acting as a member of the Comediens de Grenoble. Alternatively, if one person is moving and everyone else was still, the person moving would most likely take focus. He saw through their mistakes, and pointed at the essential theme on which they were working 'water', apparently banal and simple. to milling passers-by. When the moment came she said in French, with a slightly Scottish accent, Jacques tu as oubli de boutonner ta braguette (Jacques, you for got to do up your flies). Indecision. Repeat until it feels smooth. Jacques Lecoq said that all the drama of these swings is at the very top of the suspension: when you try them, you'll see what he meant. (By continuing to use the site without making a selection well assume you are OK with our use of cookies at present), Spotlight, 7 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7RJ. And it wasn't only about theatre it really was about helping us to be creative and imaginative. [4] The goal was to encourage the student to keep trying new avenues of creative expression. Raise your right arm up in front of you to shoulder height, and raise your left arm behind you, then let them both swing, releasing your knees on the drop of each swing. Your email address will not be published. He had a unique presence and a masterful sense of movement, even in his late sixties when he taught me. Similarly to Jerzy Grotowski, Jacques Lecoq heavily focused on "the human body in movement and a commitment to investigating and encouraging the athleticism, agility and physical awareness of the creative actor" (Evan, 2012, 164). Here are a few examples of animal exercises that could be useful for students in acting school: I hope these examples give you some ideas for animal exercises that you can use in your acting classes! Last of all, the full body swing starts with a relaxed body, which you just allow to swing forwards, down as far as it will go. I was very fortunate to be able to attend; after three years of constant rehearsing and touring my work had grown stale. He believed that to study the clown is to study oneself, thus no two selves are alike. But the most important element, which we forget at our peril, is that he was constantly changing, developing, researching, trying out new directions and setting new goals. Photograph: Jill Mead/Jill Mead. Once Lecoq's students became comfortable with the neutral masks, he would move on to working with them with larval masks, expressive masks, the commedia masks, half masks, gradually working towards the smallest mask in his repertoire: the clown's red nose. We have been talking about doing a workshop together on Laughter. And again your friends there are impressed and amazed by your transformation. After a while, allow the momentum of the swing to lift you on to the balls of your feet, so that you are bouncing there. Lecoq was a pioneer of modern theatre, and his work has had a significant influence on the development of contemporary performance practices. I use the present tense as here is surely an example of someone who will go on living in the lives, work and hearts of those whose paths crossed with his. Pierre Byland took over. As a teacher he was unsurpassed. In that brief time he opened up for me new ways of working that influenced my Decroux-based work profoundly. Think, in particular, of ballet dancers, who undergo decades of the most rigorous possible training in order to give the appearance of floating like a butterfly. Like an architect, his analysis of how the human body functions in space was linked directly to how we might deconstruct drama itself. The Animal Character Study: This exercise involves students choosing a specific animal and using it as the inspiration for a character. This is the Bird position. These first exercises draw from the work of Trish Arnold. During the 1968 student uprisings in Paris, the pupils asked to teach themselves. arms and legs flying in space. This text offers a concise guide to the teaching and philosophy of one of the most significant figures in twentieth century actor training. One of these techniques that really influenced Lecoq's work was the concept of natural gymnastics. The word gave rise to the English word buffoon. We use cookies where essential and to help us improve your experience of our website. L'cole Internationale de Thtre Jacques Lecoq, the Parisian school Jacques Lecoq founded in 1956, is still one of the preeminent physical training . [4] The aim was that the neutral mask can aid an awareness of physical mannerisms as they get greatly emphasized to an audience whilst wearing the mask. I attended two short courses that he gave many years ago. Many things were said during this nicely informal meeting. For the high rib stretch, begin with your feet parallel to each other, close together but not touching. They include the British teacher Trish Arnold; Rudolph Laban, who devised eukinetics (a theoretical system of movement), and the extremely influential Viennese-born Litz Pisk. However, the ensemble may at times require to be in major, and there are other ways to achieve this. Play with them. The first event in the Clowning Project was The Clowning Workshop, led by Nathalie Ellis-Einhorn. It was amazing to see his enthusiasm and kindness and to listen to his comments. The communicative potential of body, space and gesture. The training, the people, the place was all incredibly exciting. He taught at the school he founded in Paris known ascole internationale de thtre Jacques Lecoq, from 1956 until his death from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1999. A key string to the actor's bow is a malleable body, capable of adapting and transforming as the situation requires, says RADA head of movement Jackie Snow, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, RADA foundation class in movement/dance. Repeat on the right side and then on the left again. - Jacques Lecoq The neutral mask, when placed on the face of a performer, is not entirely neutral. During the 1968 student uprisings in Paris, the pupils asked to teach themselves. [1] In 1941, Lecoq attended a physical theatre college where he met Jean Marie Conty, a basketball player of international caliber, who was in charge of physical education in all of France. Bravo Jacques, and thank you. Lecoq opened the door, they went in. Any space we go into influences us the way we walk, move. The only pieces of theatre I had seen that truly inspired me had emerged from the teaching of this man. This unique face to face one-week course in Santorini, Greece, shows you how to use drama games and strategies to engage your students in learning across the curriculum. He is survived by his second wife Fay; by their two sons and a daughter; and by a son from his first marriage. The building was previously a boxing center and was where Francisco Amoros, a huge proponent of physical education, developed his own gymnastic method. [6] Lecoq classifies gestures into three major groups: gestures of action, expression, and demonstration.[6]. If an ensemble of people were stage left, and one performer was stage right, the performer at stage right would most likely have focus. Lecoq described the movement of the body through space as required by gymnastics to be purely abstract. One game may be a foot tap, another may be an exhale of a breath. Great actor training focuses on the whole instrument: voice, mind, heart, and body. He takes me to the space: it is a symphony of wood old beams in the roof and a sprung floor which is burnished orange. And if a machine couldn't stop him, what chance had an open fly? In this country, the London-based Theatre de Complicite is probably the best-known exponent of his ideas. Magically, he could set up an exercise or improvisation in such a way that students invariably seemed to do their best work in his presence. But acting is not natural, and actors always have to give up some of the habits they have accumulated. After the class started, we had small research time about Jacques Lecoq. This use of de-construction is essential and very useful, as for the performer, the use of tempo and rhythm will then become simplified, as you could alter/play from one action to the next. Observation of real life as the main thrust of drama training is not original but to include all of the natural world was. Bring your right hand up to join it, and then draw it back through your shoulder line and behind you, as if you were pulling the string on a bow. Like a gardener, he read not only the seasonal changes of his pupils, but seeded new ideas. as he leaves the Big Room Everybody said he hadn't understood because my pantomime talent was less than zero. The objects can do a lot for us, she reminded, highlighting the fact that a huge budget may not be necessary for carrying off a new work. We also do some dance and stage fighting, which encourages actors to develop their use of space, rhythm and style, as well as giving them some practical tools for the future. During the fortnight of the course it all became clear the job of the actor was action and within that there were infinite possibilities to explore. For the actor, there is obviously no possibility of literal transformation into another creature. Franco Cordelli writes: If you look at two parallel stories Lecoq's and his contemporary Marcel Marceaus it is striking how their different approaches were in fact responses to the same question. The students can research the animals behavior, habitat, and other characteristics, and then use that information to create a detailed character. He remains still for some while and then turns to look at me. The actor's training is similar to that of a musician, practising with an instrument to gain the best possible skills. Lecoq believed that masks could be used to create new and imaginative characters and that they could help actors develop a more expressive and dynamic performance. Lecoq surpassed both of them in the sheer exuberance and depth of his genius. To actors he showed how the great movements of nature correspond to the most intimate movements of human emotion. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Jacques Lecoq was known as the only noteworthy movement instructor and theatre pedagogue with a professional background in sports and sports rehabilitation in the twentieth century. As a teacher he was unsurpassed. That is the question. Lecoq on Clown 1:10. Bim Mason writes: In 1982 Jacques Lecoq was invited by the Arts Council to teach the British Summer School of Mime. June 1998, Paris. ), "Believing or identifying oneself is not enough, one has to ACT." [1] In 1937 Lecoq began to study sports and physical education at Bagatelle college just outside of Paris. If you look at theatre around the world now, probably forty percent of it is directly or indirectly influenced by him. There are moments when the errors or mistakes give us an opportunity for more breath and movement. They contain some fundamental principles of movement in the theatrical space. We needed him so much. Jacques Lecoq obituary Martin Esslin Fri 22 Jan 1999 21.18 EST Jacques Lecoq, who has died aged 77, was one of the greatest mime artists and perhaps more importantly one of the finest. What he offered in his school was, in a word, preparation of the body, of the voice, of the art of collaboration (which the theatre is the most extreme artistic representation of), and of the imagination. We then bid our farewells and went our separate ways. He believed that masks could help actors explore different characters and emotions, and could also help them develop a strong physical presence on stage. As a young physiotherapist after the second world war, he saw how a man with paralysis could organise his body in order to walk, and taught him to do so. An illusion is intended to be created within the audiences mind, that the mask becomes part of the actor, when the audience are reminded of the limits and existence of the mask, this illusion is broken. He was known for his innovative approach to physical theatre, which he developed through a series of exercises and techniques that focused on the use of the body in movement and expression. Lecoq did not want to ever tell a student how to do something "right." That was Jacques Lecoq. For this special feature in memory of Jacques Lecoq, who died in January, Total Theatre asked a selection of his ex-students, colleagues and friends to share some personal reminiscences of the master. He only posed questions. Dressed in his white tracksuit, that he wears to teach in, he greeted us with warmth and good humour. I remember him trying exercises, then stepping away saying, Non, c'est pas a. Then, finding the dynamic he was looking for, he would cry, Ah, a c'est mieux. His gift was for choosing exercises which brought wonderful moments of play and discovery. He was genuinely thrilled to hear of our show and embarked on all the possibilities of play that could be had only from the hands. Last year, when I saw him in his house in the Haute Savoie, under the shadow of Mont Blanc, to talk about a book we wished to make, he said with typical modesty: 'I am nobody. The last mask in the series is the red clown nose which is the last step in the student's process. Alert or Curious (farce). He came to understand the rhythms of athletics as a kind of physical poetry that affected him strongly. Lecoq believed that actors should use their bodies to express emotions and ideas, rather than relying on words alone. Jacques Lecoq. These movements are designed to help actors develop a strong physical presence on stage and to express themselves through their bodies. The Saint-Denis teaching stresses the actor's service to text, and uses only character masks, though some of Please, do not stop writing!