This digital course will provide actors, dancers, directors, dramaturgs, and choreographers with an actionable toolkit for using Laban’s ideas of EFFORT into practice. The combinations of Weight, Space, Time, and Flow form 80 possible specific choices for expression, and functionality.

In dance, this provides an endless range of options for dynamics and helps us find deep functionality for challenging movement sequences. For theatre, every character in every play can be broken down to a set of qualities they tend to most, and each line of every play can be analyzed for its specific qualities. Using EFFORT in speaking and moving is a portal to specificity, and a way to break the habits of the performer, at the service of the show.

These ideas can also be used in larger, compositional choices, and to help design the flow and tone of a whole work. It is an extremely activated way to view and devise part of, or whole, performance.

This digital course will provide students with a chance to analyze, speak, and move inside the various possible choices for expression, and offer them a lifetime of new information that can be used to create a character, challenge their habits, and devise in a deeply specific, clear, and objective way.

This course includes reflective reading and writing, video analysis, creation, practice, and discussion. Guided movement improvisation, scene work, and creative process, as well as analysis of video, writing prompts, and suggested reading for future study are all active components to the workshop.

A series of short videos lead students through all the basic and complex combinations of vocal and physical dynamic. Writing, creation, and movement prompts serve as tools for deeper engagement and embodiment. Reading assignments provided will connect the intellectual to experiential study.

Instructor’s Bio: 

Alexandra Beller, MFA, CMA, has been Choreographer for “Sense and Sensibility” (Sheen Center, Judson Gym, Folger Shakespeare Library, American Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage), (Helen Hayes Award, Lortel Nomination, IRNE Best Choreography). She choreographed the Off Broadway musical, “The Mad Ones” (59E59), Bedlam’s “Peter Pan” (Duke Theatre), “Two Gentlemen of Verona” (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival), “As You Like It” (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Folger Shakespeare Library), “How to transcend a happy marriage” by Sarah Ruhl (Lincoln Center Theatre), “The Young Ladies of…” (Taylor Mac), “Chang(e)” (HERE), and others. Current projects include “Antonio’s Song” by Dael Orlandersmith/Antonio Suarez (CATF, Milwaukee Rep), “Fandango for Butterflies (and Coyotes)” (La MaMa and touring), and Directing and Choreographing “Make Thick My Blood,” a two-person adaptation of Macbeth opening Off-Broadway February 2022.

Her international performance career includes 7 years with the Bill. T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, projects with Martha Clarke, John Turturro, and others. Alexandra Beller/Dances formed in 2001 and she has created over 40 original Dance Theatre works, for her own and other companies. Her choreography has been presented at theatres throughout the US and in Korea, Hong Kong, Oslo, Cyprus, St. Petersburg, and Poland.

Alexandra holds a BFA/Dance, MFA/Dance and CMA (Certified Movement Analyst) in Laban Movement Analysis/Bartenieff Fundamentals. She is on faculty at Princeton University, Rutgers University, and The Laban/Bartenieff Institute for Movement Studies, and guest teaches nationally and internationally. She also has a private Somatic Therapy practice and provides multiple forms of private mentorship. She has consulted with numerous institutions about curriculum planning, syllabus development, and pedagogy including the 92nd St Y, LIMS, and Dancio.com.