A Practical Approach to Locomotion on the Stage and Life (Or: How I Learned to Walk Good)

Let me share what use to be one of my worst fears:

This is a performer.
On a completely blank stage.
For those who are not performers it feels something like this:

I think everyone has stared at a blank page at some point in their lives.
I think this might be universal.
It is that moment of dread.
Sheer terror of having to create something from nothing.
Write a speech, a lit critique, a persuasive essay.
Whatever your poison, you have probably felt crippling fear at some point and thought "I am not enough."
Am I right?

You bet your ass I am.
So, I am going to share some of my favorite techniques, namely what has worked for me in the past.
But, before I get to the exercises:
STORIES!

Just Stand There

This is a very fun game I like to play.
It is called Just Stand There because that is the only rule.
It is the only instruction that I give.
I say, "Just stand there" and we do just that.
A minute passes.
The student retakes their seat, I ask them what the experience was like and what the audience perceived.

The intention is realizing that how we stand onstage is, of necessity, an artificial act.
So much about art these days is about truthiness and naturalness and realness.
Actors say they want to be natural, to just exist onstage.
I hate that.
Because art, stage, theatre is so often about the artificial about what is abnormal and subnormal and internormal.
Okay, I made up a word, the point is:
Just Stand There is a loaded phrase. A loaded activity
And the students are meant to realize that and embrace it and find freedom in spite of it.

So why relevant?
I had one student say during the discussion period:

"He stands better than I do."

...........
Let that sink in....I had to.
I had one precious, beautiful, artistic soul believe in his heart that another person could stand "better" than him.
I almost had to sit down.
Then, I tried to hug him.
But I didn't tell him I was going to do that, so....
Awkward.

It was the fear.
The fear of being wrong, of doing poorly, of believing that we are not enough.
(I'm building a theme here).

Next STORY!

Evolution

Evolution is a fun game I play with large ensembles of people.
You start as a single cell organism.
Flat on your back, with everything frozen, except your pointer finger.
And you begin by exploring all of the ways it can move.
We do this for at least a minute.

Why?
Because your finger is surprisingly mobile.
Surprisingly dexterous.
Try it. Right now. At your computer or tablet.
Take a minute and move just your finger.
Find all the variations.
Explore how far it can move in one direction, then another.
Make circles, patterns, undulations.
Can you move a single knuckle?
How quick? how slow?
There are so many combinations we either don't try or simply don't think about.
Bring some awareness to it.

Add another finger. Then all the fingers.
Explore all of the digits.
Then, the whole hand.
Then, the arm down to the elbow.
Then, the shoulder.
Then, the other arm.
Then, the legs.
Then, the whole body.

I love this game because it puts the emphasis on the body and the body is actually remarkably varied.
Remarkably interesting to watch on its own.
It is only when we rely on conventions that we/the audience become bored.
But, realizing that everything, including just standing there (see what I did there), is a choice, we become better artists.

Now, I played Evolution with non-theatre makers once.
It was painful. (I didn't set it up very well)
But, eventually the goal is to have the organisms move on the floor.
They start as quadrupeds, become tripeds, then bipeds.
So four to three to two points of contact with the floor.
The moment we got to two everyone was on their two feet.
I said: Switch which meant another two points of contact.
Most people stayed standing.
They were confused.
Switch!
Nothing.
Switch!
Nothing.
We ended the game.

They didn't understand what else could be on the ground.
So I explained that anything would work.
I showed my head and a hand.
My shoulder and a foot.
They complained that they couldn't move like that, they weren't flexible enough, etc.
But, it was fun, it was funny, it was compelling to see people try! To see people struggle.
So then I told them that they weren't even using their feet to the fullest extent.
They didn't understand so I showed them what I am about to share with you.

The foot is not a flat plane.
What on earth do I mean by that?
Look at any shoe.
For example:

(This shoe)

It is essentially a vehicle for padding the underside of your foot.
This is an important function, especially with most modern surfaces (concrete, asphalt, glass)
But, look how we treat the foot: it is essentially one big, flat block or unit.
When in reality it is something more like this:

The foot is multiplanar.
It has flexion and depth and width.
But, so much of contemporary culture treats it like a flat block

(for reference)

So the students were completely baffled when I said the foot can have multiple points of contact.

So here are what I have affectionately termed as Gaits.

The different gaits that a person may use (onstage, off, wherever)

The Gaits:

1. Stamp in place: this is meant to give a sense of driving through the ground. The upper body should remain immobile throughout all of these exercises. 
2. Stamp in motion: walk any number of paces you desire in a straight line, circle, doubling back. Move with the whole surface of the foot. Do not let the upper body tremble
3. Walk on the balls of your feet
4. Walk on the heels of your feet
5. Walk on the outside edge of your feet
6. Walk on the inside edge of your feet
7. Walk with your toes turned out (splayed)
8. Walk with your toes turned in (pigeon toed)

All of the previous exercises involve walking solely with your feet.

Introducing the hands can create new avenues of physical exploration.

1. Walk with your whole foot hands grabbing your toes
2. Walk with your whole foot hands gripping the outside of your foot
3. Walk with your whole foot hands gripping the inside of your foot
4. Walk with your whole foot hands gripping your ankles
5. Walk with your hands underneath your feet
6. Walk on your hands and toes
7. Come into a bridge/wheel posture and walk on your palms and flat of your foot

These are various ways that one can locomote without relying solely on the feet.

This list is not exhaustive.

In fact it is limited entirely based on direction.

Simply by changing direction one creates a number of new ways for the gaits to be utilized.

1. Walking forward
2. Walking backward
3. Walking side to side
4. Walking diagonally

Creating patterns:

1. Straight lines
2. Curved lines
3. Variations (zig zag/circles)

By combining or varying these different gaits one has a vocabulary with which to work as well as an inexhaustible list of ways to move.

The blank/empty stage is suddenly less terrifying.

Because we are enough.

There are hundreds of ways to move with this list using only our hands and feet.

The rest of us is just as mobile, just as creative, just as powerful.

We need only embrace it.

I hope to find new and interesting relationships with the ground in my personal artistry.

I love it when directors/projects allow for this type of exploration.

Even in a relatively conservative/choreographed rehearsal hall are you able to perform at least some of these gaits.

You can always change with what part of your foot you lead with.

No one in the audience need know.

But, if it affects you or changes your psychic/emotional space, then, I say, more power to you.

And this can apply to anything.

If you discover 

• back pain, 
• foot pain, 
• leg pain, 
• nervousness, 
• anxiety, 
• stress, 
• anger, 
• aggression 

in your daily life or in performance settings

• You need to give a presentation
• You are going for an interview
• You need to make a public speech
• You are meeting the in laws

Then try some of this work.

If you discover that you rely too heavily on one stance or gait more than any other in times of stress, try changing it.

You may discover that stress is tied to the gait and without it, everything becomes easier.

You may find yourself more 

• relaxed, 
• confident, 
• happy,
• able.

And that is a good thing.