PEREMARTONI Krisztina – Acting Practices 1+2+3+4+5
Letter ONE
Dear Students!
I do not htink 'acting' is an independent layer aouy have to add to your dance-performance, but do think: anything you do is a message to your partners including the audience. To be conscious about these wanted or unwanted "messages" is an obligation of the performance artist.
I hope this training: one hour indvidual exercise out of the studio and three times 20 minutes of individual meeting with Krisztina – as you see it in your calendar – will give you an insight into this specific approach of the performance artist's toolkit.
Krisztina Peremartoni has a very wide experience both as an actress and an acting teacher. I am sure the colaboration with her will be very fruitful. Let me forward her letter
Iván
Dear Students !
Here is the exercise I want you to practice before I see you. It seems very simple but actually it isn't. You will see it when you do it! Here is how it goes:
Choose what you habitually drink in the morning (coffee, tea fruit juice etc. I don't know anybody who doesn't have this habit).
Find a peaceful quiet place at home to practice. No music nothing. Make it sure that nobody will bother you.
Sit-down close your eyes and relax for a couple of minutes. Take as much time as you need. Then start with the cup or glass you usually use filled with the liquid. Take the cup or glass in both hands and concentrate on your five senses – one at the time (seeing, touching, smelling, tasting, hearing). Run your hand slowly and repeatedly over the outside of the container. Feel the texture, weight and balance of the container and the heat, steam or cold. Smell the aroma. See the color, size, shape, grooves and nicks of the container and the liquid. Hear the sloshing of the liquid, the sound of sipping. Taste the liquid several times. While you are concentrating on the taste, also be aware of the touch of the container against your lips and tongue, the temperature of the liquid, the texture of the liquid and all the other sensory aspects.
This whole procedure should be done slowly with thorough investigation and exploration of all sensations.
Now set the container down, turn away and repeat the entire procedure without the breakfast drink. If you find that you are not able to recreate some of the sensations experienced with your container (for example you cannot relive the odor, return to the drink and focus on the odor in particular). By alternating between the actual drink and imaginarily reexperiencing the drink, weak sensory aspects may be strengthened and experience relived.
You should practice this at least an hour every day at home. The purpose of this exercise is to experince and fix in memory the reliving of all the sensory aspects of the breakfast drink. You will repeat this exercise with me without the actual container.
Good luck! Don't cheat ! Practice!
I am looking forward to meet you all in person next week!
Happy New Year!
With love: Krisztina Peremartoni
Letter TWO
You gonna do makeup. Before doing the makeup procedure you should carefully exam all aspects of your face, head, neck and hair as well as all objects being used, facial blemishes, hairline, textures, odors, weights, touch, size, shape, color, contour and similar qualities. At least 10-15 minutes should be spent with this activity. Then you repeat the exercise as in the morning drink exercise without the mirror and objects. If there are any sensory aspects, you are not able to recreate, you should return to the mirror or the objects. This alternation between real objects, and imaginary ones may take place only a few times or many times, depending how it goes for you. Some actors use the alternating process successfully for years. Re-creating your own image is much more personal than recreating a drink. I recommend to practice this exercise: start with 5-10 minutes just watching yourself without using any objects. "Learn" your face! Be comfortable with the fact that you are watching your face. I know we all are very judgmental about ourselves, that is ok .
Based on what I've seen last week in the class, I want to stress the importance of details! The more specific you are the better and believable your performance will become. For that you need to slow down more, giving time for discovering little details!
It was very nice to work with all of you this week and I am looking forward for the second week challenge! Lee Strasberg considers the Mirror exercise one of the most difficult ones! Enjoy!!!
with love: Krisztina
Letter THREE
Dear Students!
The first 2 weeks we worked with only objects. If it was a longer run together we would do more exercises with objects. But we have only one meeting left so I decided to work with objects combined with "whole body sensation" this time to show you a different aspect of the sense-memory exercises! You as a dancer work with your body anyway most of the time.
IN THE SHOWER.
It starts with taking off your clothes. Be slow and specific with your dress and shoes, etc. Pay attention to the details. Where do you hang your dress or do you have a chair, etc.!
Whether practicing at home or doing it in class you must take time and let the sensations to build.
Feelings on different parts of your back, the genitals or the feet. You work specifically to relive all sensations, such as how hot the water is, how part of the body outside the water feels different from the part under the water. The touch and smell of the soap maybe the shampoo. I will ask you to shift between cold and hot water! When you leave the shower the sensory elements of dripping water on the body and the touch of the towel. In overall sensations you must thoroughly investigate all the areas of the body.
It is a more complex exercise as the previous ones so practice more. Never forget that the more you invest in any kind of work or study you do the more you will get out of it! Quantity leads to quality !!!!!
Good luck!
It was really nice to get to know you a little bit better last week! I appreciate all your effort to jump into the" unknown" with me!
Looking forward to our last meeting!
With Love: Krisztina
Letter FOUR
Let me forward the letter from Krisztina and let me add my note:
You should really take enough – now you have any, it's up to you, how much – time to enjoy the tasks from Peremartoni/Strassberg/Stanislavsky.
The individual meeting times are in risk now. I couldn't decide about canceling them or not.
Iván
Dear Students!
Next week we work with " Personal objects".
You should find an object from your past that has a sentimental value for you and a marked personal association. Example of appropriate personal objects are jewelry, letters, childhood toy or special gifts, rocks , shells, etc. anything that you have a strong emotional connection with. We all have someting like this in our life. The longer you own the object the better. It means you have a deeper relationship to it. Strassberg suggest objects at least 7 years old or older. But if you don't have as old it's ok, but the bottom line is you have to have a strong relationship to it. If you don't have it here because it is in your home in another country please find a substitute object and you will pretend as if it was the same. But ideally it would be nice for you to have the original one on you!
Find a peaceful spot in your home hold the object in your hand, seat with it at least 20 minutes or more. First just deal with the form, touch it recognize the shape color maybe odor of it and after let emotions attached to the objects come to the surface with thoughts and memories.
When you come to the class you will not use the original object just an imaginary one. But please have it in your bag if it possible so you can show me after the class.
I am looking forward to see you again!
with love: Krisztina
Letter FIVE
Dear Students!
Now after a short break we start to work and connect again in an unusual way. I hope you all practised the last homework but if you haven't please do so now.
Regardless of the situation we all face, and the fact, that we can not see each-other in person I modified the exercise for the following:
After you have sat down with your special object which has a strong emotional meaning for you (or any other object acts as a substitute) I want you to write down specifically in details what feelings, memories came up for you by holding it in your hand. What this object represents for you? How does it feel to touch it, smell it, hug it etc. You can be silly you can be wrong you can be anything just be authentic, just be precise. It should be more like a diary, a" love letter" for your object! Should be very personal! Write it in your own language and after translate it into English. Hungarians don't need to translate. It is just for me so I can read it! Keep it short ! / not too short though!/
If you have any question don't hesitate to e-mail me:
To: kriszpere@yahoo.com
Cc: budapest@tanc.org.hu
I hope you all doing well! Looking forward to connect with you again!
With love: Krisztina