Choreografia jako strategia pedagogiczna: ucieleśnione podejście do szkolenia aktorskiego

Abstract

Like so many other things in so-called Western culture, actor training today lies predominantly upon the Cartesian concept of mind-body dualism. Even though actors, not unlike dancers, have their bodies as a primary tool to work with, the misinterpreted heresy of Konstantin Stanislavsky, the first theatre practitioner to develop a comprehensive pedagogical method for acting, has created a counterproductive, detached relationship between actors and their own bodies. During the past two decades, due to current research and new theories in cognitive science, a paradigmatic shift has overwritten our previous notion regarding the connection between body and mind. A very similar process is taking place in the artistic field as physical approaches of actor training are gaining a popularity never seen before. Holistic methods like Viewpoints Technique, the Suzuki Method of Actor Training, and Stephen Wangh’s Acrobatics of the Heart address key elements of the craft of acting, such as emotions and imagination, through the systematic use of choreography and movement improvisation. How can “just dancing” lead to a deeper understanding of the actors’ on-stage emotional life? While physical methods of actor training offer a pragmatic answer to the question, the work of leading researchers in the cognitive field may explain the way these methods actually work.