Body in Motion
Viewpoints & Movement for Actors
Mondays & Wednesdays, 14:30-17h
10-month training beginning October 21
Actors Space Berlin
Limited spaces available | Register with iamloribaldwin@gmail.com
Photos: Hauke Günther at Actors Space Berlin
Testimonials:
“Lori’s course allows us to be freer, to interact more with each other. I found it very interesting to learn how we can communicate non-verbally with our fellow human beings, and what kind of stories and energetic connection arises from this. I will take a lot of this with me into my artistic career.” - Lukas J
“Through working with Lori, I reconnected with my body. This intensive, nonverbal communication was fascinating, natural, and full of healing. Working with Lori is something truly special. She has the ability to create a space where one can meet themselves and others honestly, humanely, and ultimately healing. Through this wonderful course, I found myself and my body again, and my goodness, I had so much fun. It was incredible.” - Karo H
“The importance of the Viewpoints work is the training of principle. We must strive to move our audiences viscerally, beyond just an intellectual sphere, and for this we need training in artistic ideals, not just skills. This principle of surrender is what the Viewpoint work aims to provide a safe space for, to experiment and practice, and that is why it is important work for oneself as a performer.” - Philipp Z
About the course:
We start with the fundamental tool of every actor: the body. We put the body in motion, in relation to other bodies and to itself. We move, we improvise, we train.
Grounded in the Viewpoints Technique* and supplemented by somatic movement practices, this year-long course expands students' movement vocabulary and trains an embodied understanding of staging, spatial relationship, and physical listening. Participants will gain extensive training in the Viewpoints technique, refining improvisation skills and developing a stronger connection with their own bodies.
The course fosters a non-judgmental space for creative exploration, promoting greater physical awareness and readiness as actors. It complements the Meisner technique, providing tools for character development and improvisation, and enhancing the physical experience of acting.
The progression of the course involves preparing the body, (physically) listening to one another, observing and acknowledging what exists, developing new ways of moving, and ultimately creating together and crafting characters and compositions. The course utilizes somatic techniques and the Viewpoints method as frameworks to explore and understand one’s own presence and physicality in relation to others.
The movement-based practices establish a shared vocabulary for physical improvisation and enhance students’ own quality of presence, providing a gateway to discovering new creative potential within one's body. The physical training is beneficial for any actor, and techniques are useful both for stage and film.
*The Viewpoints Technique, as developed by Anne Bogart and Tina Landau, is a system that allows us to name the elements of space and time that constitute a performance, a scene, or an improvisation in an accessible way. By shifting our focus, we start to perceive and name what is already there. This experiential process provides us with tools to then produce work that makes conscious use of their constitutive elements.
About the Teacher:
Lori Baldwin is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist, actress, writer and director. With over 10 years of professional experience, 5 of those in Berlin, she is deeply embedded in the local independent performance scene. From cabaret to guerilla feminist performance art to science-art collaborations, from Theater im Delphi to Volksbühne to Art Basel Miami, her artistic work spans a vast array of contexts and mediums, seeking to enliven non-traditional art spaces and shake things up on stage.
Originally from the USA, Baldwin trained in the Viewpoints Technique during her undergraduate B.A. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2013, she earned a M.A. in International Performance Research from the University of Warwick and the University of Amsterdam. She completed further training in somatic contemporary dance with Zeroplusz Studio in Budapest in 2017 and completed the year-long Meisner and Camera Acting course at Actor’s Space Berlin in 2021.
She has taught performance and movement workshops at the Junges Deutsches Theater and CODE University in Berlin, the Hungarian Fine Arts University in Budapest, and at independent performance venues in Amsterdam, Prague, and Brighton.
Practical Information:
Mondays & Wednesdays 14:30-17h
The course runs for 10 months, starting on 21 October
(60 sessions total, 180 teaching hours)
The fee is 1000€ for the entire course. There is the possibility of paying in installments.