October 31 → November 4, 2022
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA

THE 20 MOVEMENTS OF JACQUES LECOQ

with
GIOVANNI FUSETTI

La rose des efforts, Jacques Lecoq (1997) (The rose of efforts)

The 20 Movements (20M) are a series of movements devised by Jacques Lecoq and taught at his school as a form of practice for the actor. They contain some fundamental principles of movement in the theatrical space. Each of these movements is a “form” to be learnt, practiced, rehearsed, refined and performed.
As in martial arts or in any artistic discipline (music, dance, painting, sculpture, etc.) in the 20M we find the notion of “a set form” in which the artist applies some fundamental rules of this art. Similar to what in music is an “exercise de style” or a “divertimento,” each of the 20M is a piece of writing in which the actor practices and explores one or more specific techniques or principles.
Like scales for a musician, the 20M are a form of practice that the actor is never too good to abandon. It’s movement training that can continue for the entire career of the actor-creator.

As referential forms they are “impossible”, in the sense that it is impossible to perform them perfectly. Therefore they can be practiced over and over, in more and more detail, in the quest for the “justesse” of gestures.
They teach the humility of practice. You can always be corrected; therefore, you can always re-learn them and always re-teach them.
Each of them is a referential movement that allows the actor to understand the many expressive variations of that movement.
They are practiced in a state of neutrality. The body is constantly reminded to stay in a ‘pre-character state’. The actor’s persona has to disappears as THE movement appears. For this reason they are an excellent training for the ‘neutral state’.

Jaques Lecoq essentializes this notion with this statement: “A verb has no opinion”.
While a verb has no opinion, the character does, and their opinion will appear in the particular “personal” way they engage with the action. The 20M allows an extremely accurate observation of personal process.
The 20M are practiced by the actor: alone. They teach the individual about the necessity of taking responsibility for space, time, action and for refining the poetic body.

The 20M bring many benefits and pedagogic gifts.

Rigor, persistence, the necessity of rehearsing.
Discipline, facing one’s own limits and physical habits. 
The quest for neutrality.
Commitment to space, commitment to silence, commitment to movement.
The humility of making mistakes and the courage of stating them.
The responsibility of creating space and time.
Seeing the difference between everyday movements and transposed Movement.
Letting go of personal adjustments and comments, losing the opinions on movement. Discovering the state of “economy of movement” and integrating feedback.
Showing the relationship between neutrality and character and between neutral movement and expressive treatment …
and…

The Discobulus, attic cup ca. 490 BC

PRACTICALITIES

ADMISSION
This workshop is for theatre practitioners who have previous experiences in any movement theatre and for anyone interested in the Pedagogy of Jacques Lecoq.

LOCATION
The training will take place at Hotham Mission, 2 Elm St, North Melbourne VIC 3051, Australia.

SCHEDULE
Classes will take place each day from 9:30 to 17:30, with one hour lunch break.

Locomotion ondulatoire, (Undulatory locomotion), Jacques Lecoq (1997)

HOW TO APPLY