Movement training for actors - Jackie Snow

"This book vividly captures vital and imaginative lessons from one of the most influential and joyous traditions of contemporary actor training. Any actor or teacher, who is devoted to the transformational power of the theatre, will want to return to these pages again and again, finding in them not only the work to be done, but also the inspiration to do it."James Bundy - Dean, Yale School of Drama; Artistic Director, Yale Repertory TheatreMovement training techniques allow actors to acquire the physical body language and non-verbal skills to clearly express the ideas and emotions of their characters. The techniques contained in this book help actors to develop awareness of their own natural posture, walk and rhythm, release the physical imagination and transform into the characters they are portraying, on stage, in film or on television.Movement Training for Actors provides a practical workbook approach to the core fundamentals of movement, fusing together the work of the key practitioners: Sigurd Leeder, Kurt Jooss, Rudolf Laban, Trish Arnold, Litz Pisk, F. M. Alexander, Mosh Feldenkrais, Jerzy Growtowski, Jacques Lecoq and Belinda Quirey. Chapters include Games, Pure Movement, Historical Dance, Acrobatics and Animal Study. The book is illustrated with photographs throughout and contains a DVD featuring over an hour of movement exercises further demonstrating the techniques. Movement Training for Actors is a masterclass on movement written by experienced coach, Jackie Snow and a culmination of her many years of teaching and coaching professionals. The highly practical approach will suit actors of all abilities as well as serving as an inspirational teaching guide.

Jackie Snow is Senior Lecturer in Acting, at Manchester School of Art. Previously the Head of Movement at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she trained at the London College of Dance and Drama (Dance) Guildhall School of Music and Drama (movement for Actors) where she went on to train actors for 20 years before coming to RADA. Other teaching includes BADA, LAMDA, Rose Bruford and Regents University (Virginia, USA). She has worked extensively in the theatre having been Master of Movement at the Globe Theatre for three years. She also teaches for the British American Drama Academy summer school and works with actors as a movement consultant on feature films.

It is an excellent resource for practitioners looking for a store of movement exercises.
New Theatre Quarterly - Amita Nijhawan

Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.
CHOICE - J. Tomalin, San Francisco State University