The Actor's Body: Self-Care and Reimagined Futures

Presented by: Ilse Pfeifer

To be held online over Zoom: 

Ilse Pfeifer (master teacher, dancer, choreographer, bodyworker and vocal coach) offers this online workshop for actors on self care for the actor’s body during the COVID-19 pandemic. With an eye towards the future as venues plan for re-opening, Ilse offers this virtual space for incorporating body work, mindful movement, meditation, discussion of self-care, shared play and storytelling. We will work on balancing the body — including strengthening muscle — skeletal structure, and breathing. During this time when so much performance work is on pause, you will learn and practice exercises to tune and maintain your actor’s instrument so that you may be limber and ready to return when the time comes.

This will be an opportunity to share stories and experiences within the safe space and confidence of the group, and to hold a circle of compassion for and with each other. You are invited to bring a story from the pandemic to share, either a personal story from your own life or from someone else’s (such as from a news story, neighbor, or friend). Possible story topics include: something learned, positive, gained through the pandemic; something challenging, lost, grieved during the pandemic; an essential worker on the frontlines during the pandemic; an imagined future, envisioning the return to physical togetherness post-pandemic. We will use these stories to open the imagination, bridging what is possible, what is experienced, and what is observed in our daily lives, in preparation for re-entering the world when venues and shared spaces are safe to re-open.

Ilse brings together her years of mastery in body work, movement work, vocal work, breath work and healing practices for the performing artist to guide you in this experience intended as a unique and holistic opportunity to find nourishment through self-care, art and expression, in order to sustain and replenish you during these most challenging times.