To start fresh, I chose to commence my workout with Michael Chekhov's tools on expansion and contraction. These are considered one of the most basic psycho-physical exercises in the Chekhov technique. In fact, according to Lisa every character can be identified as either expanded or contracted. Lisa calls them the "Pulse of Life." Moreover, we can even see these principles in our everyday life, take for example one's own breathing - we inhale (expand) and we exhale (contract). Or you can see it also in life (expand) and death (contract). Using this tool with the body we start to explore the idea of "what" the energy is doing exactly within the body. Therefore, being that this principle is everywhere we go and in everything we see, it would be apropos to start my blog with this tool. Below are my notes and observations from practicing the tool and observing myself while doing the tool. For the purpose of clarity I will be using the Oreo Cookie Flyback, as taught to me by Lisa Dalton as the bulk of my blog.
Method of Self Evaluation: Oreo Cookie Flyback Self Evaluation Questions-
Bottom layer - Overall, what did you like about what you did using this or that tool?
Double stuff - What would you add next time to make it tastier/better?
Top layer - What was your favorite moment?
Expansion - Unveiled/Veiled using scales 0-10 (0=the most contracted, 10=the most expanded)
When practiced within the Chekhov technique, Expansion/Contraction tool can have intrinsic positive and negative reactions to it, such light and dark. However, the aim is to do the tool with no plus or minus reaction to it, but allowing our imaginations to color it according to a specific character or given circumstance.
Today I experimented with the use of Expansion
Flyback
Overall, I liked the feeling of greatness, power, and freedom this tool offered me. I also enjoyed the general sensations of feeling grandiose and electrifying. There were moments where I was definitely sensing my energy body, especially as I veiled the tool with different qualities such as rage and/or joy. The feeling of expansion made my body feel awakened, as if I were bigger than life.
The challenge I did have with this tool was in discovering how to move my body fully without moving in a dance type of way. I also will need to add more vocal expression next time to see how this tool would influence my voice and speech patterns. I will also add more stage business/activity especially while expanded veiled to see if I am able to hold onto the image of my energy body, while doing mundane activities. Holding onto the image of the energy body was at times challenging; however, when I moved in a more legato manner I found it easier to sense/see/hold onto the energy body.
My favorite moments were those time where I did actually sense the energy body physically. I felt these electrical currents going up and down my arms, hands, and fingers. It was thrilling and electrifying. There was a sense of power and amplification that I felt throughout the exercise (unveiled, veiled). I recall Lenard Petit saying in his book, "experiencing the life body growing or shrinking fills us with the ebb and flow of vitality," I wonder if this electrical impulses is what he was referring to.
Contraction - Unveiled/Veiled using scales 0-10 (0=the most contracted, 10=the most expanded)
Today I experimented with the use of Contraction
Flyback
Overall, I really enjoyed experiencing and discovering how polar opposite contraction is from expansion. From a very simple look at their definitions one can see how different they are, but experiencing their differences was quite fun and imaginative. I enjoyed how quickly a character evolved just by purely exercising contraction. There was a sense of a character who was closed off, not necessarily shy, being evoked by the use of this tool. Adding qualities to the contraction also became a great source for a freeing of the instrument in discovering unique characters that would essentially be contracting characters...very interesting!
Next time I would add some expansion to the contraction to get a deeper sense of the act of contraction from a more expansive state. Also the use of the voice would be another addition to the exercise. I would also play with varying degrees of contraction (ie- scales 0-10). I wonder how would using the scales along with tempos and rhythms with contraction influence my body, voice, inner life, images, etc.
My favorite moment was in the actual discovery of various characters as qualities were applied to the tool. It was evident to me of the transformation that took place, because I noticed how even my voice and speech patterns were also evoked by the imagery and qualities applied onto the tool. The exercises I found quite humorous and fun to play with. There was a sense of ease with this type of work which I thoroughly enjoyed!
Additional notes:
I read Lenard Petit's chapter on expansion and contraction in his Chekhov Handbook and there was a section where he applied the tool to the 5 senses. For the purpose of exploration, I went ahead and practiced the tool by expanding and contracting the sense of taste and smell. I found this application quite interesting and amusing.
Characters were surely evoked by simply using the tool in this specific manner. With taste using expansion, there was an overall sense of thirsting or hungering after things that was awakened - someone desiring an object obsessively. With taste using contraction, there was a sense of a person who lacked will, a sense of apathy was evoked. With the sense of smell there were also varying characteristics traits that influenced my inner life and brought about images and characters that I would probably use for future work. Great discoveries overall!
**Late Addition to blog - I recently created a YouTube channel where I offer an overview of a Chekhov tool. Take a look and see:
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