Director's Laboratory

IMPROVISATION & SPONTANEITY
IN PERFORMING ARTS

March 15-19, 2005 in Malpils, Latvia

INTENSIVE PRACTICAL TRAINING
under the direction of Sergey Ostrenko,
Artistic Director of IUGTE.

Director's Laboratory is the excellent opportunity for directors and choreographers to get the new creative inspiration during the practical work with colleagues from different countries and to find interesting ideas valuable both for the daily work with the group and the realization of the greatest projects on the stage.

Participants will work on the basis of the methods developed as a result of the long-term research carried out by Sergey Ostrenko together with the members of IUGTE Creative Laboratory since 1994. 

"Improvisation and Spontaneity in Performing Arts" implies intensive practical work, theoretical discussions and lectures.

PARTICIPANTS  directors
                           choreographers
                           actors 
                           dancers 
                           teachers of theatre methods
                           playwrights 
                           senior students of theatre departments

The Director's Laboratory experience will be particularly valuable and will help to answer various topical questions of  stage artists interested in contemporary
directing and production.

PROGRAMME

Part I. WARM-UP - DYNAMIC BREATHING TRAINING.

The ancient Chinese system of Qi Gong exercises will help participants to prepare their organisms properly for the full-value intensive work during the day. 

The training combines breathing, movement and imagination. The principal accents during the execution of the exercises are relaxation and naturalness. 

The dynamic breathing training will take place outdoors every morning before breakfast. 

Part II. METHODS OF THEATRE TRAINING. 

-  Potential body possibilities. 
-  Relaxation and awareness of the body through movement. 
-  Practical investigation of spontaneity. 
-  Awareness and spontaneity in movement. 
-  Psychological gesture. 
-  Transition from individual improvisation to spontaneous collective interaction. 
-  Psychology of a performer, involved in creative process.

Part III. GROUP EXERCISES.

-  Methods impelling the group to the spontaneous collective creative process.
-  Possibilities of nonverbal communication on the stage. 
-  Emotional content and will in action. 
-  Space and time. 
-  Voice and movement. 
-  Composition in the space. 
-  Building of structure. 
-  Structural improvisation.

Part IV. LECTURES ON THE STRUCTURE OF PERFORMANCE AND THE PROCESS OF REHEARSAL. 

-  Director since reading the play till meeting the actors.
-  Director since meeting the actors till the premiere.