Sergei Ostrenko (Russia) 

Workshop
"Theatre Biomechanics"

Sergei Ostrenko

Sergei Ostrenko is a Russian director and teacher working in professional theatre about thirty years. His creative way has passed through the Cold War of the 1980s, collapse of the USSR in the 1990s, creative ordeals in the period of the interethnic tension in the Baltic and joining the New Europe.

Ostrenko began his professional carrier in performing arts in 1979 as a stage designer. Later he continued his education as an actor and then as a director. Ostrenko also studied contemporary techniques of performing arts: Feldenkrais, Alexander, Laban, Pilates, Suzuki, Contact and Structural Improvisation, Kinetic Environment, Butoh, method of Eugenio Barba, and psychology of creation. He also spent ten years working in dance theatre.

The creative work of Ostrenko is the synthesis of the Russian Theatre School and the newest experiments in various performing arts. Ostrenko has dedicated many years to exploration of world theatre traditions working with multicultural groups of performing artists. His approach is known internationally as the effective method of growing cohesion and creation of live performances within limited time. Theatre workers from Russia, Europe, America, Asia and Australia who trained with Ostrenko have been using his method of physical training in their own creative practice.

At present the principal professional interest of Ostrenko is investigation of theatre methods between tradition and contemporaneity. International theatre projects under his direction take place in different countries: Russia, Ukraine, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Italy, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Sweden, Austria, Malta, and the United Kingdom.

Workshop Overview

The workshop is focused on the practical exploration of performer’s psycho-physical instrument in the teaching of the Russian outstanding theatrical innovator - Vsevolod Meyerhold. His passion to creating bold, imaginative and expressive theatre and unique understanding of performer’s nature inspire contemporary theatre makers all over the world.

Participants will explore the principles of Biomechanics, gain a deeper understanding of psycho-physical approach in contemporary performer’s training and its application to practical work - rehearsal process, performance and teaching.

The practical session will develop in the form of various exercises which progress from simple to compound.

REGISTRATION

PROGRAMME

CONFERENCE