Page 23 - Classical Singer Magazine November/December 2019

the waltz. And not just a slow waltz, but a Viennese waltz that might occur in Die Fledermaus or The M erry Widow. You will save your cast and director many hours of tedious rehearsal if you learn to waltz now.
I think movement training and the cultivation of physical imagination are extremely important. They will help you nd the “spine” of the character and to explore your character’s physicality, rhythm, behavior patterns, etc. If you tend to schlep in your natural carriage and gait, then ballet is also good and it can be useful for very stylized period shows. Improvisation is wonderful for loosening up bodies and imagination onstage.
In terms of acting craft, there are so many ways to teach it. Singers have the unique experience of working one on one with their teachers, which is totally di erent from learning to be an actor or dancer. Actors usually have
many scene partners, and dancers are in constant physical contact with others. That’s why opera scenes programs are tremendously valuable for singers. That is where, with guidance, you can develop the technique for true communication with your stage partners, which
is absolutely basic to your craft— otherwise, it’s all arti cial.
I urge singers to experience all
of the arts. Go to see plays, operas, musicals. Go to lms and observe what choices the actors or artists have made to depict their characters. What does their physical behavior reveal? Shyness, arrogance, lustiness, contentedness, cynicism, playfulness, decadence, anxiety? Are the clues
in the posture, tilt of the head, movement of the eyes, walk, rhythm of gait, use of a prop, tension in the body?
This observation work is a
fun and valuable exercise that
can be done anywhere: public transportation, church, a park, a party. An artist must never stop observing. Watch videos of operas and turn o the sound and study the movement. Which performers move you emotionally in these exercises? Why? If two characters love each other, how do their bodies respond that makes you believe they love each other? Everyone nds their own way into characters. Explore!
Also, I realize that many students are burdened by overcrowded schedules and don’t have adequate time for real preparation. However, there is no way to be truthful if
you don’t know every word of the foreign language text in English
as you deliver it. Meet your scene partners on breaks and speak the text in English and then speak it in
SUMMER PROGRAMS
For Singers and Pianists In Residence in
Florence
Italy
June 29 - July 25, 2020
Immerse yourself in the Bel Canto style of singing passed down through the generations, studying with people who perform it, teach it,
and coach it at the leading Opera Houses of the world.
For all ages and levels.
Visit our website to view program details, faculty, short video
www.BelCantoInst.org
www.csmusic.net 23