Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- List of illustrations -- Preface -- CHAPTER 1 Body Ownership: Analyzing individual movement histories and tendencies for deeper self-knowledge -- What You Already Know -- Exercises: -- 1.1 My Body History -- 1.2 My Movement Profile -- 1.3 Tracking the Blocks -- 1.4 Keeping the Good Stuff -- Your Body Recipe -- 1.5 Making Your List, Checking It Twice -- Body Awareness Checklist -- Physical Life Project -- 1.6 Imitation -- Pressure and Fear -- 1.7 Your Own Pressure/Fear Analysis -- Applying Body Awareness -- Warming Up -- 1.8 Body Memory -- Changing Images -- When and Where to Warm Up -- Offstage Adaptations -- Summary -- CHAPTER 2 Healing Your Body: Understanding physical structure as a path for making mindful movement choices -- An Actor Athlete -- Warming Up vs. Working Out -- Fitness Focus -- Exercises: -- 2.1 Self-Inventory -- 2.2 Body Scanning -- Stress Release -- 2.3 Reducing Stress -- 2.4 Double Dipping, Breath and Abs -- Healing Your Knowledge -- Your Body's Structure -- 2.5 Discovering Your Bony Structure -- 2.6 Hello Pelvis -- 2.7 Hello Spine -- 2.8 Neck Release -- 2.9 Body Jazz: Joint Investigation -- 2.10 Muscle Awareness -- 2.11 Muscle Re-patterning -- Dynamic Neutral -- 2.12 Constructive Rest -- 2.13 The Empty Suit -- 2.14 Let Go, Lie Down -- 2.15 Link Up -- Summary -- CHAPTER 3 Movement Masters: Examining the leading innovators and disciplines in actor movement training -- Somatics -- Innovators -- Disciplines -- Summary -- CHAPTER 4 Evolving Movement: Developing psychophysical movement methods suited to all theatre forms -- Energy -- Laban's Efforts -- Exercises: -- 4.1 Flow-Free to Bound -- 4.2 Flow Variations -- 4.3 Weight-Strong to Light -- 4.4 Time-Sustained to Sudden -- 4.5 Space-Direct to Indirect -- Laban's Effort Actions -- 4.6 Exploring Actions -- Earth's Elements