The Ultimate Actors Warm-Up – Exercise One: Laugh
We begin by laughing
Don’t you love the times you start to laugh and you can’t stop yourself even when your belly starts to ache you continue to laugh uncontrollably?
Sometimes it happens in situations where you shouldn’t be laughing at all. You try so hard to stop. You need to hide your laughing at all costs or you will face embarrassment, get someone offended, loose out on an opportunity, or get kicked out altogether.
The worse is when you are talking to someone, or rather, someone is talking to you and you get this laughing craze moment for no reason. You try like a maniac not to burst out in laughter. But you fail. You try to make up an excuse for why you are laughing and before you manage to get the first word out with a straight face you are laughing.
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My favourite Laughter time happened in a Yoga Class
I was in the front line of practitioners in class and then I started laughing, for no reason, softly containing myself, totally unable to stop. My face was adopting all types of forms and shapes as I was trying to constraint giggles and loud outbursts of laughter alike in an otherwise very silent setting.
I felt bad for my Yoga Instructor. Fearing that she might think that I wasn’t taking her class seriously or that I was laughing at her practice, her methods, or her instructions.
The instructor was the only one who could see my face trying not to laugh because I had only one other yoga student to my left who was slightly behind me and the rest of the class were right behind me.
At first, the yoga instructor consciously tried to avoid looking at my laughing face…
She kept looking through the corner of her eye and then quickly looked away.
I was growing in embarrassment which made it even more difficult to stop laughing. My silent giggling intensified by the second. Now everything made me laugh like a silent maniac. Every word she said, every pose I saw, every move I made. I just laughed at everything.
At this point, the whole class could hear me for sure. I was relieved with the thought that they couldn’t actually see me laughing and maybe they didn’t know where the laughter was actually coming from.
Trying to keep my face straight and follow the class, in spite of the embarrassment I looked at my instructor and suddenly a strange mixture of shock and thrill overcame me when I saw that she had joined in with me! She was also laughing.
Laughter is Catchy
She was laughing, uncontrollably, for no reason other than me laughing. She laughed uttering giggles while doing the moves and giving the instructions. As the practice continued she laughed out loud the instructions for us to follow and giggled to her heart’s content while doing the poses herself.
As soon as I saw this and during the rest of the class, it felt like it was just me and my instructor, Carolina in the room. Laughing our hearts out while doing the practice, as if playing like kids. We couldn’t stop laughing. Others joined in some didn’t. I have no clue, I couldn’t really see anyone but Carolina.
The best part of this was that the embarrassment, the guilt, the worry, the shame, and awkwardness, all melted away with the laughter.
It was impossible to feel any type of negativity for long while laughing on the contrary. The laughing was the best part of the class, of the day, and of life. We were two people laughing in class. So what? It was wonderful!
The more delicious of this story is that Carolina Romero Gonzalez, my yoga instructor has been my best friend from age 11-years- old. She is My soul sister. We were in our 30s that day and it was one of the many beautiful moments and experiences we have shared together, truly memorable.
She concluded the class by saying that laughter is good
The Ultimate Actors’ Warm-up – Acting Masterclass includes my laughter exercise.
I explain all its uses and its health benefits as well as the purpose of laughter in an Acting warm-up session. Get it here.
In this Acting Masterclass, I have put together a powerful set of exercises that will have you Character-Ready in 15–45 minutes as well as provide you with in-depth insight on the Acting Craft and how to master it depending on your needs and goals.
The Ultimate Actor’s Warm-up- Acting Masterclass will relax, condition, and energise your body, mind, and soul. It will enhance your creativity and awaken your senses.
After completing the warm-up/ Acting Masterclass you will find yourself feeling vibrant with renewed energy, ready to take on the next part of your day, a rehearsal, an audition, an acting class, a film shoot, or a performance. You will be like an inspired artist equipped with paint, brushes, and looking at a fresh canvas, ready to create.
Acting MasterClass Exercise One
Laughter
Performance Duration 1–3 mins
Laughter Session
Start laughing and continue to laugh for a total of 1–3 minutes. Produce different types of laughter at different tones, pitches, and voices. Do so taking care not to strain your vocal cords. Let the laughter flow without forcing it or straining your voice.
Objective
Relaxation. Improve your mood. Boost confidence. Raise your level of energy. Loosen your body. Full body stimulation.
Benefits
- Laughter will boost your oxygen intake and release endorphins, the feel-good hormones that make us happy.
- Laughter is a stress-reducer, immunity-booster, heart-helper, and confidence-builder.
- When feeling tired or lacking in energy laugher awakens your entire body. It energizes you and refreshes you. Laughter increases your immunity. It strengthens and promotes heart health by reducing blood pressure and improving blood flow.
Tip
I highly recommend practising this exercise or finding funny things to laugh heartily about all day long, 1–3 minutes of laughter can go a long way.
“I love people who make me laugh. I honestly it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person”
Audrey Hepburn“Laughter is the tonic, the relief, the surcease for pain”
Charlie Chaplin
The Ultimate Actor’s Warm-Up- Acting Masterclass
Do you ever wish that you can be in character and in the moment from the second you walk into your scene? Without wasting those few eternal seconds feeling out of place and not fully ready to give your all, during those few seconds of“getting into it”
There is a simple way to achieve this:
Doing a good, sharp, thorough warm-up before your performance
With “The Ultimate Actors Warm-up” – Acting Masterclass
14 Exercises
You Gain
- Physical Full Body Warm-Up
- Voice Warm-Up
- Greater Focus and a higher ability to Concentrate
- Enhanced Creativity and Imagination
- Characterization Preparation
Main Benefits: Confidence, Readiness, Agility, Focus
Warming up before rehearsals, auditions, and performances is utterly important
To prepare for rehearsals, auditions, or performances, you need to cover three components in your warm-ups: Physical, vocal, and mental warm-up. Depending on your needs your warm-up can last 3–45 minutes or more if you have the time.
If you are prepping for a specific character for an audition, rehearsal, or performance you can take your prepping warm up as far as you need.
While doing your physical warm also work on your focus and concentration, by paying attention to your breathing and being fully aware of how your body feels.
Throughout the warm-up let your thoughts flow be observant to help with
- Reduced tension.
- Correct Breathing
- Natural and easy flow of thoughts
- Higher awareness of your body and environment
- Increased Creativity
Achieve all this with my Acting Master Class.
Let’s talk about how I could serve you best. Book a Session!!
I look forward to meeting you.
