Walking the Space
A Focus Warmup
When do you want to use this warmup?
Walking exercises are fundamental in acting warmups, helping actors become more aware of their bodies, the space, and their connection to the environment and other actors. These exercises can also help actors explore different characters, emotions, and physicalities.
Here’s how to conduct this warmup:
Objective
Participants practice spatial awareness, physical presence, and connection with others by walking around the space in various ways.
Instructions
Prepare the Space:
Clear the area of any obstacles, ensuring there is enough space for participants to move freely.
Ask participants to wear comfortable clothing that allows for unrestricted movement.
Start with Neutral Walking:
Instruct participants to begin walking around the space at a natural pace, without speaking or interacting with others.
Encourage them to focus on their breath, the feeling of their feet connecting with the floor, and the rhythm of their steps.
Ask them to keep their bodies relaxed and neutral, without adopting any particular character or emotion.
Vary the Speed:
After a few minutes, ask participants to gradually increase their walking speed, moving slightly faster but still maintaining control and awareness.
Then, have them slow down their pace, exploring the sensation of walking very slowly, almost in slow motion.
Continue alternating between faster and slower speeds, encouraging them to stay focused on their body and the space around them.
Change Directions:
Instruct participants to change direction spontaneously as they walk, without pre-planning their movements.
Encourage them to remain aware of others in the space, adjusting their path to avoid collisions while still moving freely.
Emphasize the importance of keeping their attention on the space and being responsive to the environment.
Introduce Levels:
Ask participants to explore different levels as they walk. They can crouch low to the ground, rise up on their toes, or move at mid-height.
Encourage them to experiment with these levels as they move through the space, noticing how it changes their perspective and physicality.
Add Emotional States:
Instruct participants to continue walking, but now add an emotional state to their movement. For example, ask them to walk as if they are feeling joyful, anxious, confident, or curious.
Encourage them to let the emotion influence their body language, speed, and posture, but still move naturally within the space.
After a few moments, call out different emotions for them to embody as they walk, allowing them to quickly switch between different states.
Explore Character Walks:
Ask participants to think of a specific character and walk as that character would. They can consider the character’s age, status, physical condition, and personality.
Encourage them to exaggerate or minimize aspects of the character’s walk, exploring how different physical choices affect the portrayal.
After some time, have them switch to another character, continuing to explore the space with the new walk.
Group Interaction:
Now, instruct participants to become aware of each other as they walk. Ask them to make brief eye contact or acknowledge each other’s presence with a nod or smile as they pass by.
You can also introduce a “mirror” exercise where participants pair up and mimic each other’s walk, movements, and pace as they move through the space together.
Finally, have the group walk together as a cohesive unit, trying to maintain the same pace, direction, and rhythm without verbal communication.
Conclude with a Reflection:
Gradually bring the exercise to a close by asking participants to slow their pace and return to a neutral walk.
Gather everyone in a circle and ask them to share their experiences, focusing on how the different walking exercises affected their awareness, physicality, and connection to the space and others.
Tips for Success
Stay Focused: Remind participants to stay present and focused on their body, the space, and the sensations they are experiencing.
Be Open to Exploration: Encourage them to explore different ways of moving, even if it feels unusual or uncomfortable at first.
Observe and Adapt: Participants should be aware of others in the space, adapting their movements to maintain flow and avoid collisions.
Keep It Fluid: The exercise should feel fluid and continuous, with participants moving naturally between different speeds, levels, emotions, and character walks.
Variations
Obstacle Course: Set up obstacles or markers in the space that participants must navigate around as they walk. This can add an additional layer of challenge and awareness.
Walking with Purpose: Assign specific tasks or destinations within the space, asking participants to walk with a clear purpose or objective in mind.
Soundscape Walking: Play different types of music or sounds while participants walk, encouraging them to let the sound influence their movement and energy.
This walking exercise helps actors develop a strong connection to their body, the space, and each other, making it an essential part of any warmup or rehearsal routine.