LESSON TWO

In this lesson begin by repeating the forward, rear, and side inclinations and then the rotations.

The Chest Impulses:

Rhythmically incline just the chest forward, then center then rear, then center, and repeat several times. Then incline the chest to the right, to the center, to the left, to the center, and repeat this. Then rotate the chest to the left, to the center, to the right, to the center, and repeat. Now: Incline the chest to the left, and when it hits the end of its tilt, let the impulse flow through the right arm, so that the leverage from the inclination lifts the right arm. Bring the chest to the center, and the arm stops lifting. Incline the chest to the right, and the right arm will lower as a result of this impulse. Do this several times, and then do it with the left arm. Now try lifting the left arm forward, in front of you, by giving it an impulse from a rear inclination of the chest, and lowering it with a forward inclination of the chest. Do it several times with each arm, bring the chest back to the center position when the arm is where you want it to be. Now lift the left arm to the side, and keeping the pelvis tightly tucked under, rotate the chest to the right, and let the impulse pull your arm around to the front. Bring your chest to the center, and the arm stops moving. Rotate the chest back to the center to stop the arm from moving; it will continue in the direction of the impulse until you bring the chest to the center. Do the other arm. The movements of the arm, in any direction, originate in the chest, and the chest impulses act as a series of levers to move the arms. Stand with your feet apart a bit, and imagine an ironing board and an iron in front of you. Put your hand on the iron, grasp the handle, and start to iron, using the rotation of the chest as a prelude to each stroke of the iron: Let the chest motivate your arm; keep your pelvis tucked under, and don’t move it. Try the other arm. Try painting a fence up and down, using the forward and rear inclinations of the chest to give impulse to your arm movements. Do the transtation exercises as in Lesson One.

Illusion of the Tug-of-War:

This illusion is based on the transtation to the left and right of the chest. Extend your arms to the right, with the chest transtationed to the left. Grasp an imaginary rope in your hands. Now imagine that the rope is yanked, and transtation the chest to the right. Now you pull on the rope by transtationing to the left and keep going back and forth. Your feet can shuffle, and you can bend your knees as you pull and are pulled, but keep your shoulders down and parallel to the floor. Do it to the other side. Practice walk #1 again. Do the facial exercises we did, and add one expression: stretch the speed between the nose and the upper lip, pulling the corners of the mouth down, lin the eyebrows, and close the eyes halfway, and we can call this “shobbist. " Perform the imaginary objects that were brought in for homework.

Slow-motion Exercise: 

Have two people stand upstage facing the rest of the group, several feet apart. Place two imaginary tables downstage, one opposite each of the people. The two walk as slowly as they can to the tables, being careful to put their feet down a’s slowly as they lift them. On each table is an imaginary bowl of cherries; they must each eat a cherry, and throw the pit at the other person. All reactions must be in slow motion, time must be allowed for the pit to go through the air, and both must be hit by a pit, and should react to it. Slow motion action makes you finish each action before you begin the next. If it’s, a large group, several can do this exercise at a time, each throwing 2 pits at 2 other people.

Homework Assignment:

Bring in an imaginary object that you handle using a chest impulse to motivate each arm movement. Do it slowly and carefully with square corners. For instance: Incline the chest to the rear, lifting the right arm until it is over your head, bring the chest to the center, which stops the arm movement. Grasp an imaginary glass on the shelf. Incline the chest forward, lowering the arm until it is table height. Bring the chest to the center, and the arm stops. Put the glass on the table, let go of it. Incline the chest forward, dropping the arm to the side. Bring the chest back to the center. Be sure you stop after each movement.