I had the most inspiring acting class two weeks ago. Thanks to one of my favorite teachers, I felt like no time had passed since my last acting lesson in Cologne (over a month did pass in fact, but I got to take an acting lesson whilst my travel in Los Angeles at Gray Studios with David Rountree – not too bad, ha!).

So, what was this bit of acting training that felt like a revelation? We did wild walks. No, that’s not the official description of what we actually did. It’s rather what it practically was and felt like. And I enjoyed every split second of it!

It reminded me a whole lot of my Budokon experience back in October 2016 with the beautiful Melayne Shayne and the founder and master behind Budokon, Cameron Shayne. I could transfer my motional knowledge and creativity that I learned and loved from the workshop into my acting class. Crazy cool feeling when that happens! Here is how it works and what it’s good for:

Wild walks

• Start off walking your usual walk through the room. Don’t walk in circles, rather find different paths.
• Try out a completely different walk. Find the groove that suits your body but still being a movement that feels extraordinary, maybe even hard to maintain throughout several minutes. Imagine this walk to be one hundred percent normal for from where you are. When you think it fits to the walk, try to pair your movements with a sound.
• Try a different walk. And continue for a few rounds.

What are wild walks good for?

• body awareness
• break motional habits and rules
• being creative with your body
• ultimately: making going into new characters easier and in a more innovative way

I started off in a standing walk and slowly went over to trying Cameron Shayne’s Animal Locomotion. Try it out, fellows – it is super fun!

-your tiny woman in a giant world