Stage Presence for Theater and Dance Conference on Feldenkrais Method

Yvo Mentens’ understanding of stage presence has been shaped by a variety of professional experiences, including acting and directing in national theater, competing in improvisation league events, hosting on Belgian national television, and teaching for several years at the prestigious Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique in Paris.

Passionate about the art of theatrical clowning and its core disciplines—improvisation, burlesque, physical theatre, and creativity—Yvo Mentens has extensively explored its origins and resources across the globe. He trained in the Lecoq and Decroux methods, as well as with Philippe Gaulier in London and the improvisation master Keith Johnstone in Canada. He graduated from the International School of Physical Theatre in California.

With over twenty-five years of international teaching experience, he is known for his inventiveness as a pedagogue. Yvo has developed a distinctive approach to clowning, integrating neuro-somatic techniques influenced by his background in martial arts, psychotherapy, and the Feldenkrais Method. His engaging and insightful approach as a teacher has helped countless performers and educators unlock new levels of creativity, confidence, and presence on stage.

Yvo Mentens will guide us through a range of learning strategies and demonstrate how the Feldenkrais Method can be applied to teaching and learning to enhance stage presence. You’ll discover how heightened self-awareness, playful density, and dynamic movements can foster a more authentic and captivating presence on stage.

Conference Highlights Include:

• Awareness and Embodiment: Building a practice of heightened awareness to complement stage-performance, acting or dance disciplines. Explore how connecting with the surrounding space enhances engagement with your audience.
• Dynamic Posture: Learn how fluid, responsive movement conveys confidence and can attract the audience’s attention.
• Tension Play: Understand how letting go of unnecessary tension and re-creating physical and mental density unlocks greater expressiveness.
• Grounded Presence: Discover the power of centeredness and stability in commanding attention.
• Developing Peripheral Vision: Navigate the stage to engage better with the audience, coordinate with other performers, and adapt to dynamic changes to feel more in tune with your environment.
• Warm-Ups: Using ATM lessons as preparation by increasing awareness, physical and mental flexibility, creating foundational neutrality, and promoting a state of calm and presence.
• Character Development: Developing nuanced, movement-based approaches to build a character role.
• Creative Exploration: Cultivating an attitude that fosters creativity and imagination.
• Mobility and Anchoring: Finding freedom to move in the world while feeling grounded to tell its stories.

This event highlights the unique ability of the Feldenkrais Method to unlock confidence, creativity, and authenticity in performance. The benefits of the Feldenkrais Method for stage presence extend to both professionals and amateurs. While professional actors may use the method to refine their craft and address specific performance challenges, amateur performers can also benefit from its emphasis on self-awareness, physical freedom, and expressive potential. Whether on a grand stage or in a community theater, the Feldenkrais Method offers valuable tools for cultivating a captivating presence that engages and inspires audiences.

Short Documentaries Featured:

1. Meytal Blanaru: Discussing how the method helps dancers unlock new movement patterns.
2. Alice Godfrey: A dancer from the renowned Sharon Eyal company, exploring how the method can foster creative and expressive potential in performance.
3. Joss Houben: A leading teacher at the Lecoq School and comedy performer, sharing his personal experience of using the method to enhance physical performance.