Physical Expression

(10Week Program)​

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Ages: 12–18

Theme: Body as Archive, Body as Command

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The Inventory of Presence (Weeks 1–3)

• Week 1: The Default Setting. Students identify their "Body Habits." We explore the "Shrink" (taking up less space) and the "Shield" (crossing arms/slumping) to see how these habits affect our mood.

• Week 2: Finding Neutral. Introducing the "Actor’s Readiness." We practice standing in a way that is neither aggressive nor passive, but totally present.

• Week 3: The Breath-Body Connection. Learning how breath "inflates" our presence. We use physical exercises to see how a deep breath can physically change a student's "architecture" from the inside out.

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The Physical Archeology (Weeks 4–6)

• Week 4: The Landscape of New York. An exploration of how our environment shapes us. We look at the "Subway Lean," the "Sidewalk Dodge," and the "Phone Neck," and practice releasing that environmental tension.

• Week 5: The Heritage Gesture. Students identify physical traits from their families—the way a father walks or a grandmother uses her hands. We celebrate these as a "Living History."

• Week 6: The Physics of Status. A deep dive into power dynamics. Students learn to use "expansive" vs. "contracted" gestures to consciously choose the status they want to project in a room.

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The Movement Manifesto (Weeks 7–8)

• Week 7: Subtext of the Body. Students write scenes where characters say one thing with their mouth but the "opposite" with their body (e.g., saying "I’m fine" while shaking with energy).

• Week 8: Scripting the Sculpture. Every student drafts a "Physical Manifesto"—a 3-minute silent or lightly-spoken piece that tells the story of them reclaiming their space and identity.

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The Professional Premiere (Weeks 9–10)

• Week 9: The Choreographer’s Lab. Professional actors join the class. Students act as "Movement Directors," helping the actors sculpt the specific physical "weight" and "rhythm" of the stories they’ve written.

• Week 10: The Grand Showcase. * The Performance: Professional actors perform the Physical Manifestos.

  • The Grounded Bow: A final ceremony where students and actors take the stage together, demonstrating a unified, powerful, and authentic physical presence.

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Key Pedagogical Outcomes

• Physical Agency: Students learn that they have the power to change how they are perceived simply by changing their form.

• Social-Emotional Intelligence: By mastering "Body Subtext," students become expert observers of the emotions and needs of their peers.

• Refined Self-Image: The program specifically targets the "physical insecurity" of adolescence, replacing it with a sense of "Physical Truth" and pride in their cultural heritage.