Embodied Cognition in the Suzuki Method of Actor Training: Body effects on mood and perception

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-319-1_4How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Suzuki Tadashi; Embodied Cognition; Actor Training; Perception; Emotion

Abstract

This paper presents my accomplishments during my graduate studies in the MFA program at Beijing Film Academy and subsequent to my participation in Suzuki Method Actor Training Camp in Wujiangzhai, China. It is an interdisciplinary exploration that combines embodied cognition theory with actor performance training, particularly the Suzuki Method of Actor Training. Suzuki Tadashi, a renowned Japanese theater maestro, devised the Suzuki Method of Actor Training, which emphasizes the cultivation of the actor’s physical sensibilities and enables the actor to uncover self-awareness within the body. Through literature review and practical experience, this work draws on the physiological mechanism of the interaction between activating actors’ physical experience and mental states in the Suzuki Method, aiming to offer a novel perspective on the inseparability of mind and body in performance training. Utilizing the theories of neuropsychologist Antonio Damasio and the concept of “mirror neurons” as tools, the study endeavors to clarify the complex biological foundations underlying the physical “grammar” in the Suzuki Method. This research summarizes existing performance theories and practical observations in the domain of the mind-body relationship, recognizes the significance of the actor’s body in perception and emotional expression, and also provides a certain reference for more effectively designing performance exercises that integrate body and mind and for cultivating a more enhanced embodied actor.

Copyright

© 2024 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Shenjun Wang
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/12/14
TI  - Embodied Cognition in the Suzuki Method of Actor Training: Body effects on mood and perception
BT  - Proceedings of the 2024 6th International Conference on Literature, Art and Human Development (ICLAHD 2024)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 24
EP  - 34
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-319-1_4
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-319-1_4
ID  - Wang2024
ER  -