About my Work: Katrin Riedel-Kelly

My work is influenced by a range of methods. Regarding my work with actors I am very influenced by my coach in Los Angeles, Tom Todoroff. I have not adopted his method per se, since that would simply not work, but rather the attitude of teaching. I don’t believe in a formular that works for all, but instead a non-formular that employs diverse, but yet definite sources of knowledge and allows each actor to grow in that moment and receives what he/she needs.

My years in dance and movement form the solid foundation of my approach, because it is only via our physical experiencing that emotions, attitude and human inter-action can be understood. Grotowski, Meisner and Laban Methodologies are those that inform my work. Very important is also the connection of: body – breath – emotion – voice.

In my philosophy I am not really seperating private and professional interests, since those are one and unite in me as a whole person as I step from one present moment to the next present moment. As a teacher I therefore am not considering myself an authority in its conservative sense (e.g. someone that knows and speaks the absolute truth), but rather as a guide. I deliver a definite (!) knowledge and techniques, which the student can use to build their own embodied knowledge. Thus authenticity is achieved. – That is the aim.

Having said that, it is important to mention that this teaching attitude requires a much higher input and responsibility from the student him/herself concerning his/her own progress and learning then conventional methods. The learning process is a collaborative process. The knowledge has to be transformed into personal experience otherwise the work remains always on the surface. The performer thus feels self-conscious – on a physical level no communication takes place anymore, which is a hinderance to the work, since 80% of our communication takes place via body language. The body seems frozen. Body and voice are reflecting nothing, but the actors uncomfortableness.

The aim is to move from ‚thinking’ into ‚experiencing’: ‚Experiencing instead of having an Experience’. Otherwise the acting remains stilted and seems unauthentic. The words don’t fill the space, don’t reach us.

Experience:

"The space is dark … the bubble of time opens and for just one moment everything is possible. The taste of my life and my being burns on my tongue. For a moment I am everything, everybody, everywhere, but yet all alone – in public. Fully focussed. The air is thick and tense with your looking at me and your presentness.

Imploding, Exploding. My kinesphere extends in large firery waves and fills the time/space, which then ceases to exist. I am so thirsty and am getting thirstier the more I am the experience. I rise and I burn and I rise. Freedom is at hand. Finally. Overcoming this continous fight with the never-ending dual boundaries of our existence that seperates us from our being."

All texts © Katrin Riedel-Kelly.
Please contact the author if you wish to use parts of the texts.