Freeing the Inner Voice — Body and Image, with You-Ri Yamanaka

Time: 2-4pm UK time | On Zoom

This workshop will explore the deep and truthful connection between body, mind, voice and text using various Chekhov techniques, and will incorporate connections You-Ri has found between Chekhov technique and approaches from the East, notably Butoh.

Also it will explore various exercises to encourage the five senses to be keener and more receptive in order for our sixth sense to have a predominant role within the Whole.

Please bring a short monologues/poems/lyrics etc which you would like to work on.

The session is for anyone interested in performing/directing/expressing themselves! Previous experience of Chekhov is not a requirement.

You-Ri Yamanaka was born in Japan and has lived in the UK since 1995. She has been trained at LAMDA and Lecoq (by PhillipeGaulier) in the UK after completing an MA in directing at the Drama department at Royal Holloway University of London, also in Kabuki dance(traditional Japanese dance) and Butoh (avant-garde Japanese dance) in Japan for over 25 years. She encountered the Michael Chekhov technique in 2001 when she started her journey with it. You-Ri has been exploring the meeting points between the East and the West to find something universal in acting. She has taught at LAMDA, East 15, The London School of Drama in the UK and at the New National Theatre Drama Studio in Tokyo Japan, Sophia University Japan and various theatres, high profile production companies and universities in Japan, as well as globally and most recently in Cairo, Egypt amongst many. You-Ri is also one of the founders of Michael Chekhov Europe.