Wesley Balk: A Framework for Integrated Singing-Acting
Ben Krywosz, Facilitator
Date: Wednesday, January 6, 2:00-6:00pm
Location: Nautilus Music-Theater, 308 E Prince St #190, St Paul, MN 55101
Note: transportation not provided; participants will be advised to take the Green Line metro or to share Uber/Lyft rides.
Price: $90, available to select during conference registration
What happens when a performer stops treating singing, acting, and movement as separate skills, and begins to practice them as one integrated expressive act? That question sits at the heart of the Wesley Balk Opera/Music-Theater Institute. For nearly 50 years, the Institute has built upon the foundational skills of singing, acting, and movement, bringing them together into fully integrated performance, or what Dr. H. Wesley Balk called “The Complete Singer-Actor.” Since its inception, the Institute has had a profound impact on hundreds of participants, and its principles have proven applicable across a wide range of performance styles, from traditional opera to Broadway musicals to new and experimental music-theater.
In this hands-on, experiential workshop (oriented toward teachers and directors), participants will have a rare opportunity to engage directly with Balk’s Performing Power framework for integrated performance through active, embodied practice. Led by Ben Krywosz (Artistic Director of Nautilus Music-Theater and director of the Balk Institute) and composer/coach Michael Ching, the session will be supported by Institute colleagues and Nautilus performers through guided exercises that move beyond discussion into physical exploration, bringing the principles of integrated singing-acting into immediate practice in the room.
This limited-capacity workshop is intended for professional registrants and is limited to 24 participants. The workshop is designed to allow for depth, responsiveness, and individual attention. Participants should come prepared with a well-rehearsed song to explore and play with during the workshop; please email a copy of the score in advance of the session. They are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing suitable for movement and to arrive ready for a focused, energizing, and uncommon opportunity to work directly within this evolving approach to performance. A Certificate of Study will be issued to all participants upon completion.