Gait and Gestures (Theatre Arts)

Gait

A person's manner of walking.

The manner in which you walk is called your gait. This is in part dictated by the length of your legs. Think about the different ways that people move. A strong, modern-day young person strides along but a girl wearing a long, heavy period dress will take small steps to avoid getting tangled in the fabric.

Gestures

Any movement of the actor’s head, shoulder, arm, hand, leg, or foot to convey meaning.

Gestures, according to David McNeill and Susan Goldin-Meadow, are an integral part of speech, performing a crucial function in the organization of thought into language. In acting gesture is defined as a sign that communicates a character‟s action, state of mind and relationship with other characters to an audience.

Using your body

The way that you move on stage plays a key part in mime, dance and Physical theatre. It can also express a character's feelings, age and gender. Wearing period costume affects movement too.

Varying movement

When you're portraying a character who is a different age, gender or size there are several things that you need to think about.

Pace

In general we slow down as we get older. Children are likely to burst into a run or start skipping. An older person paces themselves more gently. Also, people who weigh more are likely to move more slowly than someone who is much thinner, simply because they’re carrying more weight. If you’re playing a role that requires body padding, think carefully about the impact on your movement.

Posture

As the body becomes affected by illnesses like rheumatism or arthritis, it's likely to become more stooped. Men tend to stand and sit with a more open legged position than women. Playing a breeches part (when a woman dresses as a man for the role) in Shakespeare, calls for careful consideration of movement and gait.

Taking steps

The manner in which you walk is called your gait. This is in part dictated by the length of your legs. Think about the different ways that people move. A strong, modern-day young person strides along but a girl wearing a long, heavy period dress will take small steps to avoid getting tangled in the fabric. Pay attention to any details of character or costume that will affect your movement.

Movement

This isn't just in your legs and your overall stance. Think about the impact of a bowed head or hunched shoulders.

Moving arms and hands

You must think about every aspect of your movement. Consider the difference between the characteristic tender caress of a mother and the aggressive clenched fist of someone in a fight. Think about the contrast between the physical power of a cricketer or tennis player and the tremor of someone who's elderly and unwell.