An explanation and analysis of one principle of Meyerhold’s Biomechanics ‒ tormos

Abstract

A number of authors provide us with an understanding of Meyerhold and his work. Much of this work relates to the historical context of Meyerhold’s work and, with the exception of Pitches, does not refer in detail to the actor training system. Biomechanics is a very precise and physical approach to actor training. This article reflects some of that precision by focusing specifically on one principle of the system: tormos. When learning Biomechanics, the first principles an actor will embody will be otkaz, posil and stoika (or tochka). These three work together to build the actions of the actor. Tormos exists as an overarching principle which can be related to all aspects of an actor’s movements and, more widely, the whole performance. Tormos is analysed from the perspective of the individual actor in training and the ensemble. This understanding is then taken forward into the context of rehearsal and performance.

Keywords:

• Biomechanics
• Meyerhold
• otkaz
• posil
• stoika
• tormos

Notes

¹ Artaud 1996, Decroux 1997, Brecht and Eisenstein 1998, Chekhov 1999, Kantor 2000, Tanz Theater 2001, Craig and Appia 2003.

² Some exercises used in Biomechanics are not unique to Biomechanics and can be found in other theatre training. It is the way these exercises are used to teach Biomechanics which is specific to Meyerhold’s system.

³ The Centre for Performance Research (CPR) was established in Cardiff in 1988. It is the successor to Cardiff Laboratory Theatre, formed in 1974. CPR is a multi-faceted arts organisation, working nationally and internationally. The symposium I attended was the first in a series called ‘Past Masters’.

⁴ ‘Constructivism brought industrial materials and sensibilities into the cultural sphere, and as such it was absolutely in tune with Meyerhold’s post-revolutionary philosophy of theatre’ (Pitches 2007, p. 98).

⁵ Bogdanov did this by holding out his arms to create a horizontal line and slowly moving towards the group. His arms created a line which the actors did not cross, it was as if he had created a moving wall.