Spotted – Actor Lupita Nyong’o trained in Alexander Technique

What’s the mark of an actor trained in the Alexander Technique?

Onstage, you don’t see the Alexander Technique.  What you do see is a fully and effortlessly realized character. Actors who learn the Alexander Technique learn how to prevent their personal habits of speech and movement from leaking into their characters.

But offstage, you might notice a marked grace.

Lupita’s Nyong’o’s elegant posture and personal poise are readily apparent to anyone who views her on and off screen. As noted in a recent NY Times article, Ms. Nyoung’o credits her ease to her training at Yale, which included the Alexander Technique:

“After she was nominated for a Golden Globe, the Yale professor who taught her the movement skills of the Alexander Technique emailed. “She was like, ‘Your use in the film was great, and you’ve come a long way, ’ ” Ms. Nyong’o recounted. “And those things mean so much to me because those people have been so instrumental to me as an actor.”

The Alexander Technique helps actors ground and center themselves:

“Now, I feel more comfortable in my own skin, and I think that’s very helpful when you’re in these out-of-body experiences,” she said. “I can remember to look for gravity and just remember that gravity is my friend” — she laughed — “when nothing else is.”

Quotes retrieved Jan 23, 2014: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/23/movies/awardsseason/lupita-nyongo-is-red-carpet-savvy-and-has-awards-to-match.html?_r=0