It’s how to move – that’s what mime is, says French artist Laurent Decol.
He specialises in mime, especially French mime.
He is currently working with the UPNG School of Arts, helping students develop this technique.
Decol explains that miming is a gestures art.
“Between theatre and dance, we have mime,” he says.
“Sometimes there are more choreographic movements, but many theatre movements.”
By definition, mime is the art or technique of portraying a character, mood, idea, or narration by gestures and bodily movements; pantomime.
With mime, there is no sound. Therefore, Decol says on stage, you have to express the smallest detail you wouldn’t pay attention to in real life.
“You have to decompose all the movements to give them sense…to give a feeling to them. It’s a simple scene but by decomposing of the movement, you will express more than just.”
This is an exciting opportunity for the students at UPNG, says strand leader Sophie Naime.
“We teach mime as a technique to do acting but we don’t teach mime as mime. So what he’s doing is different…he is teaching mime as mime,” she said.
The French artist says there has been progress with the students over the few days.
The group is working on a French mime production, which will be staged this week, August 10 – 12.
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