ONE VOICE Centre for Integrative Studies

Elizabeth Smith is a theatre educator at Parkland High School in Allentown, Pennsylvania, teaching Advanced Placement Literature and Theatre to students in ninth through twelfth grades. She is passionate about storytelling and about integrating voice and movement in the theatre classroom.

In June, she traveled with four students who qualified individually for a national theatre conference held in Lincoln, Nebraska. This summer, she will be returning with both individual qualifying students and a main stage qualification. Parkland’s 26 Pebbles directed by Mark Stutz, qualified for one of the 11 spots for the main stage productions at the international conference, Nebraska, June 2019. In the fall of 2018, she directed Mary Poppins, Jr. for the ninth and tenth grade students, helped to plan the Pennsylvania State Thespian Conference as part of the Pennsylvania State Theatre Board, and coached students for their college auditions in both acting and musical theatre in the Senior Theatre Seminar class. She is also co-teaching a new musical theatre course for the high school. Next up is work for the Pennsylvania Shakespearean Competition at DeSales University, and contemporary work for the West Chester University Theater Festival in April.

Elizabeth’s ongoing studies include exploration into integrating voice and movement and she continues to work with Joan Melton one-on-one to develop her own instrument, as well as to integrate One Voice research into her high school classroom. She also explores and studies the connection between yoga and voice through Vocal Vinyasa with Megan Durham, who is on the voice faculties of DeSales University, Muhlenberg College, and Moravian College. In the summer, she works with Kari Margolis in professor training and certification programs that merge physical and vocal expression to build the actor’s instrument. She is currently both a certified One Voice practitioner and a Level II Margolis practitioner.

Perspective – excerpts from “Integrative Links,” by Joan Melton

Voice & Speech Review 2013

Even in integrated programs, there is seldom the opportunity or incentive to really listen to experts outside our own respective field(s). The only people who must listen across disciplines are our students, who regularly take classes in dance (e.g., ballet, tap, modern, jazz), voice/movement for the actor, singing (e.g., classical, musical theatre, jazz, pop, rock) and acting. And the potential for conflict in all of that is enormous!

At the most basic level, what seems to separate us clearly in the training process is our concept of anatomy and physiology…Acting curricula probably come nearer to putting it all together than either singing or dance. Yet, even from actor training, students more often than not emerge thinking the diaphragm is something in their belly that they’re supposed to use—consciously—somehow.

Jennie Morton said, “A better anatomical understanding amongst both performers and teachers can ultimately give them better tools to work with…”

In addition, it takes getting out of our own little corner to see the links from one discipline to another. Long-held views can change—and that’s scary—and what is “true” today may be only partly true or transformed tomorrow. So we must be daring. We must actually listen to colleagues, address the information gaps, and follow threads we never before considered—because staying put is simply not an option.

ONE VOICE Centre for Integrative Studies

Communicating across boundaries, through research, integrative pedagogies, and practical training

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