WHEN THE JAW HOLDS THE PERFORMANCE: When muscular control becomes emotional restriction
- Valentina Carlile DO
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
Actors are often trained to access emotion.
But emotional availability also requires physical availability.
Imagine trying to deliver an emotionally exposed line while simultaneously clenching your teeth, fixing your tongue and contracting the muscles around your throat.
The words can still come out.
But they have to work against the body.
This is one of the reasons jaw tension deserves particular attention in performers.
The objective is not simply to create a “relaxed jaw.”
Actors do not need to be permanently relaxed.
They need to be adaptable.
The jaw should be able to increase tone when the dramatic action requires it—and release that tone when it no longer does.
That distinction is fundamental.
Performance requires tension.
Performance also requires the ability to leave tension.
Valentina Carlile - Osteopath specializing in Osteopathy for Voice and Speech Disorders since 2002. For information and bookings, visit the Contact page.
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