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The Edge of the Stage: Life Lessons from Performance Training

The Edge of the Stage: Life Lessons from Performance Training

By: Berit Elizabeth & Matthew Ellenwod
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Whether you are a performer or a professional, we’re here to offer techniques, tools and tips from performer training to connect to yourself and others with purpose and presence all while navigating your own life as a human.2025
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Episodes
  • Getting to Zero: Embodying the Pause - Part 1
    May 4 2025

    Getting to Zero: Embodying the Pause (Ep. 1)

    Welcome to the first episode of 'The Edge of the Stage podcast: Life Lessons from Performance Training.' Hosts Berit Elizabeth and Matthew Ellenwood introduce the concept of 'Zero,' a state of focused readiness critical for both performers and professionals.

    Learn practical techniques for achieving Zero, hear the science behind it, and explore the emotional intelligence framework that makes it possible. Matthew demonstrates how to access this state quickly through breath and eye exercises, while Berit links it to professional and personal settings. This episode also delves into the significance of Zero in performance training and its distinction from the term 'neutral.' Join us to unlock the art of the full body pause and navigate intense emotions with composure and confidence.

    🔔 Subscribe for more great content - https://www.youtube.com/@TheEdgeoftheStage

    Follow us on Instagram:

    Matthew Ellenwood - Ellenwood Studios: @ellenwood_studios

    Berit Elizabeth - Emotive Agility: @emotiveagility

    LINKS and Show Notes

    📁 Establishing a Baseline handout - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rOwLz4bLsxyeahOoFKtMn-QReKfZbbvQ/view?usp=drive_link

    0️⃣ Challenging Actor's Neutrality - https://www.onstageblog.com/industry/2021/4/26/challenging-actors-neutrality

    🎭 Normalizing Non-Neutral: Towards an Inclusive Acting Pedagogy - https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/9989ba04-2e11-4922-9996-88618b9197b7/content

    ❤️ Resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia is related to emotion reactivity to social-evaluative stress https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032722011065

    🫁 Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity - https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00397/full

    👁️‍🗨️ Vision and Breathing May Be the Secrets to Surviving 2020 - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vision-and-breathing-may-be-the-secrets-to-surviving-2020/

    👁️ Study reveals how breathing regulates pupil size and vision - https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250221/Study-reveals-how-breathing-regulates-pupil-size-and-vision.aspx

    🟪 Schechner's Rasaboxes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFPupoTR91o

    Time Stamps:

    00:00 Introduction to the Concept of Zero

    02:08 Defining Zero in Artistic and Professional Contexts

    06:19 The Importance of Training for Zero

    07:28 Understanding Zero vs. Neutral

    10:17 Assessing Your State Before Reaching Zero

    12:59 Practical Applications and Challenges of Zero

    19:02 Real-Life Scenarios and the Need for Zero

    21:38 Baseline State Exercise

    21:57 Assessing Your Environment and Social Context

    22:42 Body Awareness and Energy Levels

    23:25 Mental Focus and Curiosity

    24:08 Summarizing the Baseline

    25:10 Introduction to Zero State Components

    25:22 Breathing Techniques for Zero State

    27:41 Eye Techniques for Zero State

    30:50 Scientific Insights on Emotional Regulation

    38:00 Rasaboxes and Shanta: Performance Techniques

    43:32 Conclusion and Next Steps

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    45 mins
  • Trailer: The Edge of the Stage Podcast
    Mar 4 2025

    Introducing The Edge of the Stage: Life Lessons from Performance Training

    In this trailer episode, hosts Berit Elizabeth and Matthew Ellenwood introduce 'The Edge of the Stage,' a podcast blending performance training techniques with everyday life strategies. They discuss the importance of maintaining composure in high-stakes conversations at work, using a humorous clip to illustrate the concept of having a 'game face.'

    They emphasize emotional intelligence and the benefits of performance training for professionals and everyday scenarios. The episode also introduces the show's structure, which combines scientific evidence and philosophical insights, and teases the first full topic: zero, neutral, or greyrocking techniques.

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    7 mins

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