Acting in Motion
At Acting in Motion, we strive to create an atmosphere of joyful and inquisitive exploration. We encourage our students to take chances and provide a safe environment in which to play with the elements of risk and reward. We cultivate our attitude of disciplined freedom and provide them with a method that allows them to dance with intention.
Use a combination of traditional Method Acting (Stanislavsky, Strasberg, Adler) and Improvisation techniques (from Spolin to Sills to our own mentor Dudley Riggs) to enhance existing choreography or to create new work. Help the Dancer to create a fully formed story that not only fits the lyrics and/or feel of the song and choreography but is tailored to the Dancer’s age, ability and emotional range.Establish the character, story and location as well as the Intention/Dramatic Action. Explore tactics used to accomplish the Intention. Identify the obstacle in order to create dramatic tension-the push and pull and build often missing in competitive dances. Pinpoint an approach to raise the stakes in order to make the piece more dynamic.Synthesize all these elements to create a compelling piece with a cohesive beginning, middle and end.
My Story
After working with my own daughter who, at the time, was a competitive dancer, I realized there was a something missing. We train dancers to be the best in their field in terms of strength, flexibility, and technique but often miss the most important part: storytelling. In order to create fully empowered artists, we must start from the basics.
“Our goal is to encourage and nurture creativity, giving Dancers a “voice” with which to express themselves in a safe yet challenging atmosphere of disciplined freedom. We believe in the power and necessity of developing a path to communicate, to tell a story and to express the uniqueness of the individual in a universal way.”
Testimonials
Since Shelli came into our lives, our lives have been forever changed. She is the perfect combination of artist and teacher. Shelli is a warm and engaging professional who teaches, guides and motivates others by example. She exhibits a constant curiosity and artistry, and has a way of developing that same curiosity and artistry within her students. Having such a broad range of artistic experiences she’s prepared to provide instruction in many settings as well as participate actively in the creative process. Shelli is articulate, well-read and able to utilize her knowledge effetely developing these young artists. - Kandice & Derek S.
As a current MDC youth company member, I recommend Shelli Manzoline as an acting coach. Shelli is unforgettable. Her passion and love of the arts is infectious. When I joined MDC’s youth company, Shelli was the first one to welcome me. She ensured I felt included in the MDC family, largely due to her “all welcome here” philosophy. Shelli routinely greets others with a hug, followed with her happy dance. I couldn’t ask for anyone better than Shelli to be my coach and mentor. As a rookie at MDC, I assumed that I was solely a youth dancer. However, Shelli’s expectation was different. She assigned lines and struck my passion for acting. Never having acted before, I was nervous. Uhhh, what’s a cold read? As we started the cold read, I become less anxious because Shelli demanded a safe environment. When someone made a mistake, Shelli didn’t make you feel like a failure, but a work in progress, gently offering suggestions for improvement. On closing night of my first show, I knew I would be back for more. Without a doubt, Shelli inspired my newfound love of acting. – Mikayla P.
“Being a part of MDC has made a huge impact on my love for dance and theatre. Working with Shelli, a role model that wants to build me up by creating pieces that highlight my strengths, has boosted my confidence and given me artistic freedom. So many opportunities have come my way after performing in HoliDaydream 2017, not to mention all the friends I have made along the way. I will be forever grateful to Shelli and the MDC family for the opportunities I have been given. ” — Lawson S.
Shelli is more than a teacher or coach, she is the central part of your team! She really understands you as a dancer and an actor. She will push you, but never make you uncomfortable. She will help you find a side you didn’t even know you had. I love Shelli, and wish I could work with her every day. – Molly M.
It is my delight and honor to submit this letter to you as a formal recommendation of Shelli. I have had the pleasure of knowing Shelli for the past four years. My relationship began with Shelli at a National Dance Competition. There I witnessed an extraordinary artistic talent. I got to observe this remarkable gift of artistry in action. Shelli's natural instinct and desire is for every dancer to succeed. She instantly noticed the talent of the dancers I had brought to the competition. She was willing to share her skills and talents with my dancers and their need for dramatic action performance in there dancing. At the time I was the President of a non-profit dance company and saw the need for all our dancers to have the training that Shelli could provide. I had the joy of watching Shelli instruct my daughter for three consecutive nights at this convention and to see my daughter transform on a national stage was amazing. Shelli uses carefully designed lessons to fit the need of each dancer and has endless enthusiasm to bring to the instruction. Shelli meticulously shares her passion of the arts with her students with precise, perceptive and well thought out instruction. She has created and developed an amazing curriculum for dancers to use as solo work or group instruction Her work ethic, dedication, and talent are inspiring to dancers and her students have excelled under her leadership and instruction. Shelli is a woman of integrity and honesty. She has consistently proven herself to be a loyal and dedicated individual in both her personal and professional life. She leads by example. She is able to communicate with individuals both younger and older than her in a positive and friendly manner. Because she is so adaptable, she is contagious to those she with whom she interacts. Shelli is always professional, willing to listen, and able to formulate decisions based on her knowledge, new information, and ideas she has gathered. These qualities seems to ignite her creativity and desire to create the best art that she can create. She has enhanced beautiful choreography for dancers focusing on their strengths and challenging them with their intention. Shelli intricately weaves a dancer's strengths and also challenges the dancers so they grow tremendously through the process. She has contributed substantially to the arts in the Minneapolis area, both professionally and on a voluntary basis. Shelli will be an asset to any creative program or profession. I confidently commend her work. – Mary Beth K
As a competitive dancer, it 's important to tell a story with emotion. Working with Shelli has helped me expand my artistry, facials and stage presence. - Ava W.
Contact
To book a private lesson, consultation, workshop, or to get in touch:
(612) 597-9077