Experiencing an Argentine Approach to Mime

When I think about the art of mime, the first memory that springs to mind is of a Marcel Marceau show I saw when I was a child. This image, combined with the miming performances I have seen on the street, made me think that mimes were provided with special skills I will never have. Going to Alberto Ivern’s class proved I was wrong.

Alberto discovered mime when he travelled to Europe 40 years ago. After falling in love with the art, he came back to Buenos Aires with idea of helping to develop it in Argentina. When asked about the start of his career, Alberto claims mime was the answer to the eternal struggle between the mind and the body. “The mime helps to locate the body in our complex world and then help the mind to deal with it,” explains the teacher. After observing what was in place in Argentina when he returned in the early 1970s, Alberto decided to develop a method for the investigation, teaching and practice of the art.

In 1974, Alberto gave a name to the experimental theatre that he was trying to create with other mimers in Florence, Italy. This new kind of theatre, called teatro corporal, is the fusion of mime, theatre, expression and literature. It was particularly innovative in the sense that the actors used their body to produce the scenery items they needed. It could be anything from a chair to a wall or a tree. “In that sense, I think I was a pioneer and my method also helped to systemise the art of mime,” says the actor. However, he doesn’t claim to be the only one.

Igon Lerchundi brought “classical mime” to Argentina and created the Argentine Mime Company with two other mimers. Angel Elizondo was another important protagonist, creating his own style of mime, teaching classes and promoting shows with his company that he also called the Argentine Mime Company. “I think my contribution was mainly investigation, the proposal of a method for the melodrama, acting and direction of mime plays,” says Alberto to summarise his role in the Argentine Mime.

The class I attended was composed of around ten students with different levels, from beginners to those with six years of experience. Alberto believes everybody can be a good performer after a couple of years of class. “People will evolve differently,” he says. “To be a mimer, you need physical flexibility, creativity and have a good notion of space. So, if you’re struggling on one you can still compensate with the other.”

The class started with what seemed to be a simple exercise. Miming a walk on soft sand and entering seawater to finally lie down at the bottom of the sea. This made me conscious of the importance of controlling every part of my body. I started to go freestyle on this one and finished totally relaxed while I was touching the bottom of the sea. This was a really nice experience after having spent a few months in a big city like Buenos Aires. However the feeling of changing into a character gave me real satisfaction and I felt I got closer to being a mime.

The second exercise was one step forward in this sense, as it aimed to train us about transformation. We had to act as if we were creatures of our own creation. It didn’t have to be animal or human, just something coming from our imagination. I went for a larva changing into a butterfly. Strangely, I recalled some tough mornings when leaving my bed was close to an impossible enterprise.

Everyone had to feedback on each other and recreate their classmates’ actions. It is always interesting to see your actions reproduced by someone else. I saw aspects of my transformation I didn’t think about while I was doing it.

The third part of the class focused on expanding and contracting. Forming duos helped to work on interaction as both parts had to coordinate movements to influence each others’ movement and find a story around it.

I really liked seeing how other duos were dealing with the task. It really shows how mime is a mixture of peoples’ personality. Also, I realised how people who knew more about miming could help beginners and end up with surprising results.

Following this, the whole class had to participate in a small mime play. The play was imagined for every character to transform from occupying a figurant position to leading the action and being one of the main characters. My first task was quite simple: I was a coat hanger.

This tackled several of the points we had previously seen plus we learnt that the aspect of space is a crucial element if you want to surprise the audience. It also recalled the original aspects of the teatro corporal invented by our teacher.

The progression between the first and second class I attended was surprising. I chose to be on the spectator side for my second experience. People were already able to imagine themselves into a new being. They were asked to act together, expressing either fear or admiration on what they were discovering. The hard thing when you mime is to combine focussing on your movements and also thinking about what the spectator is seeing. Therefore, learning but also interacting with a group is crucial, so you can experience being on both sides of the show.

At the end of the two-hour class, I felt that Alberto’s class combines several aspects to make it pleasant and efficient. First, you feel comfortable with your classmates and you know that anything you do will not leave the room. Therefore, you are not ashamed of anything and feel free to act however you want.

The class has a really enjoyable ambience and will suit beginners as well as advanced mimes. Although what was asked of me was quite unusual, I never felt any pressure and Alberto encouraged dialogue and communication between students. It made it an enjoyable experience and helped me concentrate on my body control.

Alberto Ivern gives class every Tuesday at 6:30pm for approximately two hours, for $120 a month. Escuela Latinoamericana de Mimo Y Teatro Corporal, Valentín Gómez 3155.