A definition of body language
Body language is communication by movement or position, particularly facial expressions, gestures and the relative positions of a speaker and listener. It may be the message being conveyed or it may add layers of meaning to the spoken words.
You may have come across body language being referred to as non-verbal communication. If you鈥檙e wondering how powerful body language can be, consider how often a text message or even a phone call is misunderstood. This is because the listener doesn鈥檛 see the facial expressions or body language which would convey the mood of the speaker.
Why describe body language?
There are three main situations when you鈥檒l be interested in describing body language:
- director鈥檚 notes - body language is an important part of the armoury that a director can use to help an actor reach the best performance
- an actor may write about the body language they used and why in a self-evaluation
- when analysing a performance, body language will be something that should be mentioned
You wouldn鈥檛 be expected to deal with every single movement or gesture, but rather to mention the significant moments and their impact and effectiveness in the context of the performance. For example, how did the actor portraying Lady Macbeth use body language to persuade Macbeth to commit murder?