References
from current & former participants of Atelier des Mimes ...
“ My experience at Atelier des Mimes had a profound effect on me as a performer. I opened up, let go, and dug deep, finding a new inner strength and a dedication to play and improvisation. Oliver’s rigorous training is imprinted in my body- I carry it gratefully with me into every performance I make! ”
Lisi Stoessel (US) • www.lstoessel.com • images
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“ Oliver Pollak ist derjenige, bei dessen Unterricht ich bis jetzt am meisten für meine Bühnenarbeit gelernt habe.
Er lehrt eine (Körper-)Haltung und eine mentale Bereitschaft, auf die man sich nicht nur auf der Bühne, sondern im ganzen Leben verlassen kann. Er führt die Teilnehmenden an präziseste technische Leistungen heran und motiviert sie beim Training, in jeder Sekunde 100% zu geben.
Innerhalb von nur wenigen Wochen lernt man das Bewegungsrepertoire und die Rhythmik der Mime Corporel kennen. Umgesetzt werden diese in unzähligen fantasievollen, einzigartigen Improvisationen. Und spätestens hier wird aus der Technik Kunst. Oder Philosophie. Oder Wahnsinn. Entscheide selbst.
Ein Workshop mit Oliver Pollak kann dich aus der Komfortzone bringen, dich vor Spiegel und Abgründe stellen, aber nur dabei lernst du vor dir selbst und deinem Publikum gerade zu stehen.
Danke für die gute Zeit und den großen Brocken Selbstbewusstsein, den du mir und vielen anderen mitgegeben hast! ”
Melanie Möhrl (AT) • images
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“ Doing the atelier is entering the wild world of Oliver, which is the world of mime. You will walk on clouds, fly among mighty eagles, pass the Eiffel Tower, catch rabbits, touch snails antenas, lift tetra packs and open your eyes wider than you ever had! This might sounds crazy. Relax. Because it is. With Oliver I learned to be crazy, to be precise, to imagine, to let my body feel, see and learn, with Oliver I learned to be curious, to look for the essence of movement and for its poetry. With Oliver I spent a month and a half in a beautiful studio, in a magnificient city with an awesome teacher. Strings were attached, and they pull me gently every now and then toward the east. If you are not sure, if you doubt, if you don't know, if you're looking for something new, if you want to begin, if you want to start again, if you want to improve, if you want to learn a technique or if you want to improvise, do it, just do it and thank him afterwards. ”
Jules Poulain-Plissonneau (FR) • images
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“ If you haven't met Oliver yet, go and meet him right now! Move, sweat, grow, melt, breathe, fall up and down, transform, open your eyes, let beauty take over. It will open your heart and mind and body and soul. ”
Clara Isenmann (DE) • www.claraisenmann.de
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“ Oliver Pollak ... he's the one who married me to the Dramatic Corporal Mime. I can not imagine my life without. I think more of him than my mother. It's terrible, do not repeat it to my mom! This guy changed my life! From now on, on my bike push me wings, my legs are of fire. The loaded backpack became much lighter. My sight is sharpened. From Berlin Kreuzberg, I can clearly see the penguins walking on the pack ice at the South Pole. I grew up, at 35 years young, i took at least 10 centimeters more. My body now speaks well more and writes poetry. It allowed me to access much deeper inner worlds. On stage, the mime follows me at every step, with each breath. He is passionate, incredibly powerful and talented. Etienne Decroux for sure would have loved to see him at work. He is also a wonderful pedagogue. The workshops shape the body and teach it to "talk" with amusing and poetic terms, games and improvisations. His workshops are intense and liberating. Artistically, it's a very full toolbox that he offers you. Do not wait to meet him. Oliver, ich liebe dich! ”
Nicolas Célestin Bregović (FR) • images
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“ Faire la connaissance de l'Atelier des Mimes d'Oliver, m'a permis d'évoluer en tant que comédienne sur la présence et le mouvement scénique. J'y ai trouvé des groupes, ou une constélation de personnes bienveillantes et donc sécurisante avec lesquels jouer et apprendre. Beaucoup d'heures de transpiration, de rires et de dépassements, où je repousse régulièrement les limites de ce que je pense pouvoir faire.
C'est un cheminement de l'intelligence du corps: du travail corporel en conscience entre relaxation, tension, respiration, mobilisation musculaire et articulaire. L'enseignant vous y parle en des termes à apprivoiser comme "Mousse au Chocolat" ; "Pelvis water" ; "Oil"; "Négative space"; "Einschlafgrübchen" et autres surprises. J'ai plaisir à y découvrir des procéssus de recherche de qualités de mouvements, en ayant la possibilité d'une recherche individuelle.
Découvrir, Transpirer, Respirer avec le publics, Sourire: A continuer! ”
“ Go to Oliver's Atelier des Mimes, help me to evolve as comedian on the presence and movement on stage. I found groups, or a constellation of caring people to play with and learn from. Many hours of sweating, laughter and overtaking, where I regularly push the limits of what I think I can do.
It is a journey with body's inteligence: body work in awareness between relaxation, tension, breath, muscular and articular mobilization. The teacher talks to you in terms to tame like "Chocolate Mousse"; "Pelvis water"; "Oil"; "Négative space"; "Einschlafgrübchen" and other surprises. I enjoy discovering processes of searching for movement qualities, with the possibility of an individual search.
Discover, Sweat, Breathe with the audience, Smile: To continue! ”
Anaïs Caillaud (FR) • images • drawings of mime-class by Anaïs
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“ He participado en tres talleres intensivos con Oliver. Después de años buscando un método para ser realmente consciente de las posibilidades de movimiento de mi cuerpo, ésta técnica 'me encontró'. He bailado durante años, me encanta bailar. Lo que no esperaba de este curso y de su forma de enseñar era que me abriera muchas más puertas a la expresión corporal de lo que ya hizo la danza. Hay más, y lo he descubierto con Oliver. Mi forma de bailar se volvió más rica y definida después de cada taller.
Además de la calidad en el baile, también la calidad de mis movimientos en la vida diaria cambió. Caminar por la calle, cocinar o incluso recoger algo del suelo se disfrutaban más durante y al terminar cada curso. Nunca antes había sido tan consciente de mi cuerpo y de sus posibilidades de movimiento, ni siquiera con la danza. Y aún dura. Hace dos años que terminé el último taller y mi cuerpo se acuerda y, creo, que así seguirá.
Pero el aprendizaje más preciado de todos ha sido aprender con un estilo de enseñanza que no sólo se aplica al teatro físico, sino también en los retos de la vida de todos los días. Por esto y por todo lo demás, siempre me sentiré tremendamente agradecida. Gracias, Oliver Pollak. ”
“ I've participated in three intense ateliers with Oliver. After years of looking for a training to become truly aware of the possibilities of expression of my body, 'this' found me. I've danced many years, I love dancing. What I didn't know was that his technique and own approach would open further more doors to the body expression that dance had done already. There is more, and I discovered it with Oliver. My dance performing became richer and more defined after every atelier.
Furthermore, not only the quality of my dance, but the quality of my day-to-day life movement changed as well. Walking in the street, cooking or even picking a thing from the floor became enjoyable during and after each workshop. I have never been this conscious about my body possibilities before, not even through dance. And it lasts still. It's been two years since the last workshop and my body keeps record and, I believe, it will stay forever.
But the most precious learning of all has been having the pleasure of participating in a way of teaching that not only applies into the realms of physical theatre but in the real life challenges too. For all this and more, I will always feel tremendously grateful. Thank you, Oliver Pollak. ”
Verónica Terriente Garcia (ES)
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“ Oliver Pollak was my teacher for the period of 4 consecutive semesters in Atelier des Mimes during his first 4 Ateliers. His deep knowledge of the Decroux´mime-technic and his continuous will to teach this from him so beloved technic is outstanding and a gift for every stage performer, although in my eyes it is for small fee, which is much more less than it is worth for the individual strong developement of each participitient. If my time would it allow me to follow up, you could find me in his class, just for refreshing the movability of my main instrument on stage. Thank you Oliver and may the art bless you with large groups of students to keep this astonishing and fundamental technique alive. ”
Mattes Weißbach (DE) • www.mime-berlin.de • images
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“ ‘This is not a movement class, this is a statement class!’ shouts Oliver. He will confront your physical - emotional - mental limits... and then BOOOOOOOOOOM... you have no choice but to start.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! ”
Letizia Airoldi (ES) • images
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“ Ich hab viel gelernt bei dir, danke. Du bist ein freaky dude und machst die Welt zu einem spannenderen Fleck zum Leben. ”
Timur (DE)
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“ For me the Atelier des Mimes was a great chance to discover new realms of physical and mental experiences, as performer and beyond that. Olivers way to teach gives the possiblilty to dive deeply into the subjects of physical theatre, especially corporeal mime. I hardly found another one who pushes as far to the limits and further as he does – burning Atelier. I appreciated a lot both his devotion to very detailed tecnical work not getting tired of indicating and letting find you the correct ankels and forms, and the freedom given within the improvisational tasks – for example as Schweinchen im Weltall. And overall his virtuosical and musical style. The whole format - including the amount of hours of training per week! - had a deep impact on me. ”
Hanna Funk (DE) • images
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“ The Atelier gave me something based on the Corporeal Mime techniques and philosophy, but not possible to get from the orthodox Corporeal Mime School. It is a kind of acting state or state of mind going with a body equipped with Corporeal Mime grammar. Going with and going beyond. If I have to make an analogy that may not be perfectly precise, it's to me something like doing Grotowski or Odin training with Corporeal Mime techniques and it's philosophy about human being...
I really like your class. It's amazing. Approaching those Corporeal Mime principles from a training method totally different from Decroux's way. An opposite entrance to the same destination. An approach starting with freeing the body and actor's spontaneity first and then move towards control and precision more and more, so as to avoid rigidity of techniques, blocking of creativity and cliches about beauty. A more organic way to enter Corporeal Mime! ”
Larry Ng (Hong Kong)
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“ I’ve spent quite a year at the Atelier de Mime (3rd and 4th edition) while I was wondering if I wanted a life as an actress and that was the perfect time for me to meet Oliver and his practice.
The training shook my foundations and opened up new spaces inside and outside. It challenged my endurance over possibilities of movements, revealing that strength relies in the ability of articulate rather than in the power of the muscles.
The Decroux based practice gave me a really good base to work in different body practices and on stage: where every little detail counts, the respect of a gesture in his own existence will lead you to being able to inhabit it.
With the active movement work that is Oliver’s creative input, I’ve learn to be consequent in whatever the movement I do. I gained a lot elasticity in the body and in the vision, thanks to the good provocations we built for each other. Also I’ve learn how to spot myself cheating while I work, and I still cheat, sometimes, but I am aware. ; -)
I can recommend if:
• you are searching for a place where to sweat out your habits and find space for surprises;
• you want to get to know your body from moving it in different sections and directions;
• you can experience commitment as a funny challenge;
• you go like ‘yoga is too slow!’, ‘dance is too much choreography!’, ‘contact jams are too touchy!’ and still ‘I really wanna mooove!’
Grow big, stay humble, ‘Let the Sun shine in’ and breath. ”
Roberta Del Ben (IT) • images
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“ The Atelier is a physical trip to an imaginary world. All around is constantly changing and surprising you, you yourself change also along the journey. Your body will transform. Your limits will be overpassed. You won't be alone, you will meet all the other creatures that, as you, feel lose and weirdly at home at the same time. If at any time you harbor doubts they will dissolve into sweet. Come here to be your body. ”
Fernando Guillen (ES) • images
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“ The ‘Atelier des Mimes’ lead by Oliver is one of the experiences, that made my way of moving, but also my way of thinking when I move. Oliver knows how to project you into another world to give an essence to the all movements you do, and to your way of being your body. He brings a incredible energy in his classes which motivates you to go further - always. All this added to the discipline and technique you will learn with him makes ‘Atelier des Mimes’ something unique, that I absolutely recommend. ”
Simon Moreau (FR) • www.simon-street-show.com
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“ Als Performer habe ich im Atelier neue Perspektiven in Körper und Bewegung entdeckt. Durch präzise und intensive Arbeit am Körper lernst du die Mittel der physischen Präsenz auf der Bühne kennen. Dank Olivers Übungen bekommst du ein Feuer des Spielens, mit dem du das Publikum in dein Herz einladen könntest. Du musst dich nicht bewegen, du bewegst die Welt. ”
Shahab Anousha (Iran) • images
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“ Ich hatte das Glück, Oliver in einem Workshop kennenzulernen. Es war zwar nur ein halber Tag. Natürlich vermittelte er uns seine Lehre. Was mir aber zum bleibenden Erlebnis wurde waren seine Energie, Leidenschaft und seine Beseeltheit von seiner Kunst. Er durchdrang die TeilnehmerInnen, und auch mich, mit seiner unglaublich positiven Präsenz. In meinen Pantomime-Kursen erzähle ich oft davon. Eine meiner Übungen, ein „pas de deux“, hat inzwischen auch einen Namen: „Oliver-Stil.“ Danke Oliver. ”
Wolfgang Fendt (DE) • www.il-mimo.de
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“ ähm... yes... a reference to oliver pollak.
ooh!?
i dont know this guy. who is that guy. i cant rembember.
but... every single cell in my body, every single cell in my entire body, shouts:
'i know him i know him i know him.'
'what?'
'yes, i know him. he forced me to bend to think to sweat to cry to... sleep to... turn... to turn left to turn right, lateral and horizontal and deep and high and up and down and...
i know him. i can't forget it in my whole life. and not only that i know him, i love him... as you can love your kidnapper.' (the so called stockholm syndrom-editor's note)
so...
if you've nothing to tell, ask your cell! ”
Marcel Pilz (DE) • images
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“ Oliver? You hate him or you love him. There's nothing in between. ”
Barabara Wiltschek (AT)
... and from collegues and collaborators
“ Unterricht bei Oliver Pollak? Unbedingt!
Du schleifst deine Bewegungsqualität, stärkst deine Präsenz, intensivierst deine Expression. Und die Energie dazu kriegst du gleich mitgeliefert: so temperamentvoll und engagiert wie Oliver habe ich noch nie jemanden unterrichten sehn.
Also - wer nicht gerade bei mir im Workshop ist :))) - unbedingt zu Oliver ins Atelier! ”
Anke Gerber (DE) • pantomime, pedagogue, director and book-author of mime • www.anke-gerber.de
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“ Oliver's professionalism combines expertise, outstanding physical culture and the sensitive heart. He doesn’t make art as a mode but as a real creation leaving important values. He is a poet of a physical expression that speaks deeply into our souls.”
Radim Vizvary (Czech Republic) • mime, director, pedagogue, company director • www.mimeprague.cz
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“ Oliver ne transmet pas uniquement une technique, il partage sa passion. Il réussit a rendre le mime corporel vivant, contemporain et charnel. Les games sont avec lui transcendées, chaque classe est un spectacle pour le corps et l esprit. ”
Lionel Ménard (FR) • director, teacher of mime, master-student of Marcel Marceau • www.lionelmenard.com
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“ Oliver is the anarchist in the world of mime. ”
Bartłomiej Ostapczuk (PL) • director of the Warsaw Mime Center • www.ostapczuk.eu
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