Ph.D. in Theatre Studies, University Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris.

Leela Alaniz’s career consists of a constant round-trip movement between the practice and the theory of theater. With over 20 years of research in Theatre Anthropology in addition to 16 years of Corporeal Mime practice, she continues to teach many workshops and gives conferences in disparate countries and regions such as Brazil, France, Singapore, United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, and Argentina.

After a double major in Physical Education and Theater Studies in Brazil, she received a scholarship grant to participate in UTA, a center of research for Theatre Anthropology in Brazil. In 1994, she founded Casa de Artes BAKA, a multicultural arts center. For her direction and management of the Casa de Artes BAKA, she received the coveted SATED prize.

From 1997 to 2003, she studied Corporeal Mime under Thomas Leabhart in California and Paris, eventually becoming his assistant. In 2002, she went to France and undertook a Masters in Theatre Studies at the Paris VIII University. Her Master thesis on “The Dynamo-Rhythm of Etienne Decroux and His Successors”  has been translated into English and published online in “Mime Journal”, Ed Pomona College (California), 2013, (for free download go to : http://scholarship.claremont.edu/mimejournal/vol24/iss1/2

Her doctoral dissertation entitled: “The Thinker Body, the Dancer Mind – The Actor in his Quest for the Lost Unity”, under the direction of Monsieur Georges Banu, was defended at the University Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris III, 2014 and will published very soon by the L’Entretemps Ed., Paris.

Leela was a full time professor of Movement for Acting and Performance at Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) in Singapore from 2012 to 2014. Leela has played and directed several plays during the last 25 years.

Workshops directed by Leela Alaniz:

• The Trees and the Wind – Physical and Vocal training for actors/dancers
• Character Development – a corporeal approach
• Corporeal Mime – Technique, research, and creation
• Movement and directing
• Organicity and Structure in the work of the actor/dancer
• Research and creation with materials and objects
• Training: Dynamo-Rhythm for actors/dancers
• From Combat training to Theatrical Scene
• Acrobatics and Contact Improvisation
• Alexander Technique

Ph.D. in Esthetics, Sciences, and Technologies of Arts, Paris 8 University

With Korean origins and American nationality, Won Kim discovered quite early the importance of intercultural research between Asian and Occidental cultures. Since 2002, after eight years in the corporate marketing, he has decided to dedicate his life to the learning of physical theatre with Thomas Leabhart and Leela Alaniz. He has played a dual role as actor and co-founder/producer of the company Pas de Dieux with Leela Alaniz. He has also assisted Leela in the development of her own method of actor/dancer training based on the influences of Etienne Decroux and Jerzy Grotowski, in the production of workshops and the development of the full-time training program, The Body’s Journey. In September 2014, he has earned his Ph.D. in Esthetics, Sciences, and Technologies of Arts with Summa Cum Laude at Paris 8 University. His dissertation is entitled, “Corporeal Mime Counterweights in the Contemporary World,” directed by Katia Légeret. He is also an assistant professor at Paris 8 University teaching courses related to mime and physical theatre.

The shows “Don Qui” and “Business is Business” created in France have been presented in festivals in over 10 countries. His current project, “Mim’provisation”, flirts with a kind of “battle” unique to the art of improvisation and contemporary mime. In parallel, he continues his research in the practice of dramatic movement with hidden masters throughout the world, mainly by inviting them to Paris to produce their workshops and conferences.

Workshops organized by company Pas de Dieux

Pas de Dieux:  Physical Training with Leela Alaniz including Corporeal Mime and the Organic Lineage.  The non-profit invites instructors for workshops including:  Corporeal Mime with Thomas Leabhart, Dance-Theatre with Moreno Bernardi, Psychophysical Theatre with Phillip Zarrilli, Puppet and Objects with Eric de Sarria (Company Philippe Genty), Noh Theatre with Tatsushige Udaka, vocal training with Mateo Belli, Body and Rhythms with Paul Mindy, Commedia dell’Arte with Lluis Graells.

Other Workshops

Other workshops include:  Lecoq and mime technique with company Mangano-Massip, voice with Gey Pin Ang, Corporeal Mime with Plateforme 88, contemporary dance with Sandra Martinez, and Danse-Theatre with Thierry Bae.