UCLA's movement coach to the stars

Moving isn't as instinctive as you think. Movie stars and UCLA students alike turn to Jean-Louis Rodrigue.

By Alison Hewitt

Movement coach Jean-Louis Rodrigue specializes in putting both celebrities and UCLA students in tune with their bodies. He helped Hilary Swank transform herself into French nobility for the movie "The Affair of the Necklace" after her Oscar-winning turn as a man in "Boys Don't Cry," and more recently help Josh Brolin find the essence of being George W. Bush in the upcoming movie "W."

Although his techniques can seem simple or even silly at first, they create dramatic and effective transformations in his students' performances, as actors including Jonathan Pryce, Helena Bonham Carter, Keanu Reeves, Kristen Dunst and even the Cirque du Soleil can attest to. They all have called on Rodrigue's expertise to help them let go of their personal quirks and discover the motions that embody their characters.

"The audience has to believe that you’ve (moved that way) all your life ... and the tensions (or habits) of the character can’t be the tensions from your life," Rodrigue said.

A method called the Alexander Technique is central to his teachings, emphasizing the proper alignment of the body and the release of tension. To an outsider, this appears to focus on elongating the neck and spine, loosening the joints, and avoiding bad posture habits. It's much more.

Read the full article and watch a video of Rodrigue demonstrating his techniques at UCLA Magazine.