XtrAct Drama Academy - History
XtrAct Drama Academy was founded in 2007 by Wyong Drama Group members Pollyanna Forshaw, Robyn Weidlich and Pamela Campbell. Each of these talented women bringing a love of theatre and strong pedagogical training into their Wyong classes, with a goal of fostering young talent in the former Wyong Shire. In 2010, after moving back to her hometown from Sydney's Northern Beaches, current owner, Danielle Brame Whiting, was brought in to run workshops and teach upper primary classes. A welcome change to this new mum who'd spent years traveling all over Sydney's North Shore to teach her craft. In June 2013 the ladies passed on the reigns to Danielle in order to pursue new adventures, including the trip of a life-time catching theatre across America and Britain. Danielle continues to promote their legacy of combining creative pursuits and solid pedagogical training, adding her own extensive professional experience to the mix, to offer further opportunities for creative growth amongst the young people of the Central Coast on Darkinjung Land.
XtrAct Drama Academy - Today
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Danielle Brame Whiting
Owner/Operator Teaching Theatre Artist Independant Artist - Writer, Actor, Dramaturg, Director, Producer Masters of Applied Theatre Studies, UNE Graduate Diploma of Education, UNE Bachelor of Arts, Honours First Class, UoN Licentiate Diploma of Teaching Speech and Drama, Trinity Guildhall For more information about Danielle's artistic practice go to: https://danbramewhiting.wixsite.com/shows |
Danielle's Guiding Principles of Actor Training
At XtrAct we focus on developing Community, Creativity, Confidence, Curiosity and Communication which can also be found in the four guiding principles that underpin Danielle's practice as an theatre artist and an acting teacher.
1. Encouraging Creative Community
Creativity flourishes in theatre when its participants are able to work effectively together. This includes having the courage to share your own ideas, supporting others to share their ideas, and looking for opportunities to build upon the ideas of others through collaboration. When we offer up our own creative ideas to others, we are giving a part of ourselves and this can make us feel vulnerable. Danielle believes that by creating a supportive environment, surrounding actors of all experience levels with a creative community that knows how to be supportive, we can embrace the necessary vulnerability and strive to explore our creative potential. This, in turn, develops confidence and resilience in individuals.
2. Promoting Constructive Communication Practices
There are so many elements of constructive communication practices that are visited within the XtrActing classroom. Some are specific to performance, but most can be regarded as transferable skills, useful in many aspects of our daily existence, which is why Danielle finds actor training so universally beneficial for actors and non-actors alike. Acting is communication. We use both verbal and non-verbal communication to tell stories, create inner and outer worlds for our characters, entertain and engage. Actor training also relies heavily on communication, verbal and non-verbal, whether it be pursuing the goal of our games and activities, or delivering or receiving constructive feedback and tuition, including self-reflection.
3. Fostering a Healthy Curiosity
Within the methodology of all the great practitioners is what venerated theatre maker, Konstantin Stanislavski called the "What If?" Danielle believe's this is the question that must be ever-present in our creative process if we are to fully explore the potential of each moment in our storytelling. What if the scenario were different? What if our heroine's obstacle were different? What if we were underwater? Focusing our curiosity in this way, builds confidence in our creative selves, as well as skills in creative thinking.
4. Connecting with Empathy and Imagination
In line with the acting philosophy of Michael Chekhov, Danielle's believes that an actors' path into telling stories with authenticity relies on connecting heart and imagination. Forsaking the idea that one needs first experience something in order to perform it, she instead asks them to use their inherent imagination and empathy to explore various points of view and ways of existing.
1. Encouraging Creative Community
Creativity flourishes in theatre when its participants are able to work effectively together. This includes having the courage to share your own ideas, supporting others to share their ideas, and looking for opportunities to build upon the ideas of others through collaboration. When we offer up our own creative ideas to others, we are giving a part of ourselves and this can make us feel vulnerable. Danielle believes that by creating a supportive environment, surrounding actors of all experience levels with a creative community that knows how to be supportive, we can embrace the necessary vulnerability and strive to explore our creative potential. This, in turn, develops confidence and resilience in individuals.
2. Promoting Constructive Communication Practices
There are so many elements of constructive communication practices that are visited within the XtrActing classroom. Some are specific to performance, but most can be regarded as transferable skills, useful in many aspects of our daily existence, which is why Danielle finds actor training so universally beneficial for actors and non-actors alike. Acting is communication. We use both verbal and non-verbal communication to tell stories, create inner and outer worlds for our characters, entertain and engage. Actor training also relies heavily on communication, verbal and non-verbal, whether it be pursuing the goal of our games and activities, or delivering or receiving constructive feedback and tuition, including self-reflection.
3. Fostering a Healthy Curiosity
Within the methodology of all the great practitioners is what venerated theatre maker, Konstantin Stanislavski called the "What If?" Danielle believe's this is the question that must be ever-present in our creative process if we are to fully explore the potential of each moment in our storytelling. What if the scenario were different? What if our heroine's obstacle were different? What if we were underwater? Focusing our curiosity in this way, builds confidence in our creative selves, as well as skills in creative thinking.
4. Connecting with Empathy and Imagination
In line with the acting philosophy of Michael Chekhov, Danielle's believes that an actors' path into telling stories with authenticity relies on connecting heart and imagination. Forsaking the idea that one needs first experience something in order to perform it, she instead asks them to use their inherent imagination and empathy to explore various points of view and ways of existing.
Working With Children Check Approval Number: WWC0630680E