Acting With Grace

What I do:

I help people reclaim their personal power, sovereignty and voice! Our voices are more than sound, they are an extension and reflection of who we are, how we feel about ourselves and the world around us. The more of ourselves we can connect with and develop an awareness for, the more we can own and authentically express. Our voices matter, they live at the intersection of our thoughts, emotions, bodies and are uniquely ours and ours to contribute.

I empower people to know their sense of innate belonging, wholeness, and self worth and that they are the co creators of what they want to experience, no matter what challenges and obstacles have been on their way. It is not our job to try and control that which we’re powerless over, and it’s in knowing that that we can focus on what we can do!

How I teach voice:

I teach voice as a whole body instrument and mind body system. How it connects to our inner voice- our truth, befriending the distracting voices in our heads (the inner critic, perfectionist, avoider) and re- employing them to work for us as our ally’s not against us in the ways they have. And so I fuse somatic parts work with whole body voice.

When I look at the voice as a whole body instrument this includes movement based voice exercises from vocal yoga, feldenkreis, and tremor work. We build interoception for how the space, weight and nervous system relate to where we carry tension and ease and how these relate to our vocal expression, identity and stability. I teach tension release and grounding exercises, connecting them with sound.

I really want my students to have the tools to have complete command over their vocal instrument and know how to maintain and sustain healthy vocal use. And so I also include vocal health exercises, offer journals and questions for reflection and building daily habits and routines.

We take all this embodied integration into how to approach a text whether it be in the art of presence, of being and becoming, to discover the thoughts and life of the character organically and somatically on the page or when working with song.

For song after working with text we explore world building via melody motifs, repetition, phrasing, dynamics, pitch, harmonic and melodic structures- the elements of song represent the environment, communicate the circumstances and relationship the character’s message lives in and from.

Me as a teacher:

As I teach voice in such a holistic and all encompassing way, the goal is for you to truly own your voice and authentic artist expression. I am not here to make you into anything. I am here to hold space for you to emerge into your fullness and give you the guidance to do so truthfully. I am a very passionate, encouraging, and attentive teacher. My core values in my teaching are compassion, curiosity and accountability. There are always things we can do, and things we can work on and it’s important to acknowledge both. When you have full command over your voice, you can use it healthily with different textures, tones and resonance placements. We can work in any genre you want.

My training and performing background:

My background in acting and singing is working professionally as a child actress in Austria and England, studied at Arts educational school Tring park in theatre arts, further at the Royal college of Music, RADA, the Actors Center and Actor’s Temple London. I’ve worked with directors from The Shakespeare Globe, the RSC, the Royal Court and the Bush Theatre as well as performed at the National Theatre London. I’ve done numerous sung voice over recordings for composers in film, acted in film, tv and theatre and sang on the BBC as well as the National Anthem at Wembley Stadium. I’ve had many final call backs for West End Musicals when I was younger, which prompted me to really develop more resilience in my voice and vocal use.

I’ve also studied Stateside in acting with numerous teachers including Howard Fine, Larry Moss and David Coury. And also further voice in Opera with Janelle Destefano, Mercedes Juan Musotto and Vocal yoga with Heather Lyle.

I did my somatic parts work training with Jamie Catto in a 10 month teacher training after 10 years of personal practice and work in my self in this modality. And I have worked with vulnerable adults at half way houses, and with children in acting and creative personal development classes.

I also studied with Bathsheba Garnett for 4 years in her repertory class “Simplicity” in London on many plays. She studied personally with Polish theatre director Grotowski (lots on voice and thought connection), Stella Adler, Uta Hagen, Herbert Bergdorf, Meisner, Strasberg: everyone. She directed 80 plays across Toronto, Broadway and London and entrusted me to continue her work here in LA and two others in London.

I am currently working on my debut narrative Album ‘The Doll’ which has opera, jazz, baroque pop, as well as folk, theatrical and neo soul influences.

Work with me:

If you want to work with me get in touch and we will set up a 15- 20 minute zoom consult to go over your vocal goals, interests, challenges and gifts. And I will tailor a starting point and gentle outline that will help flexible and responsive to the work we do together.

My prices are $125 p/ h for Voice, Acting, & Singing. These are on zoom however I do have limited availability for in person spots at a professional recording studio space in Santa Monica for $150 p/h depending on availability.

$200 p/h for creative project and artist development

$250 for deep dive somatic parts work.

I look forward to meeting you and helping you find your voice: in your life, in your acting and in your singing.

For a glimpse into my vibe and how I simplify things down and teach you can check this out at @actingwithgrace . For a more in depth view go to www.actingwithgrace.com .

With Grace

Julianna