introducing the troupe
Welcome to The Shapes in Motion Troupe, a thriving Community of Actors, Movers & Makers who are really making moves in our industry.
We’ll walk you through what you can enjoy as a troupe member, how membership works and spotlight some of our incredible Movers and Makers.
Our vibrant Community of Actors, Movers & Makers
Who we are
The Troupe are a combination of professional and agent represented actors, physical performers and creative practitioners who are highly experienced in an array of movement specialisms from Motion Capture to Dance, Physical Theatre to Parkour, Aerial to Puppetry, Combat to Mime, Creature Performance to Fitness, Movement Direction to Choreography and so much more …
We meet regularly to connect, network, move and train together for fitness and continued professional development in all aspects of Movement & Performance. We are often called upon for Theatre, TV, Film, Animation, VR, XR, Live Performance, Photographic and other creative projects.
‘A community of likeminded people who get together to experiment & explore’
Ray, Actor, London.
Troupe Membership
Want to elevate your Shapes in Motion experience and join our thriving community? As a regular Troupe member you shall receive discounts to workshops & events, priority booking notifications and invitations to special members only events and offers and so much more - you will become part of a Troupe of like minded, hardworking, go-getting creatives . Click below to find out more.
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Move with us. You shall receive discounts to almost all Shapes in Motion workshops & events, allowing you to attend regularly both in the studio & online.
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We encourage you to play, get curious and have fun in learning more about what you love to do. Furthermore, our members only Movers & Makers sessions allow you to explore, create, share, delve and play around with concepts, creativity and ideas. Exclusive members events will also include the occasional group social and the time to see plays and performances together.
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Connect with likeminded creatives. Collaborate, start conversations in the studio, online and in our private community Troupe forum.
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Develop your training, skills, connections and confidence - being part of the Troupe really allows you to develop in a way that’s not possible alone. Be part of a supportive community who are ready to develop with you.
Priority notification of events and members only discounts
Troupe members receive an exclusive Troupe discount on workshops and events both in the studio and online. The amount of the discount varies per event.
Troupe members shall also receive 48 hours advanced notification on workshop and event announcements. Many events get booked up quickly, so it’s always advisable to get in quick.
Access to members only forum
Our Community forum offers you the ability to share, converse and connect and with likeminded creatives. After setting up your individual profile and curating your professional image library, you can comment on posts, and chat with others in our wonderful community.
“I am so grateful for the time, wisdom and care Sarah has given me over the years which has helped shape me into the mover and maker I am today.”
Roseanna, Actor, Movement Director
Troupe only events
Troupe only events are extra special, these will be a combination of In The Studio and Online events; diving deeper into movement explorations and delving into more industry related conversations. These Troupe only events offer you the opportunity to not only learn and grow, but to connect, collaborate and network - to really be part of something really special.
Networking opportunities and connections
We use our vast network of industry contacts to support you as a Troupe member to further your career. Although we are not an agency, we will often recommend individuals to Producers, Directors & Casting Directors who we think may be a great fit for their project.
Opportunities to teach
As well as performers and artists, many of you are tutors and facilitating practitioners of movement and we want to encourage you to share your skills with other Troupe members and the wider Shapes in Motion Community. We offer Troupe members paid opportunities to teach and lead as part of our Wake up with Movement initiative: a series of online and in the studio occasional movement morning sessions.
“Not only did Shapes in Motion foray me into the world of mocap, I also found a community where people can exchange skillsets and disciplines ."
Durassie, movement and mocap performer, Voice artist
Membership Criteria
Join the Troupe
Out Troupe Membership is now closed and will re-open again in October 2024. Membership opens twice per year, Spring and Autumn. To register your interest in the Troupe, you can
sign up here.
Troupe member Introducing…
LUISA GUEIRRO
TroupE member
My name is Luisa Guerreiro and I am an actress; encompassing the role of singer, puppeteer, comedy physical performer on the Cirque du Soleil database, performance capture artist, advanced combatant and voice over actress. Jack of all trades – master of some 😉
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY MOVEMENT & PRFORMANCE PASSIONS:
I love inhabiting the truth of a person / role through the whole of my body, as that is what, as humans, we do. We live through our very being…not through selective parts. Performance capture is a passion of mine as it does not concern itself with the aesthetic of the performer. Rather, what matters is the performance itself. It’s all about the acting. The story. The truth – and the communication of that. It’s hugely liberating and enticing.
I also love physical comedy. I grew up watching comedy performers like Jackie Chan, Jim Carey, Julie Walters, Rowan Atkinson, Lee Evans, among others and they had a huge effect on me. Physical Comedy is an international language and I love how inclusive that is. It has the power to speak to a demographic not limited by age, gender, or verbal linguistics. And the result is collective laughter. Wonderful. I also adore singing – and so it was a dream when Motion Capture Studio Target 3D asked me to come in and provide the performance capture for a demo, that required a singer. When Mocap and Musical Theatre meet = happy Luisa.
WHAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON RECENTLY:
Recently I have been taking care of my 8-month-old baby girl Leanora. So that has been keeping me busy, blissfully busy, my proudest and best work ever!
However, prior to that; filming on a large-scale movie production at Leavesden and Elstree Studios providing creature work for VFX reference. Workshopped a new Musical called ‘Billy the Kid’ at The Dominion Studios. Provided motion capture and performance capture respectively, for computer games ‘Deliver us Mars’ (KeokeN Interactive) and Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios). Filmed the role of Artisan 3 for the Live Action Disney Movie ‘Snow White’ at Pinewood, as well as worked as a puppeteer and dancer on this also.
AND I filmed the role of Toxie, the creature Peter Dinklage turns into, in the new Legendary Entertainment reboot of ‘The Toxic Avenger’ directed by the wonderful Macon Blair.
I’m currently trying to find time to work on penning a one-woman show called ‘Mother Teresa..?’. It is based on autobiographical events and will hopefully deliver a raw yet comedic expose on a subject matter I feel is too prevalent in many families and relationships and needs to be addressed and challenged.
I also wrote and directed a short film called ‘Cast Away’, is currently in post-production. Produced by Old Lamp Entertainment and based around the subject of mental health; the focus being male suicide. It will be released soon and distributed to encourage more emotional understanding and greater mental health for all.
MY DREAM JOB:
I am not sure to be honest. I think my dream job … is a job where the role I play is enjoyable, challenging and makes a difference in a positive way to those who experience it. It would have to be work in an environment where the people around me are collaborative and generous and there is no toxicity.
In all actuality, a role that I am inspired by that would be close to a dream job for me, would be something like the role of Susie in ‘The Marvellous Mrs Maisel’, played by the superb Alex Borstein. Just beautifully written and executed.
A CAREER HIGHLIGHT
Oooh – can I have two?! Playing the goat in the stage production of ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ at the Harold Pinter Theatre. It was such a gorgeous part to play…just primal instincts – wants and needs – and being able to creatively play in a creature role which endeared itself to the audience so much, was super rewarding.
The other creative highlight was working on the new reboot of ‘The Toxic Avenger’ in Bulgaria. Being surrounded by and inspired by amazing actors and the most awesome SFX team!... I mean … it was an incredible highlight. This was under the direction of Macon Blair (who is just #chefskiss as a person) and Legendary were just awesome to work with.
A CREATIVE CHALENGE
One of my most creative challenges must be playing Toxie in ‘The Toxic Avenger’. I had the task of ensuring that anyone watching the movie would fully believe that Peter Dinklage was under the 4 hours of full prosthetics that went into the creation of Toxie, and not me. So, I had to void my performance of any of my verbal and physical idiosyncrasies and provide a blank slate onto which to superimpose everything that Peter was producing in his role – gait, weight distribution, rhythm, intonation, speed of speech, facial expressions, isolations of body movement, physical ticks etc. My job was not to impersonate Peter, rather, to study every detail of his performance as Winston Gooze, live and breathe that life, so that I could improvise on set as Peter being Winston. Luisa had to disappear somewhat. Did I mention the fact that whilst in that prosthetic creature suit, I had fights, stunts, one eye covered up, and temperatures of 40 degrees to work in? All of this proved challenging – but I loved it. I knew that the success of my job would be if people didn’t determine that it wasn’t Peter under the prosthetic guise of ‘Toxie’.
PEARLS OF WISDOM FOR AN EMERGING PERFORMER
Be yourself – it’s who you were born to be. You will be cast for what you bring to the table so allow the table to have variety and range. I always consider that as actors we are ingredients in the recipes of others. Just because we don’t fit the recipe, it doesn’t mean the ingredient is worthless or not good. It most likely doesn’t fit the flavour the recipe holder is aiming for. Or – be the chef – and draw up your own recipes around ingredients you select.
Be resilient – be empathetic – and remember that life is important. We should make time for life in our work – not time for work at the expense of our lives.
Tell us a little bit about your experience with Shapes in Motion
I first entered the world of Shapes in Motion and the Mocap Troupe (as it was called then) when I heard about the courses Sarah was doing, this was many years ago. Of course, I looked her up to see what she was about – a friendly bit of creative professional stalking as it were – and I was really impressed with her work in movement and consultancy, also how you could see a love of movement extended past credits in the field of stage and screen. With Shapes in Motion, I loved the emphasis on workshopping, discovery, training, and play. She hasn’t been able to get rid of me since.
Website – www.LuisaGuerreiro.com
Instagram -@luisaguerreiro_official
IMDb – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3708833/
The Toxic Avenger – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1633359/
Our history
Shapes in Motion has been moving professional performers since 2010 and has built up extremely strong industry connections with a multitude of creatives, movement practitioners, companies, facilitators and performers over the years.
In 2016 The MoCap Troupe was formed, a group of emerging MoCap performers, who are now nailing it within the MoCap industry!
In 2022 The Troupe expanded, inviting movers from all areas and movement specialisms beyond just Mocap. We nurture emerging talent as well as those with a mass of experience.
Our troupe coordinator
Our Troupe is coordinated by Movement Coach & Director and founder of Shapes in Motion Sarah Perry, who works closely with all our members to support, develop and help sustain our relevant skills. Sarah also works closely with directors, agents & casting directors to recommend performers for specific projects and productions.
Contact us
Do get in touch if you’d like to find out more about Troupe membership or any other ways in which we can support you. We can’t wait to hear from you.