ABSTRACT
When I tell students that Lecoq started as a gymnast, many of the group immediately think that I am going to get them leaping over boxes and working on parallel bars. I quell the fear in their eyes by reminding them of the original aesthetics of the Greek Olympic Games. It was the poetry of running that interested Lecoq at the age of 17 and the links between sport and theatre. The gesture and rhythm of sport was extended into his theatre practice, which he developed into a clear educational journey. My own physical training started every day, running slowly with extended movement in barefoot around a wooden floored hall for 5 minutes and then slowly going into a walk before finally standing in neutral attitude. It was not much fun to start with, probably because I felt out of my depth.
