Warm Up Exercises

Some Exercises for Articulation

"Will you walk a little faster," said the whiting to the snail.

"There's a porpoise close behind us and he's treading on my tail.

See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance.

They are waiting on a shingle; will you come and join the dance?

                       Will you, won't you, will you, won't you

                       Will you join the dance?

                       Won't you, will you, won't you, will you,

                       Won't you join the dance?"

When stupid people do something they are ashamed of, they always argue that it is their duty.

She knew that it was her duty to give cues to the new student.

Which witch whined when the wine was spilled on the wailing whale?

"I don't care a whit for your wit or whims," said Warren Wharton.

Our power is the power of the hour.

Our country was in outrage because of our fountain.

Marriage with a baby carriage is embarrassing.

I carried the married character over the barrier.

The foreign authorities put Dorothy in an orange forest.

A horse is a horse, of course, of course.  What a horrible song.

Please do not lure me with your sure cure.

Yes, she is pure, but so is Mrs. Muir.  You're just unsure.

What a to do to die today at a minute or two to two.

A thing distinctly hard to say but harder still to do.

For they'll beat a tattoo at twenty to two.

With a rata-tatata-tatatata-too.  And the dragon will come

When he hears the drum, at a minute or two to two today.

At a minute or two to two.

About Socks

Give me the gift of a grip-top sock,

A clip drape shipshape tip top sock.

Not your spinslick slapstick slipshod stock,

But a plastic, elastic grip-top sock.

None of your fantastic slack swap slop

From a slap dash flash cash haberdash shop.

Not a knick knack knitlock knockneed knickerbocker sock

With a mock-shot blob-mottled trick-ticker top clock.

Not a supersheet seersucker ruck sack sock,

Not a spot-speckled frog-freckled cheap sheik's sock

Off a hodge-podge moss-blotched scotch-botched block.

Nothing slipshod dirp drop flip flop or glip glop

Tip me to a tip top grip top sock.

She stood on the balcony inexplicably mimicking him hiccuping, amicably welcoming him in.

Red leather, yellow leather.

Speak with the lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue, the tongue, the teeth, the lips.

For the Lips

What I want is a proper cup of coffee

Made in a proper copper coffee pot

I may be off my dot but I want a cup of coffee in a proper coffee pot.

Tin coffee pots, iron coffee pots-

They're no use to me.

If I can't have a proper cup of coffee in a proper copper coffee pot

I'll have a cup of tea.

To sit in solemn silence in a dull dark dock

In a pestilential prison with a life-long lock

Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock

From a cheap and chippy choppper on a big black block.

Please pudding hot, Please pudding cold

Please pudding in the pot three days old.

Willows whiten, aspens quiver,

Little breezes dusk and shiver

Thro' the wave that runs for ever

By the island in the river

Flowing down to Camelot.

For the Tongue

You spotted snakes with double tongue,

Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen;

Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong;

Come not near our fairy queen.

Philomel, with melody,

Sing in our sweet lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby.

Toe, trip and go, heel tread a bank,

Shin, shiny shank, knee, knick a knack,

Thigh, thick a thack, leg lope along, lean and strong.

For the Soft Palate

I sprang to the stirrup, and Joris, and he;

I galloped, Dick galloped, we galloped all three;

"Good speed!" cried the watch, as the gatebolts undrew;

"Speed!" echoed the wall to us galloping through;

Behind shut the postern, the lights sank to rest,

And into the midnight we galloped abreast.

Crispy, crunchy, crinkly crackling.

Careful Katie cooked a dish of crisp and crinkly cabbage.

Nine kneeling nuns know neither needles nor knitting.

Physical Warm-Ups

(Standing)

Reach as high as you can, really try and touch the stars.

Then allow your wrists to collapse, then your elbows, then the

shoulders, then allow the rest of your body, starting with the

head, to collapse and hang limp (bend your knees if you want.)

As you collapse release a great sigh.  Hang limp for a little

bit, then SLOWLY roll up.  Coming up, it helps to imagine your

vertabrae stacking one-by-one until you are standing upright.