Jacques Lecoq was involved in the process of social, political and cultural renewal after World War 11. He wanted to rethink the nature of text based theatre and to create a theatre for the future; a theatre that was universal. He worked on body centred training in an attempt to explore the physical, cognitive and emotional states which directly related to the operations and functions of motion, rhythm, shape, balance and counter balance. This acting approach explores the artistic impulse within muscle memory and the capacity for the individual to express an idea through attuned sensory receptors of the body.
His school L 'Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq in France became a place for him to develop new ways of working with the actor. The Lecoq actor training lasts for two years. The first year is devoted to observation of the world and of the movements in it such as exploring the natural elements, animals, words, sound and colour as well as in-depth exploration of the neutral mask, and moves from silent exercises to a point where the student actor can build a character. The second year is devoted to creating work which explores dramatic territory such as Melodrama, Tragedy, The Chorus, Commedia dell 'arte and the art of the Clown.
Each one of these forms had foundational acting techniques for an actor to express themselves through movement.