Guildhall Exam

On Monday my students at Guildhall took their Standard exam (this is the new name for the old Basic, Level 1 exam) Under the BADC.
All 23 passed, 6 Golds, 14 Silvers and 3 Bronze. It was also the first time having Rachel Bown-Williams as an examiner. She did a good job and was open and engaging with the students giving them information and feed back in a positive way... A vital skill, the exam is the culmination of one part of any students journey with the skill, if they get the information in a poorly considered or negative way it can destroy their enthusiasm for the subject. In some cases I have seen it break a student, with others it has taken months to build their confidence back up. Ultimately the the grade they get is less important than the way that the information is passed on.

So this examiner did the job as it should be, the students were happy and got the results that they deserved. This was the first time that I had gotten Guildhall students through the exam after 3 terms of training. If these had more time the grades would be higher.

It is always difficult teaching a 3 term process when there is a gap of the summer break in there.

Oh well

The summer has passed

I have been quiet for a while.
The summer has passed with the usual round of Summer School teaching. Kristina has been in Mexico and teaching there.

I have been working on a Production of the Hired man involving some violence and some Cumberland and Westmoreland Wrestling. This is going to run as part of the Bowness Theatre Festival, so it is likely that some knowledgeable eyes will see the wrestling.

I have also been doing some filming on a feature Called Hinterland.

This afternoon will be the start of the new teaching year at LAMDA.

So it begins again.

When more isn't more

Teaching technique and sequences is the tool we use to get the student to develop the skill. The problem is that the students tend to think that learning a new technique or a new sequence or sequence part is them acquiring more skill. Where as it is through the practice of the technique and the sequence that the skill is developed.

Three keys to unarmed combat

There are 3 fundamaentals that need to be considered to sell unarmed combat.

1. The Reality - what is being done, the action/reaction/response
2. The Trick, the artificial aspect that is added to the above to make it appear real to the audience. this is how you sell the illusion to the audience, the knap, vocal sound of pain/impact/injury,  misdirection  etc.
3. The Angle, the way  that you stage the action to the audience, so they see the "reality" to its beast effect and at he same time how you hide or mask the tricks from the audience.

D-Day...

‎6th June, D-Day, in memory of all those who were then, were before and who have been since... putting themselves in harms way for us others who sit at home, so we can play at it....

Giving Up?

I'd say it's always too soon to give..... make a choice about something. Do it or don't, but don't make excuses.
People like to give reasons for a decision they have already made.
I don't want to ask others, I don't want to hold them back....
The one that gets me the most.... "I never quit, but...."
So you never quit? But now you are quitting....

Make choices and see those choices for what they are, be honest, and don't make excuses....

Interesting article on Georges Dubois, the Forgotten Master of Ancient Fencing (L’Escrime Ancienne)

Inspired by Egerton Castle and Alfred Hutton, he went on to write works on histroical martial arts, mixed arts self defence and stage combat, and all more than 70 years ago.

Find the article here

The Choreography and the Fight

In training and rehearsal many if not most people mistake the choreography for the "fight". The choreography tells you what the "fight" should look like if all those involved apply the Principles and Actions correctly.
When what is being done is not the choreography then we should start to look at what has changed, most people start looking for what they have forgotten, as if the problem lays in memory and not application of skills/training.

It also needs to be remembered that there are those things that one does in rehearsal/training and what happens on stage. One prepares you for the other, one provides feed back on what has worked in training and what needs more attention. However the focus of performance, the "fight" that takes place on stage, is to tell the story not do the choreography. So in application the "fight" may not look or feel anything like the choreography.

Projects

Teaching in to the swing of things, new students starting, current students learning new things.

As well involved in project for various productions. The duel in les liaisons dangereuses, slapstick violence in A funny thing happened on the way to the forum. A scuffle between an abusive husband and a vicar in Racing Demon.

Today off to work on a killing at a dinner party! The teaching the Rutgers kids, then working the Liaisons fight on stage this evening!

All in the scope of the job description.

Happy New Year

Here's to a Happy New Year and the very best for 2012...