Back to the Homepage
Alexis Black is a fight director, a certified teacher in the Michael Chekhov technique and the Margolis Method, a certified intimacy director with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators, and a member of the Actors’ Equity Association. She is also an assistant professor of movement, acting, and stage combat at Michigan State University. As a fight, movement, and intimacy director for theatre, she has choreographed regionally, as well as in New York City, Asia, and Europe, in addition to assisting on Broadway. More about her can be found at AlexisBlack.net.
When teaching theatre that includes physicality or movement (whether a waltz, a hug, or a staged slap), good communication between partners is key. This class will lead teachers through several tools they can share with young performers, including the Extreme Stage Physicality Method created by movement specialist Adam Noble. The techniques learned during the session can be shared with students to create a confident and communicative environment in which responsible partnering can happen with ease.
Building slaps and punches for a theatrical fight is both a technical and creative process. It is the job of the actors to make these movements a seamless part of the story. This class will take participants through a few simple stage combat moves and then show them how use the technique of mapping to turn these moments into dynamic pieces of physical storytelling. Through the few easy steps found in combat mapping, teachers can not only help their actors create better staged fights, but great theatre as well!
