Fast and Furious: smallsword’s deadly action with Siobhan Richardson

The first portion will focus on specifics of movement and technique that immediately look distinctly “smallsword”. We’ll look at some specific techniques like stance and blade management. And don’t forget fun stuff like grabbing the blade! We’ll put it into practice, working on a short piece of choreography, so that you can feel the movement in action with a partner. 

The second portion of the workshop will engage with the “dramatic” part of “dramatic combat”: the focus is on making character choices and exploring various ways to express those in the fight movement. It’s here that we’ll become “fast and furious” as we get confident with the choreography, and wrestle with the emotions and motivations of fight scenes. We’ll explore motivations for the fight beyond “angry”. This is in our minds as we look at the choreography through the lens of movement, with variables that can be manipulated to support your unique expression. Variable like qualities of movement, timing, using pauses and breath. This work can be applied to any fight scenes and will be helpful for actors of any technique level.

By the end of the day, you’ll have explored movement and expression with the smallsword, gaining a foundation for continued work with this style, while also having the  pleasure of some acting practice!

LEVEL REQUIRED

Level of the workshops is rather open but prior sword training experience is required. Please let us know about it in the registration form.

COST & PAYMENT

60€ for members of Dramatic Combat Finland and/or Nordic Stage Fight Society

80€ for non-members

Please pay latest by 17.11.2021 to FI82 6601 0001 0767 36 / Dramatic Combat Finland ry. Referense number is 202125.

Participants should remember to bring:

• Comfortable training clothes (no jeans)
• Notebook and pen/pencil, if you like to take notes
• If you have Character shoes (training shoes with a heel of approximately 2 cm), you might want to work in them for a portion of the class
• Otherwise vring training shoes that don't leave marks on the floor
• Gloves for working with weapons
• Water bottle
• Face mask

COVID-19 SAFETY POLICY

Please read our safety policy here

ABOUT SIOBHAN

Siobhan Richardson is an internationally-recognized Fight Director, an Intimacy Director (a pioneer voice in this specialty across Canada and internationally), and an award-winning actor/fighter/singer/dancer. Her teaching career has spanned Canada, USA and Europe, including international events such as the Paddy Crean International Art of the Sword Workshop, Fight Directors Canada's National Workshops, the Nordic Stage Fight Society's Summer Workshops, Intimacy Directors International’s Choreographer’s Intensive, and four separate teaching tours including sessions in Sweden, Norway, Estonia, England, Ireland, Scotland, Finland, Germany and France. 

Siobhan’s work has been seen on some of Canada’s most well-recognized stages (The Canadian Opera Company, National Arts Centre, The Shaw Festival, The Stratford Festival, Factory Theatre, Soulpepper, and Eastern Front Theatre, to name a few), as well as around the world through online performance and education. 

In all her work, Siobhan is dedicated to the growth and development of the art form, the artists and our workplaces in order to support a vibrant and healthy artistic community. Passionately curious, Siobhan continues to pursue her own training in acting and movement, and is continually experimenting, drawing from arts and science. Practices that foster joyful workspaces for vulnerable and creative work has been a particular focus of the last several years.

www.SiobhanRichardson.com

Instagram: @fighteractress

YouTube: www.youtube.com/actorsr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiobhanRichardsonFighterActress/