Carl Forsman, Dean
Dale Girard, Program Director
Curriculum
Faculty
Dates & Costs
Apply
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts and the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) have teamed up to present the premiere national program for learning an acting essential – stage combat. Taught by select SAFD members, this action-packed summer intensive includes training in the fundamental armed and unarmed fight disciplines. Students can expect to spend a minimum of six hours a day in classes, five days a week. All classes emphasize a safe and non-violent approach to theatrical violence, and a concern for the actor’s rights and responsibilities in performing fight scenes.
Introduction to Stage Combat
With specific sections geared to both high school students and college students, this workshop covers the eight basic disciplines recognized by the SAFD: unarmed/hand-to- hand, rapier and dagger, knife, single sword/swashbuckling, broadsword, sword and shield, small sword, and quarterstaff. The emphasis is on development of technique rather than performance, with a focus on accuracy and safety. Students will achieve personal understanding and command of their bodies as they relate to theatrical physical conflict. Films and special sessions with guest artists are also featured in this program.
Basic Actor Combatant Skills Proficiency
This intensive course prepares students for the SAFD Actor Combatant Skills Proficiency Test in unarmed, rapier & dagger, and broadsword. Students spend more than 30 hours learning to safely perform fight choreography in each of the three disciplines, with additional classes in other weapon styles. Partnering skills, character objectives, and beat work within fight scenes are also explored, coached and rehearsed. The course concludes with a presentation of fight scenes for adjudication by SAFD Fight Masters. The skills taught in this course are valuable to acting teachers as well as actors.
Advanced Actor Combatant Skills Proficiency
This specialized course to trained actor fighters goes beyond the techniques required for the Skills Proficiency Test and focuses on the dramatic application of stage combat. With limited enrollment, the course is open to actor/combatants who are well versed in weapons styles used in film, television and live theatre, and offers actors the opportunity to hone their skills at a highly sophisticated level and advanced techniques. Scene work is integral to the course, which is essentially an acting course with theatrical violence props. Students may renew their SAFD certification in specific disciplines and test in additional weapon styles.
Dale Anthony Girard
UNCSA Director of Stage Combat Studies
Fight Director, Society of American Fight Directors
Dale is an award winning fight director, choreographer and author of the stage combat manual “Actors On Guard.” He is a black belt in Taekwondo, a founding member of the North Carolina Stuntmen’s Association and one of only 13 fight masters recognized in the United States by the Society of American Fight Directors. Recent credits include the Metropolitan Opera, Opera Carolina, Piedmont Opera, Pioneer Theatre, Studio Arena Theatre, Triad Stage, and the Chautauqua Opera. Recent film credits include THE KEY MAN, FALL DOWN DEAD and Junebug.
Geoffrey Alm
Fight Master
Society of American Fight Directors
Geoffrey studied in England with John Waller at the Drama Studio in 1977, in the summer of that year he passed the British Society of Fight Directors Certification test, adjudicated by William Hobbs. He has been teaching SAFD certification in Seattle since 1988, and now teaches Stage Fighting at the Professional Actor's Training Program, for the University of Washington, as well as Freehold Theatre Lab. He has taught workshops all over the Northwest as well as around the country. In 1997 he was awarded the title of Fight Director. He has directed fights for over 100 Equity productions since 1986, locally as well as nationally.
Brian Byrnes
Fight Master
Society of American Fight Directors
SAFD Fight Master, Fight Director, and Certified Teacher -- Brian has taught at institutes, colleges and universities across the country. His work as a Fight Director includes New York, regional, and repertory theatres; opera and ballet companies; and "motion capture" animation companies in the U.S. and Sweden. Brian is an AEA actor, works regularly as a director, and has also written several plays that have been professionally produced. Brian is an Associate Professor with the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance, and teaches in the undergraduate and graduate programs.
Erik Fredricksen
Fight Master
Society of American Fight Directors
Erik began his professional career at the Guthrie Theatre in 1971. While there he coached Christopher Plummer in his Tony Award winning “Cyrano” duel and, after his third season Erik moved on to acting and combat choreography residencies at such theatres as: The Indiana Repertory, Syracuse Stage, The Manitoba Theatre Center, The Long Wharf, Seattle Repertory, ACT (Seattle), Circle-in-the-Square, Lincoln Center, the New York Shakespeare Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, The Quantum Theatre, and the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.
Mark Guinn
Fight Master
Society of American Fight Directors
Mark is Acting Coordinator of Theatre at Louisiana Tech University. He serves on the faculty as a Professor of Movement and Production Manager for the Department of Theatre. He is a professional director, designer, and fight director. He has worked in theatres from Tokyo to Rome as lighting designer, director, and fight director. He has over twenty-five years experience working in outdoor drama. Mark received his B.A. from Centre College of Kentucky and his M.F.A. from Memphis State University. He is a Fight Master of Stage Combat with the Society of American Fight Directors and a Certified Teacher with the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat.
For more information about the Society of American Fight Directors, visit www.safd.org.
Stage Combat Dates: June 30 - July 20, 2013
|
Fee |
Room & Board |
Total |
| Introduction to Stage Combat-Adult |
1,350 |
910 |
2,260 |
| Basic Actor Combatant Skills Proficiency |
1,850 |
910 |
2,760 |
| Advanced Actor Combatant Skills Proficiency |
2,400 |
910 |
3,310 |
UNCSA Summer 2013 – Deadlines and Cancellation Policy
Deadlines
Online Registration opens January 3
Deadline for International Students April 1
Priority Registration deadline* May 1
Payment in full due May 15
* Priority Registration guarantees your place in your chosen program. Registrations received after May 1, 2013 are accepted on a case-by-case basis as residence hall space allows.
Space in each program is limited. Registrations received after a program has filled will be placed on a waiting list pending withdrawals.
Cancellation terms
$300 non-refundable deposit due at registration – check or credit card
Student withdrawal by June 1: refund of one-half of total paid, less non-refundable deposit
Student withdrawal after June 1: no refunds
In the event a program is cancelled by UNCSA, payments will be refunded in full
Introduction to Stage Combat
Basic Actor Combat Registration
Advanced Actor Combat Registration
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