Blog English
Here I collected some great resources for improvisers: workshops, music, series. All from creators who are not native English speakers themselves.
Why? Because through the English language we get an emphasis on the culture of English speaking countries. While the rest of the world has so much to offer.
Do you have some additions to this list? I continuously update it with new stuff I found.
I know you. You want to do well, as an improv teacher. How do I know this? Well, you are reading this section on my blog. You want to keep getting better.
Your students are the same. They want to do well. But...
This wish to be ‘good’ can be the greatest enemy for improvisers. An improv scene can definitely be good (great even!).
At times, we need to remind our students (and maybe ourselves) that we need to be okay with the possibility of not being good. Especially for my fellow high achievers out there: get comfortable at being ‘bad’.
How? If the wish for ‘being good’ gets in the way of their play, let your students try to play bad scenes. Or introduce a fun game to stretch their comfort level with ‘bad work’.
I’ll admit, it was a bit of a mysterious announcement.
Recently I offered a free improv workshop in a Facebook post. Not very peculiar, so far.
The description was deliberately vague: ‘We will play scenes, I will give you feedback’. A little mysterious.
Also, the prerequisite was: participants should not have taken classes with me before. Only improvisers new to me were allowed in. More mystery.
Lastly, I was recording the entire workshop so I had them sign a quitclaim. Before knowing what it was about.
Curiosity. Question marks. Mystery!
Coming up with new exercises is a challenge for so many improv teachers. (Well, unless you always teach the same. But that is not me) This is why I started this section.
However, over the years I learned: keep it simple.
Your warmup game does not need 17 different rules. You can just play tag.
Your scene work does not need complex setups. Start with an inspiring suggestion (I never get bored of ‘a location’) and just play.
Especially when you teach something new, it actually helps…
Do you remember that one great teacher from your past?
And that one thing they said, that you always remembered?
When I pondered over this question, it wasn’t actually just one. My list of teachers kept growing. And with it, the list of lessons I learned.
I summarized the countless things I learned about performing into this list of 12 teachers, 12 lessons:
Silvia W.: Dancing is for the joy of it.
Ron H.: Explore the stage.
…
I love podcasts so much and I want to share that love with you. I selected some of my favorites. They are made with care for storytelling, timing, musicality, and immersing us in a new world.
Dolly Parton’s America
Dolly is one of the most delightful human beings to listen to. And she seems to connect to all kinds of people: young, old, progressive, conservative, liberal, religious, etc.
Hey, I know. Getting your improv students to move and not stand & talk all the time is hard.
But... getting your improv students to move in an ONLINE class? Even harder.
Maybe you don't even know which exercises would work for that.
Let me help you out!
I have tips for more movement in your classes. Some are big and ridiculous. Some are small and easy.
What is great about improv, is that every improviser is different. What is difficult about improv, is…. that every improviser is different. When we are teaching a group of improvisers, we might run into this particular challenge.
We look around the room and we see how our students are different. For instance: some people need to learn to take initiative, others need to learn to give space. There are exercises to train ‘taking initiative’ and there are exercises to train ‘giving space’.
One year into the pandemic is not easy. For almost anyone.
I consider myself a relentless optimist, and wow… Is that part of me being challenged! While this is the most important time to take care of yourself
That is why in this video/podcast I will share with you different ways how I stay sane, and how I work on my confidence. Because standing still is not really my thing.
I hope sharing these with you can give you the inspiration to find what makes you happy, and feel great (or just a little better) about yourself.
Do you ever worry about teaching in English (as a non-native English speaker)?
In this lesson, I will share my experiences teaching in my 2nd language. The mistakes, the shame, and how I became more confident.
Consider this your pep talk: your English doesn't have to be 'good' to teach in it.
Is it better to play ridiculous failing games as a warmup? Or do complex musical scales?
In this lesson, I am sharing with you 3 angles to find the perfect warmup for your workshop. And I am giving a few examples for each of them.
This is especially great if you find it hard to make up your own exercises or feel like you don't know enough exercises.
Whether you are a beginning teacher, or already more advanced, it can be difficult to know: are my students even liking this?
This little voice in our brain is not just annoying: it takes us out of the moment, and into our heads. Exactly where we don’t want to be!
So how do you ‘read the room’? Be it the workshop space or the Zoom room.
The most important tip I have for you is this…
In my Zoom session about finding a topic, I had a bunch of improvisers in the room and I helped them find something to teach.
In this live video I will share 3 examples of improvisers thinking ‘I have nothing to teach…’ and what I have told them.
These 3 reasons were mentioned:
I am not a full-time improviser.
I am not as funny/fast/loud. I always play [something else].
I am not good at one thing. I am a bit of everything.
Let me explain to you how your 'weakness' is your superpower.
Do you feel like you are not very different from other improv teachers? Or that there are too many teachers out there anyway?
Let's talk!
I have 3 tips for you for finding a topic that you can teach. Easy-peasy!
And afterwards I am inviting you to a free Zoom session with me!
Do you enjoy learning?
I do. I love it. Always have.
Remember that kid in school that always wanted to say the answer? Miss Smarty Pants? The teacher’s pet? 🙋♀️ Yo, that was me.
In improv, I am still that nerd.
Taking all the workshops I can fit in while I teach at a festival. Asking people for recommendations for instructors. Nosing in other people’s bookcases for improv books. (As if I don’t have a dozen unread improv books waiting for me…)
But these times…
It sometimes sounds easier than it actually is: making stuff up on the spot. As teachers we can easily forget how for many our students the ‘just come up with something’ can be a huge task.
I have limitless faith in the ability of my students, but they themselves don’t always feel like that.
I know my hospital drama cast can list 7 names for medicines. But they block at the third.
I am confident my beginner students can find a character voice. But then they stay silent.
It is for those moments that I use…
Have you taught online yet? No?
Perfect! Then this is for you.
In this step-by-step plan I want to make the idea of an online workshop less overwhelming over you. Who knows, maybe it encourages you to give it a try (and if not: also fine!)
Whatever your reason is for not (yet) teaching online, I get you. In this video I talked about why you don’t have to like it. And let me also tell you:
You are not too late.
You do not need to be tech savvy.
You can find plenty people to join.
Find your topic
Let’s first start at the very beginning….
Hey improviser,
Are you a planner?
When it comes to teaching improv, I am a total planner. Thinking about what a good arch is, which approach keeps it fresh, how to build on the previous and what the class needs. Doing this (on paper) is my happy place. I have so many thoughts about what entails good planning, I even developed my own framework for it in my teachers course.
I believe in being flexible and letting go of your plan. And I believe in being confident and committing to your plan.
Because both are true.
Let me explain.
Planning is great, but…
A common misperception amongst improv teachers is that when it comes to the topic of the class we have to be all-knowing. While actually, I don’t believe that.
Can we then come unprepared?* No, but the focus of your class should be on your students learning. And you can definitely do that without being an expert on the topic.
Let’s say you want to teach a class on fairytale characters…
The end of the year is a great moment for looking back. To help you do so, I have made 5 fun questions for you that you can use to reflect.
How to use these questions?
For every question find a photo / gif / screenshot that you can use to illustrate your answer. Then share it on social media. One every day is probably smartest, but you can create them in 1 burst and then post them daily. Use #lookingbackandsayingyes to post yours (and find others).
Not your thing?
Wait! There is a bonus effect.
“That title is hilarious!
So that is a no.”
I am on the phone with a teacher of our improv school.
Today we are brainstorming titles for her course. It will be a course combining improvised theatre and visual art, an exciting brand new course for total beginners. Finding a title is definitely one of my favourite tasks ever.
And so we throw titles back and forth…
When faced with limitations, there are 2 things you can do. One is to think about how to work within these limitations.
Today I want you to consider a second option: going full-on in the direction of what is not possible. Because if improvisers can do one thing really well, it is to pretend a thing that is not there.
So how about next time when as a teacher you are faced with a limitation, lean into it. Play intimate love scenes at 2 meter distance. Set up a silent church scene while there are noisy constructions outside the workshop room. Climb onto each other in an online workshop.
For the next few days I will stream (on Facebook) mini coaching sessions with (aspiring) improv teachers. They will come into my Zoom room & we will talk about 1 topic they are struggling with.
You can tune in & learn.
Not just that...
Basically I have been having this back-and-forth with my students in the teachers course.
Them: “I want to learn how to side coach.”
Me: “I don’t want you to focus on that”
Them: “But I need to learn it”
Me: “You do not”
Them: “But…”
Me: “No”
Them: “Please?”
Me: “Grmbl…”
But then, after a few days of grumbling and growling I realized why I felt like that. And answered anyway.
Getting into your head: it is one of the most common challenges in improv. (And for some of us: in life.)
That is why I am always looking for new ways to incorporate more physicality in my improv classes. It makes players worry less, it makes the class less talky and -lordy- it makes all scenes better.
When we are teaching either online or offline with distance, having students use their body is not that obvious. But for this month’s tip I would like to remind you that using our body is not just flapping one’s arms or crawling over a stage.
The point is…
That is how I this week I followed my own advice of how to stay happy and sane. I executed the 5 simple exercises from the In The Meantime Guide.
Where did I get that guide? Here: www.lauradoorneweerd.com/free-guide. For free!
I made it for myself and shared it with others, who also needed an fun and simple way to work on their craft.
Last week I went on live video every day. To talk about the 10 minute exercise and actually do it myself. Here is what I got out of it:
1. Feel the feels
After free writing on 'Why I love improv' I followed the brainstorm exercise…
It might feel like the worst possible time to start teaching improv (more). Sure you like the idea of spending more time on the thing that you love, but not now. Right?
But give me 10 minutes of your time. And let me share with you why actually… This is the perfect time.
For your own sake. But also for that of the world.
Click on the video.
Any of the changes you are facing under Corona requires a deeper level of ‘yes and’. Students may look at you for answers how to do improv classes now. Answers you may not have. What really helped me is to realise: I don’t have to know it all.
For that reason I tell my students that we are in this together. That together we figure out how to do this safely while having the most fun possible.
Here is an exercise you can use to do exactly that.
Exercise: Yes, let’s (adapt)
Funny improv is amazing. A student that wants to be funny all the time, that can be challenging.
Funny is not the only flavour in our metaphorical spice cabinet. In improvised theatre we also try different flavours. Some pepper, some basil, some chilli. Some beautiful, some enraging, some memorable.
But how do you teach that to your students?
Teaching improv to teenagers difficult? Let’s talk.
I started teaching teenagers when I still was one myself. At age 19 I got a (paid) job to teach students only a few years younger. I am now almost double that age, and let me tell you: teaching teenagers is not easier (or harder) when you are younger.
Teaching teenagers is just… Different.
One thing is certain…