Actor Combatant Skills Proficiency

Founded originally by the Society of American Fight Directors as the "Actor Combatant Workshop", this course joins the stage combat curriculum at the North Carolina School of the Arts. It is a welcome addition to the Summer Session, and NCSA is proud to offer both Actor Combatant Skills Proficiency and Introduction to Stage Combat.

Actor Combatant Skills Proficiency is an intensive course focusing on training students in the compulsory techniques required for the SAFD Actor Combatant Skills Proficiency Test in unarmed, rapier & dagger and broadsword. Students will spend over thirty hours learning to safely perform fight choreography in each of these three "fight" disciplines. Additional classes will also introduce students to several other weapon styles recognized by the Society of American Fight Directors.

The primary focus of this course is to learn safe and effective techniques and choreography containing the compulsory techniques required by the Society of American Fight Directors for the Skills Proficiency Test. Swords, daggers and all other required theatrical weapons will be provided, in class, for each student.

The classwork will also focus on developing strong partnering skills and expanding the artist's imagination and ability to use these skills to make their stage combat performance work more connected and truthful. Working in a studio format, students will explore character objectives and beat work within the fight, and are coached/rehearsed through their fight scenes.

The course concludes in a presentation of the fight scenes for adjudication by SAFD Fight Masters.