Foundations Course Information
Spring 2025: February 16 - May 20
SAFD Skills Test Courses
Our SPT Foundations courses all culminate in the opportunity to take part in the Skills Proficiency Test for the Society of American Fight Directors. The SAFD is the largest stage combat training organization in the country, serving as a network of professionals who collaborate and cross-train to maintain a set of professional standards in the field of stage combat. All our courses exceed the 30-hour minimum training requirement to ensure students are well prepared to enter the professional realm at a high level of proficiency.
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Participating in an SAFD test event is not required to participate in the full course, but does gives you the opportunity to have your skills observed and critiqued by a third-party eye with decades of professional experience. SAFD adjudicators are collegiate program heads, Broadway choreographers, and award-winning fight coordinators for blockbuster films. It is a unique opportunity in arts education to have your skills compared against a national industry standard.
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The adjudication showcase for the Spring 2025 Foundations courses will be held Friday, May 23rd.
Knife SPT Course
Sundays 12:00pm - 3:00pm
Mondays 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Fighting with a knife onstage is one of the more challenging aspects of stage combat. When the prop is so small, we rely on the performer's body to fully tell the story. When the prop is dull, we rely on the performer to make it read as dangerous. And lastly, when the concept of knife violence is very commonplace to our audiences, we rely on the performers to play the truth of the violence responsibly.
This course will consist of exercises and drills that fuse acting intentions with practical techniques in a variety of aesthetics, from tactical martial-arts-inspired scenes to gritty, messy, fear-soaked self defense stories.
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The skills acquired in this course will serve any actor by honing their abilities to specifically isolate what their character wants and needs from moment to moment, regardless of whether a knife is involved. From swordplay to straight scene work, clarity and specificity are key.
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Smallsword SPT Course
Sundays 6pm - 9pm
Tuesdays 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Considered by many to be the pinnacle of stage combat skill, this fighting style is commonplace in stories like Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Casanova, and the restoration. As balletic as it is deadly, the smallsword (or court sword, if you prefer) was the predominant dueling weapon in Europe until its use was banned for resulting in too many deaths - so they opted for firearms as the "safer" option. Despite its reputation, this style is highly accessible to beginners and advanced practitioners alike. Training in this style will hone an actor's ability to make minute movements of the wrist feel palpable to an audience, and dial in their sense of specificity with their character's intentions...whether they're in a duel of swords or wits
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How Do I Register?
Head on over to our Registration page to get started. There you can pick a course, enter your contact information, and pay your deposit to hold your spot in class.
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One Discipline: $450
Two Disciplines: $800
Our classes require a non-refundable $50-per-course deposit (which goes towards the full tuition) at the time of registration. To sign up for multiple courses, simply register for each course you're interested in individually, and process each deposit separately. We will handle the remaining balance in-person with flexible payment plans available. ​
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Cancellation Policy: due to class sizes being limited, barring special circumstances, any cancellations occurring after the 2nd session of classes will be responsible for the full course tuition.
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If you have any questions regarding registration, please do not hesitate to contact us at ArtinArmsStageCombat@gmail.com