5 Reason to take an Improv Class that have nothing to do with comedy…
Author: Preston Smith
One of the most common reasons for people not taking improv classes is because they believe they are not funny or they don’t want to be funny. In truth, becoming funny is probably one of the last reasons to take an improv class.
Below are 5 reason to take improv classes that have nothing to do with comedy…
1. To get outside of your comfort zone – You are guaranteed to be pushed outside of you comfort zone in an improv class. We refer to your comfort zone as the saboteur, the things that tells you that you can’t do something, or that you are not good enough. One of our goals in an improv class is to get you to ignore your saboteur and get yourself to live up to your true potential!
2. Public speaking – People would rather die then speak in public? How about doing a scene with a character, emotion and dialog in front of a group of people, with out any knowledge of what you are going to say a head of time? We will teach you how to be comfortable on stage, how to act instead of react and how to say things with purpose. One of the biggest aspects of principles of improv is trust, you will learn to trust those in your class and be trusted by them!
3. To discover a lot about yourself – One of the principles of improv is characters. You will need to perform as a character on stage, a character different from yourself… amazingly enough you will learn a lot about yourself by playing a character with a point of view or opinion that is different from your own. Another HUGE part of improv is to have emotions… you will be asked to express realistic emotions, through those emotions you will be able to learn a lot about yourself.
4. To become a Yes Person! – #2 principle of improv is agreement. Improv classes will teach you that the fun is on the other side of Yes! Saying yes to things that you would normally say no to because your saboteur tells you that your not good enough, will help you believe in yourself and you own ability.
5. To become a better listener – #1 principle of improv is listening. If you don’t listen while doing improv you won’t know how to respond. How often do you talk to someone that is just waiting for you to finish talking so they can say what they already are planning on saying? Improv will teach you to listen attentively… not just for words but for emotion, intention, point of view and so much more.
These are just a few reasons to take an improv class…
Our next beginning level improv class starts Monday, April 4th in Scottsdale, register here, or by calling: 480-423-0120. We have improv classes starting every 12 weeks. Visit out schedule here for details.
My daughter is in theater, and I am thinking about putting her in an improv class. I hadn’t thought about how improve classes could teach you to listen attentively for emotion, intention, point of view, etc. I’ll be sure to share this with my daughter. Thanks for sharing!