Students learn self-confidence in Stage Combat

By Mark Haiko and Soren Ryan-Jensen

Staff Writers

From fighting ghosts to dueling with longswords, Stage Combat is an Expeditions class that delves into the art of fighting on stage. In the class, students design skits to play out for different projects.

Stage Combat teacher Keith Brown said finding new ways of expressing yourself and experimenting are the backbone of this class.

“I learned a lot about Shakespeare and staged choreography, and I do a lot of, like, productions,” Denali sophomore Kyle Kobetsky said. This class focuses on building basic acting techniques and getting used to performing on a stage.

“It’s a resume builder — knowing stage combat is a way that is something that not everyone learns and it’s a way to make yourself stand out,” Mr. Brown said. He believes performing more roles gives students more flexibility and makes it easier to get a career in theater.

See below for a video about the Stage Combat course:

Featured image (at the top of this post): Students practice their longsword skills. PHOTO CREDIT: Ellen Hu