Lesson with Ty Andrassy

Ty came to me for a private lesson today.  I really enjoyed it, and I discovered a few things.  While we were discussing his goals, I was able to articulate more clearly a few of mine.  Peppe asked me while I was in Sweden what kind of teacher I want to be.  I wasn’t sure what the answer was at first, but the picture is becoming clearer and clearer every time I approach the question.  Today I discovered that one of my goals as a teacher is to help my students be comfortable and look good not just when they’re standing still, but when they’re moving, too.  I find that  some people make great pictures, but have great difficulty translating that into physical action.  Their transition points are muddy.  In this case, the audience’s overall impression will be that the character is not quite as skilled as someone who moves well.  In addition, the “good mover”  will give a different impression from someone who moves well and with expression.  Before we can see a fully engaging fight scene (and not a martial arts demonstration), we need to get people moving well, comfortably executing the desired style with character driven expression.  It’s not hard, but it’s asking me to think differently about how I teach, and precisely what information needs to be conveyed.