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July, Aug, Sept 2008
The Blurb!

NEWS 

WORKSHOPS AND COURSES

You can now book for the following:
Lloyd Caldwell Masterclass. Rc Fest: Wrexham Two Week Intensive. The Autumn Term
See below for full details

LLOYD CALDWELL

26th July 2008

ACUPRESSURE FOR THE ACTOR
Actors are athletes too!  Cyrano fights numerous duels and battles while climbing about the scenery and spouting poetry at the top of his lungs! In the process he can slip, fall or hurt himself. This is an introduction to a therapy which can help you to survive the run. Acupressure and Shiatsu Massage are both deep tissue and nerve manipulation techniques that alleviate short term muscular pain and can lead to quicker recovery from performance injuries.  We'll be reviewing the basic anatomy and discuss the most common stage-related injuries and therapies to apply.  Materials will be provided for the student to take away.

TUITE
Ever wonder how the "Vulcan Death Grip" works? No need to ask Dr. Spock. Just come to RC Annie. This is often thought of as "the dark side" of acupressure.  It is the martial art of pressure point and nervous system attacks.  We will identify the major elements of the nervous system and learn how a very slight manipulation can give the defender an upper hand in any self-defense situation. Students will learn to identify pressure points on themselves and then we'll then move to supervised partner drills and end with throws and take-downs. Though the subject has been adapted for safety, it is best if the students have a martial arts background.

CHARACTERIZING THE FIGHT
Okay, we've been told to "act the fight." No problem! Reach into our bag of Stanislavski and prestyo chango: Fury! Violence! Physical inconsistency!!! We can come up with the motivation, subtext, timing. But where did the injury go that we received in Act I? How do we "remember" that wound, infirmity, old age posture? And how do we do all this without" locking" our posture and gesture? How can we maintain an "unnatural" posture without cramping up? Come in with a bit of text in mind: poem, rhyme, and sonnet, whatever.

Venue: Make Believe Arts: 1 Creek Road. Deptford. London SE8 3BT. Just a 2 minute walk from Deptford Train Station
FEE: Full £60, Concessions £50.

RC FEST 2 WEEK INTENSIVE

BADC Certification Intensive 18th - 29th August 08   

Combat and Stage Fighting is a necessity in today's film and theatre and media industries. The public want to see action sequences, while the performers need to remain safe. This compact  course is an essential element in an actors training it teaches effective illusions of violence, whether unarmed or with weapons. 

It's festival time and R&R have decided that we must hold our own festival of fight. So we're off to idyllic North Wales to lead a 2 week Stage Combat Course. This is the only intensive that we will teach this year which is open to external students, so do something useful AND fun with your summer and....
come join the party!!!

LEVEL 1 Rapier and Dagger. Small Sword and Unarmed
LEVEL 2 Sword and Shield system, Quarterstaff and Broadsword
LEVEL 3 Sword and Shield system, Quarterstaff, Broadsword, 18C Small Sword and Advanced Unarmed

The course culminates with a BADC examination

IN AND AROUND WREXHAM 
Wrexham is Wales' fourth largest town and is often described as the 'capital' of North Wales.  Situated at the heart of the Welsh borderlands, Wrexham has the breathtaking scenery of North Wales, with its mountains, castles, historical sites and gardens, virtually on its door- with its seaside resorts and spectacular coastline, is only a short drive away. Wrexham is also ideally placed for easy access to city life, culture and entertainment

VENUE: Yale College, Grove Park Rd, Wrexham, LL12 7AB 
FEES: Level 1 £325 Levels 2 & 3 £350 

EVENING TERM

EARLY BIRD OFFER: Level 1 -3 £99!
NB we must receive payment before the 1st of Sept in order to claim the early Bird discount

EVENING CLASSES start on the 7th of October until Dec the 9th (10wks)
EXAMS the last class will take place on Monday the 8th with the exam on Tuesday the 9th of December!

LEVEL ONE

TUESDAYS 6pm-10pm (4hr classes)
For beginners or those with some experience: Rapier and Dagger, Single sword and unarmed combat.

LEVEL TWO

TUESDAYS 6pm-8pm (2hr class)
For those with current Level One qualification, lapsed Level Two or those taking their Level Three course.
Broadsword, Quarterstaff, Rapier and Companion weapon.

LEVEL THREE

TUESDAYS 6pm-10pm (4hr class includes Level 2 or 2hr if modular)
Must have a recent Level Two qualification or lapsed Level Three certificate. NOTE: Level Three students must also attend the Level Two class in order to train in all five fights: Small (court) Sword and Unarmed plus Level Two weapons: Broadsword, Quarterstaff, Rapier and Companion weapon (normally taught in conjunction with Level Two classes unless modular)

VENUE: Caxton House Community Centre, 129 St John's Way, London N19 3RQ. Nearest Tube Archway.

FEES:
LEVEL ONE                                              Con £150. Full £200
LEVEL TWO & FIGHTING FORM                Con £125. Full £150
LEVEL THREE (including L2 classes)        Con £150. Full £200
MODULAR LEVEL THREE                          Con £125. Full £150
V FIT FOR LIFE                                        £60 in advance or £8 drop in

Conditions
All courses are taught by BADC tutors and are a one session/s per week commitment for 10 weeks which concludes with an examination/certification. Non completion of the full term may result in students being insufficiently prepared to take the final exam. Please note Pay Pal payments will incur an extra 5% charge per transaction. Exam fees are not included in the course fee and payable separately approx. £20-£35. 
Rc-Annie does not offer refunds but will consider deferment in certain cases. The examination process and the fight syllabus can seem confusing at times. For a breakdown of the levels and requirements visit the BADC website for clarification http://www.badc.co.uk/qualifications/qualifications.html

PREVIOUS TUTORS: Lewis Penfold, Haruka Kuroda, Ian Stapleton, Rachel Bown Williams, Ruth Cooper-Brown

RECENT WORK & NEWS

INDUSTRY INTENSIVE 7/8th JUNE 2008
FEATURING JOHN LENNOX

At this years Industry Intensive we aim to bring in teachers and lead workshops that break the mold discover to explore new approaches to our craft. This is an opportunity for Fight Teachers, Apprentices, Martial Artists, Actors, Directors and Stage Managers to play, learn and try new styles and techniques. A chance to share and meet other like minded people. We are flying John Lennox all the way from Jackson, Michigan to join us for this year’s Industry Intensive.

JOHN LENNOX
John "Doc" Lennox has trained in various forms of swordplay for over 20 years. Beginning with the katana, he later moved into the western weapon styles. Through his involvement in stage combat for theatre over the past 22 years he began to study a myriad of weapons. He is a Fight Director for Art of Combat, teaches stage combat at Lansing Community College and Wayne State University, and is the in-house fight director for both of these institutions as well as Spring Arbor University. 

WORKSHOPS INCLUDED:The Cabala and the Cube, Boarding Axe and Cutlass, Types of Fighters with John Lennox. Breakables and Hollywood Swashbuckling with Rc-Annie.  Kalaripayettu Short Stick with Kevin Rowntree and An Introduction to Kali fighting.

CAPO FERRO With Jared Kirby Jared Kirby spent a couple of hours instructing our students in the arts of Capo Ferro Rapier style. Jared began studying historical fencing in Minneapolis; he moved to Scotland in to work with Maestro Paul Macdonald, on Italian Rapier, Longsword and Dusack. He is the editor and one of the translators of Italian Rapier Combat, the first complete, professional translation of Capo Ferro's 1610 treatise.  He is an Instructor for the Martinez Academy New and co-founder of The New Dawn Duellists Society in Minneapolis.

THE PIRATES OF MUTINY BAY AT ALTON TOWERS This year we had the pleasure of arranging the fights for a new Pirate attraction at Alton Towers. The show is called The Pirates of Mutiny Bay which is a fun high energy family show. We had a great time and were made very welcome by all. A big well done to everyone involved - who all worked their little socks off to create a great show.

BOB GOODWIN Robert Goodwin - Sword Master and Fight/Stunt Coordinator. It's not often that you get a chance to work with someone of Bob's calibre for a full day. Robert G. Goodwin has over thirty years' martial arts experience, eighteen years' experience in European weapons, and has trained or choreographed many of Hollywood's leading actors and actresses including: Jennifer Tilly, Christian Bale and The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The day included: Capo Ferro, Martial Arts to Film Fighter, and Intro to fighting style of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

FILM FIGHT COURSE AT THE ROUNDHOUSE STUDIOS We were thrilled to be asked back by The Roundhouse again earlier this year. We were employed this time to Teach and Fight Arrange on a Filming Fights Course in their studios. We also ran a Battling the Bard Shakespearean fight workshop to tie in with their RSC season. It was a lot of fun and a great to get a chance to work with enthusiastic aspiring filmmakers.

HORSE STUNT ACTION COURSE
BEGINNERS NOVICE LEVEL
with Dolbadarn Film Horses

A weekend of getting to know the basics of riding a horse on set
Riding Dolbadarn fully trained Action Stallions novices will begin to understand the importance of a balanced seat, aids and voice commands. Then we'll progress to riding under tuition with props... helmet and sword so that they can get a feel for it.

RACHEL’S USA RAMPAGE

Wow. I've had a fantastic 10 weeks in North America. I was completely overwhelmed by the generosity extended to me from the people I was visiting. The practitioners I met opened their homes, classes, rehearsal rooms and minds to me, I am eternally grateful to  everyone I met i North America especially Allen Suddeth, Lloyd Caldwell, Dan Levinson and the guys at Rapier Wit, John Lennox, Michelle Ladd, Dale Girard, Bob Goodwin David Woolley, Babes with Blades, Dom and Jess Green and Richard Gilbert. I have learnt so much and can't wait to incorporate this into my own work and development. I have many ideas of things I want to explore I will be using the fighting form classes on a Monday night to start this process.
Come and play see below for details.

RC SHIRTS

 
The sizes are small, medium and large and they are £15 each £12.50 to you guys. The T-shirts are black with the logo in the middle of the chest and "Extend before you go" on the bottom at the back.

S’BLOOD!

   
A non staining fake blood of sticky consistency. Sweet smelling and authentic looking, it washes out of costume and clothes well

“…Highly recommend!...Bloody Fantastic…does what it says on the tin...awesome! I can't wait to use it in my forensics project!!!... excellent. filmed a very good media project thriller vid with it…Excellent movie blood…looks really great!...Excellent blood... glug glug!!!, Transazione ineccepibile, velocissima, e molto cordiale…”

Theatrical Thick very good for adhesion and Visibility or Realistic Natural thinner consistency ideal for Blood knives and other devices and 'Edible Version' (may stain clothing)

SHOW NEWS

BLOCK was an experimental abstract fight piece

Rachel, Ruth, Tina and Clare performed in A Fool’s License this summer

PAST WORKSHOPS

FIGHTING FORM DAY with LLOYD CALDWELL A mixed bag of fascinating fight frippery with Slapstick/Lazzi, Flashing Knife and Fight and Arts Funding. Lloyd is a BADC Teacher, Fight Directors International Certified Fight Director, Fight Directors Canada. Editor, Society of American Fight Directors Journal. He is currently writing a book on the history of the fight director. Lloyd Caldwell teaches Acting and Voice on the Theatre Faculty of Oklahoma State University.

INDUSTRY INTENSIVE WEEKEND FEATURING TONY WOLF Workshops featuring Tony Wolf with Fantasy fighting, Blood and Gut’s FX, Bartitsu, Pro wrestling, Victorian Mugging, Blank Firing Handguns, Film Fights and more...Tony is a martial arts instructor, professional wrestler, stunt performer, fight/stunt director/coordinator and practitioner of physical theatre. Tony's fight/action direction has featured in over 200 films, tv theatre, opera and ballet productions. Between 1998-2000 he was the Fighting Styles Designer for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy.

MOUNTED COMBAT WEEKENDS Mounted Combat for the novice. Whether working on location, fighting around or on a horse or being chased down, as a total beginner you will experience all of this in one weekend! From fighting on horse back to vaulting and fighting down the Tilt. Weaponry training included. B&B included.

WORKING WITH BREAKABLES Surprisingly, it’s much harder than you think being hit over the head with a fake bottle and it hurts too! But the hardest thing is making the break look realistic without everything just shattering into smithereens. We look at the safest methods of working with breakables, how to protect yourself and others.

KALARIPAYETTU SHORT STICK Guest tutor Kevin Rowntree has just recently returned from South East India were he has been studying Kalaripayettu and brings a taste of it with him on Thursday. Kevin is a Stage Combat Instructor for the BADC. Kevin has taught at the University of Leeds, New York University, University of Hong Kong, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Mountview, Bretton Hall, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts & Schools and Colleges throughout the UK.

BLANK FIRING HANDGUNS (REGULAR WORKSHOPS) As recommended by the Stage Management Association: A workshop for those of you who have to handle a Blank Firing Gun either onstage or behind the scenes. Explore the do’s and don’ts of working with a blank firing gun on set/location. Learn how to look like you’re a skilled marksman/woman. Discover how not to upset the Gun Wrangler/Prop dept/SM. This is a comprehensive discussion on gun handling techniques and the new UK GUN laws, with an opportunity to fire two to three different blank firers. Learn to load, clean and fire in as safe a manner as possible.

S’BLOOD & GUTS! Ever wonder how blood appears at just the right moment or how to maximise the use of Stage Blood?  If so, this is the workshop for you! A VERY practical class, which gives you the chance to get your hands dirty. Methods such as blood sponges, bags, syringes, blood knives and a free S’Blood sample on the night! Please bring a change of clothes and be prepared to get messy!

SHOWS AND FILMS RC-ANNIE HAS WORKED ON

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Many thanks
Ruth and Rachel

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