How many classes a week?

[JRellman]

How many improv classes should one take a week?When you are starting off in the first year, is it better to take one or two classes, and then do a lot of practice groups/jams? Or is it better to take a lot of classes (particularly classes that do not have differing ideologies).

 

[h0h0h0]

I dunno - I think one class and one practice group along with one jam a week is a pretty booked and thick schedule but completely reasonable if you want to learn this stuff.

 

[mike short]

Whatever you do, you have got to make sure to leave room for life. Everything else you do in your life will inform and influence your work - if all you do is improv then sooner or later all you'll know is improv and your work becomes self-referential. You gotta leave room in your life to be an interesting person so that you can bring that interesting person to stage. You don't want to do so much improv that you get the diminishing returns and turn into a boring person.

That said, my personal upper limit is 3 obligations at any one time - 3 shows, or 3 groups, or 3 classes, or some mix. Your mileage may vary.

 

[goldfish boy]

It's totally an individual thing. My first year studying improvisation, I took two classes per week at the same school, with the second class being one level behind the first. My second year, I took classes at two VERY different schools (different "ideologies," I guess you'd say) and found that extremely rewarding and helpful in opening me up as an improviser, but some people feel very strongly that you should stick with one style at a time. What works for you, works for you.

 

[h0h0h0]

And you need to be clear with yourself that it takes time to learn this stuff and "Get good". Dont say after a year i should be "good", cause honestly you'll be disappointed. This is truly more of an enjoy the journey type skill rather than a goal oriented skill.

 

[Boshamongous]

Leave yourself time to go out and perform!

 

[K15]

Leave yourself time to go see shows! There's going to be a lot of stuff in class that doesn't make sense until you see it done by a good team.

(But seriously, don't go overboard with all the improv stuff. It should be fun, not work.)

 

[JRellman]

Thanks guys! I can't wait to start taking classes. This should be fun.

 

[lefty]

Thanks guys! I can't wait to start taking classes. This should be fun.

Yes it SHOULD BE FUN! I can't stress that enough. Follow the fear in your improv but also follow the fun. Wear the fun, don't even just follow it. Inhabit it. Don't stand outside it following it, because often I bet that turns into chasing it down and killing it like a hunted animal. never mind what I just typed I just wanted to type it.