On Camera Commercial Workshop with SJ Allocco-St. Germain

Everyone is funny because humor is part of being human - including you! Come discover how to be yourself and create positive humor and laughter with other kids (and grown-ups!) as a clown. Clowns take the ups and downs of life and make them into fun games and stories that help the audience feel good. We’ll learn some classic clown skits, find out about red noses and wear them, and learn some of the rules of body language and comedy. You’re invited to play being a clown for a day!

Clown theater is a hilarious and deeply vulnerable art form. We take in the ups and downs of life and laugh them out. It's also personally transformative because our clown characters are based on ourselves, not on characters we invent. Come play, and learn some of the rules of humor and body language that you can then apply to further connection in any setting, personal or professional. First, we share a light body warm-up, then play simple group games that help us feel creative and related. We each don our red nose (provided) in a fun ritual. From there, we engage each other in classic physical comedy exercises, discovering more about our own clown characters along the way. No performance experience is needed just an open spirit.

Under the guidance of Touch Dancing Artistic Director Alphonso Triggiani and his associates, participants will learn “real dancing for real people” and will focus on aspects of “social dancing” as opposed to competitive ballroom dancing. Open to both beginners as well as experienced dancers, this class with inspire you with the confidence to both “lead” and “follow;” and will cover the disciplines of Disco, Latin, and Smooth along the way! Most of all, this course promises to be a great deal of fun for all involved! Both singles and couples are welcome! Drop-in rates are available. For adults ages 18 and up. Dance lessons for the first hour, followed by a half-hour of supervised practice dancing.

In this eight-week offering, participants will have the opportunity to dig into the lucrative world of voice-over. Led by Director of Education and Community Outreach, Allen O’Reilly who has done over forty audiobooks as well as radio and spots for the NHL, Chick-Fil-A, Coca-Cola, and The Georgia Lottery, this class will be broken into four parts: Radio spots, the study of accents (British Standard, Southern, New York and various European). Also, Audiobooks and Animation Voice-Over are a part of the curriculum, and both of those sessions will feature special guests! At the final session, participants will be able to record a radio spot, dialect monologue, or audiobook sample of their choice at a local studio!

Teens, ages 16 and up, and adults will be given a new scene to work on each week and will work as “partners,” as they would in real-world callback situations. In addition, the first class will be focused on “cold reading,” where students will potentially have just 20 minutes to prepare for an audition! A common phenomenon in the world of auditioning for film and television. Not only will Meghan give you invaluable feedback on your scene, but she will also give participants advice on all aspects of self- taping including set-up, recording, editing, and how to send an audition tape to casting directors that will bring you to the next level. Don’t miss this truly unique opportunity to work with an industry professional who also happens to be one of only three New York casting directors who are also working actors!

Have you ever thought about trying Stand-Up Comedy? Do people tell you you’re funny? When you go to a comedy show, do you think to yourself, “I could do that!” Then this is the class for you! Join us for this fun, hands-on intensive where we’ll take you behind the curtain, and teach you from the ground up about becoming a stand-up comedian, and the Art of Stand- Up Comedy. In this class you will learn how to connect with an audience, write comedic sketches, become a better public speaker, perform your art, the business of comedy, and much more! Special Guest comedians will also visit our class to give students additional insight into the world of stand-up comedy.