The Department of Theatre and Dance is so excited to add the Summer Stage Combat Intensive for 2025!
Stage combat is a specialized technique that creates the illusion of physical combat while keeping performers safe. It's used in theater, opera, dance, film, and television. This intensive is an Introduction to Stage Combat and designed for High School and College students who are looking for something a bit different within the realm of theatre. The intensive ends with a combined performance with the Summer Dance Intensive participants open to family and friends and serves as a great opportunity for the actors to share their work.
Housing is available, introducing high school participants to college life and to assist with future education actor decisions.
June 2 - 6, 2025
Classes take place 9:00am-5:00pm each day of the intensive with breaks between classes and a time for lunch. If participants choose to stay in the dorms, each night there will be a variety of supervised evening activities. All classes will be in the Fine Arts Building.
The vibrant and challenging program covers a variety of stage combat basics including but not limited to: unarmed/hand-to-hand combat, rapier, dagger, and knife work with individual understanding of body placement and safety. Each day begins with a physical warm-up and body conditioning followed by stage combat sessions, improvisation, movement, and scene study.
Charles F. Dickins Dance Studio
Fine Arts Building, 465 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40506-0022
Guignol Theatre
Fine Arts Building, 465 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40506-0022
- Water bottle
- Yoga mat (optional)
- Towel (optional)
- Hand sanitizer
- Journal
- Clothing you can move-in
Attire
Wear closed toed sneakers or boots and close-fitting comfortable clothes. You don't want to catch your weapon or get your arm caught in baggy clothing while learning.
Resident Assistants
Two UK dance majors will be serving as resident assistants and helpers during the intensive. They will accompany all groups with minors during the intensive.
Sunday, June 1
- 4:00-6:00pm | Check-in
- 6:00pm | Dinner | Champions Kitchen
- 7:00-8:30pm | Welcome Class | Dance Studio Fine Arts Building
- 9:00pm | Building Curfew
- 10:00pm | Bed Checks
Monday, June 2
- 8:00am | Breakfast | Champions Kitchen
- 9:00am-5:00pm | Combat classes with a break for Lunch | Fine Arts Building
- 5:00pm | Dinner | Champions Kitchen
- 6:00-7:00pm | Rest | Student’s room
- 7:00-8:30pm | Fight choreography movie viewings and discussion | Fine Arts Building
- 9:00pm | Building Curfew
- 10:00pm | Bed Checks
Tuesday, June 3
- 8:00am | Breakfast | Champions Kitchen
- 9:00am-5:00pm | Combat classes with a break for Lunch | Fine Arts Building
- 4:45-5:15pm | Campus Tour | Campus locations
- 6:00-7:00pm | Rest | Student’s room
- 5:00pm | Dinner | Champions Kitchen
- 7:00-8:30pm | Improvisation Games | Dance Studio Fine Arts Building
- 9:00pm | Building Curfew
- 10:00pm | Bed Checks
Wednesday, June 4
- 8:00am | Breakfast | Champions Kitchen
- 9:00am-5:00pm | Combat classes with a break for Lunch | Fine Arts Building
- 6:00-7:00pm | Rest | Student’s room
- 5:00pm | Dinner | Champions Kitchen
- 7:00-8:30pm | Creativity and Crafts | Art Studio, Holmes Hall
- 9:00pm | Building Curfew
- 10:00pm | Bed Checks
Thursday, June 5
- 8:00am | Breakfast | Champions Kitchen
- 9:00am-5:00pm | Combat classes with a break for Lunch | Fine Arts Building
- 6:00-7:00pm | Rest | Student’s room
- 5:00pm | Dinner | Champions Kitchen
- 7:00-8:30pm | Movie Night
- 9:00pm | Building Curfew
- 10:00pm | Bed Checks
Friday, June 6
- 8:00am | Breakfast | Champions Kitchen
- 9:00am-5:00pm | Combat classes and Final Performance | Fine Arts Building
- 5:00-6:30 | Check-out
Holmes Hall - Creative Arts Living Learning Program
111 Avenue of Champions, Lexington, KY 40508
UK Theatre Production of She Kills Monsters, 2016, Photographer Dana Rodgers
Participants (with Parents/Guardians where applicable) are required to separately submit a filled and signed Emergency Contact, CFA Photo/Video Waiver, and Participation Consent forms. Please submit these forms to Susie Thiel as soon as possible after registering. Registration is not complete without signed and submitted legal forms. If any changes occur, The College of Fine Arts will communicate to all summer program participants before arriving to campus. Students must be at least 13 years of age and a high school freshman by Fall 2025 to participate.
Intensive Tuition is $625 for 2025 including a non-refundable summer operating fee. Limit 35 students. Optional Housing is 5 nights, Sunday-Thursday, $47 per night with linens provided, and $37 per night if you bring your own linens. Students can buy meals in the cafeteria and/or in the student center. Students staying in the dorm will have dinner provided on Sunday night. A discount is available for UK Theatre and Dance current students and alumni to bring tuition costs down to $325, please contact Susie Thiel for your discount code before you register.
Registration Deadline: May 1, 2025
If capacity for the 2025 intensive has been reached, please contact Susie Thiel to be put on the waitlist.
Chelsea is a performer, arts administrator, and fight director currently based in Kentucky. She holds a BA in Theatre and Arts Administration from the University of Kentucky, has many performance credits, and is a proud member of the Society of American Fight Directors; holding current certifications in all 8 weapons.
Emily Norris (she/her) is a Fight Director, Teaching Artist, and Actress. She earned her B.A. in Theatre from the University of Kentucky, then moved to earn her M.A. in Theatre from Louisiana Tech University. She holds the rank of Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors and is certified in all 8 weapons.
Sam-Claire Bieber is a performer, intimacy director, fight director, Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors, and a proud UK alum with a BA in Theatre & English. She teaches across the country, and works as a disability advocate educating those in movement arts & theatre how to implement greater accessibility.