Intro to Performing Arts | Friday, 2nd Period

[defenderofdesmoines]

Eventually, this was a class that would need to meet in the Danger Shop - or the auditorium - but for today, students would have been directed to meet in an actual classroom, where they would find Annie standing in front of a whiteboard that proclaimed, WELCOME TO INTRO TO PERFORMING ARTS! (She had also drawn a bunch of five-point stars and asterisks around this greeting, because...well, just because she had access to the markers, honestly.)

“Good morning!” she said cheerfully when it seemed like everyone had arrived. “Welcome to Intro to Performing Arts. I’m Annie - if you want to call me, like, Ms. January or whatever because it makes you feel weird to call a teacher by her first name, that’s totally fine, but Annie is also super okay by me.” Both because she hadn’t done a thing to earn this teaching spot (so, like, she would shoot down any attempts at ‘professor,’ since it felt weird), but also because she honestly wasn’t that much older than these kids, either. “Whether you're a stage veteran or this is going to be your first time getting up in front of people - hey, welcome! My goal for this class is to sort of shoot across the bow and cover a bunch of different things, and familiarize you all with just the idea of being up in front of an audience or otherwise performing - we’ll be touching on the obvious things like singing and dancing, but we’ll do a couple weeks on things like public speaking, too, and just covering little tricks that I’ve picked up to stay comfortable with people watching you.”

Because, like, Annie was kind of nervous right now, but it would be hard to tell if you didn’t know her really well. Because she was a professional at this! And she would teach you all how to hide your nerves under a big smile, too!

“But for today, I figured I’d follow everyone else’s example and keep it easy,” she added with a bright smile. “So, let’s go around and introduce ourselves - how about your name, something you consider a talent, and it doesn’t have to be - “ she gestured vaguely to the classroom as a whole, “- a performance thing, just something you think you’re good at, and then...something you’re hoping to learn in this class.”

She paused, and added, "And just to get us in, like, the right mindset for all of this, I'd like you to stand up and try to project when it's your turn. Stand up straight, shoulders back, chin up, and try to speak from your diaphragm." She modeled what she meant, rolling her shoulders back and lifting her chin as she jabbed lightly at a spot pretty much directly between her own ribs. "It's an introductory course, so you're not going to get everything right the first time, and that's okay! But let's try to start out on the right foot, and try our best."

God, Annie.

She gestured vaguely to one student. "How about we start over here?"

Comments

Sign In | PA1, 1/8/21

[defenderofdesmoines]

Performing!

Re: Sign In | PA1, 1/8/21

[x_discospider_x]

Troy Barnes

Re: Sign In | PA1, 1/8/21

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina Argentum

Re: Sign In | PA1, 1/8/21

[notfinishedyet]

Enola Holmes

Listen to the Lecture | PA1, 1/8/21

[defenderofdesmoines]

Who's nervous? Not Annie.

Re: Listen to the Lecture | PA1, 1/8/21

[bookbeltof_love]

Awww, Annie! You were doing great!

Nina didn't want to say anything and interrupt the lecture but anytime Annie's gaze was even vaguely over her, she was smiling reassuringly and supportively!

Introductions | PA1, 1/8/21

[defenderofdesmoines]

Name, something you're already good at, something you'd like to learn

Re: Introductions | PA1, 1/8/21

[notfinishedyet]

Enola frowned slightly. Most of the talents she had were not what you call 'performing'.

"My name is Enola Holmes and... well I'm good at tennis, fencing, archery, jiu jitsu and investigation. I don't think those are actual performance activities. I would like to learn more about acting and disguise. Er. Costuming."

Re: Introductions | PA1, 1/8/21

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Hi, Enola. We can do that. Acting and costumes are totally going to be coming up," Annie assured her with a smile. "And you know what, I think your other skills will help you out, too - take it from a girl who took simultaneous tap dance and tae kwon do lessons, growing up. Athletics and martial arts and dancing all kind of fit together, weirdly enough."

Re: Introductions | PA1, 1/8/21

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina giggled.

"Disguise, huh?????????"

Re: Introductions | PA1, 1/8/21

[bookbeltof_love]

"I'm, like, Nina Argentum!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she said brightly, once it was her turn. "As for talents, well, I'm really good at picking up languages?????????"

What she wanted to learn was a little harder but she added, after a moment, "How do you keep from being embarrassed when you're performing something that makes you......."

Want to fling yourself off a cliff? Hide under your blankets? Bury your face in your hands?

"........blush?????????" she finished, hoping her expression would convey it was more than that.

Re: Introductions | PA1, 1/8/21

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Hi, Nina," Annie said, unable to keep from smiling. "I've got some tips for that, and we'll be covering the whole - like, stage fright and trying not to get nervous thing, regardless of what's being performed."

Which was why they'd eventually move this to a stage, so the kids could get used to seeing a darkened auditorium, and they could work up from there.

"What's always helped me is thinking that, like, if you weren't doing something of value - even if it's embarrassing - you wouldn't be up there," she added, though admittedly she was kind of curious about what kind of blush-worthy performances Nina was getting up to. "It's corny to say 'believe in yourself,' but I try to believe in, like, the message and the performance itself, and that can help? Like, it's bigger than you and your embarrassment - you're just a vehicle for the audience's entertainment, you know?"

Re: Introductions | PA1, 1/8/21

[legionqueen]

"My name is Juillenne Milone," she said, "And this is Camden," she added, gesturing to the very large mountain cat by her side. "My familiar."

"I certainly hope I'm starting out on the right foot, since I've only got the one," she remarked drily. She was standing up straight, though! ... Okay, so she had one hand on a desk to make sure she could keep her balance. "I'm a naturalist, which means I'm good at anything involving plants or animals." She wasn't quite sure if magical gifts fell under Annie's definition of a 'talent' but it was what came to mind.

"And as for what I'd like to learn... Confidence, I suppose? The type that allows one to take charge of a group of people and not have them second-guess everything." Not that anyone on Fennbirn did that just yet, but she worried that maybe they would, once things settled down somewhat and they realized that the Legion Queen might be terrifying in a fight but was really just kind of average otherwise.

Re: Introductions | PA1, 1/8/21

[defenderofdesmoines]

Man, between this and the leg lamp, Annie was really doing terrible in her quest to be sensitive to the resident amputees.

Annie couldn't help but wince briefly, though she was actually pretty impressed by the standing! Like, way to take the direction and run with - damn it.

"Hi, Juillene. You don't have to stand if it's uncomfortable," Annie assured her, feeling kind of bad both about that direction and the whole, like, foot comment. Ughhhh. "And hi, Camden." She had noticed the cat! He had been distracting enough that she hadn't thought to be, like, sensitive, oops. "And we can definitely work on that. I'm really big on faking it 'til you make it, if you know what I mean - we'll work on projecting confidence, even if you feel like you want to, like, fall through the floor with embarrassment."

Like how Annie did now, kind of! "My background is in, um, winning contests based on performing, so I'm pretty good at pretending I'm super confident even when I'm not at all sure. It's a real skill to seem like you know what you're talking about."

Re: Introductions | PA1, 1/8/21

[x_discospider_x]

"I'm Troy," Troy offered, with a lift of his chin, because he had to play it cool especially in this class. "I used to be good at football. Like, really good? But then I, like, got injured? In a keg flip?" Which was way harder than a keg stand! "So now I was hoping I could find some other sports to be really good at, but I think there was a mistake with this class..."

Don't believe him, Annie! He was actually secretly totally into this, maybe even excited, but performing arts wasn't very manly, so he just had to say that! And he was not a very good actor! Not now, not ever.

"But this is fine," he threw in, just in case he really had convinced anyone he didn't want to be here, "I guess. I'll make it work."

Re: Introductions | PA1, 1/8/21

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Hi Troy, welcome. And - I mean, I do martial arts," Annie told him with a little smile, "and I'm a runner, and I lift weights, so I get you. Fortunately, the performing arts can be really physical! We'll be dancing - both with partners and without - and stage-fighting, both of which totally require a degree of athleticism."

Though now she had to add, because she was a little worried, "But you can always opt out of anything if your injury's acting up." Because wow, a keg flip did sound very dangerous.

Re: Introductions | PA1, 1/8/21

[notfinishedyet]

Excuse the girl from the 1800's.

"I'm sorry. Keg flip?" she asked looking rather confused.

Re: Introductions | PA1, 1/8/21

[toottootmagicflute]

"Hi, I'm Wei Wuxian." He's in his long robes with a black flute tucked into his belt. "I've got a lot of talents. How about archery? It's a practical skill, but some of the tournaments are essentially performances."

Re: Introductions | PA1, 1/8/21

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Hi, Wei Wuxian," Annie greeted him with a little wave. "I could see that - I've never shot an arrow, but I know a guy back home who makes his livelihood with archery, and it can be very...like, graceful and performative." Not that she'd ever seen Eagle the Archer in, like, real action, but some of his moves were almost like dancing.

She nodded to the flute at his belt. "Are you a musician, as well?"

Talk to Annie | PA1, 1/8/21

[defenderofdesmoines]

She's there! Like a real teacher.

Re: Talk to Annie | PA1, 1/8/21

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina waited until after class before approaching Annie.

"Well done, Professor January!!!!!!!!!!!!" she greeted, beaming.

Re: Talk to Annie | PA1, 1/8/21

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Oh my gosh, Nina, I'm not a professor," Annie told her, blushing.

(Though that sounded great, didn't it?)

Re: Talk to Annie | PA1, 1/8/21

[somethingwithturquoise]

It was absolutely after Annie's class should be over for the period that she was getting a text. One that was followed by a lot of heart and rainbow emoji.

Annie omg how did you class goooooo?

She would have totally done this in person, but, at that moment, she was actually in the back seat of a car on her way to family counselling. Which was fine, she actually did like Dr. Wong a lot, and, hey, it was the first week of classes, it wasn't like she was going to miss anything being at home for the weekend, right?

Re: Talk to Annie | PA1, 1/8/21

[defenderofdesmoines]

it went okaaaaaaaaay!

Annie actually thought it went pretty well, all things considered! Her students were an interestingly mixed bag - not a lot of performers. Mostly spies with a stray athlete, it seemed.

but today is like the easiest it's gonna be, right? Because she definitely couldn't just pull, 'Introduce yourself AGAIN!' next week.

OOC | PA1, 1/8/21

[defenderofdesmoines]

I am le tired.

This week, y'all.