At Dispatch Combat Collective, we believe in collaborating with actors, for us fight is the form that will set your acting free.
I’ve been working as a fight choreographer since 2014, and even got my first theatre paycheck in NYC from a gig doing stage combat for an off-off Broadway show. In 2017 I got together with several other fight choreographers to form Dispatch Combat Collective, an independent Stage Combat organization with the goal of keeping stage combat collaborative and supporting one another as theatre artists creating staged violence.
Dispatch Combat Collective and its members are still fighting today, regularly running stage combat workshops and creating choreography for actors of all ages, from elementary school all the way to veteran professionals. It’s success is one of my greatest achievements as a theatre artist.
Fight: From Performance to Pedagogy
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Performance: Collaborative Choreography
Working with Dispatch Combat Collective, I’ve choreographed dozens of shows in New York City. These have included huge group battles in Shakespearean epics, intimate one-on-one fights to the death, and tragic scenes of familial violence. I’m familiar with and have choreographed a menagerie of different weapons on stage, everything from swords to guns to knives to lightsabers to chains and in one case a snare drum.
In all the work we do as choreographers at Dispatch we prioritize safety and actor advocacy above all else. The latter sets Dispatch apart from many other choreographers, as we encourage the actors to be active participants int he construction of their own choreography. This holds true when we’re working with any performers, be they professionals or even students.
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Pedagogy: Stage Combat Education
As a co-founder of Dispatch Combat Collective, I know firsthand the transformative power of education in stage combat. Our mission is to equip actors, directors, and theatre professionals with the skills they need to tell captivating stories while prioritizing safety. With years of industry experience, our team at Dispatch Combat Collective offers top-tier training that blends artistry and expertise. We have worked with students of all ages, from elementary school students to adult Equity actors and everyone in between. Our goal is to instill a deep understanding of storytelling and dramatic intention, going beyond the physicality of stage combat. Through experiential learning, practical exercises, and coaching, we foster a love for physical storytelling and the confidence and proficiency required to create authentic and engaging fight sequences as well as have fun along the way.