What Is This Course?

Program Overview

In this first week, students are introduced to the foundational concepts of stage combat: how to rehearse safely, establish trust with a partner, and move with awareness. This chapter sets the tone for the entire program — emphasizing control over speed, communication over power, and storytelling over spectacle.

Learning Objectives

Lesson Duration 

Warm-Up Activity: Safety Through Focus

Skill Focus: STOP Signal & Consent

Technique: Stance & Distance

Reflection Time

Safety, Stance and Distance

In this chapter, students explore how conflict fuels drama — not through violence, but through clear objectives, obstacles, and reactions. They will begin translating narrative tension into physical movement, understanding that every stage combat sequence must tell a story. This lesson deepens character understanding, strengthens partner work, and lays the foundation for later choreography.

Lesson Duration

Warm-Up Activity: “Push/Pull Freeze”

Skill Focus: Objective, Obstacle, Reaction

Application: Silent Conflict Scenes

Reflection

Conflict as Storytelling

This chapter introduces students to the illusion of physical violence through safe, non-contact techniques. The focus is not on aggression, but on precision, timing, and mutual cueing. By learning basic slaps, punches, and reactions, students gain tools to safely express conflict in choreography — always with the goal of storytelling.

Warm-Up Activity: Breath & Tension Flow

Skill Focus: The Slap & Punch (Non-Contact)

Application: Reaction Drills & Rhythm Practice

Strikes & Reactions

This chapter focuses on building strong, safe partnerships. Students will explore physical and emotional trust, active listening, and weight-sharing exercises that strengthen ensemble coordination. Before any complex choreography can succeed, students must be able to read each other’s energy and respond with care and precision.

Warm-Up: Mirroring & Tempo Connection

Skill Focus: Weight-Sharing & Body Support

Application: Trust Pendulum & Follow-the-Leader

Partnering & Trust Exercises

This chapter explores how to find and express beats of conflict from dramatic text. Students will analyze scripted scenes to identify emotional shifts, objectives, and power changes — then translate those "beats" into choreographed physical action. This practice builds deeper storytelling, aligning literacy skills with combat choreography.

Warm-Up: Gesture & Ensemble Energy

Skill Focus: Script Beat Analysis

Building Beats & Timing

In this chapter, students begin working with objects as extensions of character and conflict. Whether it’s a cane, book, umbrella, or fake weapon, props require precision, discipline, and heightened spatial awareness. The lesson also introduces stylized movement — using slow-motion, repetition, and abstraction to elevate combat into performative choreography.

Warm-Up: Prop Isolation & Mime Focus

Skill Focus: Stylized Combat & Object Use

Application: Prop Sequences in Style

Props & Stylized Movement

This chapter brings all previously learned skills into group choreography. Students devise original 6–8 beat fight scenes with a clear dramatic arc, using safe contact illusions, stylised moments, and collaborative input from all members.

Warm-Up: Group Mirror & Trust Push Circle

Skill Focus: Building a Narrative Arc

Application: Group Fight Sequence Creation

Ensemble Fight Creation

Students learn how to make their fight scenes work for an audience, using sight lines, angles, and distance to preserve illusion and maximize clarity.

Warm-Up: Spatial Awareness & Open Body Drill

Skill Focus: Staging Techniques

Application: Fight Scenes with Staging Adjustments

Staging, Angles & Audience Illusion

This chapter supports drama teachers with little to no combat experience to safely lead a basic, whole-class fight sequence. It emphasizes simplicity, control, and ensemble energy over complexity. The goal is to give students a fun, unified movement experience that reinforces key skills without putting pressure on the instructor to invent complex choreography.

Warm-Up/Skill Focus: Leading a Class Fight Sequence

Application Options

Instructor-Led Fight Workshop

Students confidently rehearse and perform a choreographed fight scene, demonstrating safe, clear, and dramatic storytelling through movement.

Warm-Up: Physical Full Body

Skill Focus: Rehearsing for Performance

Application: Performing the Fight Scene

Final Performance – Staging the Fight Scene

The Complete Intro to Stage Combat Curriculum for Your ClassroomDesigned specifically for high school or youth theatre environments, this 10-week program equips drama students with the foundations of non-contact stage combat — from safety protocols to showcase performance. Each week is scaffolded to build trust, technique, storytelling, and ensemble awareness, culminating in a final performance assessed on clarity, safety, and character work.Whether you're teaching in a public school or private studio, this plug-and-play program provides everything you need to run a dynamic and disciplined physical theatre unit.✅ 10 weekly 60–90 min lessons with warm-ups, choreography, and reflection ✅ Progressive skill-building: stance, strikes, script beats, props, and more ✅ Assessment framework focused on safety, storytelling, and teamwork ✅ End-of-term showcase performance structurePair this with the Teacher’s Guide to Stage Combat for deeper theory, extra resources, and professional teaching support.

A full-term, student-facing curriculum that builds safe, story-based fight choreography skills. Includes structured weekly lesson plans, performance activities, and assessment tools — ideal for drama classes, theatre electives, or performance intensives.

10-Week Intro to Stage Combat & Fight Choreography Program for Drama Teachers

NZ Stunt School

Course content

Course Description