What is an Improv Class Like?

Remember when you were a child and you met up with friends in your neighborhood to play? Maybe your games were simple and silly, maybe they were complex and serious. Either way, play is an essential part of what it means to be human. Learning to create games and play is healthy. An improv class can feel a lot like playing with your friends - but it can also be soooo much more. 

Improv is a valuable tool for building confidence, public speaking skills, empathy, communication, creative thinking, and teamwork. The general purpose of an introductory improv class is to familiarize a student with the foundational principles of improvisation through warm-ups, exercises, games, scenes, and discussion. 

All kinds of folks take improv classes for different reasons: to connect with fun people, to have a creative outlet, to build professional skills, to hone their acting, comedy, or writing skills, or just to try something new. The long and short of it is you do not have to want to be a performer to take an improv class. There are many transferable skills improv can teach you that have useful applications across numerous professions (Teaching, Law, and Medicine to name just a few). Improv can also enrich your social and personal life by instilling confidence, helping you to practice deeper listening, and teaching positivity and support. 

If your improv class is in person it will likely have anywhere from 6-14 people in it and may meet weekly for 6-8 weeks for anywhere from an 1 hour and a half to 3 hours long (depending on the class).  Many of the exercises you do will involve circling up as a group, working in pairs or taking turns exploring scenes and exercises as the rest of the class watches and learns from your “mistakes” and your successes (there really are no mistakes in improv, more on that in another blog post). 

If your improv class is online, as many are these days, you will all meet in a virtual room. It can take some getting used to interacting virtually but you will soon learn the mechanics. It is best to have a good wifi connection, a quiet space free from distraction, and ample lighting. It is also helpful if you have some space to move around. Even without all of these available to you, an improv class can be very enjoyable and successful - just check in with your improv instructor if you have any questions. I once had a student take a class from inside of their parked car! Though admittedly not ideal, it was fun! They did a lot of scenes about driving.

A few things to keep in mind:

If you are nervous about taking an improv class, that is totally understandable. You are not alone.

I like to think of nervousness as a signpost telling me that something new and important might be about to happen. There will likely be a lot of other people in the class who feel nervous right alongside you. Your instructor understands this and has already helped a lot of people learn to work with these feelings in a gentle and supportive way. Just know that you are empowered to keep yourself safe in any way you need to during the class. The emotional and physical safety of everyone in the class should be the top priority for your instructor and for you. By the end of the improv class, you will be amazed at the progress you have made and the nervousness you once felt has evolved into anticipation and excitement.

Improv is all about collaboration and commitment. 

Being in an improv class is like being part of a team. The theater uses the term ensemble, or “a group of people viewed as a whole, rather than individually”. Everyone makes an important contribution to the improv class just by bringing themselves. This is why it is so important to keep your commitment and show up. There will be days when life gets in the way, of course. That is understandable. You may feel overwhelmed or just not feel up to going to class. However, keep in mind that class may be just the antidote you need at the end of a difficult week to lift your spirits, put you in a positive mindset, and give you a much-needed break from all of life’s day-to-day worries. Together with your improv teacher and classmates, you can help create and maintain a supportive environment where everyone is free to thrive and be their authentic selves - an environment full of creative energy, positivity, and fun! 

Have patience.

Improv is both a process and a product. It is a good idea to have patience with yourself as you learn any new skill. Try not to judge yourself against others in your class or the performers you may have seen improvising on stage or on television for years. If everyone was already perfect they would not need to take an improv class. Instead, cultivate curiosity about what makes a performer enjoyable to watch and what they do that works. Then see if you can’t work on acquiring those improv skills for yourself. It is important to note that no one improvises like you! You have a unique sense of humor and your own perspective on the world. You are enough and your unique voice is needed! Start where you are. Stay present, curious, and focused on learning. The great improv teacher Martin DeMaat once said “You are pure potential”. There is only room to grow.

The biggest thing I find new improvisers need is the encouragement to explore the unknown. You are already doing that by reading and finding out more about improv. You will never know what particular joy awaits you on your improv journey if you never try. Take the leap and sign up for an improv class today! Say yes and find out for yourself what improv is all about. 

I will leave you with another quote from the amazing Martin DeMaat “The fun is always on the other side of the yes!”