International School for Puppeteers Puppet+Hands+Body+Mind 50 hours in workshop in St.Petersburg, Russia April 23 to May 5, 2012 in English St.Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy is one of the first professional theatre schools that offered  BA and MA degree education for puppeteers as early as from 1959. We offer program for actors, for directors and for designers of puppet theatre. Our graduates work in hundreds of professional puppet theatres all over ex-USSR and abroad. We are focused on development of art of creating puppet production and performing techniques in operating all types of traditional theatre puppets and experiments in performance.  This spring we invite our foreign colleagues to join special short program of professional training and development. We would like to attract your attention to the art and skills of puppeteer’s hands. Being supported by fantasy of a performer and of a director the hands through their movement and expressivity may create wonderful sketches and whole productions. In our curriculum: CLASS OF ACTING ·         Special training of psychophysical techniques for puppeteer ·         Combination of specific exercises for puppeteers with acting training based on Stanislavsky Method and contemporary Russian school of “psychological theatre” ·         Development of creative imagination and fantasy for converting exercises into artistic sketches ·         Natural, reasonable, focused action as the basis of the art of performer ·         Use of gloves, of fabrics, of various objects as addition to hands in creating the sketch Going through this class in 12 days the participant will prepare the preview for own original sketch. DANCE CLASS ·         Classical dance exercise that allows master own body and understand psychology of creation ·         Perceiving music as important part of psychological techniques of performer ·         Exercise in folk dance and in genre dance for development of hands expressivity   STAGE MOVEMENT CLASS ·         Movement as a part of integral action of performer on stage ·         Exercises for movement coordination and attention in ruling your physicality   PUPPET THEATRE IN CONTEXT OF CULTURE THEORY ·         Lectures on puppet theatre as part of various national cultures ·         Short outline of Russian puppet theatre history                We’ll arrange FINAL PRESENTATION on the last day of the School – May 5, 2012. Beside workshop at Puppetry Department of St.Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy we offer several tours around the city and art museums of St.Petersburg as well as attending best productions of local puppet theatres. Tuition fee: 800 US dollars (in case the large group is admitted the fee will be reduced to $700, announcement will be made on the first day of classes). Accommodation is provided (upon request) in a double room in the hotel located near the Academy, with bathroom, breakfast included, for $ 450 for the whole period of 14 days.  Arrival date:  April 22, Sunday. Departure date:  May 6, Sunday. The Academy may issue official Invitations for obtaining entry visas to Russia, upon request and submission of the passport scan no later than 20 days prior to arrival for EU citizens, 50 days prior to arrival for other citizens.     For inquiries and application please write to: international@tart.spb.ru  Apply  as soon as possible!