Mime & Physical Acting for Skaters

"Authenticity is the key to soaring above “look up and smile!"

-Michael Lee

Rooted in mime acting, competitive skating and modern dance, this program teaches tools and techniques that take skating programs to their highest dramatic level! 

Improve your PCS score!

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Course Schedule

Weekly Zoom Sessions on Saturdays

7:30 am to 8:10 am CDT

8:30 am to 9:10 am EST

1:30 pm to 2:10 pm GMT

Course Announcement + Enrollment Opens in August 2024

                                                        

Session Titles:

Session 1: FREE Introductory Class, Explore suspension, Moving from the Center, and Breath, "The Core of Drama" 

Session 2: Expansion & contraction, Exploring Space as our Canvas! Introducing Dramatic Rhythms

Session 3: Spacial Dynamics®, the Kenisphere, Exploring Level, Plane & Speed

Session 4: Developing Characters, Telling stories, Connecting with your audience

Session 5: Exploiting Speed for delivering emotion, Dramatic vs Musical Rhythms

Session 6: Putting it all together

(Access to recordings of each Zoom class will be shared with students who register for the full course)

                                                     

Testimonials:

“The time I spent working with Michael Lee was transformative for my figure skating career. I was often self-conscious when it came to trying to improve as performer. Much of what allowed me overcome that insecurity and improve was the guidance of Michael. He taught me to focus on fundamental techniques of breath, to connect that breath through my whole body, and then how to let it guide my movements. My ability to show nuance and stillness grew as much as my ability to convincingly turn my performative volume up to 10.” - Charlie White, 2014 Olympic Gold Medalist

"Working with Michael Lee taught us the power and importance of storytelling. His unique knowledge blends figure skating with physical acting and performance art — focusing on the details such as breath, expression, and connection to each other and the music. His years of experience and love for teaching make him a joy to work with and we are grateful his classes will now be available online so more skaters in our community will get to work with Michael." - Evan Bates & Madison Chock, World Champion Ice Dancers

Meet the Instructors

Michael Lee Michael Lee is the Artistic Director of Opus Mime, a broad ranging company based in Michigan. He has performed at festivals, theaters, schools and colleges for over 40 years. Michael has been developing Physical Acting for Skaters since 2007, working first with ice dancers Ben Agosto & Tanith Belbin, then Meryl Davis & Charlie White, Scott Moir & Tessa Virtue, Evan Bates and Madison Chock, Nathan Chen synchro teams Miami University, Adrian College and Teams Elite, along with other top teams from around the world. In 2017 he was a special guest at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

One of the last and most advanced students of the late French mime Marcel Marceau, who critiqued many of Michael’s pieces, saying, “You have a distinct drama and strength...the caliber of my own company.” His performance and
training repertoire includes acting in film and TV, modeling, gymnastics,
movement therapy, contact improv, clowning, circus arts, yoga, make-up and oral interpretation. He is a graduate of the Spacial Dynamics Institute in New York, and the International School for Theatre Anthropology in Denmark. Moreinfo at: www.michaelleemime.com

Luke Russell has competed nationally and internationally representing Great Britain in ice dance and later represented Latvia where he had the privilege to compete at the European and world championships for two seasons. His skating excelled the most after moving to the USA in order to train intensively full time. In 6 years living in America he dove into ballet, ballroom, yoga and most importantly physical acting with Michael Lee. Now a full time skating coach, his mission is to give the gift of authentic movement to others. Although new to full time coaching, he is committed to the work being able to progress students through multiple test-levels. He even trains celebrities for dancing on ice. “Every move (aesthetic or dramatic) has a technique and the journey drives me deeper still into the rich art form of corporeal mime. Knowing that there is a technique available to help with performance the only thing left for us to do is work. To change the habits of movement we must first change the habits of the mind.” Follow and learn more about Luke’s work find him on instagram at overtheedgeartisrty

Matthew McMunn is a dance artist based in Chicago Illinois where he has had the opportunity to be an ensemble member of a number of modern dance companies and to create multimedia performances fused with acting and singing. He has run workshops and classes in Chicago, in universities, and internationally. Matthew has coached ice dancing and theatre on ice both in the Detroit area and in Chicagoland. Matthew’s training includes study and performance with Michael Lee, composition workshops with Ray Chung, Simone Forti and Joe Goode, as well as extended study at Columbia College, Joel Hall, and The Ailey School.