The Dubai-based Inspire Productions will be introducing the first miming course for children certified by the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) next Monday, teaching them how to manipulate their bodies to tell a story without dialogue. The courses aim to build on children’s instinct to physically express themselves and raise their confidence on stage.
The instructor
The Dubai-raised actor Lara Matossian-Roberts trained in acting and musical theatre at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London. With no prior experience in mime, she managed within 10 days to perfect an act that she was asked to present in a mall.
“I was asked to hand in a proposal for an act for an agency looking after the entertainment for the entire season at one of the malls in Dubai,” says the 37-year-old. “I put together an improvised physical-theatre troupe act to take place along the promenade. That was rejected. But then I got a call from the agency saying their mime artist had to leave the country and they wanted me to step in instead.”
She gave herself a crash course in miming with the help of online videos. “When people ask me where I learnt miming, I often joke: ‘From the YouTube academy in miming arts,’” she says.
“I watched videos, videoed myself, evaluated and critiqued my acts. I worked on every single illusion until I was happy with the magic I wanted to create.”
She says it was easy to pick up the art form because of her foundation in drama. “The acting and musical theatre courses delved into physical theatre. So we learnt movement and how to tell stories with our bodies. Mime is just that.”
Kids get physical
Matossian-Roberts says her miming performances in UAE schools have been a hit with the children and that she decided to create workshops to fuel that interest.
“It is a unique course and isn’t offered in Dubai,” she says. “Children are always intrigued by it and it is a wonderful alternative to offer in performing arts.”
Miming courses can boost self-expression, especially for children who have difficulty in speaking their minds and sharing their emotions.
“People love stories and that is why we watch movies and read,” says Matossian-Roberts. “Mime is one form of storytelling. Children live in their bodies more than adults allow themselves to do. They don’t have inhibitions and are drawn to expressing themselves physically because they are young and don’t feel judged.”
She says kids are naturally funny and channelling that in structured drama is productive. “It helps them focus all of their energy, which they usually expend in the playground, and internalise it. They can create a fantastic story which they can tell with their bodies.” The 11-week course will teach children ages 7 to 11 how to create a single mime illusion and put together several individual mime illusions to create a scene. “It prepares the children to take the LAMDA examination if they want to,” she says.
Other LAMDA Courses
LAMDA was established in 1861 to drive interest in performing arts and build careers in the industry. The academy expanded its reach by certifying courses in drama, acting and stage management offered by acting schools around the world. LAMDA-certified courses are followed by examinations set by the drama school, which test communication and social skills.
Matossian-Roberts says the growing interest in dramatic arts in Dubai encouraged LAMDA to provide such courses that are valued in the industry.
“Theatre has gained a lot of interest over the past few years,” she says. “But only a few acting schools provide LAMDA programmes. There is such a huge demand for theatre and performing-arts courses, but there is a gap in offering certified programmes. A lot of people appreciate a certificate at the end of 11-week courses that is internationally recognised.”
Inspire Productions offers LAMDA courses in acting and devising drama for adults, and acting and miming classes for children.
The LAMDA Acting with Mime course will begin on September 8. The 11-week course is Dh600 (excluding examination fees). For more information, visit www.inspireproductionsdubai.com
aahmed@thenational.ae