Workshop with Amanda Schull: Acting for Dancers

This workshop, led by stage and screen star Amanda Schull, will focus on acting for dancers. Dancers are familiar with depicting characters in full-length or story ballets using the fusion of music and physicality. However, dancers are rarely encouraged to consider their characters as a three-dimensional person beyond the choreography. This workshop will help to focus character development and encourage dancers to work toward accessing deeper, more authentic choices for their acting on stage. It will help dancers find individual choices that can lead them toward creating a unique take on what may be a centuries-old role. This workshop will also discuss other forms of acting for stage and camera. Amanda will share tips and anecdotes from her 20+ year career on stage and screen.

Prior to class, participants will be sent 3-4 short scenes to familiarize themselves with. They will each choose one scene to workshop in the class with Amanda. Sharing is not mandatory, but highly encouraged. 

Workshop is for ages 16+.

There will be a 30 minute break for lunch.

This workshop is sponsored by Smuin Contemporary Ballet

ABOUT AMANDA

Amanda Schull, Actress and former San Francisco Ballet Dancer

Amanda Schull was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. Schull began ballet at the age of 3 and continued her training at Indiana University under the direct tutelage of Violette Verdy before becoming a student at the San Francisco Ballet School. It was there during rehearsal for the year-end program that Schull was asked to audition for the lead role in the ballet film CENTER STAGE directed by Nicholas Hytner. After filming the Sony Pictures cult classic, Schull returned to The San Francisco Ballet where she danced with the company for seven seasons performing featured roles in Balanchine’s WHO CARES?, BALLO DELLA REGINA, JEWELS, SERENADE, Helgi Tomasson’s ROMEO AND JULIET, GISELLE, THE NUTCRACKER, FOUR SEASONS, and Alexei Ratmansky’s LE CARNAVAL DES ANIMAUX. Schull also guest performed lead roles in COPPÉLIA, SLEEPING BEAUTY, GISELLE and THE NUTCRACKER.

After retiring from professional ballet Schull began her acting career in earnest booking memorable guest starring roles on such TV shows as COLD CASE, BONES, PSYCH, NIKITA, GRIMM, TWO AND A HALF MEN, MACGYVER, HAWAII FIVE-0, NCIS, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, ONE TREE HILL, MURDER IN THE FIRST, THE RECRUIT, and LONE STAR: 911.Schull has recently been seen as tenacious New York attorney Katrina Bennett in the USA legal drama SUITS, which received a resurgence in popularity when the show made its way to NETFLIX. Schull also starred in the SYFY series 12 MONKEYS based on the hit film of the same name.

Feature film credits include a lead role in MAO’S LAST DANCER, based on the autobiography of the same name by renowned ballet dancer Li Cunxin, directed by Academy Award Nominee Bruce Beresford. Featured scenes opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Warner Bros.’ J. EDGAR, directed by Clint Eastwood. Leading roles opposite Milo Ventimiglia in the thriller DEVIL’S GATE, and opposite John Travolta in the action feature I AM WRATH.

Schull can also be seen as the female lead in many HALLMARK original movies such as LOVE, ONCE AND ALWAYS, PROJECT CHRISTMAS WISH, ONE SUMMER, MARRY GO ROUND, THE BLESSING BRACELET, and FAMILY PRACTICE MYSTERIES: COMING HOME.