Part 2: Improv - First day of class   Welcome back! We see you are still interested in Improv. That’s a good, good thing since the skills learned in class will help boost your confidence, personally and professionally.  The question is, what can I expect on day one of class?  Truthfully, you can expect to be nervous. This is a new environment and you may feel a tad skittish; it’s understandable. Everyone else in the class is in the same boat. Remember, it’s not tabula rasa, where the teacher lectures and you spit back the information.  Is it ok to take notes? Sure, I highly recommend it. This class is all about giving you the tools to develop “active” listening skills with the intent to move a conversation along. Active listening consists of a few fundamentals such as concentrating on what a person is saying. In essence, listening without any preconceived personal filter. Secondly, comprehending or appearing to understand what they are saying. Finally, responding to what was said. Responding to what was said is the heart and sole of improv. For example, the person next to you said, “I am an alien.” You respond, “No you’re not, you’re Nancy, aren’t you?” You just killed the conversation. To overcome the faux pas of saying “no” and asking a question, the instructor will conduct exercises, focusing on how to get you to say “Yes, and.”     So, let’s try that again. “I am an alien.” You’ll respond, “yes, and I can see you brought your spaceship.” You acknowledged (said yes) to what was said and moved the conversation along, not by not asking a question but by building on what was said.  The cool thing about improv is that your reply can be silly to the max but you aren’t learning to be funny. However, If you are a naturally funny person, you could have responded, “I see you're an alien, and I must say I love your ears.” It’s funny because most aliens don’t have ears!  The next blog will focus on more fundamentals, along with how to focus on characters and relationships. Until then, practice your active listening.     Related Articles:- Part 1: Improv – Introduction Part 3: Improv - Acting Class - Acting Technique