Demos part 2 - A Demo is not a class

So, as I was saying, about demos...

I have a background in performing arts. In Western theatre, I have acted, directed, stage managed and designed. As a company stage manager, I ran a summer theatre for 12 very long weeks - everything from rehearsal schedules, car schedules, housekeeping, and - oh, yeah - calling the light and sound cues for shows at night and herding actors around on stage and off. As a director, I had the responsibility of interpreting for the audience what a given play was about. Since practically all plays are capable of endless interpretation (look at the terrible things people have done to poor Shakespeare!), it is up to the director to pick some ideas that work and present them clearly to the audience. When it works, even those who don't like your interpretation will at least respect your choices. If it doesn't work, well, look out. The audience votes with its feet; then there's the critics...

At the demo a couple of weeks ago, several teachers who presented chose not so much to give a demonstration as to teach a class. One teacher who was not satisfied with several of his students' phrase d'armes had them do their kihon waza again (and again). Another spent 10 minutes of his 20-minute time slot having his students do their warm-up exercises. In both cases, I had to call time before either teacher got to the heart of his presentation. This was too bad on many fronts - the teachers did not get to show what they really did in their respective dojo, the students did not really get to show what they knew, and the audience - well, the audience was very patient.

As I thought about these performances later on, I realized that, even though the teachers are competent and talented at teaching, they did not have the theatrical sense to arrange a proper demo that would inform the audience and keep things interesting. All they knew how to do was teach, and so they did. Of course, this was not the first time I had ever seen a class-as-demo, but this time around, it got me thinking about how to resolve the dilemma. As a former director, I was wondering if there was something I could say that would benefit everyone while still being respectful of the different practices involved. I also have to add that directors are famously tactless; some even think that being disrespectful makes them more effective, an idea I thoroughly disagree with. At the same time, I understand the reason for being assertive - otherwise people are unlikely to do what you ask. It's bad enough working with some egocentric actors. Throw some egocentric senior martial arts teachers into the mix and tact becomes really important.

Therefore (even though I know that not many people who arrange demos will read this), I am providing the Ronin/Rogue Scholar's Guide to Successful Demo Planning.

1. The first thing every director needs is a "through line." The through line is what you want your presentation to be about. In the case of most martial arts demos, it's to present, in a confined place and time, the best possible picture of what you do at your dojo. The through line does not have to be confined to simply showing the style(s) being practiced, it can pull in another unifying idea - use of space, maybe, or a historical reference. However, since, in the U.S., your demo is not likely to be much like anyone else's, simply showing what you practice is a great start.

2. Create the performance. Decide what you want to show. For many groups, you would want to show beginner, intermediate and advanced forms or techniques. Keep it simple and do exactly that. Show your primary practice first, and if you have an auxiliary practice, show it in the second half. Very important - stick to the time allotted. As a teacher, you know how long each thing takes. Make a list with the number of minutes for each kata or technique. CUT if you have too much (do those techniques some other time). Make an outline and give copies to everyone so they know what they will be doing when. Then stick to it.

3. Pick your "cast members". My general rule has been that anyone who has practiced for 6 months or more can take part in at least the beginner techniques. Get commitments from your students that they must be available on the day you need them. If they can't commit, tell them you will ask them another time.

4. Arrange your demo - decide which students will do what. In my experience, beginners do much better in a group. Group kata looks really cool. Put a couple of seniors in the front to lead the others. Senior students have more leeway in deciding what to do for their parts, but get them to commit to doing whatever they are going to perform. Don't let them change at the last minute because they just learned something really cool in class and want to show everyone. Get used to saying, "Next time." Consider assigning someone (you or someone else) to be the emcee who introduces students, gives the name of kata or techniques, and explains what is happening when necessary. A bonus to this approach is that an explanation of a kata for an audience can jar a nervous student's memory and keep her on track. However, don't rely on totally off-the-cuff remarks. At the very least, the emcee should be able to work their way through the outline. I wrote scripts for years - it's tedious, but if someone else has to sub as emcee at the last minute, at least he would have something to go on. And you can use a script (or parts of it) over and over again. Try to balance what is being shown among the people taking part. I have been to demos that might as well have been subtitled All About The Teacher. As the teacher, everyone knows you are supposed to know what you're doing; what they want to know is how well your students are able to show what they are learning from you.

5. Rehearse. I usually work with people starting about a month in advance. To keep things interesting, I involve everyone in the dojo in practicing the techniques that will be done at the demo. Beginners might get a chance to stretch a little, and more senior students keep reviewing basics - all of which is good. I have learned to include things like how to walk into the performance space, how to bow properly in front of an audience, etc. This is all good manners anyway, and it gives you a chance to tighten up etiquette a little, which is never a bad thing. This past spring, we ended up doing a whole series of demos over the course of about 3-4 weeks. As a result, since the locations were different for each one (and hence each audience was different), we did the same beginner/intermediate techniques, with only the senior students allowed to make decisions to try some variations (within reason). It was nice for me as a teacher to watch students get more and more comfortable with each performance.

6. Be prepared - the performance day is almost never what you expect. What if it rains, when you are performing outdoors? What if one of your senior students gets hopelessly stuck in traffic? The outline of the demo will help you decide what to cut if necessary, or if someone else can take over a given student's role. To make this easier, *never* tell people to show up just before your scheduled time. At the very latest, they should follow the theatrical rule of showing up 1/2 hour before the event begins. Yes, they may end up having to watch others' performances, but then, they might learn something, too. Being ready at the start of an event might save the organizer's butt if someone cancels at the last minute - it never hurts to be the savior in those circumstances.

7. And lastly, relax and have fun. Stuff *will* happen. I have heard many "war stories" from seasoned budoka about some unexpected thing or other happening at a demo. One very high-ranking iaidoka once told me he was taking part in a televised demo in Tokyo. When he put his sword in his obi, he accidentally caught the saya in his hakama - on national TV. He had no choice, of course, but to fix the problem and go on. He survived. And the moral of the story was: even the most senior budoka are not immune to chance. How you handle chance is what makes you a senior budoka.

8. Assess your performance. After the demo, review what worked and what didn't. Keep those lessons in mind for the next time.

Demos are not just an opportunity to show an audience what you do. It is also an opportunity to perform under pressure. Let's face it - we don't go into combat with swords and sticks anymore. By performing in demos, we get to adapt to conditions that change every time - a great opportunity to find out what you really know. Even though I have been doing this for over 25 years, I am always excited by performing a demo. What will happen this time? How will we do? The results may be mixed, but there's always next time to look forward to.