The origins of improvisation
Today, we are diving together in the fascinating universe of improvisation. On stage or even in our daily life, improvisation is everywhere… But did you know that this artistic practice has very ancient roots?
Where does improvisation come from, and how did it become such an essential discipline?
Let me explain everything now!
What is improvisation?
Improvisation, as the name indicates, consists in creating on the spot, with no preparation. In the artistic sense, this means producing a spontaneous performance, throughout words, gestures, or actions.
It relies on several fundamental principles:
- Listening: being attentive to your partners to build a story together.
- Acceptation: welcoming others’ ideas and integrating them inside the improv.
- Spontaneity: being guided by instincts and emotions.
But improvisation is not just a performance. It is also a way of thinking, adapting and reacting when faced with the unexpected. Before becoming a formal discipline, improvisation was already well anchored in cultural and artistic traditions around the world.
The origins of improvisation
The history of improvisation goes back millenia into the past, and travels through cultures and eras. Here are a few key steps of its evolution:
Antiquity:
Starting from ancient Greece, improvisation had an important place in the arts. Greek actors used ‘canevas’ (general storytelling structures) to improvise dialogues and situations on the stage. Likewise, bards, like Homer, improvised epic poems, adapting to their public and to the context of the time.
Commedia dell’Arte (XVIth century) :
It’s in Italy that improvisation took a more structured form with the Commedia dell’Arte. These itinerary troops played pre-established scenarios, all while leaving a lot of room for improvisation. Emblematic characters like Arlequin, Columbine and Pantalone were often defined by masks and specific traits, but dialogues and interactions varied according to the representation.
Even if improvisation comes from drama, it became a discipline in its own right.
Modern improvisation
Improv as we know it, with its matches and its hyper-competitive side, comes directly from Quebec, and more precisely from Montreal at the end of the 70s.
At the time, Quebec drama was seeking to reinvent itself, and to break the mold. That’s when Robert Gravel and Yvon Leduc appear, two passionate actors who want to give back some spontaneity to acting and make drama closer to its audience. Their idea? Mixing drama and hockey! Because in Quebec, hockey is like a religion. Therefore they invent a format where actors fight eachother like players on an ice rink, with a referee in a striped costume, penalities, and even a vote from the public, exactly like in a real match.
That’s when in 1977, the Ligue Nationale d’Improvisation (LNI) is born, and it is a true success! From the first season, the theatres are full and the atmosphere is ecstatic. The audience is hooked up, improvisers become true stars, and the concept exports quickly outside.
Within a few years, improv matches come to France, Belgium and Switzerland, and become a staple improvisation format. Today, there exists leagues all around the world, and the Qebec DNA of improvisation is well alive: a mix of humour, creativity, and a boundless love for acting!
Nowadays, improvisation goes well beyond the artistic framework. It is used in professional training, personal development, or conflict management. Its principles – listening, adaptation and acceptation – are universal and can be applied to all spheres of life.
So, why not give it a try? Enroll for a workshop, attend an improv match, or just have fun inventing a story with some friends!
See you soon for a brand new article!
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