Since 2024, I’ve had many opportunities to take improvisation workshops and courses from The Velvet Duke.
On every occasion, I’ve learned many useful, concrete skills for improving my abilities as an improviser.
Beyond their obvious excellent preparation and execution of the sessions, Velvet teaches with humour, thoroughness, and humanness that puts everyone at ease. They deftly answer participants’ questions, address their concerns and give them the confidence to take the essential risks that lead to improvement.
As a fellow arts educator, I recognize the depth and breadth of preparation Velvet puts into their courses and workshops. Nothing is halfway done, and each session is planned in such a way as to allow participants plenty of time to experiment with formats and structures as well as ask questions.
Laura Nerenberg
violinist, writer, performer and music educator
The Velvet Duke 