Department of Pantomima

The Department of Pantomima is the youngest arts pedagogy department of the Music and Dance Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts. Although the department was not founded as an independent unit until 1992, the department’s field had already been represented at the Music and Dance Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in different forms, originally as one of the specializations of study at the dance department, then since the 1980s as an independent field of study – back then it was classic pantomime. The founder and principle instructor of the course of study was the outstanding mime Prof. Ladislav Fialka. Continuing after Prof. Fialka in the development of the field was Prof. Ctibor Turba, who came up with the broader concept of non-verbal theatre and comedy. He founded the department and directed it until 1999. After his unexpected, spontaneous departure at his own request, all responsibility for continuity and further development of instruction in styles of movement theatre was assumed by Associate Prof. Boris Hybner and his colleagues.

All of this instruction is realized on three important stylistic levels:

• Imaginary Pantomime
• Clownery
• Slapstick
  

Besides work in those basic styles, students are also given exercises in tap dancing, acrobatics, modern dance, contact improvisation and Thai-Ti.