At Herricks High School, students in the Student Theater Arts Company got right to the point on day one with a lesson on stage combat.

The class started by watching famous sword fight scenes from classic films released long before the students were born, including “The Princess Bride,” “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and “Star Wars.” They dissected each scene, discussing the mood, dialog and choreography that made each of them unique and memorable.

Then, wielding foam prop swords, the students learned basic attacks, defenses and parries, then choreographed their own fight sequences.

Unlike a sport like fencing, the goal of stage combat is to not hit your partner. Safety comes first as you tell the story through swashbuckling.