Bobbi Block's Page

Where do you live and work? (City)

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Professional Skills

I facilitate and design Leadership and Team Development programs for corporate executives and others by utilizing improv and acting methodologies; Improv Instructor (youth, university, adult); Improv Performer and Director; Business-owner; Playwriting Instructor (youth); Teacher Trainer

What is your main interest in this network?

Education, Social, Networking, Finding Partnerships, Improv Resources, Looking for a soul-mate

What kind of person are you?

24-7

What kinds of improv-related services are you involved in?

Teambuilding, Creativity, Innovation, Problem Solving, Communcation, Conflict Resolution, Leadership, Stress, Life Skills, Character Development, Presentation Skills

More about you: (Short Bio or any other details you'd like people to know)

Bobbi Block

Bobbi has been designing and facilitating professional development workshops for over a dozen years. She began her training career by teaching teambuilding skills to corporate groups utilizing improvisational theatre techniques she acquired through producing, performing and teaching with ComedySportz Improvisational Theatre Company. She then worked for Team Builders Plus, a small professional development firm outside of Philadelphia, where she complemented her interactive theatre methodology with all forms of experiential learning approaches. At Team Builders Plus Bobbi worked extensively with communication assessment tools (specifically, the DiSC) and served a variety of client levels and industries. Ultimately, her extensive performing arts and training experience led her to her current work as an affiliate with The Ariel Group, an international consulting firm focusing on leadership development (arielgroup.com). Through Ariel, Bobbi coaches small groups of high-level executives to authentically and dynamically connect with their employees. In addition, Bobbi teaches for The Wharton School's Executive Education program, as well as for the HR Department at Temple University.

Bobbi received two Bachelor's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, one in English and one in Child Development through Creative Expression. She received a Masters degree in Theatre from Villanova University, and studied with countless improvisational theatre gurus in Chicago and NYC. In addition to co-founding and performing with the Barrymore Award-winning ComedySportz Philadelphia for 16 years (comedysportzphilly.com), Bobbi is the founder and Artistic Director of the new reality-based longform improv group Tongue & Groove (tongue-groove.com), and conceived and directed LEAP, a project in which accomplished scripted actors participated in a 10-day ‘improv boot camp’ and performed for the 2007 Philadelphia Live Arts Festival. Bobbi performs with the longform improv group, LunchLady Doris (lunchladydoris.com), performed with the interdisciplinary improv company Playback Philadelphia, and co-founded and performed with the body percussion troupe People Percussion Project. Bobbi has taught Improvisation at numerous theatres and universities including The University of the Arts, The Wharton School, The Wilma Theatre, Villanova University and currently at Temple University. She works extensively with Philadelphia Young Playwrights, teaching playwriting to young people and training teachers and teaching artists on the integration of theatre in the classroom.

Bobbi’s clients include: American Express, Andersen Consulting, AstraZeneca, Booz Allen Hamilton, Campbell Soup, Capitol One, Cendant Mortgage, The CIA, Coca Cola, Commerce Bank, Coopers & Lybrand, Deloitte, Emtec, Exelon, General Electric, Honeywell, Kaiserman Company, L'Oreal, Merrill Lynch, Pew Charitable Trusts, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc., Philadelphia Workforce Development, Sun Company, and several schools and universities.

I need help with...

finding more work in the Philly/NYC/DC area. I travel around the world for The Ariel Group, which is wonderful, yet takes its toll. I would love to connect with others in this area of the country who could use my services as an independent contractor or sub-contractor so that I could sleep in my own bed more nights per month!

Work Website

http://bobbiblock.com; arielgroup.com