The Smile happens when a puppet comes alive for the first time. It happens to new puppeteers and to experienced puppeteers getting to know a new puppet.

The Smile comes at the precise moment you lose the sense that you are moving an object with your hands and it suddenly feels that the puppet is acting by itself and all you can do is go along with what it wants.

Bringing objects to life is a wonderful sensation and when the puppet takes off you often can’t help but smile.

These clips are from my classes teaching puppeteers and actors at the Institut del Teatre (Barcelona) and Turku Arts Academy (Finland).