Our core curriculum provides solid technical training in Improv, Sketch, Storytelling, and Stand-Up. But there’s so much more to learn! Electives complement the lessons in our core curriculum so you can take your skills in new directions.
Electives can be different types of class structures including workshops, intensives, and 8-week courses. Check back frequently for new and exciting opportunities!
Make the most of your December! The 2026 Winter Intensive is here!
DCC’s annual Winter Intensive is a series of workshops designed to complement the Training Center’s core class offering. Each year our instructors pitch workshop topics based on their students’ needs. The lineup is carefully curated to provide offerings for all skill levels, beginner to advanced. Whether you’re looking to enhance your existing skills or try something completely new, there’s a workshop for you!
Take a single workshop or bundle your tuition for multiple sessions!
Elective courses cover topics that are not covered in the Training Center’s core curriculum. Electives span several days or weeks to give students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the content they are studying.
Some electives have pre-requisite courses.
This class gets you writing, and fast! In just 8 weeks, you will learn how to turn your real life, ideas and perspective into a clear, compelling TV or film script. You’ll develop strong concepts, write a sharp loglines, build structured stories, and learn how to write scenes that feel natural, funny, and watchable. Analyze why most scripts fall flat and learn how to fix them immediately! Discuss trends in the film industry with your class, and explore the non-traditional paths that many successful screenwriters have taken. By the end of the course you’ll have real pages written, a story you’re excited about, and a clear path forward. This is a hands-on, beginner friendly class. Now is your moment to create your own opportunities without waiting for permission!
This three-hour interactive continuing education workshop examines the therapeutic, physiological, relational, and ethical dimensions of humor in behavioral health practice. Participants will review research concerning laughter, stress, mood, autonomic functioning, cognitive flexibility, social connection, and the therapeutic alliance. Through experiential activities, participants will learn basic joke structure, evaluate the clinical appropriateness of different forms of humor, and practice transforming self-critical thoughts into compassionate humorous reframes. Particular attention will be given to trauma-informed care, cultural responsiveness, clinician-client power differences, emotional avoidance, countertransference, and rupture repair. Participants will conclude the workshop by developing and presenting an original clinically appropriate one-liner.
Karen Carrillo, LCSW-S, is a therapist, clinical supervisor, comedian, and founder of both A Sister’s Legacy and The Blue Haired Social Worker, PLLC. She server as Chair of the NASW-Texas North Central Texas-Dallas Chapter and is trained in Brainspotting.
Known professionally as “The Blue Haired Social Worker,” Karen blends clinical practice, advocacy, nonprofit leadership, and stand-up comedy to make conversations about mental health more approachable. Through her work, she explores how humor can support connection, emotional processing, cognitive flexibility, resilience, and meaningful therapeutic relationships.
