Enrichment

Dear Drama Families,

Thank you for the quick responses on the performance and pizza party date change. I also appreciate the positive comments on the value of the drama club and my philosophy.

I have listed in short form some of the many skills taught this last session.
My curriculum slightly changes each year to accommodate the different skills for every student. This year I have quite a few children that read and really want to learn dialogue. Instead of focusing mostly on body presentation and dance elements, I changed to storytelling and improvisation that led to a written play with dialogue. The Peer Gynt play structure has been influenced by input of the club’s young actors.

For the next session we will continue to choreograph dances to Greig’s Peer Gynt score, add more scenes, explore mask performance and deepen our learning of vocal and body presentation.

The Peer Gynt performance is scheduled for Friday May 25th, 2012

In June the 3rd-5th grade drama club and my high school troupe will collaborate on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The K/2 club will have an opportunity to join the show and share the roles of the Oomplah Loompahs!

Sincerely, Tracy McDonagh

Skills Taught for primary grades K-2

Losing Inhibitions and Loosening up
• Group imagery and movement.
• Relaxation exercises
• Sensitivity exercises

Learning Control
• Physical control
• Character control
• Vocal and Speech Exercises

Reading dialogue
• Impromptu and storytelling

Part 4: Improvisation

• Characters, and places for characters, actions for characters
• Group Dramatization
• Dramatizing stories

Rehearsing scenes for Peer Gynt.

Tags: drama
Posted in Enrichment | Monday, January 23rd, 2012

The Kindergarten and 1st grade students have been learning a dance very specific to the region of study they have been working on for the World Cultures Fair which is next Thursday, February 17th. Below is a description of what your children have been working on during the residency. 

• Room 107 – Folktale from Fiji told through movement and dance.
• Room 108 – Endang dance from the Malaysian culture.
• Room 109 – Dance created by students and teachers to the song Kookaburra.
• Room 101 – Dance created by students and teachers about the Great Barrier Reef
• Room 106 – Dance created by teachers and students telling a story of the singing snake.
• Room 111 – A Tahitian/Polynesian Dance called Hoe Ana telling the story of natives paddling to an island.

 

The students in grades 2nd- 5th have been working with Chris Daigre on learning a Hip Hop dance to perform for our school and community members. In addition to the dance, they have learned about improvisation, theatre, and expression through movement. Though this style of dance was new to many students, they are all doing a wonderful job and having fun with it. 

We have three different days for performances and would like to invite you to see your child if possible. The days, times, and classes that are performing are listed below so please read it carefully.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION: 

• Thursday, February 10th – 2:00 – 3:00 in the Lawton Commons – All Kindergarten and 1st grade classes.
• Wednesday, February 16th – 2:00 – 3:00 in the Lawton Commons – All 2nd – 5th grade classes.
• Thursday, February 17th – 7:30 – 8:00 in the Lawton Commons – Groups consisting of students from each 2nd – 5th grade class *

 

* Due to time constraints not all classes will be able to perform on the evening of the World Fair. Students from each grade band will be chosen to represent the classes that worked with Chris.

Posted in Enrichment, PTA, World Cultures | Wednesday, February 9th, 2011