A musical theatre drama class will be one that not only begins to develop the acting skills of the students but adds the elements of singing and dancing to the agenda. Many drama students are cautious about auditioning for musicals especially if they do not have a lot of experience singing and/or moving on stage. And there's a lot to be said for the benefits of this type of class even for the non-musician.
A very important component to any performing arts class or lesson is the warm-up portion of the session. This is a good time for the teacher to break the ice with the students as well as allowing students the chance to venture into the magical world of theatre in a relaxed setting. A good warm-up is essential for setting the tone for the rest of the class.
Improvisation exercises (improv. for short) are always good ice breakers often resulting in periods of infectious laughter. A standard well-known exercise is the MIRROR IMAGE. In this exercise one student is the leader and the other the follower. The leader mimes actions and activity while facing the follower who tries to match as exactly as possible anything being done by the leader until they are so syncronized that it appears they are truly a person looking into a mirror. For those teachers interested in more information on improvisational theatre try http:/www.theatersports.com.
A good warm up involving the entire class is the "one word at a time" story. Students sit in a circle and someone suggests a descriptive title for the improvised story. Then, using one word at a time, (includes final punctuation like period or exclamation),the group begins creating a story. Each person will contribute their word as the game proceeds around the circle. The teacher will guide students toward a conclusion if one is not inevitable. Perhaps a brief discussion on the basic elements of a good short story could also be covered.
An excellent way to introduce the dance or movement element to the class (especially since there will undoubtedly be many non-dancers) is by doing some improv. to music. The teacher will choose several different songs incorporating a wide variety of musical styles, tempi, orchestrations etc. and allow the students to improvise types of body movements that they feel go with the music being played. If the kids are quite shy about doing this have them all attempt similar movements suggested by someone in the class or even the teacher. The more diverse the musical choices, the more creative the kids will become. This exercise also allows the teacher a vehicle by which to access rhythm, creativity and confidence levels in the students.
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