Here it is, friend of friends! The script to be performed on Friday for Synergy Superheroes week, based on the kids' superhero characters and guided suggestions to solve the mission! The characters and their abilities are all named after the kids, and they were rather pleased with the outcome. We'll be rehearsing this skit for the rest of the week to perform on Friday!
Script for Mission: “What? No Milk?!”
Narrator
The last we left our heroes, they’ve ready to enjoy their delicious treat of their favourite cookies
(Simran pretends to take cookies out of the oven, while the other heroes are around a table, waiting eagerly. She pretends the cookie pan is hot, and carefully brings the “pan” over to the table without dropping any cookies. The heroes at the table cheer!)
The kids had a great time yesterday creating their superhero characters, creating backstories and even a chance to design costumes and 'fighting weapons'. I had one rule for that - they had to distract the villian, not wound or harm him/her. One kid had a ray gun that turned everything into frosting. Pretty nifty!
I had created three 'mission' scenarios that allowed the kids to use problem-solving skills in a group setting, with their selected powers. It's also a great version of the improv game 'Stunt Double', where you call another actor in to perform a 'dangerous stunt'; example, turning on the hose to wash the car. The 'missions' themselves are all based on common situations: What? No Milk?! has the superheroes out of milk, thus not being able to fully enjoy their freshly baked treats until they procure some; It's My Party! has the heroes prepare for a friends' birthday and making sure everything is perfect to the last detail; A Clean Room has the heroes performing an important task before they can enjoy the day's crime-fighting.
We had agreed to perform their favourite mission, What? No Milk?!, at the end of the week for the parents - which is perfect, because we've got a delicious surprise for them at the end of the week!
I was really inspired by the 'fill-in-the-blank' script format that helped me create the script for this week's theme, Synergy Superheroes! I'll be giving the kids a questionnaire first to help create their superhero identity, followed by a few 'missions' that they'll have to use their superpowers for.
I figure since we only had a week, and kids' imaginations can really turn to the weird and ridiculous, I controlled the options while still making them weird and ridiculous. Have a look-see!
Welcome to Synergy Superheroes Week! Although we live our everyday lives in our ‘mild-mannered alter-egos’, there are ‘superhero’ potential and qualities inside each and every one of us – and we’ll be discovering them with each other this week! Here’s a character-building writing exercise to help discover your superhero name and powers, even your superhero costume!
Your superheroes will represent some of your actual personality traits, your talents and ‘superpowers’ you would love to have as a hero! The Camp Teacher will divide you into groups to create your very own Synergy Super Team, where you’ll share you superhero identities to each other. You’ll then be given a ‘world crisis’ by the Camp Teacher and an opportunity to use each of your teams’ powers to solve the crisis and save the day!
Remember, heroes – it’s all about teamwork, because no one could solve a crisis alone, big or small! Let’s get started in designing your superhero!
Well, we surrender this week, most definitely. And Alessandra and I were more than happy to oblige. It makes our jobs much easier, too!
Simran, a little lady who will be spending a good deal of the summer with us, has clearly stated her healthy obsession of Tangled by means of her backpack, wardrobe, toys and books, even convincing us to play her copy of the movie once a week to watch. I don't blame her; I had Beauty and the Beast when I was a kid. I wore out my VHS copy in a matter of a few months or so.
Thanks to freedrama.net, I think we can give Simran and the rest of the campers next week some unique fun with her favourite story. I've found a 'fill-in-the-blank' version of the story that will give some unique takes on the classic tale. I'll be revisiting freedrama.net now and again for some more class activities when I start in September. They've got great stuff like theatre warm-up games, unique scripts and monologues for all ages and suggestions for class productions. I've already a few things bookmarked!
Thursday is Hip Hop day at Synergy Arts Camp! Hip hop culture is rather young in comparison to the history of the other dances we've reviewed this week, and it's also the most popular! We gave some of the original and classic moves like The Running Man and The Robot - old school, for sho! Check out the handouts I've made for the kids to enjoy!
Hip hop began as a form of musical expression and artistic culture in the South Bronx neighbourhoods of New York City in the 1970s. There are four major elements of hip hop culture: MCing and rapping, DJing technique, graffiti art and hip hop dance. Over the years, hip hop has crossed borders and cultures from its humble beginnings in Harlem and Brooklyn, becoming the most popular form of dance performance in the world – almost every country in the world has its own local hip hop scene, from music artists to dance crews!
There are many dance moves and techniques used in hip hop dance that borrow from other dance forms, such as tap and jazz dance. Hip hop dance also has unique dance styles such as breaking, locking and popping, which were developed by African- and Latino-American communities in the 1970s. Hip hop dance is also unique because of its often improvisational dance performances, or freestyle, where dancers occasionally perform in formal or informal dance competitions, usually known as battles.
Hip hop dance was recognized as a performance dance form more than 30 years ago during the presence of professional breaking, locking and popping crews formed at the time. Some of the most influential dance crews were the Rock Steady Crew, The Lockers and the Electric Boogaloos, who were responsible for spreading the art of hip hop dance respectively.
As hip hop music began to evolve, the dance element evolved with it to include new moves, new styles and new expressions. Dance styles such as new style, jazz funk, lyrical hip hop and krumping have all developed in the last ten years. Hip hop dance movies have been popular since the 1980s, with titles such as Beat Street, Wild Style, Breakin’, You Got Served, Step Up, Honey and Save the Last Dance, and has also been featured in many reality television shows such as America’s Best Dance Crew and So You Think You Can Dance. Hip hop culture now has a presence in theatre performance, featuring spoken word and hip hop dance and music combined in the production.
Wednesday - we jazz it up! I'm most excited about this handout because of my personal background in jazz dance with musical theatre performance. It's energetic, it's full of expression, it's fun and exciting to watch! My informal jazz training has come from years of musical theatre choreography, and I've got a handle on some of the basic stuff to know about jazz. We tried a couple of moves in the Bob Fosse page - Sinead and I gave the Crane a try, both as a pose and a jump. Our Stack looked pretty nifty, and especially cute with all those different sized arms! Take a look at the rest of the Bob Fosse poses, as well as some jazz stretches, isolations and dancewear - all in the handouts! Enjoy!
Jazz dance has its roots in African American free-form dance styles of the late 1800s to mid-1900s. Tap dance was considered part of the jazz dance form in the mid-1950s, being the main performance dance at the time, and it was also choreographed to jazz music. Tap and jazz began to evolve into separate dance forms, and many different jazz steps became popular. Everything from swing dancing to the Charleston, boogie woogie to the Lindy Hop all became forms of jazz being danced everywhere!
The pioneers of jazz dance start with the vaudeville star Joe Frisco, who, in the 1910s, danced in a loose-limbed style close to the ground while juggling his derby, hat and cigar. Much of the musical theatre and modern jazz style can be credited to famous choreographer Bob Fosse, who's work can be defined in such musical theatre productions such as Chicago, Cabaret, Damn Yankees and The Pajama Game. Other artists famous for their work in jazz dance are Jack Cole and Gus Giordano, who’s techniques are still used in modern jazz!
You'll find jazz everywhere nowadays! It's the backbone of musical theatre choreography and it's all over television, movies, music videos and pop concerts. Teen favourites such as Hairspray, High School Musical, So You Think You Can Dance and Glee are all great examples of some of the best modern and musical theatre jazz dance!
Tuesday is Tap Day at Synergy Arts Camp! Tap dance is one of my favourite dance forms, I've been an appreciator of tap for some time, recently purchasing my very first pair of tap shoes from Synergy! (We've got all sorts of dancewear here!) I've been practicing with them on my balcony and some spare time in the Grand Ballroom at the academy. I'm rather elated, actually, and will be considering proper tap lessons in the future. I've had some basic lessons a few years ago and remember the steps, and have also looked up a few basic moves that are really good for balance and weight transfer for young kids to try. Here's the handout for tap dance, as well as an activity sheet for the kids to fill out on the parts of a ballet pointe shoe. (First one to finish got their choice of sticker!) Enjoy!
Tap dance was developed in the United States during the nineteenth century and has gained popularity around the world! The name 'tap' comes from the sound of the small metal plates on the soles of a tap dancers' shoes when they touch a hard floor. This dance form uses precise and quick foot patterns in rhythms, choreographed to a pace in the music very much like a drummer in a band. American composer Morton Gould has composed concertos for tap dancer and orchestra - using the dancer as the rhythm section!
A history of tap can be seen in traditional clog dances in the Netherlands, Irish and Scottish jigs, as well as the rhythmic foot stamping of African dances. North American tap dancing has two modern techniques: classical tap and hoofers. Classical tap blends elements of ballet or jazz dance into the upper body movements into the tap choreography, and tend to stay on their toes. Dancers like Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire and Julie Andrews are great examples of classical tap. Hoofers use every part of the shoes to make their feet sound like drums – a great example is the Broadway show Stomp!, where the dancers also incorporate objects like trash cans and broomsticks into their rhythmic choreography!
Tap dance is also a regular part of musical theatre choreography, with many shows specifically composed for ‘tap dancer accompaniment’. Busby Berkeley started the trend of ‘movie musicals’ with hundreds of dancers tap dancing at once! Other popular musicals featuring tap dance are Anything Goes, 42nd Street, Singin’ in the Rain, Mary Poppins and many more!
Basic Tap Dance Warm-ups and Stretches
Arm Circles
Holding your arms straight and out to the sides, gently circle your arms about 20 times; 10 to the front and 10 to the back. (A tap dancers uses the arms and shoulders for balance, so these will need to be nice and loose!)
Ankle Rolls
Standing with your weight on one foot, point the toe of your other foot into the floor. Gently roll the heel of your foot around your toe. Perform 20 turns on each foot, 10 to the front and 10 to the back. (This helps stretch the muscles and tendons in your legs and feet!)
Point and Flex
Stand with your weight on one foot. Point your other leg to the front, keeping your knee straight. Change from one foot to the other until each foot has had 20 turns. (This helps stretch your calf muscles in the back of your legs!)
Runner’s Lunge
To perform a runner's lunge, lunge forward on one knee, straightening the other leg behind. Place your hands on your lunged knee. Push the heel of your back leg into the ground, feeling the stretch through your entire calf area. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds on each leg. (A tap dancers’ lower legs work very hard – this stretch helps stretch those out a little more!)
Hamstring Stretch
Stand with one leg in front with your foot flexed. Place your hands on your thighs to support your body weight. Lower your upper body towards your leg. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds on each leg. (This will help stretch the back of your thighs!)
Tap Dance Shoes
Here are some great tap dance videos to inspire!
Gene Kelly and Julie Andrews are two of the most popular classical tap dancers, having entertained in movies and musicals together with their singing voices and tap dancing. This clip features a very interesting way you could practice your tap moves!
Ms. Sutton Foster stars in the Broadway revival of the musical Anything Goes, full of romantic antics aboard a steamer cruise ship across the Atlantic. This tap dance number, as performed at the 65th Annual Tony Awards celebrating Broadway theatre, is of the title song 'Anything Goes' that closes the first act. And for an added surprise ...
The opening credits from one of my favourite movies, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom! Here's Kate Capshaw peforming 'Anything Goes' in Mandarin - and a Busby Berkley tribute to tap dance!
