Synergy Theatre Arts: ANNIE Class Photo!

Here's they are - my little orphans!  Here's the Wednesday class for their 'cast photo' taken today.  I'm so proud of these guys, I had to show them off.  :)

Synergy Theatre Arts: ANNIE Script for Class Recital

The recital for Synergy Performing Arts Academy is fast approaching (May 5!), and I think I might be more nervous than the kids.  This entire experience has been jarring, rewarding, stressful and full of valuable lessons about my own creative process.  The most rewarding part for me is seeing the kids really enjoy themselves and trusting the process together.  Although I've had to go through rewrites, dropped students and changes in lineups, I've managed to come up with a couple of scenes for the kids to lead up to the songs.

Without futher ado, here's the script for the kids for ANNIE!  The orphans are named after the kids in the class to keep the script simple.  This skit was actually a compilation of excellent audition monologues I had found and had arranged them into a scene that would lead into their performance of the number "Hard Knock Life."  Enjoy!

The orphans are all asleep in makeshift beds around the stage.  A few make soft, muffled sounds in their sleep while shifting positions.  DRYDEN and her sidekick, TIFFANY, snore in unison rather loudly from their sleeping positions.  Suddenly, MYA starts to stir from a nightmare and starts to talk in her sleep.

MYA (in her sleep):

Mama!  Mama!  Mommy!  Wait, Mommy!  Mama!

MYA continues to toss and turn in bed, waking KHANDACE, KEYANNA and SOMER from their beds, noticing MYA’s dreaming condition and begin to worry.  KHANDACE rushes over to MYA’s bedside.

KHANDACE:

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!  Molly’s talking in her sleep.  Her eyes are still closed.  She don’t know how loud or soft her voice is when she’s asleep.

KEYANNA:

At least she’s not snoring, like those two.  (She gestures with annoyance over to DRYDEN and TIFFANY, still asleep and snoring.)

MYA awakes with a start and a yell, which startles the other girls awake.  They all stretch from their slumber and look around to see where the noise came from, finally focusing on MYA.

MYA:

Oh, no!  I was dreamin’ ‘bout my Mama.  We were on the merry-go-round and she was smiling and holding my hand, and then she was gone!  I couldn’t stop the merry-go-round and I couldn’t find her no more.

DRYDEN:

Shut up, MYA!  Can’t anyone get some sleep around here?

TIFFANY:

Yeah, can’t anyone sleep?

THE ORPHANS try to shush DRYDEN and TIFFANY silently.

KEYANNA:

Pipe down, or Ms. Hannigan will hear you!

DRYDEN:

What?  You’re telling me to pipe down?  You’re beggin’ for a black eye, pal!

TIFFANY:

Yeah, you’re beggin’ for it!

DRYDEN and TIFFANY both ‘put their dukes up’, ready to take on the crowd.  AALIYAH jumps in the middle of everyone to try to break the tension.

AALIYAH:

Pipe down, all of you!  Do you want Hannigan to hear you?  (She goes to MYA.)  Shhhh, MYA, it’s alright, we’re here for you.  (She pulls a hankercheif out and holds it in front of MYA’s face.)  Here, blow.  (MYA blows her nose rather noisily.  THE ORPHANS react in disgust and worry it was too loud.)  It was only a dream, you know, but it’s after 3am and we’ve all gotta get back to sleep.

SOMER:

ANNIE, why don’t you read us your note again?  It always makes us feel better.  Then we’ll all promise to go back to sleep, yes?

THE ORPHANS all nod in agreement.  DRYDEN and TIFFANY snicker.

TAYLOR (ANNIE):

Alright then, if you’d like … (She pulls out a folded piece of paper from her makeshift mattress and sits beside Molly.  THE ORPHANS gather round and make themselves comfortable, with DRYDEN and TIFFANY hanging back and making fun of the rest of them.  TAYLOR clears her throat and begins to read.)  “Please take care of our little darling.  We’ve named her Annie.  She was born on October 28 …”

DRYDEN and TIFFANY let out a loud, mocking laugh.  THE ORPHANS turn to look at them with daggers in their eyes.

MARTYNA:

So, you’re laughing, are you?  You wanna sleep with your teeth inside your mouth or not?

DRYDEN, TIFFANY and MARTYNA start what becomes an all-out pillowfight brawl all around the stage, until they hear the shrill voice of MS. HANNIGAN.

MS. HANNIGAN:

What is all this!!?!?!???!!!!

THE ORPHANS run into their ‘soldier lines’ and stand at attention at MS. HANNIGAN’S entrance.  She is in a loud and colourful dress with terrible makeup and curlers in her hair.  MARTYNA and DRYDEN are still picking on each other when MS. HANNIGAN isn’t looking while she marches up and down, scowling at THE ORPHANS, who don’t move an inch and follow her with their eyes.

MS. HANNIGAN:

You want to be up in the middle of the night?  FINE! You’ll stay up all night until this dump shines like the top of the Chrysler Building!  Now say it!  Say it!!

ORPHANS:

(Not really meaning it, but fearing her wrath if they don't say it:) We love you, Miss Hannigan.

MS. HANNIGAN:

 (She turns to the audience with a knowing look and mumbles:)  ‘Little girls!’

THE ORPHANS remain in their soldier line positions until MS. HANNIGAN exits.  They turn in her direction and make the silliest, most ridiculous faces and gestures of extreme dislike in her direction.

CUE MUSIC!

Synergy Theatre Class: 'Pinball Wizard' Skit for TOMMY

My biggest challenge yet when it came to my Theatre Arts classes at Synergy Performing Arts Academy was with writing a skit for my class performing 'Pinball Wizard' from the rock musical TOMMY.  Technically, the musical is a rock opera without actual spoken parts, so I wanted to make sure I wrote a scene that would reflect the message of the play; that being yourself, regardless of what makes you different, is the best thing you can offer the world.  I'm really proud of the kids and how they've taken to the material, being such a heavy piece itself, and they took to the message rather with flying colours.

I had written with script excluding our main character, Tommy, who is deaf, dumb and blind throughout most of the play.  Instead, I had picked out a few characters to focus on in the skit who are celebrating Tommy's achievements as they walk the red carpet before the 'Pinball Wizard Spectacular' begins. 

PINBALL WIZARD SKIT – THE RED CARPET ENTRANCE

SALLY SIMPSON and MRS. WALKER, the red carpet interviewers, are already on stage, amongst the cheer and applause of TOMMY’S fans behind them, behind a ‘velvet rope’ and holding support signs, awaiting to enter the concert.  (Think ‘Entertainment Tonight’ with your delivery!)

SALLY SIMPSON

Hi, I’m Sally Simpson, president of the Tommy Fan Club …

MRS. WALKER

And I’m Mrs. Walker, proud mother to the Bally table champion himself …

SALLY SIMPSON

And we’re live at the biggest event of the year – Tommy’s Pinball Wizard Spectacular!  What an incredible feat - this deaf, dumb and blind boy has managed to beat every pinball wizard in the country!

MRS. WALKER

That’s right, Sally Simpson, and with us tonight to celebrate Tommy’s amazing success are his family, friends, and a few celebrities we’re bound to run into here on the red carpet!  Sally, you look rather dashing, who are you wearing?

SALLY SIMPSON

Why, thank you, Mrs. Walker!  I’m wearing … (ad lib)  And tell me a bit about who you’re wearing?

MRS. WALKER

You’re too kind!  I’m wearing ... (ad lib)

SALLY SIMPSON

Hey, look!  I think our first guest is Cousin Kevin, onetime childhood adversary to Tommy.  Tell us how you’re responsible for his success today?

COUSIN KEVIN enters and struts to the ladies.

COUSIN KEVIN

Well, it’s simple, really.   I was trying to make fun of him at first, because what deaf, dumb and blind kid can play pinball, really?  I mean, what are you going to do – smell your way through a game?   Well, he sure showed me!  Those digit counters started falling, and all I could think was “WOOOOW! He sure plays a mean pinball!”

MRS. WALKER

What message do you have for Tommy tonight?

COUSIN KEVIN

Well, Tommy, I’m sorry I picked on you so much all these years, but you’re a big inspiration to all of us, because you show us that we can be ourselves and still be awesome!

PINBALL WIZARD enters and walks over to the fans to sign some autographs.

MRS. WALKER

Thank you, Cousin Kevin!  (COUSIN KEVIN exits, waving goodbye.)  And look who else we have – former Pinball Wizard Champion (name here)!  (PINBALL WIZARD struts over to the ladies.) Tell us about the moment you heard that Tommy, a deaf, dumb and blind boy, beat the highest score on the Bally table of all time, yours?

PINBALL WIZARD

I’ve been playing in arcades all over this country, and I’ve never met anybody like him.  It’s like he becomes part of the machine!  I’m happy to give up my crown to such an amazing player.

SALLY SIMPSON

Any hopes for a rematch?

PINBALL WIZARD

Oh, we’ll see!  I’ve got to get a bit more practice in if I’m gonna try to beat him!  But I’ll be playing a special role in tonight’s concert – my band and I will be introducing the new champion!

SALLY SIMPSON

Well, we can’t wait to see it!  (TOMMY’S FANS roar with excitement.)  My goodness, let’s say hello to the fans!

TOMMY’S FANS, mostly young girls, all holding handmade signs and pictures supporting TOMMY, get into mass hysteria and excitement when the ladies approach them.

MRS. WALKER

Hello, ladies!  You’re all part of Tommy’s fan club, aren’t you?

TOMMY’S FANS all scream at once, “YES!” and proceed to try and talk over each other about how they proclaim to be TOMMY’S #1 FAN.  They are silenced by SALLY SIMPSON.

SALLY SIMPSON

Well, I’m the president and I’ve got a say – you ladies right here are amazing for being here, and I know for a fact that Tommy is so thankful for your support – that’s why you’re all getting front row seats!

TOMMY’S FANS all scream in surprise and proceed to high-five, hug and congratulate each other.

MRS. WALKER

I think we might be due for a few more celebrity appearances – wait!  Is that who I think it is?  None other than PAC-MAN himself!

PAC-MAN enters the stage, and TOMMY’S FANS go absolutely wild!  PAC-MAN approaches the ladies.  PAC-MAN won’t actually talk, but it will be ‘pantomimed’ instead.

SALLY SIMPSON

What an honour to have you here, Mr.  … uh, MAN!  As an arcade legend yourself, do you have any inspirational thoughts for Tommy this evening?

PAC-MAN nods ‘yes’ and goes to say something into the microphone.  Suddenly, a GHOST appears and PAC-MAN is on a mission and chases the GHOST offstage.

MRS. WALKER

Well, I think I know what I can get from that …

MRS. WALKER/SALLY SIMPSON

Practice makes perfect!

CUE MUSIC!

SALLY SIMPSON

The Pinball Wizard Spectacular is about to start, and you’re in for an event you’ll never forget!  (MUSIC STARTS.  Everyone rushes onstage into position, we can’t wait for the concert to start!)  We’ll see you in there!

SALLY SIMPSON and MRS. WALKER take their positions for the beginning of the music number.

Synergy Grand Opening in Snap! Brampton

Add the 'event planner hat' to the collection, I guess.

I had a hand in planning the grand opening of Synergy Performing Arts Academy's second location in September.  I had learned quite a bit from the whole experience, and I have to say it was a relative success from all accounts.  We had a fairly decent turnout with help from attractions like magician Gord Cadabra and string quartet Paganini Strings.  We had great support from local Brampton businesses like Green Cup Roastery, ROCK-IT Designer Clothing and The Dress People and more who donated some stellar raffle prizes.  I was crossing my fingers for the Green Cup Roastery gift basket ... alas, not meant to be.

SNAP! Brampton was by to photograph the event - and I got an email today that we're in the latest edition!  I snagged a few copies from the local library and snipped out a copy of the article for myself.  Check it out!

Find me in a sea of burgundy!

Pick up your copy of SNAP! Brampton in most local businesses and community centres!

Synergy Arts Camp: Synergy Magic!

I'm especially excited about this week.  I've loved magic tricks since I was a kid.  I remember Dad getting me a magic kit for my ninth birthday, I perfected each and every one of them in that kit.  I couldn't get enough.  There was a novelty & joke store in the local mall I used to get a bunch of pocket tricks from and carry them around to practice.  I even made up stage names and costumes from Dad's suit jackets and hat collection, performed little shows in the living room every Sunday.  I had so much fun!

I'm excited to pass on the same fun I had to the camp kids this week - three older girls with a passion for dance and fantastic attitudes all around - a perfect way to end the summer!

I had put together a basic Magician's Glossary and a few simple tricks for the kids to perform, each needing props and plenty of practice: the   I had also thrown in a 'bonus trick' from my early years of pocket tricks, and something that they could do at home.

I can't believe I'm doing this - some of you stage magicians might be a little upset with me, but consider it for the love of art and passing on the craft, so to speak.  Take a look at these fantastic and simple tricks - and how you can do them yourself!

Magic Trick Manual

Synergy Arts Camp: Pirate Adventure!

Everyone loves pirates.  Who doesn't love a good swashbuckling adventure?  We couldn't resist ourselves when it came to our love of the original rebels and decided to school our campers this week with a little bit of the seafarin' life!

The kids made their own pirate hats, eyepatches and swords as part of their costumes, and we've been working on a bit of pirate speak, courtesy of International Talk Like a Pirate Day!  Alessandra will have the kids decorate their very own treasure chests to participate in a scavenger hunt!  We're looking forward to that on Friday.  In the meantime, have a read of our Pirate Adventure!

Pirates are celebrating and feasting on fruits and veggies to make sure they don’t get scurvy on their sea journey – they’ve found a treasure map in a bottle!  The map leads to a mysterious island in the middle of the ocean and the legend of the buried treasure of Captain Bluenose!  They’ll have to be brave pirates to battle a sea monster and overcome a terrible storm – and finally find the mysterious island!  They follow the map and dig at the ‘X’, where they find a chest full of pieces of eight, doubloons, precious gems and pearls – and they wondrous treasure of the Magical Invisible Ever-Changing Whirly-Burly Ball – changing into any round object the holder desires!  With their bountiful booty, they sail back home to the Caribbean, where they become the most famous pirates of all for revealing the legend of Captain Bluenose!

Scene:  The pirates are feasting on their favourite fruits and vegetables as they prepare to take a sea journey.  They sing heartily and dance a jig and practice their ‘sword fighting’ until the pirate Captain Sassypants enters with her parrot, Peggy.   The pirates all cheer when the captain holds up a bottle with a message inside.

Synergy Arts Camp: King of the Jungle Script!

After learning about our animal characters and starting on our puppets, we've got our story line all mapped out - now it's just up to me to put it into a script!  And here it is - enjoy!

Explorer

Welcome to our jungle adventure, where we’re on the search for the elusive and rare pink dragonfly!   I’ve been studying about this rare insect for years, and I’ve come to this very jungle – the only jungle where it lives in the world! – to snap a photograph.  When I’m all done, I’ll just get back in my boat and float up the river to the local village, safely back to civilization.  I even have this map with me to help remember the way!  (Pulls out a thick folded piece of paper.)  I’m very glad you’re all here – maybe we can find some other animals on our adventures! 

Like that parrot!  Oh my!

(PARROT puppet flies onto the stage.)

Synergy Arts Camp: King of the Jungle!

This week we're gonna have some fun in the jungle - puppet style!

Puppets are a great way for shy kids to express themselves if they've got terrible stage fright.  It's also a great acting exercise to have a sense of bodily presence outside of yourself, and also learning how to focus on different elements of performance other than physical stage presence.  That, and puppets are just so darn fun.

Welcome to Synergy Arts Camp King of the Jungle Week! 

We’ll be exploring our ‘inner animals’ and learning how to ‘move’ and ‘act’ like our favourite exotic animals in the jungle – lions, monkeys and lizards, oh my!  This week, we’ll play theatre games that will focus on how we can move different parts of our body to ‘become’ these animals, give them personalities and help solve a crisis!

Our explorer is lost in the jungle after being chased by a ferocious tiger and other sneaky fiends, but with the help of a few animal friends – and the protection of the ‘king of the jungle’ himself, Brave Lion! – our explorer finds the boat on the river that leads back to a local village. 

Each animal in the jungle has a unique ability to help our explorer reach her boat and return to civilization.  Animals can do many things that our explorer cannot do, as well – breath underwater, fly in the sky and many more!  What can our animal friends do to help the explorer find the river – and how can they protect her from the predators of the wild? 

Get ready to release your inner animal – the fun’s about to begin! 

Our first day focused on theatre games that helped the kids become uninhibited with their body movements, forming them into animal shapes, taking turns walking and behaving like the animals above after we completed a writing exercise describing them.  Consider how differently you would move when you're a hovering dragonfly, or a slithering snake, or a limber monkey!

The kids will start making their puppets during the art portion today.  Because we've got a number of younger kids this week, we're sticking to the regular 'popsicle stick' puppets.  The older one will be making their puppets out of paper bags.  The lesson plans were inspired by something I found on childdrama.com, with more puppet projects I hope to use with future students, such as the Japanese Doll Theatre or shadow puppets.  Puppetry work is a great tool to have in an actor's kit.

After the kids get a sense of 'character' with their assigned animals, we'll go through a scenario to decide whether they'll help or hinder a lost explorer in their jungle.  That's tomorrow!

Synergy Arts Camp: Synergy Superhero Mission: "What? No Milk?!"

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!)

Synergy Arts Camp: Synergy Superhero Missions!

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! 

Synergy Arts Camp: Synergy Superheroes!

It's a week to make heroes!

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!

Synergy Arts Camp: Rapunzel Remixed!

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!

Can't wait to see what the kids come up with!

Synergy Arts Camp: Hip Hop Dance

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.

Synergy Arts Camp: Jazz Dance

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!

Synergy Arts Camp: Tap 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, 42^nd 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!

Synergy Arts Camp: Ballet

Monday at camp, we learn about ballet in dance!  I introduced these handouts and activities during the Toy Story week, and they were great for the kids!   I was very careful to have plenty of inclusion for boys in the ballet handout, from pictures to written content, especially for future weeks.  Boys in ballet still carries a stigma about it being solely a girls' activity, and I would like to help change minds in young boys who would like to be dancers.  Ballet is an important base form if one wishes to be a professional dancer, because its movements are translated into just about every other dance form in the world.  Ballet also has a history that not many people may know about, that it used to be danced exclusively by men until the Romantic era, when the female dancer became featured and the tutu was invented.  The handouts were a big help, and certainly helped me learn much more about ballet!  I'll be posting the handouts separately for your perusing pleasure, and I also plan to expand them over the next few weeks, especially since we'll have kids coming back for a few weeks at a time.  (I'm sure there's only so many times you can show them the five basic positions!)  Enjoy!
 

Ballet comes from the Latin word ballare, meaning to dance.  Its origins trace all the way back to the 1500s in Italian Renaissance courts as dances regularly performed at aristocratic weddings by the guests.  It would become a formalized form of concert dance with the help of its development in countries like France and Russia.  Louis XIV, king of France in the 1600s, was known around the world for his talent as a ballet danseur and had a role created for him, Sun King in Ballet de la Nuit, written by Jean-Baptiste Lully.  Louis XIV's favourite ballet teacher, Pierre Beauchamp, created the five basic positions of the feet and arms that are taught in ballet technique even today!  Just think - you are learning what was taught to great kings!

Choreographed ballet works also include elements of mime and acting, and are usually set to classical music.  One of the most popular ballet music composers is Pyotr Tchaikovsky, who wrote music for Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and his most famous, The Nutcracker!   Nowadays, ballet is danced to many types of music, including rock n' roll!

Learning ballet is very hard work; it is highly technical with its own recognizable 'vocabulary' of movement and requires a lot of practice.  Its technique includes pointe work, turn-out of the legs and its graceful, flowing movements.  Professional ballet dancers look like they're floating on air!  The most popular form of ballet is called classical ballet, while there are also modern forms such as neoclassical ballet and contemporary ballet.

Basic Ballet Positions of the Arms and Feet 

Ballet Dancewear

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Here are some ballet performance videos for you to enjoy!

This ballet is inspired by the popular classical ballet Coppélia, about an inventor who makes a life-size dancing doll.  It is known as a comic ballet, and this modern interpretation is for a family audience, still with its ballet traditions.



The Moscow Ballet is a famous international ballet company, with many dancers aspiring to study with their teachers.  This excerpt is from one of their performances of The Nutcracker, featuring beautiful technique and spirited dancing as the toys come to life!  Look at how they dance on their toes - that's called 'pointe work'.



Karen Kain is Canada's most famous primaballerina and an international star!  She has danced with some of the best international ballet companies for over thirty years!  Now retired from ballet, she is the Artistic Director for the National Ballet of Canada.  Here she is, dancing a pas de deux - a 'dance duet' - with Frank Ausgustyn from the ballet Gisele.