Ahoy maties! Mr. Keegan and I had such a blast diving under the sea with our young actors at Cardinal Elementary for Drama Day! (p.s..... we're married!) Throughout the day our young artists explored Acting, Music, Art, and Movement/Dance... let's dive deeper into our day!
I am always blown away at the care and precision students show when given ownership over what they are creating. As a choreographer I am always interested in how the students want to move. What do they find exciting? What steps feel organically joyful to them? Let's use that! I know how I move... how do they move? These kids have something to say, and ETC does such a beautiful job of creating space for them to share those thoughts, feelings, and ideas with the world through theatre!
In Movement/Dance, students of all ages used floaty scarves to create creatures and elements we might see in the ocean: we saw clams, jellyfish, seahorses, waves, shark fins, and so much more! There were over 30 kids at Drama Day and I know for a fact the kids came up with over 30 different ways to make underwater creatures with those scarves! Then, students partnered up to create a short dance piece using those scarves. They were challenged to work together to create a movement phrase where each person was responding to the movements of the other. Some movement phrases were directly inspired by the ebb and flow of the ocean, some by dolphins, and one was even inspired by an underwater dance fight! To top off the experience, everyone danced and sang along to the crowd favorite "Under the Sea!"
I can't think of a better way to spend a Friday than watching children blossom in the power of their own creativity. There's another Drama Day coming up on May 3rd, so if your student missed the last one, don't wait to sign up! An invigorating day of theatre magic awaits!
- Miss Katie (the short one!)