The Second Day and the First Rehearsal
A slightly more relaxed day today, with a few less classes and a little more time to think. It's nice.
I had a blast with my Grade 12's. This group of students was one of my saving graces last year. The group just gelled together immediately in a way that so few classes do and in a way that every teacher wishes their students would. With most of the same students returning this year, we don't have to spend any significant amount of time in all those Orientation-let's-get-to-know-each-other kind of activities, so we could just jump right in. Right off the bat, I gave them an mini-assignment to choreograph 40 counts to a piece of music. They paired off and went to it. What a riot! It was great just watching them get back into the fun of our Theatre routine, and watching them explore without apprehension. Even they guys, who probably aren't all that into dancing, put their best foot forward (pun totally intended)!
The Grade 11's this year are a complete change from the Grade 10's last year. The group is hardly even similar to what it was last year, and the effect is one of calm surrender. They were able to sit, listen, and contribute - something which last year's Grade 10's were only starting to do by the end of the year. If they can maintain it, we're going to have an awesome year.
I put my Grade 10 class through a movement workshop based on "age" by taking them through the various stages of life and asking them to consider how one's movement, voice, and relationship to others changes. They pulled it off in a way that I wasn't sure they would. Aside from those few of them who will consistently be distracted and who will inevitably remain unfocused, the class did really well, and I'm pretty sure they learned something. It was refreshing, and my feeling after the class was that this group is probably going to mature quite a bit this year, and we may be able to set some lofty goals for the end of the year. I know they're excited already by the possibilty of a mini-tour to elementary schools with our Children's Theatre scripts. Hooray!
THE FIRST REHEARSAL - Little Shop of Horrors
Ahhhh!!!!! It's started. That's excitement in that Ahhhhh!!!! And an expected frustration. This cast is vastly different from the one with which we tackled The Children's Hour last year. Of course, the show is vastly different too! In a really good way. I came home after the read-through/sing-through and commented to my wife that it seemed like organized chaos. The cast was extremely energetic, hyper, giggly and all manner of distracted - but oh, so enthusiastic. I sensed that they enjoy the script, the enjoy the music, and they enjoy each other. Now, if I can channel the energy onto the stage and into their characters and music, then we've got a recipe for definite success.
I realize with increasing anxiety that there is still so much to plan for for this show - backdrops, rehearsal props, scheduling issues, set-painting - and I'm trying very hard to relax about it all. There's a lot of pressure on me. The cliche of course is tht it will all come together - it always does, right? But I'm the one who has to make it all happen, and that's a lot of pressure. I'm not shying away from it - it's what I thrive on. But I think that a certain amount of anxiety is necessary to keep things fresh, moving, and organized.
Alright, cheers till next time.
I had a blast with my Grade 12's. This group of students was one of my saving graces last year. The group just gelled together immediately in a way that so few classes do and in a way that every teacher wishes their students would. With most of the same students returning this year, we don't have to spend any significant amount of time in all those Orientation-let's-get-to-know-each-other kind of activities, so we could just jump right in. Right off the bat, I gave them an mini-assignment to choreograph 40 counts to a piece of music. They paired off and went to it. What a riot! It was great just watching them get back into the fun of our Theatre routine, and watching them explore without apprehension. Even they guys, who probably aren't all that into dancing, put their best foot forward (pun totally intended)!
The Grade 11's this year are a complete change from the Grade 10's last year. The group is hardly even similar to what it was last year, and the effect is one of calm surrender. They were able to sit, listen, and contribute - something which last year's Grade 10's were only starting to do by the end of the year. If they can maintain it, we're going to have an awesome year.
I put my Grade 10 class through a movement workshop based on "age" by taking them through the various stages of life and asking them to consider how one's movement, voice, and relationship to others changes. They pulled it off in a way that I wasn't sure they would. Aside from those few of them who will consistently be distracted and who will inevitably remain unfocused, the class did really well, and I'm pretty sure they learned something. It was refreshing, and my feeling after the class was that this group is probably going to mature quite a bit this year, and we may be able to set some lofty goals for the end of the year. I know they're excited already by the possibilty of a mini-tour to elementary schools with our Children's Theatre scripts. Hooray!
THE FIRST REHEARSAL - Little Shop of Horrors
Ahhhh!!!!! It's started. That's excitement in that Ahhhhh!!!! And an expected frustration. This cast is vastly different from the one with which we tackled The Children's Hour last year. Of course, the show is vastly different too! In a really good way. I came home after the read-through/sing-through and commented to my wife that it seemed like organized chaos. The cast was extremely energetic, hyper, giggly and all manner of distracted - but oh, so enthusiastic. I sensed that they enjoy the script, the enjoy the music, and they enjoy each other. Now, if I can channel the energy onto the stage and into their characters and music, then we've got a recipe for definite success.
I realize with increasing anxiety that there is still so much to plan for for this show - backdrops, rehearsal props, scheduling issues, set-painting - and I'm trying very hard to relax about it all. There's a lot of pressure on me. The cliche of course is tht it will all come together - it always does, right? But I'm the one who has to make it all happen, and that's a lot of pressure. I'm not shying away from it - it's what I thrive on. But I think that a certain amount of anxiety is necessary to keep things fresh, moving, and organized.
Alright, cheers till next time.
posted by Hedivan at 12:11 PM
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