Students who choose to enroll in the Performing Arts elective will have the opportunity to develop their performance skills through participation in numerous classroom acting, singing, and dance projects leading up to our annual spring musical performance.
These students will learn to take risks and move out of their comfort zone in creative and exciting ways resulting in increased confidence both on and off the stage. Students will also learn the importance of teamwork, focusing on a singular goal, and the rewards of proper preparation.
This elective is open to all students regardless of experience level. The class is built around our two instructors who are able to initiate those with limited experience and at the same time challenge those who have had prior experience.
Pantomime
Students will learn how to develop their characters by using gestures, facial expressions, and other various movements. By eliminating dialogue, students will be forced to rely on other means to communicate their characters story to an audience. Group and solo activities will lead students to increased imagination and observation skills that will enhance their stage presence.
Speech for Actors
Pace, Pronunciation, Pitch, Projection, and Passion:
- Pace: Learning how to control the rate of speech in order to accurately portray their character and situation.
- Pronunciation: Learning how to articulate lines in a clear manner in order for the audience to clearly understand every word that is spoken.
- Pitch: Learning to speak with appropriate depth or height in order to keep audience attention and enhance character portrayal.
- Projection: Learning how to maintain effective breath control and diaphragmatic breathing in order to effectively manage volume level for extended periods of time.
- Passion: Learning how to enhance character portrayal by creating the illusion that every word and action has been generated by the character himself.
Improvisation
Students will participate in scene performances that will have little to no planning time where they will be responsible for portraying an environment, story, and character with a beginning, middle, and end. By doing this, students will have to think on their feet in order to make choices that not only progress the story forward, but build upon the actions other actors make to create a more compelling story.
Choreography for Musicals
Students will learn how to perform various dance numbers within the context of acting and moving as a group. Emphasis will be on memorization, synchronization, and maintaining of character throughout each dance number. Based on the performance, students may be part of a large group and sometimes even solo. All students will make the most of rehearsal times in order to be confident on performance day.
Singing for Musicals
Students will learn songs from Broadway shows with different vocal characters based on who they are playing. Emphasis will be placed on pitch, harmony, dynamics, and vocal range expansion.
Directing
Seniors students are given the opportunity to direct scenes that underclassmen will be a part of. They will have complete control of the theater process from beginning to end communicating blocking, prop usage, costuming, and coaching. Students will perform these scene in front of the class and provide constructive feedback to one another.
