I have worked in the vocational Performing Arts sector my whole life, in 2011 I qualified with my PGCE in Drama and Dance was formerly Head of Drama and currently work as a teacher of Drama and English. All of my resources have been tried and tested in the classroom and enjoyed by all who have used them. I have suggested the year group in the title for each resource but feel free to use them how you like. Hope you enjoy my contribution. I’d be grateful for reviews or feedback - enjoy!
I have worked in the vocational Performing Arts sector my whole life, in 2011 I qualified with my PGCE in Drama and Dance was formerly Head of Drama and currently work as a teacher of Drama and English. All of my resources have been tried and tested in the classroom and enjoyed by all who have used them. I have suggested the year group in the title for each resource but feel free to use them how you like. Hope you enjoy my contribution. I’d be grateful for reviews or feedback - enjoy!
This is a full presentation with findings in to bone density in dancers, which can be used at GCSE, A-Level or Sports Science.
It looks at weakening of bones and osteoporosis.
The purpose of this PowerPoint was to compare the body composition and distribution of adipose tissue in two groups of female professional ballet dancers.
The first group had already been identified as having low BMD and consisted of 10 dancers.
The second group had been identified as having ‘normal’ BMD and were of a matching height and weight to the first group.
This presentation can be used at GCSE or A-Level Dance and looks at:
How has ‘Political expression and repression’ been communicated historically through dance and what has its conveyance strived to achieve?
It aims to:
Contextualise the work of the New Dance Group and Anna Sokolow.
Convey how repression and political issues have been expressed through dance from the early 20th Century.
Relate this to Liedtke’s work in the 21st Century.
This scheme of work and 6 lesson plans are designed to introduce students to the concept of different forms of staging.
The scheme encourages students to explore the use of different stage types, how to use them and the effect this in turn has on the audience.
Included are also 2 scripts to use alongside this scheme, though you are welcome to adapt to your own.
Each lesson in this 6 lesson plan also includes a full break down of practical exercises and activities, to aid the students learning. Enjoy!
This resource is recommended for Years 7 or 8.
Inspired by the all child musical Bugsy Malone, this unit acknowledges the popularity of musicals. It provides the opportunity for pupils to experience a lively and expressive dance form.
• The unit focuses on basic aspects of modern theatre technique and expression and portraying energy and correct tempo.
• Technical skills Introduction to modern theatre dance style. Transference of their technical skills to typical musical theatre dance structure. Introducing basic lifts.
• Expressive skills Use of focus and facial expression to support the mood of the dance. Use of correct timing and tempo to correctly depict the variance in the music.
• Choreographic skills pupils will reflect the structure of the dance work and the narrative. Pupils will use a variety of group sizes and relationships, with some opportunity solo, duet and trio work.
• Appreciation skills Pupils are provided with the opportunity to interpret and analyse Bugsy Malone and discuss this in the context of other more modern musicals. The work will also introduce students to a basic knowledge and understanding of the development and changes in musical theatre.
• Inspired by the professional dance work, ‘Swansong’, (Christopher Bruce 1987)
• The unit makes cross-curricular links with citizenship, dealing with the process of false imprisonment and interrogation and Human Rights.
• The unit focuses on an emotive and moral issues.
• Technical skills are further developed in this unit in particular contact work, lighting and weight bearing, soft shoe tap, the use of props and an introduction to a simple abstracted ballroom technique (tango)
• Expressive skills are a key emphasise of this unit. Pupils will be asked to play contrasting roles, taking on the role of the interrogator and that of the victim. As the dance progresses the intensity of each role deepens. The guards are expected to show extremes, one moment being the comedy act, the next a cold harsh interrogator.
• Use of focus and facial expression along with the variety of technical movement and repeated phrases support the intensity of the work.
• Choreographic skills pupils will reflect the structure of the dance work and the narrative. Pupils will use mainly trio formations and relationships, with some opportunity for a victim’s solo and a duet cane/tango dance.
This scheme of work and 6 lesson plans are designed to introduce students to the world of Soap Opera.
The scheme encourages students to explore their imagination, concentrate on creating and presenting a character and setting a scene, as well as exploring techniques such as: Cliffhanger and using emotive acting.
Each lesson in this 6 lesson plan also includes a full break down of practical exercises and activities and links to video, to aid students learning. Enjoy!
This scheme of work and 6 lesson plans explores the genre of Melodrama, starting with the silent movie. By the end of the topic, students have performed a scene in 3’s in the style of melodrama, concentrating on physical elements and vocalisation.
The scheme encourages students to explore Physical comedy,
Stock characters, Tableau and Narration, whilst concentrating on creating and presenting a character, as well as exploring the use of script, scenario and contextual information.
Each lesson in this 6-lesson plan also includes a full break down of practical exercises and activities as well as 2 scripts and links to online video resources, to aid students learning. Enjoy!
This scheme of work and 6 lesson plans is designed to be used as an introductory resource for teachers welcoming new Year 7 students in to Drama.
The scheme encourages students to explore their imagination, without having to lead them too much, hence creating a good starting point to judge their baseline level upon entry.
Teachers can then use the students first levels to build up a picture of progress and tracking from the start of the new school Year.
I have also included a bonus introductory task that can be used at the start of the scheme, if time permits, that our teachers believe help the creative process.
Enjoy!
This unit takes its inspiration from the painting Guernica (1937) by Pablo Picasso. The unit makes cross-curricular links with Art and History and shows pupils how other art forms and historic events can be a powerful stimuli for dance.
The unit focuses on an emotive, moral issue. The pupils analyse and interpret the painting, using both the visual imagery of the shapes and a discussion of events that inspired the artist.
A key focus of this unit is the development of expressive skills. Pupils are asked to empathise with the people of Guernica and portray images, such as chaos, pain, outrage and brutality, within their own dances. The use of focus and facial expression, contracting, twisting and arching the spine and forming geometric shapes with the body, aid the powerful and vivid expression of the work.
Choreographically, pupils will reflect the composition of the painting, using devices such as overlapping and changes of level to represent the work. The dance progresses from duet to small group work.
As they work, pupils should make connections between their movements, body shapes and expressions and the content and meaning of the painting.
Performance skills:
Demonstrate clarity and expressive use of the spine when performing (eg twisting, arching and contracting positions are taken to their extreme).
Demonstrate good technique when jumping, falling and rolling at speed (eg take-off and landings show control and clarity of shape in the air; flight actions have an ‘explosive’
quality, showing power and vitality; falling and rolling actions use the floor safely).
Demonstrate appropriate facial expression/characterisation showing emotion (eg open mouths as if screaming, eyes wide-open as if terrified)
Composition Skills:
Create movements that reflect key shapes, images and emotions within the painting (eg out-stretched hands and upward focus, use of torso [twisted, arched, contracted] when
creating key shapes and phrases of movement).
Compose various tableaux in small groups that reflect the compositional structure of the painting (eg the use of over-lapping and contrasting levels to show the chaos and
juxtaposition of body parts).
Create a dance based on a given narrative (eg dance to show the bomb being dropped and the response to this).
Appreciation skills:
Identify and interpret what is seen in the painting, offering explanations for responses (eg describe key motifs and point to objective features of the work to support answers).
Discuss the moral issues surrounding the events depicted in the painting and how this is shown in the dance (eg describe how the fleeing woman in the painting might feel).
Evaluate the success of other groups in communicating the dance idea (eg success at depicting chaos, pain and outrage).
This online full unit of work created for online or classroom based learning includes a 37 page / 6 lesson PowerPoint, which introduces students to:
Different forms of theatre staging
Stage directions & positioning
Breaking the fourth wall
Monologue
A short script
Basic stage lighting
Colour design & representation
Assessment task
This includes all resources, script and video links that teachers can use with the students work to build up a picture of progress and tracking whilst adapting to these difficult times, suggested for Year 7 KS3.
This online full unit of work created for online or classroom based learning includes a 40 page / 6 lesson PowerPoint, which introduces students to:
Tableau
Proxemics
Thought Track
A short story
Narration
Monologue
Creating a scene
This includes all resources and video links that teachers can use with the students work to build up a picture of progress and tracking from the start of the new school year in Year 8 KS3.
This scheme of work and 6 lesson plans are designed to introduce students to the different performance devices that can be used in devised work.
The scheme encourages students to explore their imagination, concentrate on creating and presenting a character, as well as exploring the use of improvisation, scenario and stereotypes, all ending with the creation of a new superhero.
Each lesson in this 6 lesson plan also includes a full break down of practical exercises and activities and links to character stereotypes as their stimulus, to aid students learning. Enjoy!
This online full unit of work created for online or classroom based learning includes a 41 page / 6 lesson PowerPoint, which introduces students to:
Soap Opera
Character
Voice
Movement
Facial expression
Narrative
Cliff-hanger
Open ended narrative
Emotion
Location
Relationships
Issues
Scenes
Episodes
This includes all resources, worksheets and video links that teachers can use with the students work to build up a picture of progress and tracking whilst adapting to these difficult times, suggested for Year 7 KS3.
This scheme of work and 6 lesson plans are designed to introduce students to the different performance devices and explorative strategies, that can be used in devised work.
The scheme encourages students to analyse character through exploratory methods, such as in role writing, hot-seating and tableau to successfully present the characters analysed in a poem.
Each lesson in this 6 lesson plan also includes a full break down of practical exercises and activities and links to the poem ‘Timothy Winters, by Charles Causley, as their stimulus, to aid students learning. Enjoy!
This scheme of work and 6 lesson plans are designed to introduce students to the different performance devices and explorative strategies, that can be used in performing and analysing a piece of text.
In this set of lessons students will be looking at a scene that is cut up into lines, they need to reorder the lines of the scene. Analyse how the lines of a scene intentionally progress to build tension.
They then use specific moments in the text creatively to form dramatic tension. They will then go on to decide which role they will take, discuss their text to establish character relationships and decide where and when the scene takes place. They will then rehearse their scene for assessment. For this scheme you can use any scene from any play. Enjoy!
Lesson Objectives & Activities:
Lesson 1: Reorder the lines of a scene. Analyse how the lines of a scene intentionally progress to build tension. Activities - Warm-up Listening, question and answer. Reorder scenes to make a narrative. Decision making. Use specific moments in the text creatively to form dramatic tension.
Lesson 2: Decide which role they will take. Discuss their text to establish character relationships. Decide where and when the scene takes place. Discuss brecht vs naturalism Activities - Warm-up Listening, question and answer. Discussion & Decision making. Establish relationships, geography and chronology of the scene. Listening / practical.
Lesson 3: To Construct their scene. Manipulate their scene. Rehearse their scene. Activities - Warm-up Listening and Question and Answer. Discussion, Q&A, Discussion of what props / set they may need. Practical rehearsal.
Lesson 4: Rehearse their scene Perform to peers. Activities - Warm-up Performance of scenes to peers. Peer evaluation.
Lesson 5: To rehearse their devised scene for assessment. Activities - Rehearsal of scenes. Peer evaluation.
Lesson 6: To Perform their devised scene for assessment Activities - Performance of scenes to peers. Peer evaluation Teacher assessment. Decision making. Use specific moments in the text creatively to form dramatic tension.
This scheme of work and 6 lesson plans are designed to be used with ‘Forty short plays: Plays and sketches for the classroom which can be bought online
but can be used with any set of short scripts, for example there are many free scripts available online also.
The scheme encourages students to build upon their knowledge of creating a character by now thinking about using stage directions and taking own the perspective of the director.
Included are also a sheet which highlights the role of the director and stage directions, as well as suggested scripts to use.
Each lesson in this 6 lesson plan also includes a full break down of practical exercises and activities, to aid their students learning. Enjoy!
This online full unit of work created for online or classroom based learning includes a 32 page / 6 lesson PowerPoint, which introduces and develops students to:
Character Traits
Mythical characters
Stereotypical characters
Monologue / short story
Tableau / Still image
Thought track
Using stimuli
Storyboard
Writing a duologue
Flashback
Interview
Role Play
Costume
This includes all resources that teachers can use with the students work to build up a picture of progress and tracking in Year 8 KS3 either as a classroom based, blended or virtual learning.
This scheme of work and 6 lesson plans are designed to introduce students to the concept of physical theatre.
The scheme encourages students to explore the use of narration, physicality and physical theatre, with various physical activities.
Included are also a sheet which highlights the levels of tension within a character and also 2 scripts included as suggestions for narration to use alongside the physical activities.
Each lesson in this 6 lesson plan also includes a full break down of practical exercises and activities, to aid their students learning. Enjoy!
This scheme of work and 6 lesson plans is designed to be used as an introduction to ‘Greek Theatre’ for teachers of Drama.
The scheme encourages students to explore their imagination, use choral speech and unison, as well as go on to look at extracts of Oedipus, Persephone and a choral speech.
Teachers can use all or some of the resources in this pack to give a good understanding of Greek Theatre.
We have also included a bonus extension task that can be used, Nochara Endless Night, which works beautifully to instrumental music as a physical Greek Theatre piece, if time permits, that our teachers believe help the creative process.
Enjoy!
This unit of work, lesson plans, set dance and literature is recommended for Year 8 Dance.
The unit focuses on the basic techniques of Hip Hop dance and brings in ideas taken from Parkour.
• Technical skills Introduction to an urban style of dance and further contact work. Transference of their technical skills to typical style with strict rhythm.
• Expressive skills Pupils will be encouraged to use a sound rhythmic structure to their performance, moving on and off the beat precisely. Pupils should also show a clarity and control when landing, moving over and around other dancers.
• Choreographic skills Pupils will use a variety of group sizes and relationships, with some opportunity solo, duet and trio work. The use of ‘tagging in’ will be explored for transition.
• Appreciation skills Pupils will view pictures and video and describe the key action, spatial, and dynamic relationship features. For example the action of the traceurs as they move around the city. Comment on the views and opinions expressed by leading professionals in parkour and Hip Hop dance.