Posts Tagged ‘Drama’

Annie for 7-16 year olds

Thursday, January 10th, 2019

Annie for 7-16 Year Olds

This spring our students age 7-16 are working on their latest musical theatre production – Annie!

Every child will have a part to play in this classic story.

Over the coming weeks we will introduce the key characters, songs and dances and all cast members will have the opportunity to shine in front of an audience of family and friends in a professional theatre space in April.

If you have a child age 7-16 who would like to take part in this production, it’s not too late!  Please get in touch with us to book a free trial by Saturday 19th January 2019.

 

Aladdin for 4-6 year olds

Thursday, January 10th, 2019

Aladdin for 4-6 Year Olds

Every term our pupils age 4-6 at our Little Stars classes take part in a mini musical.

This spring term our Little Stars will be having an Arabian adventure with Aladdin, Princess Jasmine and all their friends.

They will be introduced to the characters in this story by our amazing teachers through fun games and drama techniques.  As the weeks progress all the kids will have the chance to learn funky dance routines and songs from this classic tale.

Every child has a part to play with their own script and lines of dialogue.  We provide kids with a costume that’s just right for them and their character.

At the end of the term family and friends are invited to come and watch an awesome show.

If you would like to book a free trial for your own Little Star aged 4-6 at any of our venues, please contact us and we can arrange this for you.

Autumn Term 2018 for 4-6 year olds

Saturday, September 8th, 2018

Wizard of Oz for 4-6 Year Olds

Every term our pupils age 4-6 at our Little Stars classes take part in a mini musical.

This September our Little Stars will be having an adventure along the Yellow Brick Road and meeting Dorothy, Toto and all their friends.

They will be introduced to the characters in this story by our amazing teachers through fun games and drama techniques.  As the weeks progress all the kids will have the chance to learn funky dance routines and songs from this classic tale.

Every child has a part to play with their own script and lines of dialogue.  We provide kids with a costume that’s just right for them and their character.

At the end of the term family and friends are invited to come and watch an awesome show.

All our classes are starting back week commencing Monday 10th September.

If you would like to book a free trial for your own Little Star aged 4-6 at any of our venues, please contact us and we can arrange this for you.

Autumn Term 2018 for 7-16 year olds

Saturday, September 8th, 2018

Autumn Term 2018 for 7-16 Year Olds

At Spotlights, we’re counting down the days until we go back to school!

We love September at Spotlights. It means that we will welcome back our awesome students to our classes and we will open our doors to any new students where we have space available.  If you would like to book a free trial session for your child, please get in touch.

In the autumn term, the students aged 7-16 (Stars 12&3)work towards a showcase presentation for their families and friends. The material that the students cover in drama, dance and singing, is always a contrast to musical theatre and this term will be no exception to that.

In dance, the students will work on street dance technique and choreography. Street dance is great fun and inclusive. It encompasses all levels of dance ability. Based on the amazing performance skills of dance troupes like Diversity, our dance teachers will be putting the Spotlights students through their paces, to produce some exciting content for the showcase.

In singing, the students will work on several different pop songs. The students will have the opportunity to sing solo, duets and in small groups and they’ll be gaining lots of confidence whilst having a great time in class!

The first few weeks of the term in drama will be focused on comedy and then the students will move on to look at scripted scenes, that they will stage and present to an audience later in the term. Each student will have a part to play in their chosen scene and a character they can develop in class.

After the showcase and before the end of the term, we will hold auditions, for our next major production. This musical production will be performed in April 2019.

All our classes are starting back week commencing Monday 10th September.

If you would like to book a free trial for your child aged 7-16 at any of our venues, please contact us and we can arrange this for you.

Mary Poppins Term for 4-6 year olds

Thursday, April 6th, 2017

This April the theme of our Little Stars classes for 4-6 year old’s is based on P.L. Travers’ classic story – Mary Poppins.

[fancygallery id=”14″ album=”22″]

Each week we will be looking at the characters from the story and through drama games and exercises your child will have the opportunity to role-play a day in the life of their favourite character.

Whether your child loves Bert, Jane, Michael or Mary Poppins herself we will inspire them to explore this magical world using their imagination.

Our drama games are specially designed to fully engage your child and we only measure how much fun they are having and not who the “winner” is!

The first building block of our STAR system is “S” for Self-confidence and whether your child is a natural performer or a little shy we make sure they have the opportunity to shine in class.

We develop your child’s self-confidence each week.

Each class includes singing and after we have carefully warmed up your child’s voice they will start to learn some of the songs from this story.

We know that some kids love singing and others are less confident.  The “T” in our STAR system is Teamwork.  Teamwork is really effective in group singing.  We allow all the children in a class to work together as a group and help each other learn lyrics.

Your child will learn how to tell this story in a creative way by singing in character.  The confident singers in the class have the opportunity to sing solo or in a duet.

The “A” in our STAR System is Active learning – this is learning by doing.  This is really key in dance.

Each Little Stars class includes dance training.  Your child will learn how to warm-up their body correctly.  They will learn a dance in a musical theatre style and another dance to some of the latest pop tunes.

Your child will learn dance steps taught by a professional teacher with a background in performing arts.

It’s then our job over the course of the term to bring all this learning together.  The “R” in our STAR System is Realising potential.  Your child will realise their own potential by attending these fun and creative classes each week.

So why not give your child the golden ticket to our fantastic training in drama, dance and singing this September.

Classes in Beckenham, Bromley, Croydon, Orpington and West Wickham.

We offer a no obligation FREE trial class to all new students.  Get in touch to book or sign up for our monthly newsletter to be first in line for our performing arts news and our latest offers.



Congratulations to Patrick – Emmy Kids Awards 2017

Thursday, April 6th, 2017

Well done Patrick in Emmy Kids Award winning TV movie “Peter and Wendy”

We are so proud of our student Patrick who played the role of Michael in ITV movie “Peter and Wendy”.

This movie has just won “Best TV Movie or Mini-Series” at the 2017 International Emmy© Kids Awards.

‘Peter and Wendy’ is the magical family adventure based on J.M. Barrie’s much-loved classic, starring Stanley Tucci, Laura Fraser and Paloma Faith.

This movie required great commitment from Patrick and his family and involved filming over a whole summer in UK and Luxemburg.  This award recognises the hard work and professionalism of all those involved in the project.

Our agency continues to flourish as we place children into roles in film, TV, theatre and commercials.  The agency is open to current students following an audition process.  Please get in touch for further details.



Celebrate Roald Dahl Day

Tuesday, September 13th, 2016

Today is Roald Dahl Day, 100 years since his birth.

 

We are especially excited as all our Little Stars classes for 4-6 year olds are creating a mini musical version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this term.

Each week we will introduce the characters from this classic tale.  Through improvisation, role-play and storytelling we will explore what each character is like and teach drama techniques to help each child in the group take on a role.

We will also teach some songs from the story.  We teach singing as a group but there are always opportunities for more confident singers to take on some solo singing.

Our mini musical will also have some funky dance moves devised by our professional choreographers.

We teach a core technique so that your child will improve in drama, dance and singing over the term but the focus of each lesson is on having fun!

At the end of the term each group will present a delicious show to family and friends.

If your little one has not been to one of classes before why not sign them up for a FREE Trial?

We currently offer classes in Beckenham, Bromley, Croydon, Orpington and West Wickham.

Get in touch or call 020 8460 5711 for further details.

If you fancy celebrating Roald Dahl Day at home today there are some great ideas via www.roalddahl.com

These are some of our favourites:

Make a Revolting Recipe

Craft  your own Mr Twit beard or invent your own Wonka creation

Write your own Roald Dahl inspired stories – here are some tips on writing from the man himself

Have a Roald Dahl Quiz – there is a super easy, easy and difficult version here

 

 

Why Star 4 classes are great for 16-18 year old’s with a passion for drama

Thursday, August 18th, 2016

The summer is really flying by and I can’t wait to get back into the drama studio at Venue 28 in Beckenham and work with our Star 4 students, aged 16-18.

 

It seems appropriate on the day that A-Level results are published to be thinking about our training specially designed for 16-18 year olds who have a passion for drama.  If this sounds like you then I would love to see you at the Star 4 class.

Our Star 4 class really gets to the heart of studying drama.  If you simply love drama our classes are a fantastic creative outlet. We can also help you to get a place at Drama School, an apprenticeship or work in the industry.  We will develop your acting skills for professional castings and performing roles in the theatre and on screen.

Our next term of classes is all about preparing for the role. We start with Stanislavsky techniques that will teach you how to deliver truthful performances. Method acting is based on Stanislavsky’s techniques. It’s been widely used on screen by iconic actors such as Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson and Edward Norton. Brando has said of Method acting; ‘To grasp the full significance of life is the actor’s duty, to interpret it is his problem and to express it is his dedication.’  We will look at what that means and how you can use Stanislavsky technique to improve your own performances.

You will also work on audition and interview technique. This covers everything from choosing the right speech, to have the confidence to shine in the crucial moment.  This is a critical exercise to getting the place at Drama School or University to study drama.  These skills and the confidence you will gain are also transferable to interviews for any type of work.

The term also covers Shakespeare and gives you the opportunity to master a speech from a Shakespeare play and then apply what you’ve learnt to a larger role.

Industry professionals often visit the group to share their experience of working in the TV and film industry. This coming term we are lucky enough to be joined by one of our patrons, Patti Clare, who plays Mary in ‘Coronation Street’.  Patti has recently been awarded “Best Comedy Performance” at the British Soap Awards for her role in the show.  She will conduct a Q and A session which will provide you with a real insight into the professional world.

The January to March term is all about performance. The term is focused on auditioning for, being cast in and rehearsing a play that you will have seen first in London and then present to an audience in the studio space at Venue 28 in Beckenham. The play will be prepared to a professional standard and you will work as a member of your own theatre company. This will prepare you for your next steps in the industry and life in general.

The Star 4 classes take place on Monday evenings from 6.30pm – 8.30pm at Venue 28 in Beckenham. We offer a free trial class to all new students.  Get in touch to book your place.  Sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date.



Calling all 4-6 year old Charlie & The Chocolate Factory Fans

Friday, August 12th, 2016

This September the theme of our Little Stars classes for 4-6 year old’s is based on Roald Dahl’s classic story – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

 

[fancygallery id=”14″ album=”22″]

Each week we will be looking at the characters from the story and through drama games and exercises your child will have the opportunity to role-play a day in the life of their favourite character.

Whether your child loves Veruca Salt, Augustus Gloop or Willy Wonka himself we will inspire them to explore this magical world using their imagination.

Our drama games are specially designed to fully engage your child and we only measure how much fun they are having and not who the “winner” is!

The first building block of our STAR system is “S” for Self-confidence and whether your child is a natural performer or a little shy we make sure they have the opportunity to shine in class.

We develop your child’s self-confidence each week.

Each class includes singing and after we have carefully warmed up your child’s voice they will start to learn some of the songs from this story.

We know that some kids love singing and others are less confident.  The “T” in our STAR system is Teamwork.  Teamwork is really effective in group singing.  We allow all the children in a class to work together as a group and help each other learn lyrics.

Your child will learn how to tell this story in a creative way by singing in character.  The confident singers in the class have the opportunity to sing solo or in a duet.

The “A” in our STAR System is Active learning – this is learning by doing.  This is really key in dance.

Each Little Stars class includes dance training.  Your child will learn how to warm-up their body correctly.  They will learn a dance in a musical theatre style and another dance to some of the latest pop tunes.

Your child will learn dance steps taught by a professional teacher with a background in performing arts.

It’s then our job over the course of the term to bring all this learning together.  The “R” in our STAR System is Realising potential.  Your child will realise their own potential by attending these fun and creative classes each week.

So why not give your child the golden ticket to our fantastic training in drama, dance and singing this September.

Classes in Beckenham, Bromley, Croydon, Orpington and West Wickham.

We offer a no obligation FREE trial class to all new students.  Get in touch to book or sign up for our monthly newsletter to be first in line for our performing arts news and our latest offers.



How LAMDA exams have helped our students

Tuesday, August 9th, 2016

We’ve just received our most recent LAMDA group acting exam results and I’m delighted that yet again the students have achieved a fantastic set of results. They’ve been awarded 4 Distinctions and a High Merit grade at Entry Level, Grade 2, Grade 5 and Grade 6.

These results are outstanding!

 

I know that some of you will not have heard about the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and drama exams so I have been reflecting on why our students are consistently getting such high grades and what I think the benefits are in taking part in this process.

LAMDA is one of the UK’s oldest and most respected performing arts organisations. They have been offering practical examinations in communication and performance subjects for over 130 years.

LAMDA offers full time programmes and graduates include A-List celebrities such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Kim Cattrall and Jude Law.

Our performing arts students that really stand out in their weekly drama classes are invited to attend group acting classes which are then assessed by an examiner from LAMDA.

The LAMDA examiner writes a detailed report that the group can then learn from and further develop their drama and performing arts skills.

The students perform scenes from a wide variety of plays.  This material and the LAMDA drama training provides students with the opportunity to play characters that are a different age to themselves, from different backgrounds, cultures and periods of history.  The texts require the students to develop their emotional intelligence and understanding of the world.

There are some very obvious benefits to drama training such as improved self-confidence and the ability to speak confidently in front of a group. These are skills that the students can use in all areas of their lives as they mature and go out into the world.

The process of working towards the LAMDA group acting exam also requires each student to be focused and concentrate in each weekly session. They learn to be self-disciplined, as they have a limited time to learn and prepare their material, so that it is performance ready for the exam.

They learn to accept feedback in each weekly session as the play develops. The students have to work as a team and they are examined as a group, so each individual student’s contribution is vital and impacts on the exam results. They learn to co-operate with each other and use their creativity to shape and develop their characters.

I can’t wait to get started on the next level of exam courses in September and I look forward to more exciting results.

If you would like any further information about our group acting training and LAMDA exams please get in touch or subscribe to our monthly email mailing list for all our latest news.