Our class sizes are small with no more than 10 students per class, in this way we can give each child the attention that they deserve. Each weekly session will begin with a vocal and body warm up to relax the body and mind in preparation for the skills classes.
Drama Tots are the youngest group of ages 2-4 years and their 45 minute session includes games, poems, songs, stories, books, phonics and pretend play. Parents and carers are asked to stay with their child for the entire session but due to COVID-19 we ask that only one parent attends per child. Currently we are only accepting 5 children plus a parent or carer per class.
Starlets are aged 4-7 years. Their session is split into three 20 minute classes; acting, singing and dance. This is a drop-off session, apart from the settling in period parents are kindly asked not to stay. The work produced each term will be shared with parents in an end of term presentation showcase held in the last session of each term.
For interested students, tutoring for LAMDA exams can be given privately. LAMDA offer exams in ACTING, SHAKESPEARE, DEVISING and MUSICAL THEATRE. https://www.lamda.ac.uk/lamda-exams/our-exams
ACTING
STARLETS is for ages 4-7. Starlets learn performance skills through fun activities, working from games to performance. They learn to cooperate with others, developing ways to tell their stories, using vocal volume and expression and moving creatively through the space. They will learn to trust, depend upon and support others in the team as well as becoming confident in offering their thoughts and ideas.
The STARKIDZ, ages 8-11 will do 30 minutes of Acting in their 90 minute class. They will develop their team working skills, build upon their confidence on the stage and create belief in character.
At 13-15 the children join the SHOOTING STARS group where multi-media is introduced, learning about set, costume and make-up design. They learn the acting skills needed for their performance to become believable and they have the opportunity to devise, scriptwrite and direct their own productions. LAMDA exams are also offered to this group.
At 16-18, STAR ACTS develop acting skills using various techniques such as The Meisner Technique, Laban, Stanislavski Methods and Brecht. Actions* is used to inform the character’s depth. Dependent upon choice we work with film scripts, theatre plays and write our own scripts.
Guidance is also available for the students to prepare for auditions and drama school applications.
SINGING
The STARLETS aged 4-7 group and STARKIDZ aged 8-11 will learn to sing & sign. Not only does this make the singing fun for the children but by doing actions they tend to easily remember the order of words. We work with British Sign Language which is also a great skill to learn. Vocally the children will learn how to use volume for effect, begin to understand tone and pitch as well as working with rhythm as a start to realising the phrasing of music into note and bars. For children who show a preference for instruments over singing, opportunities to experiment with recorders (the students own), keyboards and percussion instruments are offered.
SHOOTING STARS aged 12-15 continue to develop confidence in their own voice working to annunciate and project their voice for stage performances. Songs will be studied as choral groups working with layers of sound and harmonies. Accompanying music may be live or recorded and sometimes singing is A cappella (without instrumental accompaniment).
STAR ACTS aged 16-18 will sing solo as well as in groups. Vocal strengthening exercises are used to prepare the students for musical theatre. Songs are performed as intended on the stage rather than standing in a choir formation and singing statically. Vocal styles and strengths are explored in order to find songs that suit the student(s) individuality. We work from musical scores; students will learn how to read music for more accurate performances.
Songs are prepared for audition purposes.
DANCING
STARLETS will focus on Tap Dance in Term One, Contemporary Dance in Term Two and Ballet in Term Three. Tap is a good place for the children to begin their journey as they love to make rhythmic noise with their feet and bodies. It is great fun to build various layers of sound and stomping around expressively builds the children’s confidence. We also work with percussion instruments to help inform their growing knowledge of rhythm. Ballet and Contemporary Dance focus upon movement, coordination and stretching the muscles in preparation for more complicated moves at the next stage.
It is not essential for this age group to have specialist shoes, the children can do Tap in their regular shoes and Contemporary Dance and Ballet can be done wearing socks. For hygiene reasons we do not allow bear feet. If you do wish to purchase shoes, chose tap shoes and ballet shoes only, ballet shoes can be worn for Contemporary Dance.
STARKIDZ aged 8-11 will continue the three styles of dance each term; Tap, Ballet and Contemporary Dance. They will work in groups to create routines which will then be performed in costume for the parents at the end of term showcase.
SHOOTING STARS aged 12-15 and STAR ACTS aged 16-18 will add Jazz dance and Rock and Roll to their repertoire. When appropriate the singing and dance will be combined into one performance of musical theatre.
*ACTIONS. The Actors’ Thesaurus by Marina Caldarone and Maggie Lloyd-Williams.
Drama Stars 