Course Content
ACTING
In these classes be prepared to challenge your thinking, what does it mean to act, and what is the role of the actor? There will be a mix of acting theory, drawing on several critical perspectives, and practical work involving movement, voice and all the tools of self-expression. We will workshop a variety of material with tutors, peers, and guest lecturers all in support of your application process for university or drama school.
HISTORY OF MUSICAL THEATRE
Examine the development of musical theatre across the 20th century to the present day, from Gilbert and Sullivan through to Broadway’s newest composers. The story of Musical Theatre is one of growth and connection; adding music and dance to a beautifully crafted story to embed it into the hearts of audiences. Of pushing boundaries and challenging people to connect with a heightened version of life’s ups and downs.
JAZZ DANCE
Jazz is one of the main building blocks of Musical Theatre choreography. Students will work on developing the foundations of Jazz technique through a variety of exercises focused on improving strength, flexibility, and performance skills.
Students will be challenged by working on a range of jazz styles and contrasting routines in preparation for their dance auditions.
TAP
The tap course provides initial training in rhythm, musicality, and control. The students learn a large range of vocabulary and they experience dancing in a variety of tap-styles including urban, jazz and musical theatre. Emphasis is placed on rhythmical understanding and the students will also learn to choreograph their own work and become confident in basic improvisation. The successful completion of this course will see students well-prepared to attend other classes or auditions.
SONG & DANCE
Develop your skills as a triple threat by combining communication of a story with song and dance. This is the thing that distinguishes musical theatre from all the rest, and will test your energy, multi-tasking, memory, communication, and breath control.
GROUP SINGING
Improve your overall singing technique while learning key skills for working within an ensemble, such as listening, tuning, timing, and holding a harmony. Surround yourself with the powerful sounds of an ensemble in song!
VOCAL ANATOMY
Discover more about breath and voice production as related to the anatomical elements involved in singing. Learn about the healthy voice, along with details of how to produce sound best and most efficiently.
VOICE
A stalwart of all actors training is working with speech. Develop a healthy and robust speaking voice that can tackle the most challenging of situations with precision and clarity.
MOVEMENT
Discover your body’s expressive potential and have at your disposal the techniques which will allow you to achieve the physical and imaginative transformations required as an actor. The classes explore key movement influences, including Laban, Lecoq and Anne Bogart's Viewpoints training. The focus of the classes is to embody movement with imagination at its heart, working on body awareness, improvisation and developing original performance and choreography that allows you to clearly express ideas, emotions and enrich storytelling.
TEXT
Establish a process for working with words as a starting point. The practice of finding the drama and making sense of any text. Particular attention will be paid to Shakespeare along with prose and a healthy dose of sight reading!
BALLET
The ballet course provides students with strong technique and understanding of the basic requirements for ballet. Through a structured programme of floor work, barre and centre practice the students learn how to maintain correct posture and how to correctly use their turnout, while also developing a knowledge of the French vocabulary and common dance patterns. By the end of the year they will be confident in dancing short sequences and responding to a variety of music, leaving them well prepared for college auditions.
COMMERCIAL DANCE
In Commercial Dance classes, we aim to introduce everyone to the foundational steps of a multitude of styles. We do this to expand student knowledge within the style of Street dance. We will also look at freestyle and choreography in class as these skills are essential within the professional dance industry.
PLAY
Join all Drama and Dance courses in a practical session exploring improvisation through play and games.
PHYSICAL THEATRE
These sessions will explore how through movement we can be inspired to tell stories in new and innovative ways. Unique movement vocabulary can be devised from unexpected starting points, and it is through this creative process that new choreography emerges. Students are led on a revealing and liberating journey, connecting narrative, emotion and character with movement.
