Recent Highlights

Just to recap on some recent highlights in our drama classes.

Most recently, we started on a new Aesop tale – The Lion and the Mouse…

Before that, we were telling a different story and singing a different tune…

 We played musical chairs in one class…

 We “called” and talked to one another on the telephone…

We dressed up all the time in different characters…

 We played the drums and improvised movement…

This is us, happy and colour-coordinated

The Consequence of not listening to Mother

For the Group 2 class on Saturday, the ever popular story of The Little Red Riding Hood comes immediately after Jack and the Beanstalk.

Everyone knows the story but we cannot stress enough the lessons that can be learnt from it e.g. not heeding the sound advice of parents, talking to stranger etc. There are also loads of new words to explore.

On top of that, we are using finger puppets to tell the story. How cool is that!

So stretch those digits and let them come alive!

But before that, lets familiarise ourselves with the script.

After going through the script and some worksheets, lets move those fingers.

Aunty Jean telling the story with finger puppets

Lynette and Sara have a go at the puppets

Sophie and Lynette

Samantha and Sandra. You don't only use your fingers, you can make funny faces as well

Reuben and Sze Chyi trying to hide behind the stage

Shu Yao and David working their puppets while Aunty Jean looks on

So far we’ve met the little red riding hood, her mother and the wolf. We will meet the Grandmother next week. Will she escape the wolf? You never know what might happen when WE tell the story.

Wahahahaha… Howwwwwwl….

One, two, three Sta-choo!

For the Saturday Group 1 class, we are forming statues (Sta-choos). We all love a game of Freeze, be it A-E-I-O-U or Freeze Tag. Only now, we need to hold a specific pose a little longer.

The stories used for this purpose are: King Midas The Golden Touch and The Mysterious Giant of Barletta.

King Midas The Golden Touch

The Mysterious Giant of Barletta

The class listening to the story of The Mysterious Giant of Barletta

Hana volunteers to be the statue in the story

Hana The Statue

Kai Li stepping up to the Pedestal

We will continue to explore statues and tableaux making.

Meanwhile… FREEZE! Until we return. Hahaha…

Life after the Giant . . . The Snake Charmer

After the Selfish Giant, we move onto The Bewitched Snake Charmer with the Tuesday class.

It is the story of a kind and pretty Princess who fell in love with the music of a deformed Snake Charmer.

We started by telling everyone the story. Then we identify the characters in the story and working with the class in remembering the cirumstances surrounding the protagonist.

There is a Rajah, 3 princesses, 1 snake charmer and other characters in the Market place.

Yuan Sheng as the Rajah, a loving father to his 3 daughters

Our 3 Princesses, June, Theresa and Arassi

Ming Fei, the eldest Princess, making her entrance

Ee Kong dancing into the scene, as the second Princess

And the youngest Pincess was played by Judith, doing her fan dance

At the Market Place

Aaron, the Snake Charmer

What is the fate of the Snake Charmer and the Princess? Will music be enough to sustain their love? We are getting there.

SSSSSSstay with usssss.

Friends From Singapore Polytechnic

The last few weeks you might have noticed some friendly new faces in our classes. They are all from the Singapore Polytechnic doing their Diploma in Applied Drama and Psychology, “developing themselves as drama educators, facilitating the educative and personal development of the students and community through theatre and other modalities of arts (including visual arts and movement)”.

There are 5 of them altogether:-

Liyana and Santhiya are following the Tuesday class;

Azouline with the Saturday Group 1 class and,

Sin Ying and Gina with the Saturday Group 2 class.

They have all been very helpful and fun to have during the lessons.

Liyana (in white) and Santhiya (in black) joining us during the lesson.

Liyana working with Ee Kong

Santhiya working with Ali on his texts

Azouline working with Michelle

Gina pointing out the answer to Shu Yao

Sin Ying with Lynette

Thank you friends! Glad to have you onboard.

You Raise Me Up!

I had no idea how popular this song was with our Tuesday class.

Almost everyone knew the song and for those who didn’t, they managed to pick it up real fast.

We really had a good time, so much so that Ali volunteered to perform the song for us with the ever smiling Ming Fei joining in half way through.

Ali doing his thing!

Notice the guy in orange sitting behind Ali? Well, he is Wai Choon. He was absent for a while due to some personal reasons. It’s good to have him back! 

Welcome back Wai Choon! 

Ming Fei joining in the song and dance.

It was indeed a very lively performance. Thank you guys for raising the spirit of the night!

You Raise Me Up 

When I m down and, oh my soul, so weary;

When troubles come and my heart budened be;

Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,

Until you come and sit awhile with me.

 

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountians;

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up;

To more than I can be.

Time to Sing, Sing, Sing!

It’s August. The Singapore flag can be seen flying from most high rise as well as low rise.

National songs can be heard playing from national radio and tv stations.

Very soon, it will also be the Getai month. You can hear different Chinese songs and upbeat music coming from a nearby make-shift stage.

The next season of the Singapore Idol is also about to begin.

Singing has always been a form of celebration. People have come together to sing, dance and rejoice.

For the Saturday group 1 class, we are also picking up our mikes, turning on the music and SING!

We have set up our stage.

We practice going on stage, taking our position, introducing ourselves and then we will sing!

Hana stepping up to the mike

Hafiz taking the mike.

Kai Li with a big grin

Michelle thinking of what to sing?

The ever friendly Jun Wei saying hello to the audience

And introducing "Mei Mei", Ng Li Shan!

After learning how to hold the mike and never putting it too close to the mouth, we move onto the stage. 

Going on stage

 So watch out for us, the singing sensations of tommorow!

SSSSSSSnakes in Classsssss

Some weeksss ago, before we went fishing, we were messssing around with ssssnakesss.

The Snake Rhyme

So we were gliding, sliding and hissing all over the class. Some even went up the walls. Fortunately for us, the sssnakes were all very friendly and we soon became friends.

Snake gliding on the floor. Watch Out!

Snake looking at the camera!

Snake sliding up the wall.

Madam White Snake???

 

Conference of the Snakes.

So yes, there are now snakes in class. Look before you sit. But no worries, they are all our friends!

Bishan DSA Centre Closure 25 July 09

Dear Parents, please be informed that there will be no drama classes this coming Saturday 25th July 09 as the Bishan DSA Centre will be closed. Classes will resume the following Saturday 1st August 09. See you then!

Gone fishing…

Ready? Let’s put our hands, our heads and our hearts together…

The river is coming alive…

Now fish can swim in it…

We come in many shapes, sizes and colours…

Hmmm… I can’t wait…

To go fishing…

I’m collecting the fish in my little basket, barbecued stingray anyone?

Now that we’re done fishing, let’s soak ourselves in the cool river…

 

Even Uncle Julius wants a little swim!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kai Li’s sister with a cat who loves fish… and here’s a shot of handsome Reuben

The Giant’s Garden

More drawings of the Giant’s Garden came in:

The Giant and birds in his garden – by Arassi

The Giant’s garden with a cave, bananas, a big tree and many happy children – by Arassi

A Giant Flower in the Giant’s garden – by Ali

May Sim holding her drawing. May has been back in our drama class since the beginning of June. Previously, she had stopped coming for about three years and it was a most lovely surprise when one day, she walked into our studio as though she had never left before…

Magic Wand

Two Tuesdays ago, we did an exercise called “Magic Wand”. We worked in pairs, one was the “charmer” with the magic wand and the other the “charmed”. The charmer led the charmed around the room with the wand and the latter had to follow as closely as possible. We explored directions and heights; we focused as hard as possible and stretched our bodies as much as we could while following the wand.

May every encounter be a magical one…

A Doggy with a Bone

A Doggy with a Bone

(Tune of:  If you’re happy and you know it)

Oh I wish I was a doggy with a bone. 


Oh I wish I was a doggy with a bone. 


Oh wouldn’t I delight, I would howl day and night.


Oh I wish I was a doggy with a bone.

Oh I wish I was a kitty with a fish.

Oh I wish I was a kitty with a fish.

Oh wouldn’t I delight, I would meow day and night.

Oh I wish I was a kitty with a fish.

Oh I wish I was a donkey with some hay.

Oh I wish I was a donkey with some hay.

Oh wouldn’t I delight, I would bray day and night.

Oh I wish I was a donkey with some hay. Hee Haw!!

 

 

 

 

The End of the Giant.

We finally completed the last part of our script: Jack and the Beanstalk. When the Giant discovered that Jack had stolen his treasures, he gave chase. He followed Jack down the beanstalk but before he could reach the ground, Jack managed to get his mother to chop the beanstalk down causing the Giant to come crashing down. And as in all fairy tales, Jack and his mother lived happily ever after. 

So let’s take a look at the scenes.

 

"Wait till I get my hands on you!" bellows David the Giant!

 

"No worries, Mother will take care of it." Says Mother (Sze Chyi) to Jack (Sandra) as she chops the beanstalk with an axe (clothes hanger).

"AHHHHhhhhh...." screams the giant as he comes crashing down. WATCH OUT!!!

 

"Now I'm really going to be late for supper and the Missus sure isn't going to be pleased." Mumbles the giant as he looks up to the sky. - the things the books never told us.

Welcome back Judith!

Judith is back!! She has been absent since the beginning of this year due a leg injury. She’s fully recovered now and back in drama class! We are simply overjoyed because we’ve missed her so much.

Judith

Judith and Arassi – they attend the same school and Arassi has been asking her in school all this while when she was coming back to drama classes!

Last Tuesday, we did some stretching exercises using scarves

Gabby drew a picture of the Giant’s garden (picture above) as she imagined it to be. Gabby is a wonderful artist, so independently and wildly imaginative. She likes to use very rich and bold colours. Don’t you just love it?