What a fabulous three weeks of the new year we have had! Everyone has adapted to the virtual classes brilliantly and we have loved creating the new lesson plans to suit this world and to have that regular connection each week has been great for both them and for us.

Introducing visual aids

We strongly believe in using visual aids to spark curiosity and maximise learning retention. Utilising critical thinking methods provides opportunities for meaningful learning that will stay with students for the long term.

'Newsies' drama skills

The chosen musical for your child's class has been 'Newsies'. The story revolves around newspaper sellers who are tired of being exploited by their bosses. They join together and fight the oppression.

This month we have been working on the following drama skills:

• Exploration - This is the act of pretending to be somebody else or taking on a role. Introducing these types of activities encourage the students to share ideas and take ownership of their work.
• Improvisation – This strengthens script work and will give the students confidence to adlib if they forget their lines.
• Props - These are crucial for story-telling; they complement and motivate the character, helping the student feel more 'the part'and setting the scene.

Introducing the above elements to our teen members in the comfort of their own homes has produced excellent results. Sometimes when they are amongst their peers, they can feel self-conscious, but by taking advantage of when they are at their most confident, we are hoping to continue improving these skill sets so when we do return back to the studio it will be a natural progression.

Commercial/street dance technique

The commercial aspect of the lesson has been focused around isolations, a movement which occurs at a body joint to add accent and sharpness to choreography. We have also started new commercial choreography which will be entered for an IDTA commercial award this year. This routine will be filmed within the students timetabled lesson and then sent to our allocated examiner for marking.

2021 show choreography

We have also started new choreography which is for our 2021 production of 'A Night of Musicals'. Students have been working on the Broadway choreography to 'Seize the Day'. Eventually this choreography will be transferred to a newspaper.

This year we will be filming the show in two parts to allow the exam work to continue throughout the calendar year. Filming of the musical theatre routine will take place in June 2021 as we work to create another DVD spectacle. The featured routine within this class will also be entered for an IDTA Musical Theatre Award which we are hoping will be in July. The students will film their exam entry as part of their timetabled lesson which will then be submitted to our allocated examiner.