In Dance class we have been using Juilliard’s Creative Classroom to explore the work of Hip-Hop choreographer, Rennie Harris. We have been examining extracts of the JCC Core work entitled Continuum.
KS1 have been experimenting with the vocabulary of Hip-Hop dance both in terms of motions and words. Movements have fun names such as windmill, cricket, cork screw and baby freeze. Some movements are named after the objects they resemble. Year 1 and 2 have been exploring the qualities of movements suggested by inanimate objects.
Rhythm is at the heart of hip-hop. Musicians create signature beats and dancers are revered for their creative responses to the rhythms of the music. In Continuum we see how the group keeps a steady beat while individual dancers play off the beat with various rhythms. In KS2 we have been creating our own responses to the rhythms used in this core work.
In Drama we have been exploring stage skills including stage fighting and character embodiment. We have completed our first JCC Core work on Storytelling. Children experimented with different strategies to engage an audience while retelling famous stories such as; Anansi’s Children, The Grandmother and the Eagle and Orpheus and Eurydice.
By Lisa Allan
Performing Arts Teacher
