Children’s Speech and Drama/Musical Theatre Class

This is a fun, energetic class where students are free to express their creativity in a safe and nurturing environment. Class size is kept small, which allows your child to have individual attention.  The instructor, Tina Moore, invests in your child, meaning she listens and works with the students individually and chooses material specific to them.  They will learn how to use their bodies when working with mime and body movement classes creating interesting machines, shapes, sounds and characters.  The students will learn the importance of proper breathing and why that is important for an actor / singer or if you just need to recite a speech in school.  We work on individual prose pieces as well as choral speaking, poetry as a group.  Scene work and monologues will also be introduced once the students have gained experience with the poetry and prose pieces. Within all this there are fun theatre games and inventive improv scenes.

Musical Theatre:

• Nurture and expand your child’s creativity
• Build CONFIDENCE
• Improve reading and comprehension skills
• Develop your child’s unique voice
• Learn simple but effective choreography
• Create characters and develop acting skills
• Improvise and build skills through theatre games
• Have FUN while you learn

Speech and Drama:

• Build CONFIDENCE in your performance
• Learn the art of stage presence
• Conquer stage fright or performance anxiety
• Improve your reading and comprehension skills through poetry, prose and monologues
• Discover your creativity and imagination
• Learn how to think quickly on your feet with impromptu speeches and improvisation

The differences between Speech and Drama and Musical Theatre:
Musical theatre will incorporate simple but effective choreography.  Dance experience is not necessary as the class is focused more on singing / acting. Time will be spent on vocal warm-ups and physical, body warm-ups as well as theatre games and improvisation but will not include individual pieces of poetry, prose, monologues etc.  It is all group work.  Speech and Drama classes will focus on the individual pieces as well as group work.  There is no singing in the Speech and Drama classes, but movement work and proper vocal technique is included.

Why this class is beneficial for your child:
Speech and drama classes benefit any child, even if your child has no interest in becoming a performer.  Reading skills and comprehension skills are improved.  In a safe and nurturing environment, your child is encouraged to share and explore their creativity and ideas.  They build self esteem by proving to themselves that they can get up and speak in front of an audience (initially the class itself, and later the audience of parents and friends).  They are encouraged to challenge themselves but in a safe environment, where no criticism and gossiping is tolerated.  Your child will learn how to communicate more effectively and as a result this will benefit them in all aspects of their life.  It is an opportunity for your child to be engaged and actively participating in creative and fun material. 

Instructor: Tina Moore