Performing Arts 

Hello Newlands families!

NAIDOC week was a focus during Week 6 as it celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC week is celebrated by all Australians and is a great opportunity to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. In Performing Arts we explored objective and tactics and how they are essential to giving a character a purpose on stage through a traditional song line called The Seven Sisters. The Seven Sisters are also known as the constellation Pleiades. Below is a short video about all the different places and indigenous song lines that the Seven Sisters have been linked to. Students were asked to consider what would they do if those Seven Stars came to Newlands for one day... Where would you take them? Why would you take them there? We created short skits about the different places they would go to such as, the Remembrance Garden, Edgars Creek, Degani’s and even Woolworths... 

This week we have been focusing on Stage Directions and Blocking. When we perform on a stage it is important to know where we are on a stage, where to move to when given directions and how to give clear directions to peers on a stage.  Students followed directions left and right to a traditional Korean Fan Dance called “Arirang”. There was also opportunities given for small group work to create freeze frames that told a story and have peers give feedback on essential principles of blocking. 1) Always be open. 2) Never a straight line. 3) Create depth and height whenever possible.

Lots of fun and really thoughtful performances from the students the past fortnight. Looking forward to another great fortnight!

All the best,

Katey Aspin