Specialist - Performing Arts

This term in Performing Arts we have been travelling around the world. Each lesson, we learn about a style of dance by watching videos and reading about the cultural heritage of these dances. Then we try something from that dance style. 

Students in Grade 1 and 2 have explored the following styles:

• Highland dancing from Scotland, pointing our toes and keeping up the bounce; 
• Hula from Hawaii, keeping our knees bent and our movements gentle;
• Line Dancing from America, using locomotor and non-locomotor moves;
• Dinhe and Mbakumba from Zimbabwe, using isolation and strong feet;
• and our own First Nations, dancing the story of Bunjil the Creator Spirit.

Ask your Grade 1 or 2 child about Locomotor and Non-Locomotor moves, or about Bunjil the eagle.

Students in Grade 3, 4 and 5 have explored other dance styles:

• Wushi from China, the lion dance, where pairs of dancers perform acrobatics. To explore this we tried navigating the playground in connection with a friend.
• Songlines from Aboriginal culture, where maps were expressed as a series of signposts, and representing them as dance.
• Bharatanatyam from India, when we practised the Hasta Mudras or hand positions and their possible meanings, presenting short story with expression.
• Tinikling from the Philippines, taking turns at jumping or clapping the bamboo poles.
• Grade 5 students also compared the physical skills required to perform as a dancer from two cultures: the Adumu dancers from the areas of Kenya and Tanzania, who can jump up to a metre high, and a Wushi Lion dancer from China who can jump up to two metres across from platform to platform. We challenged ourselves to jump as high and as far as we could and measured our results to appreciate the athleticism required in dance.

Ask your Grade 3, 4 or 5 child to describe their Bharatanatyam Mudra story and see if they remember any of the hand positions.

We are looking forward to completing our Dance Passport and reflecting on which styles were our favourite. By far the most popular style this term has been Tinikling from the Philippines. We hope those at assembly enjoyed our freestyle performance.

The choir learned and performed Galnya Nginak, song composed by Deborah Cheetham, in the Yorta Yorta language which is from the area around Shepparton. Here is the translation of the song.

Galnya Nginak - How are you?

Galnya Nga - I am good

Wannel worta woongie - Where are all the Aboriginal people?

Dhorma ngina yenbana, Woota yapeny yepuk woka - My dear people are all together on this land.

We hope those who were at assembly enjoyed this beautiful song, and we thank EJ's mum Emma for her accompaniment on piano.