Performing Arts

The Grade 4 students enjoyed singing and looked at the offbeat rhythms in the Aussie folk song, 'Kookaburra Sits In the Old Gumtree.' 

Exploring dance, the students formed lines to follow the steps of the Galopede, a 'bush dance' from the Colonial days of Australia. It is a partner dance which follows steps in groups of 4 and 8. It was great to see students working well with their partners! 

The Grade 5 students have looked at ways to learn how to read the space and line notes when playing music.  

The students also followed the steps for the dance, 'Cotton Eye Joe' which is a song which was dated back to the 1800's. “Cotton Eye Joe” circulated through the southern states, as a song to sing and dance along to. It was typically played on banjo or fiddle, and several variations of dances were created as it spread more widely. 

Check out the Grade 5 line dancers in action! 

The Grade 6 students worked brilliantly in their groups to create clever rhyming chants for their 'Shabooya Roll Calls.' Their actions were effective in keeping everybody in time and I was impressed by the standard of performance. Great job! 

Students sang and played a series of Ostinatos on keyboard and tuned percussion simultaneously to create texture in music.