The Secondary students have had an interesting week. The focus on MOTIF was still a priority, with students watching a film clip on my laptop that showed a group dancing to show the movement of the wind. Students were then encouraged to identify, use and further develop moves that they identified as motif in the clip. The initial results demonstrated a willingness to step out of the comfort zone and try moves that were less familiar and more relevant to the idea of the wind. Motifs were then experimented with and expanded upon as the students are investigating how to develop a motif into a PHRASE (part of a dance) and then a dance itself.
The IGCSE students and the DP student also looked at the clip with the DP student looking at a few more, trying to figure out what the message behind the dances seen might be. They also worked on developing their own versions with emphasis on continuous movement and a use of energy and force that clearly demonstrated the wind. Students will continue to expand on these ideas in coming weeks. The DP student has been considering her own motif for her upcoming exams, trying out different ideas and thoughts. She has also been investigating many different kinds of clips on Youtube that show various motif dances, mostly from other schools in the world.
Related to Secondary Dance is the Wednesday afternoon ballet after school activity class, which started this week. Ballet has long been accepted as the dance form that supports and enhances all other dance forms as it requires a very great sense of discipline, athleticism, grace and endurance. The students were quite challenged at times, but rose to the occasion with some rather pleasing results, notably from our students who were experiencing their first ballet class.