Thursday, 12 April 2012

BTEC Evidence Assignment 6 (B8 Musical Theatre)

The following photographs are evidence for Assignment 6 of 7, B8 Musical Theatre (Putting it Together).  They document rehearsals for the end of year Variety Show on 27/04/2012.  The highlighed section below is a particular focus for this evidence.  


Task 1

Working as a team and individually (where applicable), you should:

  • Plan the musical, drama and dance numbers you want to include in your show
  • Invite any external acts you would like to include in the show (and audition them where applicable)
  • Rehearse the numbers for the show keeping a log of any rehearsal schedules and blogging progress
This provides evidence for P1, M1 and D1
This provides evidence for P2, M2 and D2
This provides evidence for P3, M3 and D3 

'Somebody to Love' - Chloe Stockman

Discussing Spacing and Pattern for 'Somebody to Love'

Discussing Choroegraphy - Shannon Phillips 'Somebody to Love'

Discussing Pattern and Direction 'Somebody to Love' - Myriam Maley
Kelly Rolfe, Shannon Phillips (left to right)

Trying it out 'Don't Stop Me Now' - Shannon Phillips, Chloe Green
Katie Burrows (left to right)

Katie Burrows directing spacing for 'Don't Stop Me Now'
Chloe Green, Katie Burrows, Shauna McMillan (left to right)

Rehearsing 'Somebody to Love'

Rehearsing 'Don't Stop Me Now'

Rehearsing 'Don't Stop Me Now'

Rehearsing 'Don't Stop Me Now' - Shannon Phillips, Alice Norris,
Chloe Green (left to right)

Rehearsing 'Don't Stop Me Now'
Louise Baker, Myriam Maley, Kelly Rolfe, Shannon Phillips
Alice Norris (left to right)

Rehearsing 'Don't Stop Me Now' - Entire Group

Rehearsing 'Don't Stop Me Now' Kelly Rolfe, Chloe Green,
Katie Burrows, Shauna McMillan, Chloe Stockman,
Ellie Goodchild (left to right)

Rehearsing 'Don't Stop Me Now' - Chloe Green, Katie Burrows,
Shauna McMillan, Chloe Stockman, Ellie Goodchild (L-R)


Rehearsing 'Don't Stop Me Now' - Louise Baker, Shannon Phillips,
Alice Norris, Katie Burrows (L-R)


Rehearsing 'Don't Stop Me Now' - Ellie Goodchild (Laura-Anne Connor
in background), Chloe Green (L-R)



Rehearsing 'Somebody to Love' - Chloe Stockman (on floor),
In background - Shannon Phillips, Shauna McMillan,
 Laura Anne Connor (L-R)

Rehearsing 'Somebody to Love' - Louise Baker

Rehearsing 'Somebody to Love' - Katie Burrows


Entire Cast rehearsing 'Don't Stop Me Now'

Rehearsing 'Don't Stop Me Now' - Shauna McMillan,
Chloe Stockman, Laura-Anne Connor, Ellie Goodchild (L-R)

Rehearsing 'Don't Stop Me Now' - Alice Norris, Chloe Green,
Katie Burrows (L-R)

Tuesday, 20 March 2012

And All That Jazz ... Assignment 4 Evidence


The following video's act as evidence for Assignment 4, Task 2 (C14 - Dance Development).  The highlighted parts below are evidenced in the videos below.

Task 2

Practice Run Variety show challenge!  Working as a group you will prepare, rehearse and perform in a variety show for a live audience (Cabaret on 15/03/2011):

  • As a whole class you will prepare a meeting and produce an agenda to discuss preparing an initial performance for a variety show at school, you will produce evidence of meeting in a form of notes from the meeting. 
  • With your teacher you will choreograph one substantial jazz dance, rehearse and costume your group piece for the variety.  You will log your progress in rehearsal logs.
  • Perform in the variety show, submitting evidence in form of a DVD recording of the event, copy of the programme and a blog write up that captures the event.
  • Watch the video evidence after the show and evaluate what worked and what didn’t, submitting this on your blog as a thorough evaluation and review.


Sunday, 26 February 2012

Jazz Workshop 3 (Street)

The following video evidence documents Shannon Phillips, Chloe Stockman & Katie Burrows teaching their audition dance for Jazz (Street) to the BTEC Performing Arts Group (C14, Assignment 4, Task 1).
The following is also evidence for bullet point 1 below for the rest of the group.
Task:
You are auditioning with your jazz dance company for a spot in the variety show; you must learn, rehearse and perform three audition pieces in contrasting styles. You can choose from rock, lyrical, funk or street. You will:


  • Take place in jazz dance workshops where you will experiment with contrasting styles and track your progress and development in a dancer’s log.
  • Working in groups of two’s/three’s each group will choreograph and teach an audition piece in a style of your choice to the rest of your class. The piece should last one minute each and be tracked in your dancers log.
  • You should perform 2 of the audition dances to a panel of variety show judges and record for evidence




 

Thursday, 22 December 2011

Jazz Workshop 2 (Rock n Roll)









The following video evidence documents Chloe Green, Shauna McMillan, Louise Baker, Ellie Goodchild & Laura-Anne Connor teaching their audition dance for Jazz (Rock n Roll) to the BTEC Performing Arts Group (C14, Assignment 4, Task 1).
The following is also evidence for bullet point 1 below for the rest of the group.

Task:
You are auditioning with your jazz dance company for a spot in the variety show; you must learn, rehearse and perform three audition pieces in contrasting styles. You can choose from rock, lyrical, funk or street. You will:

  • Take place in jazz dance workshops where you will experiment with contrasting styles and track your progress and development in a dancer’s log.
  • Working in groups of two’s/three’s each group will choreograph and teach an audition piece in a style of your choice to the rest of your class. The piece should last one minute each and be tracked in your dancers log.
  • You should perform 2 of the audition dances to a panel of variety show judges and record for evidence.
Video 1
Video 2
Video 2b



Video 2d







Wednesday, 21 December 2011

You Can't Stop The Beat Performance 2 (Xmas Concert)

Singing & Dancing Rehearsals Assignment(s) 4 & 5
Musical Theatre B8

Scenario: Your theatre group is looking to put on a musical theatre performance for a charity event and now must attend rehearsals to make sure everyone is ready for the performance night!

Below is final outcome of rehearsals (take 2).  Original performance was on Sunday 2nd October 2011 at Rickmansworth Watersmeet Theatre for MSH Got Talent.  Video is not very good quality, so students performed again at School Xmas Concert on 07/12/11 on a much smaller stage and with considerably lacking technical facilities.  This meant that they had to re-choreograph and stage certain elements to allow this performance to happen.



Sunday, 13 November 2011

Jazz Workshop 1 (Lyrical)



The following video evidence documents Alice Norris, Kelly Rolfe and Myriam Maley teaching their audition dance for lyrical Jazz to the BTEC Performing Arts Group (C14, Assignment 4, Task 1). 
The following is also evidence for bullet point 1 below for the rest of the group.


Task:
You are auditioning with your jazz dance company for a spot in the variety show; you must learn, rehearse and perform three audition pieces in contrasting styles.  You can choose from rock, lyrical, funk or street. You will:

  • Take place in jazz dance workshops where you will experiment with contrasting styles and track your progress and development in a dancer’s log.
  • Working in groups of two’s/three’s each group will choreograph and teach an audition piece in a style of your choice to the rest of your class.  The piece should last one minute each and be tracked in your dancers log.
  • You should perform 2 of the audition dances to a panel of variety show judges and record for evidence.



This evidence proves how the students have identified, described and explained key features of a lyrical jazz piece by their practical exploration of the style and then breaking it down and teaching it to their peers.

This evidence is also reinforced by the evidence in their 'dancer's log'.

Sunday, 6 November 2011

Auditioning for Musical Theatre Assignment 1 of 7 - Singing Auditions.

The following video's evidence for task 3 of Auditioning for Musical Theatre Assignment 1 of 7 (auditioning for singing).


Task 3:  You will take part in a series of workshops with a focus on singing skills from a variety of musical theatre productions.  You must:
  • Record your progress in each of the singing workshops using the template provided by the workshop leader.
  • Choose your strongest singing piece and rehearse, making use of video recordings and peer assessment to track your improvements.
  • Rehearse your song and add your own performance skill/interpretation.
  • Perform your chosen audition piece to the group.
The bullet points in bold are particularly evident in the videos below.

** THIS BLOG IS WORK IN PROGRESS - NOT ALL EVIDENCE IS HERE YET - 06/11/2011 **






Auditioning for Musical Theatre Assignment 1 of 7 - Dance audition pieces

The following videos are Evidence for task 2 (auditioning for dance).  This task forms part of the unit 'Auditioning for Musical Theatre Assignment 1 of 7'. 

Task 2:  You will take part in a series of workshops with a focus on dance skills from a variety of musical theatre productions.  You must:

  • Record your progress in each of the dance workshops using the template provided by the workshop leader.
  • Choose your strongest dance piece and rehearse, making use of video recordings and peer assessment to track your improvements.
  • Rehearse your dance and add your own performance skill/interpretation.
  • Perform your chosen audition piece to the group.
(The bullet points in bold above are particulary evident in the videos below).











Saturday, 5 November 2011

Auditioning for Musical Theatre Assignment 1 of 7 - Drama Audition pieces

Welcome to the video evidence of the BTEC Performing Arts Extended Certificate (Level 2) - Auditioning for Musical Theatre Assignment 1 of 7

DRAMA AUDITIONS.

Task 1: You will take part in a series of workshops with a focus on acting skills from a variety of musical theatre productions.  You must:
  • Record your progress in each of the drama workshops using the template provided by the workshop leader.
  • Choose your strongest piece and annotate the script for movement, voice and interaction with others
  • Learn your lines off by heart
  • Perform your chosen audition piece to the group.
(the bullet points in bold are demonstrated in the video evidence on this blog)

Myriam Maley

Chloe Green

Chloe Stockman

Alice Norris

Louise Baker

Laura Anne Connor

Kelly Rolfe

Eleanor Goodchild

Katie Burrows

Shannon Phillips

Shauna MacMillan





 

Sunday, 30 October 2011

'All That Jazz'

One of the masters of Jazz dance and a pioneer in the art of the variety show was Bob Fosse.   Fosse was a man, who fully embraced life, and his death at the relatively young age of sixty came as a shock to almost no one, in fact many were amazed at how long he lived for! 

As a practitioner of dance and theatre, Fosse was known for his modern style, a style that everyone knew was his as soon as it was seen on a stage.  Today his style is celebrated through the unmistakable trademark snapping fingers, tilted bowler hats, hip and shoulder rolls and backward exits. Not to forget swivelling hips and strutting, white-gloves and single-handed gestures. Fosse’s moves are fluid and languid and he himself was a walking oxymoron of what a dancer is meant to embody.

As a dance practitioner and teacher, one of the most memorable pieces of choreography for me that Fosse created was Sing, sing sing from Dancin’.   Dancin' is a musical revue first produced in 1978, directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, who won a Tony Award for the choreography. The show is a tribute to the art of dance and Sing, sing, sing is a big band number that comes in two parts.



Enjoy part one below and see why Fosse is a true genius of the jazz genre.


Monday, 29 August 2011

New Year and time to up the work ethic!

Welcome back Year 11 BTEC students!  Time to work hard to get those grades up!

Next week we will be working on finishing assignment 1, Musical Theatre (B8) and this means you will need to do the following:
  1. Perform the final audition piece for singing in either solo/duet/trio
  2. Perform the final dramatic monologue audition piece
  3. ** Perform a 30-60 second audition dance in a style of your choice ** (let's see how many of you read this blog!)
  4. Perform in the group audition piece of 'All That Jazz'
  5. Ensure you have all the evidence required on the assignment sheet to submit!
So, you have a week to get it all together and ready for performance.

Break a Leg!

Monday, 18 July 2011

Summer Work for BTEC Performing Arts

"The sun is out, the sky is blue ...
here is some BTEC work for you to do!"

As we approach the end of year 10, you need to be pulling together all your work done this year and in order to be ready and raring to go in September, you need to focus on the following work:

  1. Make sure your blogging is up to date!
  2. Learn your drama monologue off by heart and be ready to perform it first week back in September (Assignment 1, Task 1 'Musical Theatre).
  3. If you see any performing arts over the summer ... BLOG IT!
  4. Those of you that did work experience at Watford Palace Theatre, you need to have collected the yellow assignment sheet from me and make sure you have everything to hand in to me 2nd week back in September.
  5. Extended projects 2nd draft - DUE w/c 12th September.
Remember you can email anything you want me to look at over the holidays!

Have a great summer break!

DOL

Thursday, 14 April 2011

Well Done BTEC'ers!

Well done BTEC Performing Arts students!  You have now successfully completed 2 assignments for Dance Development and 2 assignments for Costume Construction.

Don't forget the deadline for Assignment 3 Dance Development (extended project) is due when we get back from Easter!



Have a great Easter Break!

Monday, 21 March 2011

BTEC does Bhangra!

The following video and photographs are evidence of BTEC Performing Arts C14 (Development of Dance) Assignment 2 of 4 (Bhangra), Task 2:


Task 2

To attend a professional Bhangra workshop and then working in groups of 4 using your research in task 1 and inspiration from the professional workshop; you should:

  • Attend and take part in a professional workshop on Bhangra dance, taking notes and photos of the process.
  • Develop a dance performance from scratch in the style of Bhangra.
  • Organise and run rehearsals, recording the outcome in a ‘rehearsal log’ that will be submitted in your portfolio.
  • Perform final piece to a live audience.
This provides evidence for P3, M3 and D3
(This also contributes as evidence for P2, M2 and D2)

On Friday 18th March 2011, the BTEC Performing Arts students took part in their final performance of BTEC does Bhangra!  This performance was to be showcased at the schools annual Cabaret show, where students get to show their talents to friends, parents and teachers. 

The students have spent 8 weeks working on the Bhangra style, and have spent hours choreographing and researching the culture, social and historic background of the genre to help with the project. Their research included looking at the western influences within Bhangra, which allowed them to experiment with traditional moves mixed with a modern western twist of street and contemporary elements.  The students had to storyboard all their ideas focusing on the plot line of 'Forbidden Love', a popular theme within Bollywood films.  They then found music, both modern and traditional and worked with the media department to produce a 6 minute soundtrack.

L-R - Katie Burrows, Chloe Stockman, Laura-Anne Connor,
Kelly Rolfe rehearsing for Bhangra dance in workshop.

Rehearsing line sequence in Bhangra workshop. Back to Front -
Alice Norris, Danielle (left school), Shauna McMillan, Shannon Phillips

Perfecting some of the hand gestures and arm positions in
Bhangra Workshop - L-R - Katie Burrows, Chloe Stockman,
Laura Anne Connor, Kelly Rolfe, Chloe Green.

Trying out a Bhangra travelling step L-R - Laura Anne Connor,
Kelly Rolfe, Ellie Goodchild

Trying out a bounce step with arm gesture (screwing the
light bulb) in Bhangra Workshop - L-R - Kelly Rolfe,
Ellie Goodchild, Chloe Stockman, Katie Burrows.

Rehearsing a cannon move in Bhangra workshop - Front to Back -
Kelly Rolfe, Katie Burrows.

Alice Norris (pink) and Myriam Maley Choreographing a
cannon arm display in Bhangra Workshop.  Myriam is
leading in this section.

Alice Norris (pink) leadng a discussion on how to achieve the arm cannon.
With Myriam Maley (black vest), Danielle, Shauna McMillan and Shannon
Phillips (arms up at back).



The Workshops:

Below is the video evidence of the Bhangra Workshops that lead up to the final performance (that can be found at the end of this blog entry).  The workshop videos are evidence for Assignment 2 of 4 (Bhangra), Task 2 (developing a Bhangra dance from scratch):






The Final Performance:

On the evening, the group were helped by a teacher with costume and makeup, to ensure they looked the part, with brightly coloured scarves and some beautifully applied makeup and bindis.


















The cast just before they took to the stage to perform BTEC Does Bhangra

Below is the video of the performance!  Please enjoy and comment!