SHOW!
We had a lovely focused morning inside Steppers playing the Snail Game, creating cardboard constructions, snacking and coloring flower decorations to welcome in the warm weather and then we went outside with a plan to have a show. Click on the video clips below and enjoy the multi-talented wonders of our Steppers Kids, they are sure to WOW you! ~Liz (Unfortunately I was unable to upload all the videos...but you get the picture. The children played show again in the afternoon too). Holly and Dana dressed up again and performed along with the children broadening their ideas by using interesting props and partnering with children when invited.
Kate and Mara Rehearse
Annie and Kate
On Tuesday, May 8th the rain and wind knocked down our outdoor stage but no worries it gives us opportunity to reconstruct on the next outdoor adventure. But the show must go on so I brought all the dress-ups into the resting room and starting with a group of eight or so children let them search through the costumes until they found one that was just right. For some it took several changes, for others once they put the dress-ups on they decided the character-change was just not for them and had to take it all off again. For others still, recalling yesterday's fair begged to revisit their exact stylings down to the single slipper or gloved adornments. Of course I painted faces using watercolor pencils. Children could pick three colors. Like yesterday a great deal of time was invested in making plans and getting ready--it was all part of the active learning process.
Children needed to consider their partnerships and what they would perform, they needed to think about how to construct the stage. Ruby really wanted a stage like the one in the videos but unfortunately the bamboo was very wet and I just didn't have enough hands to construct that part and support all the other rehearsal demands of the crowd.
We settled for a fabric floor bordered by blocks. The limits worked perfectly because only those performing (or playing background music for the performers) could step inside. The audience gathered around the edges, willingly participating in singing La-La music for dancers or making crashing sounds for storms.
As the show evolved we grew into acting out story narratives. The contagion started when Anya J. invited me and Lila to partner with her. Anya was dressed as a spider and Lila was a princess so I narrated the story of Little Princess Miss Muffet--from then on each grouping of chidren would declare their character:
I'm a robot (Sam), I'm a mermaid (Trudy), I'm a baby shark (Eamon and Zinn), I'm a clown (Nora), I'm a T-Rex (Nolan), I'm a dragon guard and karate guy (Phinn), I'm a person that does tricks and karate and plays music for the performers (Owen), I'm a dad (Joe), I'm a fairy (Amelia, Cora, Anya C. and Mara).
I was unable to capture photos and only managed a little video of the day and share it now to give you a taste for the event. We started investing in show about 9am and lasted until 12 noon, in just enough time to clean up for lunch. Enjoy!
Children needed to consider their partnerships and what they would perform, they needed to think about how to construct the stage. Ruby really wanted a stage like the one in the videos but unfortunately the bamboo was very wet and I just didn't have enough hands to construct that part and support all the other rehearsal demands of the crowd.
We settled for a fabric floor bordered by blocks. The limits worked perfectly because only those performing (or playing background music for the performers) could step inside. The audience gathered around the edges, willingly participating in singing La-La music for dancers or making crashing sounds for storms.
As the show evolved we grew into acting out story narratives. The contagion started when Anya J. invited me and Lila to partner with her. Anya was dressed as a spider and Lila was a princess so I narrated the story of Little Princess Miss Muffet--from then on each grouping of chidren would declare their character:
I'm a robot (Sam), I'm a mermaid (Trudy), I'm a baby shark (Eamon and Zinn), I'm a clown (Nora), I'm a T-Rex (Nolan), I'm a dragon guard and karate guy (Phinn), I'm a person that does tricks and karate and plays music for the performers (Owen), I'm a dad (Joe), I'm a fairy (Amelia, Cora, Anya C. and Mara).
I was unable to capture photos and only managed a little video of the day and share it now to give you a taste for the event. We started investing in show about 9am and lasted until 12 noon, in just enough time to clean up for lunch. Enjoy!