WORKSHOP AND ITEM MATERIAL

From the beginning of time mankind has celebrated life and their love of nature through the art of dance, drama and song. Primitive man has always gone to nature for inspiration. We have always studied nature trying to express her and found that through creativity and dance one can becomes an inseparable part of the great rhythm of the universe. Dance and movement has always been in us, it is the rhythm of the Earth. Even before man talked or sung he danced. Primitive man was inspired directly and immediately by the movement of wind, wave, bird and beast. 

Mask, movement and music workshops

These workshops are designed to tap into children's natural creativity and to give then a unique experience in music, song, movement and mask making.

When the masks are completed the children learn a song and a fully choreographed movement piece to portray the mask that they have made. These workshops are great for kindergartens, school concerts and holiday programs.

Songs are:

The Bullfrog, Mices are the nicest, Robots, Flowers, Ernie the rabbit, Dog-paddle, If I was a bird, Insects and the Penguin dance

Since the beginning of time people have told stories. The narrative drive is inseparable from the human condition. We live, we dream and we communicate through narrative.

The Pied Piper Workshop

This is an interactive workshop to maximize spontaneous dramatic opportunities with children. It encourages their creative abilities, extends their imaginative and expressive skills and helps develops confidence in role playing.

This is a workshop using Aunties music. All of the basic costumes are provided.

1.The children will learn simple movements to a theme song.

2.The children will learn to play the major parts: the Pied Piper, the Mayor and the crippled Girl.

3.The remaining children can choose to be either a rat, town-person or a child.

4.After the show is rehearsed it culminates into a final performance.

The Happy Prince workshop

Through drama children develop a sense of communication, co-operation and problem solving. They build confidence, self -esteem and personal assurance in a supportive and safe environment.

This is a beautiful story written by Oscar Wilde for his sons just over a 100 years ago.

It is the incredibly moving story of a swallow who is about to migrate to be with friends in Egypt. The swallow shelters for the night beneath the statue of the Happy Prince, who when he was alive was always protected from misery and suffering. Now as a statue, he has a great view of the sadness and poverty in his city. He asks the swallow to be his messenger and to take the precious stones and gold that decorate him and distribute them to the poor.

In a workshop situation the children will learn how to use puppets, sing songs and use different voices for the characters in the story. This beautiful allegory gives a real glimpse into God's heart. God sees all the suffering and pain in the world. He needs us in his name to take his love to the needy.

The pieces below are less structured and allow children to create their own movements. Creative dance differs from other dance forms in that it does not have a series of prescribed, formal steps. It is primarily concerned with self-exploration and expression and values differences in individual movements. It is the idea that is the starting point and moves are then learnt to express that idea. The body is the tool to bring the idea alive and to explore from a new perspective. Creative dance is the maverick of the dance world. It begs, borrows, steals and invents its dance moves. The focus is the core idea or stimulus that is instigating the dance in the first place. In other words it's about using dance as a means of expression and taking inspiration from the music and nature. Isadora Duncan was the mother of creative dance and she believed in allowing children's movements to reflect their natural internal impulses. "The dancer's body is simply the luminous manifestation of the soul".

Planet of Rocks

Another wonderful piece of music for children to create a dance to and make costumes of trees, stars and rocks. A great item for an end of year school performance or for a holiday programme.

In the Pond

This is another lovely piece where children can be different animals and insects that live around a pond and create their own movements. Some of the creatures are ducks, frogs and butterflies. This is a great piece for confidence building as it gives room for freedom in movement.

This Old World

This piece is wonderful for characterisation and singing. It is from the Aunties production of 'Hey Bohemia'

Its about the taking over of Mother Nature with high rise apartment buildings made of concrete and glass.

Tangaroa

This song is from the Aunties production of 'Maui'.  As a baby Maui was cast into the ocean but is protected by the lord of the sea 'Tangaroa'.  In this piece the children can be sea creatures, create a dance, sing and make costumes.