Alice The Musical

The benefits of being part of a School musical are broad and far reaching, impacting on the student’s emotional, social, physical and cognitive development.

 

“Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction.” – Lewis Carroll

 

In 2015 all students in Years 5 and 6 celebrated the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s famous story Alice in Wonderland by working on the Junior School production Alice The Musical. Over a 10 week period, we embarked on a journey which immersed the students in an intensive period of personal character development and team work as the dialogue and songs were learnt, characters developed and dances rehearsed. Students, teachers and parents were all involved, taking on many important roles to enable such a large production to reach its full potential.

Alice the Musical

The benefits of being part of a School musical are broad and far reaching, impacting on the student’s emotional, social, physical and cognitive development. Involvement is a great way to teach students about commitment, perseverance and self-discipline. When a child is part of a production they become aware of the many others who are depending on them. They are part of a whole cast who are relying on them to play their part to the best of their ability. Lines, songs and dances need to be rehearsed until they are memorised.

As the weeks go by it is wonderful to witness the self-confidence of the students grow and strengthen. The students start to take risks as they perform for each other, developing confidence in their abilities and expressing their ideas. The social interaction and risk taking inevitably builds a strong bond of trust between cast members and between the cast and production team.

Alice the Musical

Cooperation and collaboration underpin the whole process, involving students in discussion, negotiation, rehearsal and performance throughout the 10 week production period. Making creative choices together, thinking of new ideas and developing these ideas in new ways creates a sense of teamwork and gives a strong sense of ownership.

The commitment and hard work of the students as the final week of performances drew near was outstanding. Students could be seen helping others to master a particular dance sequence or deliver a line, assisting with props and staging and offering ideas and last minute changes to a staging dilemma. Before we knew it the final performance of Alice The Musical had arrived. What a journey! There was a real sense of excitement and achievement. It was now time to share the famous Wonderland with our family and friends. Lights, camera, action!

 

Mrs Melissa Dods

Junior School Music Coordinator

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