DANDENONG WEST PRIMARY SCHOOL
Performing Arts
In Performing Arts lessons, students attend a sixty minute lesson each week in which they become immersed in the world of music, dance and drama. Students are provided with many opportunities to be musicians, composers, conductors, dancers, choreographers, actors, script-writers and directors.
The Performing Arts program at Dandenong West Primary School promotes a safe, supportive learning environment where all children are encouraged to have a go and celebrate their achievements in music, dance and drama. Students from all year levels are given the chance to perform musical and dance items at Monday morning assemblies throughout the school year.
The formal elements of Music are taught including beat, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics and form. Students are engaged in a wide variety of musical genres including classical, jazz, musicals, pop and music from other cultures. Listening and responding to music allows students to discover the joy that music can bring and the feelings it can invoke.
Regular singing practice is a focus which incorporates learning the ‘sol-fa’ scale, Kodaly hand signs, vocal warm-ups and singing songs from a variety of musical genres. Playing percussion instruments, jumbie jams (West African steel drums) and keyboards are a highlight of music lessons as students learn to play melodies from classical to contemporary music!
In Dance, expressive and technical aspects are taught as well as finding portraying characters and interpreting the world around us. Students are taught formal elements of dance and are provided with opportunities to work collaboratively with their peers to choreograph dance sequences and routines in a variety of styles. Contemporary, hip-hop, jazz and cultural dances all form part of the dance curriculum.
In Drama, students build their confidence through a wide array of drama games which involve co-operation, teamwork, listening skills, voice projection, improvisation and characterization. They then move into more formal script-writing and performing, as well as using media to produce their own videos.
There are many opportunities for students to extend their performing arts through their experiences in:
* School Choir
* Dance Troupes
* School Concerts
* Dandy West's Got Talent
* Assembly Performances