National Nutcracker Lesson 8

STARTER
Watch Episode 8 with the class and ask the
following questions;
• What does Drosselmeyer do and how do
you know?
• How does a character artist use their body
to tell the story?
• What is the spell that has been put on the
Nutcracker doll?
WARM-UP
Do a warm-up game that allows the dancers to
think about their performance skills.
Think back to the games from the INSET that were
useful for focus and the projection of movement
such as the 1-10 game and follow my leader, where
big movements lead to huge movements.
You can also identify a moment from your dance
and get the dancers to stand in a freeze-frame,
each dancer then has to think about how they can
improve the shape they are making and to think
about where they are looking.
CREATIVE EXPLORATION
Give the dancers plenty of opportunity to listen
to the music and to know it really well in relation
to different moments in the dance. Listening to
the music and talking through exits/entrances and
actions can be really helpful. You can do this in the
classroom too.
• As a class, share the refined sections of the
dance and run it through from beginning to
end.
• Prepare the class for filming next week.
Discuss the cinema screening they will see in
December and how the professional dancers
might prepare for their own performances.
TOP TIPS
If you have decided that there is one more strategy
you would like to try our with your dancers to help
organize the dance material you have developed
so far, make sure you have a clear plan of how to
implement the adjustment.
This week also provides the opportunity to tidy
up any entrances and exits the dancers need to
make. It is hoped that as the dance begins to take
a clearer shape, teachers will begin to focus on
rehearsal and performance skills.
WANT MORE?
Rehearsing can sometimes feel rather dull
compared to the process of creating/devising, so it
might be good to intersperse your rehearsals with
short film clips, such as the character of the Queen
of Hearts being created in the rehearsal room for
The Royal Ballet’s production Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland or ask which is their favourite National
Nutcracker film and watch it again.
http://bit.ly/1VgwxwS
• Encourage dancers to start thinking about
performance skills and dancing in character.
Have the trios and duets perform in front of
each other to help improve the dance.
• Encourage the dancers to move with greater
clarity and energy: really stretched arms and
legs or with curves, or generally with greater
energy.