Students identify and experiment with dance performance areas and learn about technical support for enhancing performance.

Learning Goals

  • Demonstrate an understanding of stagecraft

Materials

  • Handout identifying performance and non-performance areas and technical theatre terms (e.g., downstage, upstage, centre stage, crossover, wings, legs, scrim, cyclorama, etc.)
  • Design exercises that focus on building vocabulary and awareness of stagecraft to enhance performance.
  • Video clips demonstrating use of stage space, lighting, props, sound, and costumes, e.g., Dancemakers video series.

Minds On (Approximately 5 minutes)

  • Provide a handout identifying the performance and non-performance areas of the performing space/theatre.
  • Identify performance areas of the school and discuss modifications to create a suitable and safe performance environment. Performance areas may be taped out in a gymnasium, cafeteria, classroom, or library/resource centre.
  • Define a formal performance area for the students. Students are instructed in staging for dance in the area provided for performance. 
  • Instruct students in their responsibility to ensure the personal safety of self and others in the performance space.

Action! (Approximately 60 minutes)

Introduction to Technical Theatre

  • Introduce students to the concept of sound, lighting, costumes, props, sets and recording and/or computer technologies and their use in the enhancement of performance power-point presentation).
  • Show samples of dance on video and highlight the staging techniques and technology used.
  • Instruct students of the importance of safe practices with technical equipment in regard to self and others in performance settings.
  • Invite a technical expert or another teacher in the school with technical expertise to provide a workshop.

Consolidation (Approximately 10 minutes)

  • Assess students’ knowledge of the use and effectiveness of stagecraft with a quiz (could be a physical representation instead of written).

Notes/Assessment/Differentiated Instruction/Resources

  • It may be helpful to hang poster-sized samples of stage directions and names.