The BEST Theatre Warm-ups EVER!!! (Or at least I think they re fun!!!)

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Cordelia Fletcher
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TETA SUMMERFEST 2014 McMURRAY UNIVERSITY ABILENE, TX. JULY 25-27 The BEST Theatre Warm-ups EVER!!! (Or at least I think they re fun!

1 TETA SUMMERFEST 2014 McMURRAY UNIVERSITY ABILENE, TX. JULY The BEST Theatre Warm-ups EVER!!! (Or at least I think they re fun!!!) MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ KATY ISD O.D. TOMPKINS HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE DIRECTOR PERFORMING ARTS CENTER MANAGER MargaretTRodriguez@katyisd.org CELL: OFFICE:

2 HELLO ALL! I WANTED TO GIVE A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE PACKET AND THE CONCEPT BEHIND THE WARM-UPS I CREATED. A SMALL HISTORY MY HUSBAND IS A BAND DIRECTOR ACTUALLY BOTH OF US ARE MUSICIANS (I SING). ANYWAYS, MY HUSBAND WAS TALKING ONE DAY ABOUT CREATING A NEW WARM UP FOR HIS BAND AND IT GOT ME THINKING I WAS IN VERY SUCCESSFUL BAND AND CHOIR PROGRAMS ALL THROUGHOUT JH, HS AND COLLEGE, WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE THEM SO SUCCESSFUL? OF COURSE I HAD AWESOME DIRECTORS WHO HAD CLEAR SET EXPECTATIONS AND THEY MADE IT FUN. SO I CONTINUED THINKING ABOUT THE CONVERSATION I WAS HAVING WITH MY HUSBAND, AND I ASKED HIM WHY HE FOCUSED SO MUCH ON HIS WARM-UPS AND NOT AS MUCH ON THE MUSIC THE WARM-UPS EMPHASIZE STRONG FUNDAMENTALS AND THE WARM-UPS FOCUS ON EVERYTHING YOU ARE GOING TO USE AND TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE MUSIC. THAT S WHEN I GOT THE IDEA TO CREATE A WARM-UP TO ESTABLISH A ROUTINE WHEN YOU ENTER MY CLASSROOM, BUT WHAT KIND OF WARM-UP? I THOUGHT WELL MUSICIANS WARM-UP THEIR INSTRUMENTS, BUT WHAT ARE OUR INSTRUMENTS IN THEATRE? SO I BROKE IT DOWN INTO 3 MAIN AREAS: THE BODY, VOICE AND BRAIN. PHYSICAL: SOMETHING TO GET THE BLOOD CIRCULATING TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY THE BRAIN, BE MENTALLY PREPARED AND HAVE A GOOD SHOW (CLASS). I CREATED THESE ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO AND I CAN HONESTLY SAY I HAVEN T USED THEM EVERYDAY, BUT MOST DAYS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR I DO. IT ESTABLISHED A ROUTINE AND THE KIDS LOVED THEM. IT MADE CLASS RUN VERY SMOOTH. THERE IS ONE WARM-UP FOR EACH WEEK OF THE 6 WEEKS AFTER THE 6 WEEKS IS OVER YOU REPEAT. EACH 6 WEEKS I WOULD ELECT AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WHO WOULD BE IN CHARGE OF TURNING ON THE MUSIC AND TAKING ROLL, AFTER ABOUT 5-7 MINUTES I HAD ENTERED THE ATTENDANCE IN THE COMPUTER, THE KIDS WERE WARMED UP AND CLASS WAS READY TO START. OBVIOUSLY YOU DON T HAVE TO USE THESE THE SAME WAY I DO, BUT THE ACTIVITIES IN THE WARM-UPS ARE GOOD FUNDAMENTALS FOR THEATRE AND A HECK OF A LOT OF FUN! SOMETIMES ISN T IT FUN TO NOT ALWAYS BE THE TEACHER AND SOMETIMES BE THE STUDENT PARTICIPATING IN THE CLASS? I HOPE YOU HAVE FUN AND THANKS FOR COMING TO MY WORKSHOP. MAGGIE

3 PART ONE: WEEK 1 PHYSICAL (track 1): Celebration - Kool and the Gang 32 counts CLAP on even # s Chorus 1 Move #1 = Walk 8 counts forward woohoo Walk 8 counts back *REPEAT* Move #2 = Step touch 8 counts hands above Step touch 8 counts low snaps *REPEAT* Move #3 = Grapevine R, grapevine L (first chorus only, 2 times slow 2times fast) Move #4 = 3 point turn R clap-, 3 point turn L clap- (first chorus only, 2 times slow, 1 time fast) Chorus 2 Repeat moves 1 & 2 Move #5 = Box step crossing R over L (chorus 2 only, 16 counts slow, 16 counts fast) Move #6 = Box step crossing L over R (chorus 2 only, 16 counts slow, 16 counts fast) Chorus 3 Move #1 = 32 counts Move #2 = 32 counts Move #3 = 16 counts fast Move #4 = 16 counts fast Move #5 = 8 counts fast Move #6 = 8 counts fast To sit in solemn silence on a dull, dark dock In a pestilential prison with a life long lock (Clap-Clap) Awaiting the sensation of a short sharp shock From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block (Clap-Clap) Mirror image exercise: Students pair up and decide who will be the first leader and who will be the second leader. The student who is the follower must mirror what the leader is doing. Variations may include making the students pantomime their morning routine, cooking a meal or cleaning house. Emphasize to the students that they must not make sudden or quick movements so the follower will be able to accurately mirror the leader.

WEEK 2 PART ONE: PHYSICAL (track 2): Cupid Shuffle Follow the directions given in the song A tutor who tooted the flute (stomp R) Tried to tutor two tooters to toot (stomp L,R) Said the two to the

4 WEEK 2 PART ONE: PHYSICAL (track 2): Cupid Shuffle Follow the directions given in the song A tutor who tooted the flute (stomp R) Tried to tutor two tooters to toot (stomp L,R) Said the two to the tutor (stomp L) (stomp R) Is it harder to toot, (stomp L) (stomp R) Or to tutor two tooter to toot? (stomp L) (stomp R) (Stomp L,R) Students act as if they have a Rubic s cube in their hand and in sharp angles move it up and down side to side and hand it to their partner. Students pair up or in a group of 3 take turns moving the cube 4 turns then passing it off. Make sure the students know the importance of catch and release. Also have them concentrate on where the Rubic s cube is and try to visualize it shape and texture. This also serves as an introduction to pantomime!!! After they have completed the exeercise have them take their magic Rubic s Cube and squish it into a marble holding it between their thumb and index finger, show them how to reach across their body and place the marble in their imaginary pocket. The marble represents their imagination and they must bring it with them to class everyday.

5 WEEK 3 PART ONE: PHYSICAL (track 3): TV Song - Blue Man Group Hold 8 cts. Walk on beats 1 & 5 for 24 cts. Walk on odd counts for 24 cts. Neck roll R & L 2 times Shoulder rolls back 2 times Shoulder rolls front 2 times Back stroke R & L First Position Plie down 8, up 8 Second Position plie down 8 up 8 Slap legs, bend knees, clap thing 3 times Continue but add to the R, L & R Continue but add a flip to the back, flip front Explode end, hang limp (swinging snaps) Moses supposes his toeses are roses But Moses supposes erroneously. (leg, clap, snap, clap, leg) For Moses he know his toes aren t roses As Moses supposes his toeses to be. Jack and Jill rhyme in a circle. Students pat legs, clap, snap, clap, pat etc to the rhythm of the nursery rhyme. The catch, the students cannot say the whole rhyme, they must speak it one person at a time while not breaking the rhythm. Takes a lot of concentration!!!

6 WEEK 4 PART ONE: PHYSCIAL (track 4): Cha-Cha Slide - DJ Casper Listen to the music and follow the directions. Biggity, Baggity, Bacon and Beans A bucket of butter, a basket of greens A bottle for baby, some berries for Bess And a big block of beef, for big brother Jess Director Says. In the style of Simon Say but using stage directons (if class is large break into smaller groups). Start center stage and call out Director says move (DSR, USC, SL, SR etc ) 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Obviously you try and trick the kids and say a random stage direction and see if you can throw them off. Eliminate down to the last 4-5 and then count backward from 3 instead of 5 until you get a winner. In my experience this is absolute best way for students to learn stage directions. UPSTAGE RIGHT UPSTAGE CENTER UPSTAGE LEFT STAGE RIGHT CENTER STAGE STAGE LEFT DOWNSTAGE RIGHT DOWNSTAGE CENTER DOWNSTAGE LEFT AUDIENCE

WEEK 5 PART ONE: PHYSICAL (track 5): Antoinetta La Diferenzia Clap for 32 counts 1. 3 steps to the R dig with L heel, reverse (32 cts.) 2. Step together 3 times to R clap twice, reverse (32 cts.) 3.

7 WEEK 5 PART ONE: PHYSICAL (track 5): Antoinetta La Diferenzia Clap for 32 counts 1. 3 steps to the R dig with L heel, reverse (32 cts.) 2. Step together 3 times to R clap twice, reverse (32 cts.) 3. Tango/Cha-Cha-Cha (32 cts.) Chorus : Roll Hand Thingie and turn (32 cts.) Repeat 1-3 & chorus Conga line (32 cts.) Clapping moving back into lines (32 cts.) Repeat Chorus Repeat #1 Turn Pose Betty Botter bought a bit of butter But said she, This butter s bitter. If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter, But a bit of better butter will make my batter better. So Betty bought a bit of butter (much better than the bitter butter) And it made her batter better. Artist-Clay-Model. Students choose groups of three, one plays the part of the artist, one the clay one the model. Without touching the clay the artist must mold the clay into the pose that the models posing. Each take a turn at each role until the activity is complete.

8 WEEK 6 PART ONE; PHYSICAL (track 6): Pause- Pitbull (Zumba routine) Step touch for 32 counts PAUSE- MOVEMENT 1: Take 4 steps to your right starting on your right foot STOP - (8 cts.) DROP Rib cage pops front and back down 4 times PAUSE - (8 cts.) Take 4 steps to your left starting with your left foot STOP - (8 cts.) DROP Rib cage pops front and back down 4 times PAUSE - (8 cts.) MOVEMENT 2: Step together step touch right with arms/elbow movement (4 cts.) Step together step touch left with arms/elbow movement (4cts.) *Repeat* Keep same motion change arms to left arm waterfall down then right arms waterfall down (8 cts.) *Repeat* *REPEAT MOVEMENTS 1 & 2 TWICE* MOVEMENT 3: Facing left step forward and back with your right foot for 8 counts Body rolls 8 counts Facing right step forward and back with your left foot for 8 counts Body rolls 8 counts *Repeat facing left only* *REPEAT MOVEMENT 1* *REPEAT MOVEMENT 2 TWO TIMES* A fly and a flea in a flue Were imprisoned so what could they do? Said the fly, Let us flee! Let us fly! said the flea. And they flew through a flaw in the flue. Statues All students in the class but one are all statues in an art gallery, one student is the patron who is walking through admiring the sculptures in the art gallery. The statues try to move without the patron seeing them, if caught moving they become the patron and start all over again. You can make this even more fun by eliminating down to have the Last Statue Standing. Be careful this activity can take the rest of your class period students love this!!!

Needs Assessment. Management Plan

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