Musical Theatre:"Rehearsals before the showcase -MT2 Musical Reveue"

On 4th December ,2015 at 7.30 will take performance in Alfred Hitchcock Theatre. While this and next week we practise our solos and duets/group songs and dance peace's. We have many things to do before next Friday. For example we have to prepare our costumes and make them ready for Monday next week. Also we have to memorise our songs and dance peace's to make them ready ,strong and powerful for the showcase. Specially next week will be very busy because we will have many rehearsals and also we have to do some paper work for our assignments (group presentation, ballet assignment, UCAS application forms etc.).

Act Requirements:

1) Approximately 3-5 minutes in length.
2) Everyone must have a solo song. Part or all of which needs to be sung.
3) Sheet music for the song.
4) Needs to be from the Musical Theatre Lexicon.

Important Dates: Subject to Change:

9NOV   15 - Brainstorming session.
12NOV 15 - Proposals in.
16NOV 15 - Start of individual rehearsals.
30NOV 15 - Start of staging/tech/runs.
3DEC   15 - Evening dress - after college: 16:30 - until...
4DEC   15 - Performance.
Call time: 17.30 or TBD
Go: 19.30 or TBD


*Here is the ticket prices:

1)Students:£1

2)General:£2


In this showcase I will sing solo song called: " I'm here" from Colour Purple. The Color Purple  is a Broadway musical based upon the novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker. It features music and lyrics written by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, with a book by Marsha Norman. It ran on Broadway in 2005 and has been touring throughout the US. The Broadway production earned eleven 2006 Tony Awards nominations.

Here I'm pasting general description of this musical:

As the story begins, it is Sunday morning in rural Georgia, 1909. "Po' chil" (Poor child) Celie, 14 years old and pregnant for the second time, is playing a clapping game with her beloved sister Nettie ("Huckleberry Pie"). When she comes to church with her sister and their Pa, Celie goes into labor before the service ends ("Mysterious Ways"). Later, Pa takes Celie's baby from her arms ("Somebody Gonna Love You"), saying he is going to get rid of it, "same as the last one," and that she better not tell anybody except God what happened. Celie asks God for a sign, something that will let her know what is happening to her.

A few years later, when a local farmer, Mister, needs a wife to take care of his children, Pa says Nettie is too young, but offers him Celie instead, and throws a cow into a bargain. Although the girls vow never to be parted ("Our Prayer"), Celie goes with Mister to save Nettie's dreams of becoming a teacher. As the local Church Ladies cluck their approval ("That Fine Mister"), Mister's field hands introduce Celie to her life of hard work at Mister's ("Big Dog"). Nettie arrives one day, having fled from Pa's lecherous attentions, and asks if she can stay. Mister agrees, but then attacks Nettie on her way to school. When she fights back, he throws her off his property, swearing that the girls will never see each other again ("Lily of the Field"). Nettie promises to write to Celie as she is cast away from Mister's home. However, when Celie attempts to open the mailbox, Mister promptly rebuffs her, threatening her with death if she ever touches it again.


Mister's son, Harpo, grows up and soon brings home Sofia, a proud and strong-willed woman ("Dear God - Sofia") whom he loves and later marries. But eventually, Harpo tires of being bossed around by Sofia. Mister tells him he has to beat Sofia if he wants her to mind. Even Celie, who has endured such abuse from Mister, agrees this is the only way to make a woman "jump when he says to." But Sofia gives as good as she gets ("A Tree Named Sofia"), and is victorious in beating Harpo instead. Angered by Celie's suggestion, she confronts her ("Hell No!"), but her anger subsides when Sofia realizes how much Celie has suffered from Mister's cruelty. Not long after that, Sofia's sisters arrive to take her away. Sofia tries to convince Celie to come with her, but she declines. Left alone, Harpo turns his home into a juke joint and hires a new waitress, Squeak, to work there ("Brown Betty"). Love-stricken, Squeak soon moves in with Harpo.


The whole town prepares for the arrival of Shug Avery, a sexy singer who is Mister's longtime lover ("Shug Avery Comin' to Town"). But when Shug arrives, she is in such bad shape that in spite of local disapproval ("All We've Got to Say"), Mister brings her home where Celie nurses her back to health ("Dear God - Shug"). As Celie takes care of Shug, she begins to experience feelings of affection and tenderness for the first time, as Shug befriends her ("Too Beautiful for Words"'). When Shug sings at Harpo's Juke Joint ("Push Da Button"), Sofia returns with her new boyfriend and gets into a fight with Squeak ("Uh Oh!"). In Mister's house, Shug and Celie explore their newfound love for each other ("What About Love?"). Shug gives Celie a letter she found from "someone in Africa, goin' by the stamps." Celie recognizes Nettie's handwriting and knows instantly that her beloved sister is alive ("Act I Finale").




Celie discovers the rest of the numerous letters that Mister has hidden over the years, and learns that Nettie traveled to Africa with the missionary family that also adopted Celie’s babies, and that they are now residing in an African refugee camp ("African Homeland"). Meanwhile, in Georgia, Sofia has been beaten and thrown into jail for punching the mayor. (When his wife asks Sofia to be her maid, and Sofia refuses, the mayor decides to intervene and is then subjected to Sofia’s harsh temper.) Celie goes to the jail to comfort her, and learns that Sofia will have to serve out her sentence in the custody of the Mayor’s wife, thus reducing her to the very thing she fought so hard against. Twelve years later, Sofia and Shug both return home for Easter. Shug discovers the extent of Celie’s anger towards God ("The Color Purple") and invites her to come live with her and her new husband in Memphis.


After Easter dinner ("Church Ladies’ Easter"), Celie tells Mister that she is leaving. He protests and she finally confronts him about his cruel treatment of her over the years ("I Curse You, Mister").


Squeak is off to Memphis also, stating that she wants to sing. Harpo defends her choice to his father, and long after they leave, he invites Sofia to come back and live at the Juke Joint, reconciling with her in the process. Soon, Mister begins to feel the effect of Celie’s curse. He’s drunk nearly all of the time, and is shunned by everyone. Harpo challenges his father to make things right with Celie, and Mister attempts to understand what that might mean ("Mister's Song - Celie’s Curse").

At Shug’s house in Memphis, Celie discovers that she has a natural gift for making pants. When she inherits the house she once lived and grew up in, she goes home and starts a business selling her unique designs ("Miss Celie’s Pants"). Mister tries to help Sofia’s sickly youngest child Henrietta, and even Celie has to admit that Mister is trying to change. Harpo and Sofia are spending a pleasant night at home ("Any Little Thing") when Mister comes to tell them that he has found Nettie, but that she is having some difficulty getting home from Africa. Shug tells Celie that she has fallen in love with a young flute player, and asks her to let her have one last fling with him ("What About Love? - Reprise"). Walking home, Celie realizes that she isn’t destroyed by this, and feels a deep love for herself, for the very first time ("I’m Here").


1949. As the whole community is gathered for a Fourth of July picnic at Celie’s home, Celie hears a car horn, then a familiar song from her childhood. Nettie runs towards the house, with Celie’s adult children following close behind. Mister and Shug have made this reunion possible, and Celie thanks them, and God, for the safe return of her family ("The Color Purple"- Reprise).


My opinion:


As you read you can see that my character had really difficult past tense and generally most of her life wasn't really nice and family. She had to go through into these hard moments and move forward. I really like this story and specially this character. She shows how strong she was when was really bad and also I like it / I admire her for her courage and faith which possesses. The song which I will sing next week on the showcase It is a perfect example of how to prove these all of its great features. This song shows her whole real "I".


*Here is the video for you to listen this song which I talked above. I hope you will enjoy this song as much as I do.

                                                     
                                              I can't wait for the show!!!

Musical Theatre: "Group presentation- the healthy voice"

                                                    Task 1 : Research stage 1
                                                    Task 2 : Research Stage 2


Our assignment for this week is to be able to articulate and demonstrate a knowledge of the principles of voice production and vocal health in an engaging, inventive, creative, and pleasing way. We(students) should take into account our audience and structure our presentation to keep the attention of the audience. Group dynamics must also be addressed as the assignment is designed to be a collaborative effort by a group as a whole, and not a conglomeration of each its parts.

The deadline for this assignment is 19th November 2015.

P1- Describe principals of voice production and their association with vocal technique in performance:

1.) Breathing
2.) Larynx
3.) Vocal chords
4.) The tongue and teeth


M1- Explain the principles of voice production and their association with vocal technique in performance:

Breathing

• We all have the same instrument which is called the voice mechanism. Creating or producing sound from the voice starts with inhaling air into the lungs. The effect of exhaling air causes the vocal chords to vibrate which creates sound. Trained singers, voice over artists, actors, auctioneers and others have learned how to maximize the use of breathing through years of training and practicing their craft. Professionals dependent upon voice for their vocation generally practice breathing techniques that involve breathing from the diaphragm.

Larynx

• The human voice is made up several parts. The larynx also, called the voice box, houses the vocal chords, which are located in the respiratory tract where air passes from the lungs and when it strikes the vocal chords sound is produced. The larynx is a two-inch-long narrow organ located between the trachea and the pharynx. The larynx is an essential part of how we talk, sing and produce sound in general. The larynx is also used when breathing or swallowing and its outer cartilage forms the "Adams Apple" on the front side of the neck.

Vocal Chords

• The voice would be nothing without the all important vocal chords. The vocal chords consist of two strings of muscle that form a V-shape inside the larynx in the respiratory tract. Speaking causes the vocal chords to clench together but then air from the lungs forces its way between the two vocal chords. The air causes the vocal chords to vibrate which, in turn, creates sound.

The Tongue and Teeth

• Talking and singing would be much more difficult a task if not for the tongue and teeth. The teeth and tongue work together to form words after the vocal chords produce sound. We have all heard the tongue is a muscle but it's actually made up of several groups of muscles. The front of the tongue is flexible and works closely with the teeth in forming some words. Muscles located on the back of your tongue help make letter sounds like "k" and "g."

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/info_8114873_principles-voice-production.html





*I am also posting a video about "Voice Production"

D1-Analyse the principles of voice production and their association with vocal technique in performance:

Without larynx, vocal chords ,breathing ,tongue and teeth we could not produce voice. Breathing is preparing us to produce sound, during exhaling the air is creating vibrations in our vocal chords. It is important to practice breathing technique to involve breathing from the diaphragm.

Then, the larynx is an essential part of why we talk sing and produce voice. It is also part of our breathing and swallowing mechanism as it is part of the construction of the Adam's Apple. It is part of the respiratory system when air travels between the mouth and the lungs.

Also, the vocal chords are inside the Larynx and are made out of 2 strings that during air circulation  produce our voice/ sound through the movement of the two vocal chords.

The last important aspect of voice production is tongue and teeth, the tongue is responsible for creating words and letters from the sound that is produced by the vocal chords. The front of the tongue is more flexible which is mainly responsible for creating of words whereas the beginning of the tongue allows us to form sound and letter like 'g' and 'k' as I have mentioned above.

P2- describe how to maintain a healthy voice:

1.            Drink plenty of water. Moisture is good for your voice. ...

2.            Try not to scream or yell. ...

3.            Warm up your voice before heavy use. ...

4.            Don't smoke. ...

5.            Use good breath support. ...

6.            Use a microphone. ...

7.            Listen to your voice...

8.            Be conscious of you diet...

9.            Keep air around you humid...

10.          Don't stretch your voice boundaries...

11.          Rest your voice...

12.          Seek professional help for any concerns with your voice...

        

 M2 Explain how to maintain a healthy voice:

·         Drink plenty of water. Moisture is good for your voice. Hydration helps to keep thin secretions flowing to lubricate your vocal cords. Drink plenty (up to eight 8-ounce glasses is a good minimum target) of non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages throughout the day.

·         Try not to scream or yell. These are abusive practices for your voice, and put great strain on the lining of your vocal cords.

·         Warm up your voice before heavy use. Most people know that singers warm up their voices before a performance, yet many don’t realize the need to warm up the speaking voice before heavy use, such as teaching a class, preaching, or giving a speech. Warm-ups can be simple, such as gently gliding from low to high tones on different vowel sounds, doing lip trills (like the motorboat sound that kids make), or tongue trills.

·         Don’t smoke. In addition to being a potent risk factor for laryngeal (voice box) cancer, smoking also causes inflammation and polyps of the vocal cords that can make the voice very husky, hoarse, and weak.

·         Use good breath support. Breath flow is the power for voice. Take time to fill your lungs before starting to talk, and don’t wait until you are almost out of air before taking another breath to power your voice.

·         Use a microphone. When giving a speech or presentation, consider using a microphone to lessen the strain on your voice.

·         Listen to your voice. When your voice is complaining to you, listen to it. Know that you need to modify and decrease your voice use if you become hoarse in order to allow your vocal cords to recover.

·        Be conscious of your diet – avoid spicy or acidic foods that may give you acid reflux, heartburn or an upset stomach. These can lead to damage to your vocal folds.

·        Consider using a humidifier at home if the air in your home is especially dry as it provides added moisture to the air you breathe.

·         If you’re experiencing differences or changes in your voice (because of puberty, overuse or injury), don’t overcompensate or try to imitate a “normal” sounding voice. You will likely do more damage than good.

·      Minimize throat clearing; it can cause injury by harshly banging the vocal folds together.

·         If you do have a sore or scratchy throat, try resting your voice or seeking medical attention if it does not resolve within a few days.

·        Seek professional help if you have concerns. Voice specialists and pathologists are available to work through issues with you one-to-one therapy sessions.

*I am also posting a video about  'How to Keep Your Singing Voice Healthy - How to Improve the Quality of Your Voice'.

  Read more: http://www.entnet.org/content/keeping-your-voice-healthy

                      http://majoringinmusic.com/five-tips-to-keep-your-voice-healthy/

                      http://your-personal-singing-guide.com/voice-care.html

                      http://www.singingforaliving.com/articles/pro-secrets/

D2-Analyse how to maintain a healthy voice:

      During the whole research activity i have discovered of keeping a healthy voice that are crucial. The first method is to drink water; try to avoid any alcohols, fizzy drinks and smoking as they will damage your vocal chords. Also, conserving your voice is very important, try not to scream and shout too much as it will strain and damage your vocal chords. It is also important to rest your voice regularly in order to prevent any overuse of your throat, which may result in pains. In addition it is very important to have a good warm up of your voice before singing. This is because without a warm up you are not able to produce sounds that you would like. This is cause by the fact that our muscles are responsible for singing and if they are not well prepared for singing then the effect will not be there. This can be dangerous as it can damage your vocal chords. Furthermore, an important aspect of singing is using a microphone during performance because the voice will not be as strained, as well as the microphone creates a stronger voice. Maintaining a good diet is a key aspect of keeping a healthy voice, it is important not to eat spicy food as it can damage the vocal folds. Another important aspect is listening and analysing your voice because then you can hear and feel our voice and find out what it is that we can improve on in our singing. The best method for this is to record your singing and play it back to yourself in order to analyse your strengths and weaknesses. The last and very important thing is carrying out regular vocal chords check ups, you should not underestimate the importance of getting a regular check ups of your vocal chords with an expert.

Musical Theatre: "Voice class delivery"

Our assignment for this week was to prepare voice class for acting. The purpose of this assignment was to provides learners with the opportunity to amass knowledge of voice production and vocal health, analyse that knowledge , and then apply their knowledge in a practical application. The deadline for this assignment is on 10 Nov.15.

*The general scenario for this assignment was:

During a production of Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphose, the performing arts company that you work for has asked you to lead a portion of a voice class before your evening performance top help keep the ensemble fit. Time is of the essence, so a strict 20 minute time limit has been established.

*Here is my all research which I've done to help me to prepare the voice class delivery.

That's the first and quickest way how you can prepare before your showcase:

"10 Warming Up exercises Voice Actors Must Include in Their Routines"

1. You need to simply find a comfortable but firm place to lie down on your back. Then start by making a low humming sound and you could also practice panting. Then roll your body over to one side and get up, keeping your breathing rhythm intact. Repeat this by rolling over to the other side.
2. Also do some neck rolls by rotating your head very slowly clockwise and anti-clockwise. You could also do some shoulder rolls by rotating them forward and backward. This warms up your neck and throat muscles.
3. Massage your whole face by drawing slow circles with the tip on your fingers to relax the muscles of your face.
4. Also, jump up and down. You should also shake your hands and feet for improving your circulation and loosening your muscles.
5. The Lion/Mouse technique requires that you stand in front of a mirror and stretch all your facial muscles. The first part is to stretch your mouth wide open, imitating a lion’s roar and snarl. After that switch to a mouse face immediately, by scrunching your facial muscles and looking small and meek. Switching between the lion and mouse would help in improving circulation in your face.
6. Pull your tongue out as far as you can, trying to reach your chin by pulling it down or the tip of your nose by stretching it up. Also try to reach your ears.
7. Sirens are meant to improve your vocal range. Alternate between the octaves by uttering the phrase “eeee” and hitting the top notes and the lower ones.
8. Trills are created when you roll your tongue along the roof of your mouth and create a “trrrr” or “rrrr” sound.
9. Use the standard PTKT (pronounced as puhh tuhh kuhh tuhh) and BDGD (pronounced buhh duhh guhh duhh) to warm up your vocal chords further. This would also exercise your tongue.
10. Tongue twisters are generally used to further exercise your mouth, tongue, lips and cheeks. Say your favorite ones out loud and this could really be a fun exercise.

 *Here is the other way which also you can use to prepare yourself well  before the show. They are proposed by National Theatre . This whole warm up you can use when you have more time to do it . If you need to do a quick warm up ,you should to choose some exercises from each this all videos and put them all together.

 The theatres at the National require a vocal focus on articulation. First Jeannette gets the actors to move their lips around, and then gives the tongue a good work-out. After relaxing the jaw and reminding the actors of the need for good support, she gets them to repeat the sounds 'da, da, da' and 'ta, ta, ta' very quickly. Jeannette's further selection of other sounds to repeat will, over time, build up an actor's ability to articulate clearly. In addition to being part of their continual training, it's also something they need to do every night before a performance.

People featured in this video: Jeannette Nelson (Head of Voice), Sioned Jones (Actor), Chris Saul (Actor)

1.) Vocal warm-up: Breathing

 

 

2.) Vocal warm-up: Resonance

 

3.) Vocal warm-up: Opening of the voice

 

4.) Vocal warm-up: articulation

 

 

 

My opinion:

Vocal exercises are part of an actor’s working life. In ancient Greek times, it was the greatest orators, those with the physical gift of a beautiful voice and a strong diaphragm, that were the actors and public speakers. There are references in some Shakespeare's plays to the vocal exercising of an actor before performance and the importance of enunciation and volume. There are many types of vocal exercises, and each addresses a different part of the vocal mechanism. You can look at each component as a cog in a machine that, when put together, will aid understandable and natural sounding speech that can easily be heard at the back of an auditorium. In this collection takes actors through a warm up and a series of exercises typical for actors in rehearsal. I'm really find this exercises  helpful and If you want to improve your acting you should start to do some of this exercises.

Musical Theatre: "Audition"

On 6th November we had audition for drama schools in our college. We had to prepare :

1)32 bars (1 minute) of a musical theatre song. start and stop had to be clearly marked and music had to be taped or in a binder. Also, we had to prepare another 32 bars of constraining song, if requested.

2) A monologue of your choice, approximately two minutes in length. Also, we had to be prepare a contrasting monologue, if requested.

Furthermore everyone had to prepare an audition document detailing your choices and the rationale behind your choices.

We were all sitting a dance call, so we were pleased to be dressed to move. Hair had to be out of your face. No dangling jewellery, caps, shades, slides, flip-flops, or distracting clothing were allowed.

Also we had to be prepared to take direction, answer questions regarding our choices, and answer general interview questions. We were pleased to bring our Actors Portfolio/ Rep Book with us. This had to contain our actors CV headshot, monologues, and songs.

Also we had to remember the general rules of auditioning: avoid looking directly at the panel when performing; contextualise our monologue; and be professional at all times.

My comments:
I think this audition was alright. I prepared two songs:
1)"Im here"from Color Purple
2)"Hopelessly Devoted to You" from Grease
And a monolog:
1)"Lost in Younkers" -Nail Simon
Also I've done my actress Cv and Rep Book.

I was a little bit nervous before the audition but when I went to the room all stress just disappeared. I knew my songs and the monolog and I felt prepared. I think I've done my audition very well, now I am just waiting for teachers comments and opinions.  One thing which I did not like was that people which auditioned us didnt give me any comments and opinions on what I did good or bad. After this audition I don't actually know what I should improve and work on before next audition. Personally I know I have to prepare another monolog (contrasting one e.g. Shakespeare).

Dance-Ballet: "Swang Lake"

                                                         Swan Lake

Swan Lake (Russian. Лебединое озеро, French. Le Lac des Cygnes, and. Swan Lake, Ger. Der Schwanensee, incl. Il lago dei cigni) -balet classic in four acts.

Libretto by: Vladimir Biegiczew and Vasily Gelcer
Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky
choreography by: Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
Art Direction: Ivan Andreyev, Mikhail Boczarow and Heinrich Levgot

The world premiere of Swan Lake took place at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow March 4, 1877.

Characters:
Odetta - girl enchanted the queen (or princess) swans
Prince Siegfried
Princess, mother of Siegfried
Benno - a friend of Prince Siegfried
Rothbart - the sorcerer
Odile - Rothbart's daughter
Wolfgang - guardian of Prince Siegfried-court jester ,friends of the prince, the girls enchanted swans, guests at the royal court, six young girls, rural youth.

Act I
Court library. Prince along with peers from military school and a friend of Benn waiting for the arrival of her mother. On the occasion of majority son reigning duchess she hands him the ancestral medallion. Siegfried also announces that the next day at the ball should choose a future wife from among the invited princesses. Siegfried agrees in a hurry, because friends and the surrounding villagers prepare for him a merry fun in the manor park. Everyone is dancing, there is a carefree atmosphere. Also, a general, a teacher prince and other cadets, is the general mood of forgetting that the princess ordered him to take care of his son. Along with the deepening dusk Evil Spirit appears. It lures the Duke to the lake, where it takes the form of a night bird - eagle owl. Here will be the fate of Siegfried.

Act II
On the banks of Lake prince meets a girl-swan and falls in love with her at first sight. It enchanted Odette into a swan by a sorcerer. If someone vow her true love, the devastating spells lose their power and both she and the accompanying girls-swans come back always to the human form. Captivated by the beauty of Odette, the Prince swears her eternal love.

Act III
It takes ball given by the Duchess-mother. Arrive invited guests, among them Princess: Hungarian, Neapolitan, Spanish, Russian and Polish. Finally, late Siegfried appears. It is still impressed by the meeting with Princess Odette and do not make much of an impression on him. Suddenly the fanfares are heard announcing the arrival of unexpected guests. This sorcerer Rothbart with his daughter Odile, confusingly similar to Odette. Under the influence of Siegfried swears love spells Odylia's thus dooming Odette to eternal suffering. When he realizes the cruel irony of fate, full unchanging love for Odette, runs to the lake.

Act IV
At night on the shores of the lake. Evil Spirit in the form of an owl brags about his victory over the good. Girls-swans are waiting for Odette, which appears devastated prepared for the worst. Evil Spirit knows that girls derive strength from their human form. So he is trying to gather them together to once again turn into birds. At this point, Siegfried rushes, and to his horror, finds Odette half alive. Words of love and repentance restores her to life. All the forces trying both to resist the evil fate. Odette feels that only death can combine them. He throws the rocks, and the prince follows her. Angered by the death of Odette and Siegfried girls-swans drown their persecutor and rise up to the sky trace of Odette and Siegfried. The night, however, is governed by its own laws and reappeared Evil Spirit hungry for new victims.

Here I'm also pasting the Matthew Bourne's version about Swan Lake:

Thrilling, audacious and totally original, Matthew Bourne's legendary production transforms one of ballet's best -loved stories into a stylish, witty, poignant, contemporary tale with extravagant, award-winning designs by Lez Brotherston.
Perhaps best-known for replacing the traditional female corps de ballet with a menacing male ensemble, Matthew Bourne blends dance, style, humour, spectacle, character comedy and mime to create a provocative and powerful Swan Lake for our times.
Since its 9th November 1995 world premiere at Sadler’s Wells, Matthew Bourne’s breathtaking and sexy version of Swan Lake has become the longest running ballet in the London’s West End and on Broadway. It has enjoyed four successful tours in the UK and continues to thrill audiences throughout the world.
Originally written by Tchaikovsky in the late 19th century, SWAN LAKE was staged at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre in 1877, but it wasn’t until 18 years later - and after the death of its composer - that it was finally staged in St Petersburg, and became a universal classic.
This new, witty and surprising production has been designed to speak to a modern audience, to excite them, to move them.
Matthew Bourne’s SWAN LAKE has collected over thirty international theatre awards including three Tonys for the Broadway production and has been widely acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic as a landmark production on the international stage.
As the director and choreographer for SWAN LAKE Matthew Bourne is the only British director to have won the Tony Award for Best Director and Best Choreographer of a Musical in the same year (1999).
For Matthew, SWAN LAKE had a particular appeal: "I could see an opportunity to create a human story, with the potential for great dramatic power and range, indulge my satirical and humorous leanings as well as create whole suites of abstract movement to some of the best dance music ever written. Irresistible!"
The most talked about innovation in this production is the casting of a male dancer in the coveted role of Odette/Odile known as "the Swan". "The idea of a male swan makes complete sense to me" says Matthew, "the strength, the beauty, the enormous wingspan of these creatures suggests to me the musculature of a male dancer more readily than a ballerina in her white tutu."
SWAN LAKE has gone through many different interpretations since its creation by Tchaikovsky. Matthew Bourne’s production retains two of the essentials that make SWAN LAKE so universally loved - Tchaikovsky’s great score and the story of our constant yearning for an unattainable ideal.


*Information took from : www.wikipedia.com , www.swanlaketour.com
My comments:
Our exercise was to watch the theatre show and say what is story about and what we think about it dance. Also we had to find out the Matthew Bourne version of Swan Lake and describe the differences between his version and original. In my opinion this story is really interesting and I really enjoy watching the video. Also I like dance. I like the whole choreography which was telling all story without speaking . The dance and music was really magical for me . 

Musical Thetare: "Breathing exercises"

                                                        
               Things associated with breathing

Few weeks ago we did some breathing exercises on the floor to learn how the breath works. We had to breathe by mouth and make some different, crazy sounds each time. Its hard to explain them really well because it's better to show them and explain at the same time. At the beginning I found them quite hard because I was scared to open my body and brain to make this exercise properly but after few lessons  I tried to change this and I saw I started to make progress . Also I could see that they are not that hard as they looked like . I found this exercise helpful whilst I sing because now I know how to control my breathing in and out. 

Musical Thetare: "Group exercises"

Every Monday we do some exercises to warm up and to make as ready for the whole lesson. The exercises call "Cat" . We start from the floor with basic stretches to move you to the next level when you have to move all your body around. This exercise we repeat twice : first we do from floor to high level and after we swop from high level(high energy) to the floor (low energy) and a bit relax. After that we play some group games like:


1) Play with the ball in the circle ,before throw you have to say someone's name and throw.
2) Again we used the same game and we played with the same rules but without calling someone's name. Also we had to keep the same energy as the ball as was throw to us . We had to catch the ball quietly as well to do not hear the catch sound.
3) Another game was playing with the plastic cup in the circle. Everyone had to hit once the cup and try to keep cup in the air.
4)And the last one (new one, which we did yesterday) is when we are in the circle and everyone clicks the bit with the fingers and someone say one word for example : "cow" and another person have to say some word similar to the subject which person gave it before ; in this example will be :"milk" or something similar to this.After that everyone repeat this two words like: "cow-milk" and we sing some melody like:" Na na na " and the person which had to answer is start the next subject. And over again and again.


My comments:


I really like this lesson ,the most games than the warm up (Cat exercises)which we always do on this lesson. I really enjoy the third and  forth game , they are fun and everyone gets the most energy there than in the rest games. All games are useful each on their own way. They teach us how to work in the group and as one group. Also they teach us how to listen each other and follow another person at the same time. The are forcing us to be focus all the time because if we not,we automatically lose the game. Also the cat exercises are useful because they warm up our body really good and each week I can see that those exercise become easier for me than they were before. I'm getting stronger.