Spotlight on the Plovers: Storytelling
Level 2 students have been studying storytelling in its various forms.They have learned that stories can be told through words, of course, but they have also studied the ways stories are told through visual means, including dance. Because FGCS focuses on experiential learning, students learned by doing: professional dancers from Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) in Portland came to Forest Grove and taught students how to translate a story to dance. Students learned that dancers go beyond literal 'acting out' to creating movements that interpret a story in a way that is visually appealing and exciting. They had the opportunity to see this in action when they attended a school-day performance of the Alice in Wonderland ballet at OBT. When it came time for the Level 2 Plovers to decide what to present for All-School Meeting (ASM) in March, students voted to write and choreograph their own Alice in Wonderland ballet!
Students first read a picture book version of the story together and studied clips of the movie and several ballets. Then, students worked in small groups to choreograph a dance to a certain section of the story. This slideshow illustrates the process the Plovers went through in developing their Alice in Wonderland ballet. At ASM, the Plovers explained this process, then performed the dance for everyone. The dance was a huge hit with the audience and serves as a wonderful example of how students learn through meaningful projects at FGCS.
Students first read a picture book version of the story together and studied clips of the movie and several ballets. Then, students worked in small groups to choreograph a dance to a certain section of the story. This slideshow illustrates the process the Plovers went through in developing their Alice in Wonderland ballet. At ASM, the Plovers explained this process, then performed the dance for everyone. The dance was a huge hit with the audience and serves as a wonderful example of how students learn through meaningful projects at FGCS.