It’s “Mime Time” with Sixth Grade Drama Students!
Posted by Alyson CahillIn Performing Arts, sixth grade drama students recently completed a unit on pantomime, in which they utilized non-verbal communication and expression to tell simple stories. We began the unit by learning the origins of pantomime as an art form, dating back to Ancient Greece and bringing us all the way to up 20th century mime artists like Marcel Marceau and present-day street performers. Working in small groups, each group then chose two fairy tales or popular children’s stories. They picked key moments from each story and brainstormed how best to express these moments using only over-exaggerated facial expressions and body language – no words whatsoever! Students were surprised by how easily this came to them. At the culmination of the unit, we invited an audience of PreK and Kindergarten students to the Drama Room to come watch. The younger students were mesmerized and many of them guessed each story correctly. Pantomime is the perfect way to introduce Upper School students to the “Actor’s Toolbox” (body, voice, imagination) and sixth graders definitely impressed us all with their natural performing skills!
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