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Performing Arts
Primary Dance Day
Cross-cultures Workshop
Chartwell’s inclusive and heartfelt approach to Education is contagious. I
have learned a lot fromhis style of teaching, and have really embraced this in
my own classroom. Music is absolutely embedded in our culture and society,
just as it is in other cultures over the world. Working with Chartwell reminded
me of this fact. It is our duty as teachers of the Performing Arts to keep them
alive during this challenging time.
Anna Chadwick, Music teacher
Students fromKEVICC, Teignmouth C.C., Landscove Primary and Park School had a
unique and enriching opportunity in two workshops recently, creating new music
and dance by exploring, and then combining, the distinct musical traditions of
Mbira and its integral dance from Zimbabwe with a classical string quartet. This
creative project was led Chartwell Dutiro with dancer Denise Rowe and Exeter-
based quartet Contemporary Sounds, all working with Bath Spa University.
Children fromyears 5 and 6 at Berry Pomeroy,
Dartington, Marldon and The Grove Primary
Schools were invited by Sarah McInally, Team
Leader of Danceat KEVICC, toaPrimaryDance
Festival Day – and all had a wonderful time!
There were three different dance workshops:
Breakdance, Contemporary and Dance linked
with Science. Four Gifted and Talented year 9
students – Danielle Adams, Emily Hawkins,
Freya Ingram and Molly White – supported
dance staff with real talent and enthusiasm.
My contribution to the day was a workshop I
devised fromword stimuli. I gave the students
imagined scenarios and, from this, they had
to depict with their bodies the sensation or
action involved. The outcome was fascinating
.
Susie Reeves-Sharp, Dance teacher
It was fantastic to see such enthusiasm all
day for cross-curricular learning. Each group
embraced the challenge of furthering their
understanding of forces through movement.
Cara Young, Dance trainee teacher
Something Wonderful inmy Back Yard
Well-known poet Matt Harvey, and
acclaimed composer Thomas Hewitt-
Jones are in the process of writing their
second musical entitled
Something
Wonderful in my Backyard
which
follows the story of a community with
big ideas! The musical explores the
ideals of the transition movement and
takes inspiration from Totnes. KEVICC
group KPAC have been extremely lucky
to be invited to perform some of the
material as it is written, which is both
incredibly exciting and a real privilege
to be a part of. Earlier this term, students met with a local BBC team, who initially
recorded the students singing
Pie in the
Sk
y and
Home
in our Theatre to ensure
that they managed to achieve a clean
sound. After an hour of solid work from the
students, we relocated to the Kennicott
kitchen garden where students performed
the song in various spots and formations.
Following this, students walked up to
Civic Square where they performed in
front of an interested local crowd. The
feature was aired five days later and the
students came across fantastically.
Jo Crook, Head of Performing Arts
