Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I have had an amazing first semester here at GFAA and am already getting excited for all the wonderful things the new year will bring! For now though, I'm content for everyone to take a well deserved break. I hope your Christmas season is filled with laughter, peace, and joy!
-Miss King



Showcase Success!

Our first ever GFAA Winter Showcase was a wonderful success! We had an audience of 850 at SGP Theatre to watch our students sing and dance their hearts out. As a teacher I was so proud of and thankful for not only our super talented kids, but also our super supportive GFAA parents and families. Thank you so much for coming out! Can't wait to do it again in the spring!

First graders strike a pose at the end of their High School Musical dance.

Fifth graders finish singing "Winter Fantasy."

All Star Crew and Showstopper boys backstage

For more pictures check out the All Star Dancers and All Star Crew fan page on facebook! Christmas is right around the corner!

-Miss King

Another PTA Plug

Tomorrow is our third PTA performance of the year, which is fitting since our fantastic third graders are putting it on! Come out to GFAA at 7:00 sharp to watch our girls and guys sing, dance, and act their way through "Get in the Game!" You'll see cheerleaders, golfers, soccer players, and maybe even a skateboarder or two. They've worked really hard and Ms. Becker, Ms. Trammell, and myself can't wait to see it pay off.

And don't forget about the upcoming Winter Showcase! 7:00 on Tuesday, December 6th at the SGPHS Theatre!

-Miss King

Puppets, Galore!

Recently in theatre, lots of classes have been learning about puppets. Puppets are a great way to break even shy kids into acting- it's easier to start with your "puppet" talking in front of the class instead of you. We've been practicing reading from scripts and have even written some of our own! A big favorite in all grade levels has been making our own puppets. I have seen some of the most creative things! Here are a few great examples below:

(click the photo to enlarge)

In other news, it's college week here at GFAA and for that I can't help but say, SIC 'EM BEARS!! (If your student comes homes yelling that someday, I'm probably to blame.)

-Miss King

Announcing the 1st Annual GFAA Winter Showcase!

The first ever GFAA Winter Showcase will be held at the new SGPHS theatre on Tuesday, December 6th at 7:00. Who will be performing at this showcase, you ask? Here is the rundown of what you'll see:

*Great jazz dancing and maybe even a kick line from our All Star Dancers
*Some awesome hip hop from the All Star Crew
*Wonderful singing and dancing from the Showstoppers
*A really great dance number performed by 3 of our Monday after-school clubs
*aaaandd....

There will be full grade-level performances by 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade!

These grades will be performing an act they will work on in music class with Ms. Becker or dance/drama class with me. They should have an information sheet go home with them sometime this week telling you all the details! We are so excited to be including as many kids as possible with this show. Finding more opportunities for our Fine Arts students to perform is always a good thing!

Oh, and don't worry Kinder, 2nd, and 4th- we haven't forgotten about you! These other three grades will perform in our Spring Showcase at the end of the school year.

So mark your calendars now- 7:00 on Tuesday, December 6th at the SGPHS Theatre. We want a packed house there to support our all stars!

-Miss King

Come watch our fantastic 5th graders!

Our second PTA program is here! Tomorrow at 7:00, our 5th graders will be performing their class musical "Dig It."

I have to say, this thing is great! It is a perfect example of the blending of all our fine arts here at GFAA. Mrs. Becker has gotten the kids sounding wonderful and has put together some awesome musical numbers. Mrs. Trammell headed up our backdrop (which the kids all helped make). We have pyramids, a great wall, ancient writing, and much more- it looks so well done! I myself helped our actors and can say that they have blown me away with their talent! All in all, this is a seriously fantastic show. I hope you can make it out!

-Miss King

Let's Learn Some Pantomime!

So among all this info on tryouts and clubs and performances, I figured you might want a little info on what your children have been doing in class, too! We've started the year with pantomime- it's in our blog title after all so it must be important!

Pantomime is probably just what you're thinking- it's acting without any sounds. You have to rely on your body and facial expressions to tell a story. Now don't worry, we haven't been painting our faces white and pretending to be stuck in a box. 2nd through 5th graders have been working in groups to give their pantomimes a plot. We've emphasized that a plot has 3 parts - a beginning, middle, and end - and let me say, your kids are crazy creative. I've seen so many great things the past few weeks. Below is a video from one of our 4th grade groups. See if you can figure out what their plot is!

Until next time!

-Miss King

All Star Updates

I've had my first two rehearsals with the All Star Dancers (that's their official name now) and am so excited! I ended up taking 18 girls (which it was a really difficult decision). They've been working extremely hard for our upcoming performance at the Superintendent's State of the District Address next Wednesday. They're learning and perfecting a whole dance in a week and a half! I'm already so proud of them.

Next Wednesday also brings about the start of another audition- this time for the boys! If your son is interested in being on the All Star Crew, a hip hop squad for 4th and 5th grade boys, next week is his time to shine. On Wednesday after school, we will meet in the gym to learn a short combination. Then everyone will come back Thursday after school to review and audition in small groups. Both days we will be finished by 4:30.

I've had several guys ask me, "I've never danced before. Can I still tryout?" YES! If they're unsure, encourage them to come Wednesday and see how they do. If anyone decides it's just not for him, he does not have to audition in the small groups on Thursday. Hip hop is a lot about having a good sense of rhythm, not perfect technique. Oh, and the most important thing of all is to have FUN!

Loving my job!
-Miss King

A Musical Reminder

This week is super busy and super exciting! Dance team tryouts are today and tomorrow after school....and tomorrow is also GFAA's first performance of the year!

Our PTA meeting starts at 7:00 in the cafeteria. As soon as business is concluded, our 4th graders are going to rock out with some awesome drumming. They've been working very hard and Miss Becker has done an amazing job with their show. Plus, they're performing "in the round" which isn't something you see everyday at the elementary level. Come out for PTA and stay for our talented 4th graders!

-Miss King

p.s. - For those inquiring minds who want to know, both show choir and dance team results will be announced Wednesday after school.

Calling all 4th & 5th grade girls!

Tryouts for the GFAA Dance Team are coming up! (First side note: I'm taking name suggestions starting now.)

Auditions will take place over two days next week. We will meet after school in the gym on Monday, September 12th where I will teach the girls a combo (combo = combination: dance lingo for a short, unfinished dance). We will be done by 4:30. On Tuesday, September 13th we will meet in my room (301) right after school to quickly review and then tryout! Auditions will be done in groups of 4 that I will assign. We should again be finished by 4:30.

Miss Becker (music) and I will be the only people watching in the room. We will be looking for:

• memory: how well you remember the dance
• technique: how easily you handle the choreography (steps)
• performance: how well you perform (smile, energy, etc.) 

Second side note: the most important of these three categories by far is performance. If you forget a step or don't do it perfectly, that's ok! I want to see you smiling and having fun. :)

Other important information:

Members of the dance team will be expected to purchase some sort of uniform item for performances in and out of school throughout the year. I promise to keep the cost as low as possible!

Our practices will be every Tuesday after school until 4:30 with the possibility of a few extra practices near to a big performance.

What kind of dancing will we be doing? I hope to do as much as possible! Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet Folklorico- the most we have time for.

Any more questions? Please do not hesitate to email me at jennifer.king@gpisd.org. Exciting things are happening here at GFAA!
-Miss King

Welcome to Garner Fine Arts Academy!

The new school year has finally arrived... and this time there's a twist! Garner is the first elementary Fine Arts Academy in the DFW area and everyone on staff is so excited to start this journey.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. In case we haven't met in person yet, here are some fast facts about me...

Who: Jenny King
What: The new dance and theatre specialist at GFAA
When: This is my second year teaching. Last year I taught dance at Fannin, Kennedy, and Reagan Middle Schools.
Where: I'm originally from Waco and graduated in May of 2010 with a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance and a Minor in Dance from Baylor University. Sic 'em!
Why: I started dance classes when I was three and discovered our local children's theatre in fourth grade. Growing up immersed in the arts taught me so many important lessons- self-discipline, patience, teamwork, self-worth, endurance, the list goes on and on. The arts made me a better and smarter person and I am absolutely thrilled to get to "pay it forward" to the next generation.

So why the blog, you ask? It's another way for us all to stay connected as teachers, students, and parents. I'll post descriptions, photos, and videos of what we're doing in class as well as out-of-class performances.

Let me say this one more time- I'm so excited!
-Miss King

The GFAA specialist team on the first day of school! L to R: Miss Becker- music, Miss King- dance/theatre, Miss Trammell- art, Coach Martin- P.E.