An Important New Addition!

Happy Monday to all!

I'm really excited to tell you about a new addition to the fine arts hallway! It's a little project that I've been planning for a while and finally have gotten around to starting!

Outside of the dance studio is the newly created "auditions around town" bulletin board! I'm very passionate that each and every one of our kids gets as many opportunities as possible to perform and hopefully the information on this board will help provide that! We also want to get Garner's name out there in the local arts community- DFW needs to know discover the true all stars we have here!

I promise that I will only recommend theatres, dance studios, and companies that I know are safe and well-respected. I will also try to post as much of the information as possible here on my blog as well, so that everyone will have quick access to it.

Here's what's currently on the board:

Studio B Performing Arts is holding auditions for the classic musical Fiddler on the Roof on Saturday, February 11th. There are limited ensemble (chorus) roles for children. Families are encouraged to participate together! Kids should sing 16 bars of a musical theatre song (preferrably with accompaniment on a cd) and have a monologue prepared. For more information, visit http://www.studiobtheatre.info/

Also on the board (and also highly recommended) :

Dallas Children's Theatre (DCT) still has a few spots left in their Spring Classes which run from January 27th - April 21st. Tuition is $220 and all sessions are taught by seasoned theatre professionals.

Drama Level 1 (for Kinder/1st graders): work on your acting skills with the show "Mermaids and Pirates" every Monday from 4:00-5:30!

Drama Level 2 (for 2nd/3rd graders): "Act, Act, Act!" is on Tuesdays from 4:00 - 5:30 and "Be a Star!" is on Wednesdays from 4:30 - 6:00.

There is also a Scenes class on Thursdays from 4:30 - 6:00 where junior actors will work on scenes from DCT shows such as "Tom Sawyer", "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", "Little Women", and more!

For more info, call DCT Education Director Nancy Schaeffer at 214-978-0110 or email her at: nancy.schaeffer@dct.org. Also visit http://www.dct.org/ for more information!

Since Math Night is this Thursday, take a second to stop by the board if you need more information! See you there!

-Miss King

Welcome back! We're on the news!

Welcome back to students and parents! I hope everyone had a restful and wonderful holiday break. In case you haven't noticed, GFAA has been in the news a lot lately! (And it's all good stuff!)

Last week Channel 11 filmed a story on our campus about why GFAA was formed and the impact it has had so far. In case you missed it, you can find that story here.

Today, I was super excited to have Channel 5 visit my Kindergarten class today to film their own segment on Garner. The students did so well- not only in their dancing, but also in their behaivor. I was a very proud teacher! To see Channel 5's story, click here.

So what are we learning these days in dance and theatre??

Kindergarten and 1st grade are learning all about ballet basics. Ballet is the foundation of all modern dance and dates back to the Italian Renaissance. It was further cemented as an art form in the royal courts of France, which is why it is mostly made up of French words. So your kids are currently learning another language! Quiz them to see if they can perform the following steps and/or tell you what they mean in English:
Plié - to bend at the knees
Relevé - to rise
Tendu - to stretch
Rond de jambe - circle of the leg

Second through fifth graders are working on developing their own character as well as writing their own monologues. (In monologues, one actor performs a longer piece of dialogue by themselves.) Be sure to ask your student about the character they have created!

One more note: the performance theatre group (currently called the All Star Players) is have auditions this Thursday after school. Any fourth or fifth grader may try out. We will practice every Tuesday morning before school starting at 7:30 sharp. (There is a possibility that we will have a few afternoon practices later in the semester.) I hope to put on a full production with this group! They will also be featured in the Spring Showcase at the end of the year.

There are wonderful things happening at GFAA! I feel very blessed to be a part of it.
-Miss King

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