Unit(s): Stage Movement
Purpose:
To encourage students to use movement as a sole means of creative expression
Objectives:
The students will be able to define specific mime vocabulary words.
The students will be able to do relaxation and warmup activities.
The students will execute specific mime moves while creating stories through the medium of pantomime.
Materials:
- Students should wear clothes that are conducive to movement, i.e. leotards, sweats, loose fitting clothing (no skirts or dresses). They should also wear shoes that are flexible enough to allow for maximum movement of the foot. (Students without these should wear only socks.)
- Handouts on "Mime History."
- Stage makeup - clown white, black/red liners, cold cream, baby powder or flour.
- Film of Marcel Marceau
- Cassette recorders are needed for final projects.
- This unit is best taught in a very large area where movement is unrestricted.
Procedure:
- Begin by showing a Marcel Marceau film and discuss.
- Provide an overview of mime history and basic vocabulary from Stage and School.
A. Pantomime
B. Mime
C. Gesture
D. Inclination
E. Rotations
F. Isolations
G. Cross
H. Resistance
I. Setting
J. Click- After the introduction, begin each class with a series of warmups like those provided throughout Stage and School.
- Use the activities provided in this packet to teach basic mime moves.
- Assign students to bring in tapes of instrumental music. (You might suggest classical and motion picture sound tracks since they tend to provide dramatic music needed to inspire creative story boarding.)
- Divide the class into groups of two to three people.
- The students should select a single piece of music (approximately 3-7 minutes) and create a story in pantomime to go with the selection.
- The pantomime should include specific mime moves taught earlier in the unit i.e. isolations, rotations, illusions, etc. Mime walls, walks, leans, sits, etc.