Written by: Veronica Martin – ECE Coordinator
Lights, camera, action!
When you think of a major musical production your mind goes towards adults entertaining everyone after years of practice. The musical Rise and Shine was put on by the K4 students with support from their Co-Teachers and the Music Teacher. Students selected some of the songs they would sing and helped create dances they would dance.
The musical Rise and Shine was about Spring and how animals and flowers grow and you can see new life everywhere. Each child had a dancing and singing part, some children narrated the story either in Chinese or English. The children designed their own costumes from nothing and their parents came in to help create their vision of their character in the show.
The show was wonderful andeveryone was very proud of the students, however, it was the learning along the way where the real progress was made. Students who were not able to speak in another language, learned how to sing and express themselves in both Chinese and English. In the weeks leading up to the show the hallways were full of song as children were walking around singing parts of the songs.
Students who were not confident in their creative expression designed and made their own costumes; students who did not understand how a musical was created learned about stage presence, character development, lighting and along the way they all learnt more about the beauty of music.
This is what some of the K4 students had to say about the experience:
Yvonne- K4A – “It was called Rise and Shine, it was fun. I want to play in a concert again”
Zifeng- K4B- “My mum helped me to make the costume, l was a sun. I had fun”
Rosie- K4B- “I liked my lines, l was a baby chick and l danced and sang to everyone”
Dylan- K4C- “I was a duck and l said, “quack, quack”. I loved it, l want to sing more”
Music is an important part of YCIS and especially for our youngest learners who connect to the tunes easily. Our Performing Arts Director, Mr. Nick Adgemis oversees the program with Ms. Diana working directly with the children as the Music Teacher. The ECE Children look forward to their classes with Ms. Diana as together they build a strong foundation of musical appreciation and exploration. The musical has given the K4 children the confidence to move forward in their musical education and the ability to participate in many more musicals in the future.