With our community and parents as the audience, our students are provided with an authentic and rewarding context to showcase their artistic skills, and apply musical concepts.
Last December, the Lower School’s Winter Performance was inspired by the famous story by E.T.A Hoffmann, ‘The Nutcracker’; a story brought to life through a young girl’s dream. Clara and her personified Nutcracker endured battles with soldiers and the Mouse King.
ISB’s elementary students brought this tale to life with the help of the Russian composer Tchaikovsky and some modern song twists!
The story was threaded with percussion playing, shadow movements, choral singing, and mesmerizing dancing. The adaptation of this story emphasized key musical concepts and the development of music skills. For instance, our grade five students applied their use of voice technique, grade four students refined their understanding of dance and movement, grade 3 students enhanced in the art of storytelling, and our youngest students responded through the use of movement, drama and exploration of their senses to help them perform. The concepts of interpretation, movement and expression were key features of the performance.
Before the opening of the Winter Performance, there was a flurry of excitement as parents and proud students admired the Visual Arts Show. This annual display of samples from each grade carefully articulated the range of mediums that our students explore, as well the forms of 2D and 3D works of art.
Not only do our parents enjoy an evening of entertainment but they are provided with a window into how our exceptional students and teachers bring the Arts curricula to life. The Winter Performance and Visual Arts show are truly embedded expressions of our in-class learning and our concept-driven curriculum. The event encapsulates and celebrates our diversity, our host country, and communicates culture through sound, music, movement and art. It is an event that draws us together, in a unique and special way.
Written by Rachel McLeod (PYP Coordinator) and Ljudmila Janicijevic (Music teacher)
The International School of Belgrade
