Nutcracker Season

Its the holiday season and what better way to enjoy and celebrate it than with music? A classic this time of year is the Nutcracker story and for many people, they enjoy attending the ballet production. One thing I've noticed through the years is that students recognize the music but don't always know the story. I found a beautifully illustrated version by Susan Jeffers that summarizes the story into about a 10 minute read and gives context for so many of our favorite melodies.

Both Kinder and first grade has explored the "Trepak" with ribbon streamers using moves to jump, spin, sweep the floor, paint the ceiling, and jumbo circles. We noticed how we can hear a "jump" in the music and how we reflect that same sound in our choreography. Several of our kinder friends commented how it looks like a parade when we're all dancing with our bright and colorful ribbons! :)

First is exploring form through "March" using colored plates. By breaking into colored groups of red, white, and green we can visually see the different sections in music. "March" is a rondo form which means the same part comes back every other time - ABACA. Here's a video of the routine but we've made just a few small changes.

Kinder has enjoyed watching sections from the ballet including the battle scene between the mice and nutcrackers, and a few of the dances from the Land of Sweets. I highly recommend attending the ballet live if you can but there are some full length videos on YouTube. My personal favorite is the 1993 version by the New York City Ballet.

Next week, classes will continue exploring selections from the Nutcracker with cup passing routines, Boomwhacker play alongs, and continuing the fun lessons we've already learned.