boom chica boom!

I said, "Boom"
I said, "Boom chicka"
I said, "Boom chicka rocka chicka rocka chicka BOOM!
Uh hu
OK
one more time. Scared style.

That was a warm-up we did with the kids that they loved and I thought was a good bit of fun!

Well, my nerves are no longer fraying, I had a lot of fun being a part of the two Theatre classes I attended yesterday. I did a fair job of leading some activities and the kids seemed to like me quite a bit. I wouldn't say that I was outstanding, but I think that I did show that I have a pretty good relationship with kids. I don't know why, but kids just seem to naturally like me. Maybe it's because I smile so much and make goofy faces at them. They seem to like my DH too, although he claims he doesn't know what to do with them...I'm rather at a loss myself at times.

Random story inserted here: One time my DH and I were at the beach, Virginia Beach, I believe it was. We were lazing around on our beach blankets enjoying the sun when we both got bored with whatever trashy novels we were reading. I said, "I'm going to build a sand castle, want to help me?" He decided that he would much rather dig a hole, than build a sand castle - he loves digging holes, which is a complete mystery to me. He does it every time we go to the beach! Anyways, we each started on our separate ventures when two little people started watching us. They had been playing with their family just a few feet away. They kept creeping closer and closer to us. A young girl and her little brother. Eventually, we noticed their avid attention to our activities and said hello. They wanted to join us. We said, as long as it's ok with your parents of course they could. They were given the go ahead in French no less - it seems they were from Quebec and the little girl joined me in my building and the little boy quickly jumped down into the DH's rapidly increasing hole. Those kids probably spent nearly an hour with us! Two strangers at the beach. What's that about? And it hasn't been our only experience like that! We don't have kids. Maybe it's just that when there's only the two of us around we act like kids - especially when we feel like we're on vacation.

So, back to the main point, kids seem to like me (and my husband) these 4-6 year olds and 7-9 year olds were no different. I did all the activities with them and they were my fast friends within minutes! Near the end of the 45 minute class one little boy, Freddie, who I believe was the youngest in the class of 4-6 year olds grabbed me around my waist declaring, "I love you!" very proudly. I have a feeling he does this to many people. He seemed very affectionate - he kept kissing other kids throughout the class. Better watch it Freddie, when you get older that could be considered unwanted physical attention! hee, hee, hee

I led an activity about props and how normal items, with your imagination can become anything you'd like. I don't think I did very well in explaining this to the kids because I was a bit flustered. My leading the activity was sort of thrust upon me just before the class began and then when it was my turn I wasn't really all that prepared. Oh well, I did the best I could and the kids seemed to have fun with it.

The second class was full of 7-9 year olds and their class lasted an hour and 15 minutes. The kids were great if a little wound up, and once again, after about 15 minutes 2 of the little girls decided they wanted to sit by me, hold my hands, do all the activities with me. What can I say, I"m cool to 8 year old girls. I led another activity with this class. I felt more confident about this game, since it was one that I had thought up and presented to Jenna, the teacher and director of the Theatre Academy. I felt I explained this better, but these kids were much more rambunctious so when we moved around the room - we were doing silly walks - they ran into each other. Here's the exercise you start off walking normally, then when call something out you change and walk like that. For example walk with your forehead leading. You walk with your forehead being the first part of your body forward, walk as tall as you can - you stretch your whole body and stand on your tippy toes, walk as heavy as you can. Feel as though your entire body is made of lead. you get the picture?
Since the kids were just beginning to talk about developing characters and "who" they are in scenes this exercise was to get them started thinking about how they could use their body to portray different people. Like, an old woman doesn't walk the same as a 9 year old, how would you change your body to tell the audience you were an old person with out using words?

I had minimal success with this exercise. I immediately realized things that I would do differently were I ever to do this activity with kids of that age again. Luckily, the kids seemed to have fun walking around in different silly ways and it got them moving after a game where they had spent a good deal of time sitting. On the down side they hadn't really expended all their energy so they were still antsy when we sat down to talk a little bit more about the exercise. I'm not entirely sure how my performance went in the eyes of Jenna (who will most likely decide on whether or not I should be hired) but I did my best and that's all you can do.

She is very nice and an amazing teacher - I could learn so much from working with her. She did say that I had a nice way with kids and that they responded to me well. I don't know if she was just trying to find something polite to say or what....all I can do is wait and see!