From Davina Bell and Waterstones Award-winning illustrator of The Girls, Jenny Lovlie, comes a beautifully diverse and inclusive picture book perfect for any aspiring dancer. There is a lot to learn about being a ballerina. It is hard work and can seem silly at times. If you fall over, don't panic. You don't have to be perfect! But when you walk out on the stage, it will feel like magic and fireworks and Christmas-tree lights in your tummy, and you'll know that no matter what, you're a real ballerina. Also by Davina Bell and Jenny Lovlie, I Love Tractors! : the story of one little boy's obsession with all things tractor.

Meet Biff, an adorable little puppy who will stop at nothing to become a ballet dancer.

Dramatherapy is increasingly being used in schools and educational establishments as a way of supporting young people's emotional needs. This book examines the space between drama education and Dramatherapy exploring the questions: Does a therapist teach? When does the role of the drama teacher border on that of therapist? How do these two professions see and understand each other and the roles they play? In Drama Education and Dramatherapy, Clive Holmwood draws on his experience as a Dramatherapist and examines the history of drama education and Dramatherapy, exploring the social, political, therapeutic and artistic influences that have impacted these two professions over the last century. He also discusses how these fields are intrinsically linked and examines the liminal qualities betwixt and between them. The book considers two specific case studies, from the therapist's and teacher's perspectives discussing what happens in the drama class and therapy space including how the dramatic form is understood, explored and expressed both educationally and therapeutically. The 'them and us' mentality, which often exists in two different professions that share a common origin is also explored. The book contemplates how teachers and Dramatherapists can work collaboratively in the future, bringing down barriers that exist between them and beginning a working dialogue that will ultimately and holistically support the children and young people they all work with. This book will be of interest to those involved in using drama in an educational or therapeutic context, including: drama teachers, arts therapists, teachers of arts therapy and researchers within wider arts, applied arts and educational faculties within colleges and universities.

Written especially for those who coach adolescent actors, this delightfully fresh workbook tells you the how, when, what and why of theatre games for young performers. Anyone working with young actors in schools or recreational centers will find this book exceptionally helpful. The basics of pantomime, improvisations, voice control, monologs and dialogs are all presented in game formats with exercises and worksheets for easy organization. Contents include: Introduction, Terms and Goals for Performers, Planning Your Program, Pantomime, Voice. Improvisation and Scene-Building, Index to Activities.

The original and very popular Grammar Wars text has been workshopped in classrooms throughout the U.S. Now a new text to answer questions about this unique and valuable technique for learning language and theatre arts. In addition to over 115 new games, the author explains productive and defensive behaviors that students exhibit in the performance of the exercises. By encouraging productive behavior students learn performance skills as well as punctuation, grammar and parts of speech. An excellent supplement text for English and theatre performance classes. Sample chapters: Tricking the World. Performance Learning Isn't Desk Learning, Is It Really Competitive?, Activities for Basic Skills, New Games, Maximizing Student Involvement, Mime, Sample Lessons, Appendices and more.

A charmingly illustrated exploration of The Nutcracker ballet, from the story to the characters to the music, for kids aged 8 - 12 to enjoy. The Nutcracker is one of the world's most beloved and recognizable ballets. A holiday perennial, it is frequently the first ballet young people experience and remember for a lifetime. This wonderfully engaging book introduces children, ages 8 to 12, to the story of the ballet, its history, the music and choreography, as well as all of the characters from Clara and the Prince to the Mouse King and the Snow Queen. Special sections introduce children to some of the most famous dancers and companies that have brought the performance and the magic of the ballet to life. Including a fold-out poster that young readers can remove and hang on their walls, A Child's Introduction to The Nutcracker is the perfect souvenir for the millions of young people who attend a holiday performance and have dreams of Sugarplum Fairies throughout the year.

Get to know the steps, performances and dancers who added their signature style to the street dance movement. From Paula Abdul to Justin Timberlake to Jabbawockeez, Today's Street Dance: More than Locking and Freestyle Moves will have you air-walking, tutting and strutting your stuff.

Would you like to offer constructive, creative and exciting new dramatic learning experiences to the children in your setting?

The importance of using drama to promote active and creative learning in the early years is widely recognised, and this fully updated second edition of "Drama 3-5" will guide and inspire practitioners in all settings, allowing them to lead drama with confidence and enthusiasm. Young children participating in well planned drama activities learn to express themselves clearly and develop strong social skills, more self-confidence and a greater understanding of co-operation and team-work."

Drama 3-5" contains a wide range of accessible activities and sample session plans, drawn from the author s many years of extensive experience, which have all been fully and successfully tried and tested with children from 3-5 years. The book also explains the theory and value of all of the activities, as well as possible extensions and the ways in which they contribute to the learning objectives and goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage, allowing practitioners to encourage and assess children s progress. Key chapters include:

This book offers the tools and understanding needed for confident dramatic play and learning, making it an ideal companion to support every practitioner who wants to explore, develop and enjoy drama and have fun with their children. "

Gender specific! Not just another book of scenes but a wide variety of topics and situations fine-tuned to recreate the day-to-day experiences of young women. This wonderfully diversified collection of monologs, dialogs, trios and quartets deals with subjects of self-discovery, survival in the real world, and daunting decisions both tragic and trivial. These sixty characterizations will make both performers and audience laugh, cry and know themselves better. Excellent for speech contests, acting exercises or auditions. Lengths vary from two minutes to six minutes each. A superbbook for any drama library. Sample titles: Mom or Me. Winners, Losers, First Date, Hurricane Force. He Promised Never Again, Bestest Dog, Nowheresville, Cyber Romance, The Last Kiss of Summer.

Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2010, Keith Gray's hit novel features a group of three friends who embark on a remarkable journey from Cleethorpes to Scotland with a stolen urn containing the ashes of their best friend... Now adapted for the stage by Birmingham Rep for a production by their Youth Theatre in 2011, Ostrich Boys is ideal for KS3 and KS4 English and will appeal strongly to boys as well as girls. This educational edition in Methuen Drama's Critical Scripts series has been prepared by national Drama in Secondary English experts Ruth Moore and Paul Bunyan. Building on a decade of highly effective work and publications endorsed by national organisations and supported by teachers and consultants across Britain, each book in the series: meets the new requirements at KS3 and GCSE (2010) features detailed, structured schemes of work utilising drama approaches to improve literary and language analysis places pupils' understanding of the learning process at the heart of the activities will help pupils to boost English GCSE success and develop high-level skills at KS3 will save teachers considerable time devising their own resources.

The Heart of Teaching is a book about teaching and learning in the performing arts. Its focus is on the inner dynamics of teaching: the processes by which teachers can promote-or undermine-creativity itself. It covers the many issues that teachers, directors and choreographers experience, from the frustrations of dealing with silent students and helping young artists 'unlearn' their inhibitions, to problems of resistance, judgment and race in the classroom,. Wangh raises questions about what can-and what cannot-be taught, and opens a discussion about the social, psychological and spiritual values that underlie the skills and techniques that teachers impart. Subjects addressed include: Question asking: which kinds of questions encourage creativity and which can subvert the learning process. Feedback: how it can foster both dependence and independence in students. Grading: its meaning and meaninglessness. Power relationships, transference and counter-transference The pivotal role of listening. The Heart of Teaching speaks to experienced teachers and beginning teachers in all disciplines, but is particularly relevant to those in the performing arts, from which most of its examples are drawn. It brings essential insight and honesty to the discussion of how to teach.

A young Black boy dreams of dancing in this exuberant, buoyant picture book celebrating the beauty of dance, and the wonder of Black Boy Joy-perfect for fans of Firebird and Crown! Langston likes basketball okay, but what he loves is to dance-ever since he saw the Alvin Ailey Dance Company perform. He longs to twirl into a pirouette, whirl into a pique. He wants to arabesque and attitude, grand battement and grand jete. When he walks, the whole street is his stage. With his neighborhood cheering him on, will Langston achieve his dream?

Joe Penhall's screenplay for the film of Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic novel provides a gripping and unforgettable text for use in English at Key Stage 4. The novel won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the the film starring Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron won praise for its faithful rendering of the novel's dystopian vision. This educational edition in Methuen Drama's Critical Scripts series has been prepared by national Drama in Secondary English experts Ruth Moore and Paul Bunyan. Building on a decade of highly effective work and publications endorsed by national organisations and supported by teachers and consultants across Britain, each book in the series: meets the new requirements at KS3 and GCSE (2010) features detailed, structured schemes of work utilising drama approaches to improve literary and language analysis places pupils' understanding of the learning process at the heart of the activities will help pupils to boost English GCSE success and develop high-level skills at KS3 will save teachers considerable time devising their own resources. The Road is set a few years after an unexplained cataclysmic world disaster has left the earth barren and hostile. It follows a father and son as they struggle to survive in a landscape where men either starve or join the marauding gangs of cannibals. Readers are advised that there are some scenes of a disturbing nature.

Designed for busy teachers, Drama Lessons: Ages 4-7 provides tried and tested lesson plans which will help you to make your drama lessons fun learning experiences. Drama Lessons: Ages 4-7 emerges from the continuing positive responses to Drama Lessons for Five to Eleven Year Olds (2001) and the three book series, Role Play in The Early Years (2004). In this book you will find a carefully chosen selection of the best lessons taken from these four texts, plus some exciting new material - a combination of brand new and classic lessons. This new collection introduces Literacy Alerts which identify how the drama activities develop aspects of literacy and suggest additional literacy activities. For each lesson plan, essential resources and timing information are provided. The lessons cover a range of themes and curriculum areas. Specialists and non-specialists, nursery nurses, teaching assistants and playgroup leaders will find the book easy to use and it will give all trainee teachers a flying start in their school placements.

Clue: A former journalist who became the beloved host of America's favorite game show and quiz competition. Answer: Who Was Alex Trebek?, the latest title in the #1 New York Times Best-Selling series. Born in Ontario, Canada, in 1940, Alex Trebek grew up listening to the radio and hoping to one day become a broadcaster. His dream became a reality when he was hired as a reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1961. Alex's composed nature and ability to skillfully improvise while on television eventually led to his role as the host of Jeopardy!, the biggest quiz game show in the United States. Alex not only earned numerous awards over the course of his thirty-six-year-long hosting career, but he also earned the admiration of the contestants on the show and dedicated viewers watching at home.

The second volume in Philip Pullman's groundbreaking HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy, now a thrilling, critically acclaimed BBC/HBO series. "What is he? A friend, or an enemy?" "He is a murderer." Will has just killed a man. He's on the run. His escape will take him far beyond his own world, to the eerie disquiet of a deserted city, and to a girl, Lyra. Her fate is strangely linked to his own, and together they must find the most powerful weapon in all the worlds... this hardback edition has a stunning cover by celebrated artist, Chris Wormell.