Building confidence with performing arts

We’d not really thought about performing arts until the opportunity to do a trial at Stagecoach came along. POD was really keen to go so we signed her up for the two week trial. She absolutely loved these classes, spending an hour and a half singing, acting and dancing. So much so POD wanted to continue going every Saturday. That was a year ago.

One of the things I like about Stagecoach is that through these classes kids get to build their confidence. This is particularly the case for Early Stages which is designed for children aged four to six. While POD is full of character and certainly not shy, these classes have certainly helped her. She was in a couple of plays at her last school and was excellent, performing in front of the parents of 30 children. That must be so daunting for children.

Stagecoach has been about learning songs, understanding rhythms and timing. Dancing on the other hand provides them with the skills to try out new moves whereas drama all about encouraging them to act, improvise and tell stories. We’ve not got to see what POD has got up to on a weekly basis but we do see the end result as there’s a show when each term finishes. They’re always quite entertaining as the children do get distracted but they always put on a good show.

My favourite was certainly when she sung “Let It Go” on her own in front of all the parents. The Stagecoach coaches didn’t tell us either so it was a complete surprise. What an absolute star she is. Last week POD was a troll which was quite fitting given how much she loves the movie The Trolls. She was superb at delivering her lines and she sings beautifully as well – she definitely didn’t get that from me!

It was a poignant show as POD is now old enough to join the main school. We’ve often wondered when this time came whether we’d continue with Stagecoach. After all it’s a bigger commitment all round what with it being 3 hours every Saturday. Main school teaches up to the age of 18 although children are split into age appropriate groups. They get to learn about different styles of singing, have more varied dancing techniques and work on acting performance. POD has been ready to move up from Early Stages for a little while now and she’s really keen to join the main stage classes. So we’re going to give this term a go and see how she gets on.