Humor, anger, adoration, and hate are some of the emotions that are often demonstrated while dancing and singing in a musical production. If you are a performing arts teacher and would like your students to experience firsthand how some popular musicals were produced, delving into the history of some dance film directors prior to airing some films will be beneficial.

Introduce Each Director Separately

For your students to get a grasp on each director who is being discussed and their personal history and inspiration for creating a particular film, introduce each person separately.

Dedicate one or two classes solely for each director and tell your class about personal achievements and awards that a director has received, as well as the musical that they produced and the storyline associated with it. Quiz your students after presenting the material to determine if each pupil has sufficiently absorbed the information that you shared.

Play The Films

Purchase or rent copies of the musicals that were discussed and plan to air the films during class time. If there are some parts in the films that you want to focus on, you may need to pause each movie at various intervals to point out costume or dance styles, or the backdrop that is used for a scene that involves a musical number.

The viewing sessions should be spread out so that your students can truly appreciate each masterpiece and all that it has to offer. Ask your students for their opinions on each film and what their favorite scenes are or what they would have done differently if they were a film director.

Get Your Students Involved In Their Own Renditions

One fun and educational way for your students to collectively share their perception of musicals is by involving your students in reenactments of some of the films that were viewed in class. Direct your pupils to break up into groups and assign a role to each student. Use costumes and props that are typically used during live performances at the school that you teach at.

If there are some dance styles that your students haven't practiced before, you can use the dance films as visual aids that your students can follow along with. Encourage your students to strive to reach their peak potential and tell everyone that you would like to invite the rest of the student body and faculty to watch the reenactments during an informal assembly.