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How to Fit Drama into Your Homeschool
Watching The Nutcracker is a fun tradition for Christmas time. It is a unique way to fit drama into your homeschool as either an audience member or as one of the dancers.
Hi! My name is Danielle and I have homeschooled my kids for 20 years. When we started homeschooling, I was concerned my kids may not be able to participate in some of the fun activities like drama that I was able to do growing up, but I quickly found out that I had nothing to worry about and found there are a lot of ways to fit drama into your homeschool.
After my daughter had been dancing for a couple of years, we decided to try a studio that was near us. Technically it wasn’t a studio since they were using our recreation center, but the dance teacher came highly recommended. Eventually she started using a nearby church and had other very talented dancers, who had traveled the world, teaching near our home. (A fancy dance studio is not always a necessary requirement for talented instructors.)
One of the differences, besides technique, that I really enjoyed about this new studio was that our daughter would be able to perform in The Nutcracker every Christmas and another ballet in the spring. The other studio only did recitals. What that means is that there would be a four-hour performance of mainly the older students dancing a bunch of unrelated dances while my daughter and our family waited for her 15 seconds of fame. It was not enjoyable.
Not only does The Nutcracker and other ballets tell one cohesive story that make them more interesting for the audience to watch, my daughter would have the opportunity not only to dance, but to act, so it was like getting two activities in one. Bonus prizes!!!
The second year she was there we found out that my daughter was going to get a lot of acting experience because she was chosen to be the lead role of Clara. She was very dedicated to practicing and did understand early on how to dance to the music instead of just doing certain steps in a certain order, but we weren’t expecting the lead role so early. The role of Clara was such a wonderful opportunity for her, and it meant we would see her performing throughout the entire ballet. Quite the difference from our last experience. What we didn’t expect was what happened next.
My kids and I have learned through the years from my husband, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.” It is a saying that is repeated over and over again as we experience the many benefits of just asking.
The first year my daughter was Clara we found out early on that the gentleman who played Drosselmeyer broke a bone while skiing and would not be able to be in the performance. Since he happened to be the dad of the previous Clara, the director of the studio suggested that maybe my husband could fill in this year. Wait… what?
My husband is not a dancer. How can he play Drosselmeyer?
I told the director and my daughter that it was very unlikely that he would take on the role, but my daughter could ask. I really didn’t think he would say yes, but HE DID!!! Of course, there were conditions: he would not dance or wear tights. The director agreed and rehearsals continued. Thankfully, he could come after work as the performance got closer to practice his role. Plus, he could rehearse at home with our daughter.
It was such a beautiful experience for my husband to have this special time with his daughter. He was the assistant baseball coach for my son, so they had a lot of bonding time, now it was time for father and daughter.
Other than one doll being left on stage, which she never let him forget - he did great. The performance was a hit, and my daughter was told that she was going to be able to have the role of Clara for another year.
The next year The Nutcracker rehearsals began again. I had been taking some dance classes with other women just for some exercise, and I was asked if I wanted to be one of the maids. It’s a fun role, but I didn’t know if I was up for it. I also wanted to be sure I wasn’t taking away from my daughter since this was her thing.
Next thing we knew my son was also being asked to join in. They never really had a lot of boys that trained at the studio, and they always wanted to have a Fritz, Clara’s brother. My son was always at the studio when my daughter had rehearsals, so it gave him something to do. The main focus for him was acting, not dancing, so that worked out as well.
Now the whole family was involved. We were adding drama without having to do anything extra in our busy schedule.
With an older boy playing the Nutcracker her second year, my daughter was able to learn more partnering skills and was carried in on his shoulders. Something the smaller, younger Nutcracker from the previous year couldn’t do. My son was a ham and was very believable in the role of the mischievous Fritz. Now he could pester his sister and not get in trouble for it.
It was such a fun experience. We bonded so much as a family spending this special time together, and we learned what dedication it takes these dancers to learn their roles. We also learned the importance of performing as a team and being able to rely on your fellow dancers to put on a good show.
We did not have to worry about getting the front row to see our little girl perform, we could be right with her on stage and behind the scenes. It was amazing!!!
You can fit drama into your homeschool without adding a lot to your plate. You can spend a night watching The Nutcracker or another ballet performed by other dancers, or you can find a way for your kids to be a part of the show. Maybe they already dance but need an opportunity at another studio to do both. Maybe they have been too afraid to try out at another performing arts location. There are a lot of ways to fit drama into your homeschool.
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Danielle at homeschooldrama.com