Specials - Fall 2008

Clay Art

Perhaps there is no activity so vital to our lives as being creative. Artistic activity can help to find the balance between opposing forces in life...it provides the creative means for exploring, expressing and communicating our very thoughts...our feelings...our values. We are all given a gift...the gift of self- expression. Over the many years as an artist and teacher I have witnessed how people discover this gift.

Students can discover the essential qualities of their soul and spirit through working with pottery, paint, clay-modeling, color, form and texture, as well as just having "fun". By doing so, they generate the gift of greater awareness and self-confidence through the creation of either something functional, or decorative in the medium of clay. When we focus our attention and our expression on the physical creation of art, we promote and energize the development of the inner self.

Drama

The focus of the class will be on building self esteem and authenticity through acting games, and exercises. Some examples are, relaxation, body awareness, imagination, concentration and focus, motor skills, trust, characterization, and others. This class is designed to encourage each child to express their wildest imaginations, through acting.The use of video taping the class at times will also be used as a tool for immediate evaluations of acting techniques, and visual stimulation.

The focus will be the study of the actor's vocal, physical and psychological resources; introduction to the mechanics of stage movement ,exercises in sensory, imaginative, emotional and pantomimic responsiveness; and the fundamentals of characterization. Short scene study, improvisations, acting games and exercises, along with writing original short scenes will be covered. The use of video taping will be utilized not only for evaluating technique, but for producing student productions.

Art

Art classes with upper school are designed to provide a balance between learning basic art skills and encouraging the students to express their unique visual expression of how they experience the world around them and the person they are within. For example, several lessons are devoted to shading - drawing and painting from still life or creating our own imagery. A theme or question is then presented to the students, and they develop their own composition to speak to that, using the shading techniques.

We explore a wide variety of techniques and materials, both 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional. Drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, illustration, mosaic, and sculpture all carry endless possibilities of styles and materials.

As we take this creative journey, students find that a personal style emerges. This is celebrated and encouraged as they continue to add skills to express their "creative spirit."

Junior/Senior Guidance

Camelot's Class of '09 is spending the first two months of school in an ACT prep course being taught by the Princeton Review Company. After this course wraps up students will use this class period to work with the Director on college applications. In the spring the juniors will take over this timeslot as they begin their preparation for college.