Spark Performance
Spark Performance offers a range of workshops, short courses and syllabus for dancers, drama students and music students who want to prepare for the professional performing arts industry.
Spark Performance also offers a variety of performance opportunities, from private opera group, Opéra Côtiér, through to full musical productions.
Performers are also offered a variety of short courses to hone their performance skills for employment in various fields which utilise the confidence and presentation that performing arts students develop, including Marketing and Promotions and Practical Speech and Drama.
The Spark Drama Method
A Drama Syllabus Specifically Designed for Dance and Performing Arts Schools
Give your students a complete rounded Performing Arts education with The Spark Drama Method Syllabus. Drawing on over 30 years of industry experience, directing, producing and choreographing musicals, performing internationally and with on screen appearances, and inspired by a combination of the Stanislavsky & Meisner methods and Vaudevillian roots, the creators have designed this syllabus to complement Dance and Music Theatre classes in any private studio.
With 12 examinable levels, this syllabus guides students from kinder through to teacher, teaching a vast array of skills including full body acting and expression for dance, including Lyrical and Music Theatre; Live Stage and Screen acting skills; Improv skills for stage and screen; Employable Drama Skills - useful for industry and beyond; speech and elocution skills; and so much more.
The main tenets of the system state - Servitude: the performer is ultimately a servant to the audience, the artwork and society on the whole. Adaptability: the performer must be adaptable to the specific style of performance, discerning between the techniques required for entire musical shows and singular choreographed dance pieces, as well as the contrasts between live and screen acting. Employable Skills: the performer must commit to continued skills development across a vast range of pursuits in order to build a repertoire of castable and employable skills (eg, learning how to dribble a basketball and shoot hoops for a basketball-themed TVC or film / show, or studying basic fencing for Robin Hood style performances, or learning how to juggle and balloon sculpt for street theatre and Community festivals.
Syllabus Grading and Our Story
The examination system in the Spark Drama Method is graded using a colour system, starting with Kinder drama, followed by Pre-Bronze, Bronze, Pre-Silver, Silver, Pre-Gold, Gold, Pre-Diamond and Diamond. As the student moves on in the syllabus, they will learn various Performing Arts Skills to help them to grow and develop. From age 14 and up, they will be eligible to learn Pre-Industry 1, followed by Pre-Industry 2, and when they reach age 16 the program culminates in the final student grade of Industry. Students are eligible to apply for teacher student membership from age 17 and up.
Universally across Eisteddfods over the years, adjudicators would agree that one of the most important aspects of the performance is the expression of the piece. As competitions introduced more Musical Theatre style sections and with students’ growing interest in pursuing a career in Musical Theatre, the need for training in the dramatic arts is greater now than ever before. Most studios nowadays offer a multitude of dance classes in a vast range of genres, including Musical Theatre, and many also offer singing classes. The Spark Drama Method has been specifically designed to complement studios’ current performing arts offerings, to prepare students for competition and careers in the performing arts industry.
The Spark Drama Method Syllabus
We want all of our Spark Drama Method teachers to enjoy teaching the syllabus as much as the students love to learn it. Full teacher training is provided with ongoing support. Once trained and registered, all teachers gain automatic membership with The Spark Drama Method. Student Teachers gain Associate Membership with opportunities available for any full-members to train to become teacher-trainers and examiners. Teacher training occurs in workshop format, with separate modules provided for the following grade groupings; • Kinder to Silver • Pre Gold to Diamond • Pre-Industry to Industry. The Syllabus purchase includes teacher training for all grades for up to 3 teachers with additional teacher training available upon request. Syllabus includes written descriptions and video examples available for inspiration.
The Spark Music Stream
The Spark Performance Music Stream caters for both groups and individuals alike, offering group workshops in Professional Performance Skills and customised private vocal lessons for individuals interested in bringing their vocal performance to the next level.
Professional Performance Skills Workshops - Music
- The Professional Performer, encompassing: The professional entertainment industry, Agencies, Audition Skills, Rehearsal, Pre-performance preparation, Arrival to performance, Change room etiquette, Hair & Makeup, Team skills, Show Reports, Legal considerations, Privacy, Competitions, Professional courtesy and conduct
- Stage Skills, encompassing: Stage Types, Stage Markings and Floorings, Formations and Positioning, Recognising Hazards & When Things Go Wrong
- Performance Skills, encompassing: Dealing With Nerves, On Stage Professionalism, Connecting With Your Audience, Characterisation, Commitment, When Things Go Wrong
- Introductory Public Speaking and Microphone Techniques, encompassing: Potential Public Speaking Roles, Basic Elocution For Stage, Microphones: Technical Aspects, Microphone Technique, Sound Checks, Working To A Script, Ad Libbing, Movement While Speaking, When Things Go Wrong
- Equipment, Stage Presentation and Performance, encompassing: Bumping In, Sound Checks, Costumes / Wardrobe, Performance-Level, Set-List / Production design including Lighting Design Ideas, When Things go Wrong
Individual Consultancy
Individual lessons offered in professional performance skills. Each private student receives a customised booklet, created specifically with their own career goals and learning material in mind. Students are nurtured to develop their talent and focus their energy on personal as well as professional growth.
Spark Performance for Dancers
With over 30 years in the professional dance industry, Kate - the founder of Spark Performance - distils all her knowledge into a variety of dance-based workshops and lessons to give dancers the Spark!
Professional Performance Skills Workshops are 10 hours (5 x 2-hour modules each) offered over 2 days (weekends), and the Characters, Costumes and Props Workshop and Choreography Skills Workshop are offered as one full-day workshop each.
Professional Performance Skills Workshops - Dance
- The Professional Performer, encompassing: The professional entertainment industry, Agencies, Dance Audition Skills, Rehearsal, Pre-performance preparation, Arrival to performance, Change room etiquette, Hair & Makeup, Team skills, Show Reports, Legal considerations, Privacy, Competitions, Professional courtesy and conduct
- Stage Skills, encompassing: Stage Types, Stage Markings and Floorings, Formations and Positioning, Recognising Hazards & When Things Go Wrong
- Performance Skills, encompassing: Dealing With Nerves, On Stage Professionalism, Connecting With Your Audience, Characterisation, Commitment, When Things Go Wrong
- Introductory Public Speaking and Microphone Techniques, encompassing: Potential Public Speaking Roles, Basic Elocution For Stage, Microphones: Technical Aspects, Microphone Technique, Sound Checks, Working To A Script, Ad Libbing, Movement While Speaking, When Things Go Wrong
- Props and Costumes, with Introduction to Character Suit Operations, This is an introduction to the full Characters, Costumes and Props workshop encompassing: Working with Props, Costume Management, Maintenance and Hygiene, Working with Difficult Costumes, introductory character suit operations, When Things go Wrong
Characters, Costumes and Props Workshop
This workshop covers:
- Character portrayal and attitudes, encompassing: character portrayal in singing, dancing and acting (even in absence of a specific character to play), Character portrayal without words (mime skills)
- Costumes, encompassing: Costume management, maintenance and hygiene, Costume choice for singing & music, dancing and acting, Working with difficult costumes (including head pieces, wigs, back pieces, risqué outfits and footwear), Quick changes, When things go wrong (“Wardrobe malfunctions”)
- Props, encompassing: Working with props in a range of disciplines (singing, dancing, acting) and a range of venue types (from stage productions, to sporting events, to television / film sets, to street parades), Working with animals (“live” props)
- Character Suit Operations, encompassing: Legal Rights and Responsibilities, Attire & What To Bring, Keeping the Magic – Behaviour & Change room Considerations, Mime and Characterisation, Movement in Character Suits – Walking & Basic Dance, The Meet and Greet, Suit Maintenance and Hygiene, When Things Go Wrong
Choreography Workshop - New!
This workshop covers:
- Varieties of performance-types requiring choreography - Students will list a variety of performance situations that require choreography
- Music Appreciation and selection - Selecting the right music for the occasion and learning to hear what choreography the music demands
- Choreographic elements - formations, levels and other techniques
- Movement selection - adapting your choreography to suit the performer(s)
- Stage Types and shapes - Choreographing for different environments, including stage, catwalk, music video, parade and sports stadium
- Technology for choreography
Spark Short Courses
Spark Performance offers a range of short courses to prepare performing arts students for employment in industries that utilise their honed performance skills.
Such 'focus industries' might include:
- Marketing and Promotions; Sampling, Competition Staff, Information / Flyer distribution, Community Events Staff
- Speech and Drama oriented roles; Radio host, spruiker, Podcaster, TV presenter, Streamer, Event compere, Concierge
Spark Performance offers short courses in both Marketing and Promotions (3 hours) and Practical Speech & Drama (6 hours) to utilise the students' performance skills and focus them towards employability in the above occupations.
Each participant will receive a theory booklet and complete a number of exercises practicing the various skills covered.
Contact
We answer within two business days.
Crows Nest NSW 2065
- General enquiries
info@sparkperformance.com.au - Music stream enquiries
music@sparkperformance.com.au - Drama stream enquiries
drama@sparkperformance.com.au - Dance stream enquiries
dance@sparkperformance.com.au