Practical Placement

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Practical placement in Bratislava.

During the 5 weeks long practical placement in Bratislava, the students will gain knowledge and practical experience with puppetry performance for children. Practical sessions will focus on these areas: Scenic movements, Psychology of children´s observations, Literature for children, Vocal Technique, Dramaturgy and Puppet.

Scenic movements

The goal is a dynamic work in a variety of technical exercises and dance styles for sophisticated forms of development of movement and dance expression in space for the needs of Puppetry. Interest is to build a mature physical form of stage behavior, walking, runs, acrobatics and dance styles. Lessons are directed to the solution of the development of independent movement and dance situations (students) offers developing partnerships and raising in twos and threes. Accents and rhythmic development of technical skills in communication terms. The outcome will be the use of all components of the movements to the final stage form according to the given topic.

Psychology of Children´s observations

Understand psychological process, development stages of a person and its role towards puppet theatre. Learn to read and use symbolic language in the context of psychological communication and a possible role of a puppet theatre. Understand changes in the concept of childhood and how to approach them. Learn about perception and reception of

different levels of theatrical language.

Literature for children

Understand symbolic language of narratives referring to collective memory. Learn about different strategies in narrations. Learn about genres, specific styles and poetics. Learn about how differently various style of narration can approach a child.

Vocal Technique

The aim is to teach every student to create the tone in the appropriate way so they can not only sing their part, but also to imitate the voices, so they´re not soon tired; and by professional means to get the richness of dynamic range in resonance with out using any force and shouting.

Dramaturgy

The course is focused on practical and academic tasks. The practical tasks come out from necessities of the concrete staging of which the final outcome is a short performance. Other outcomes are concerned on a conceptual preparation of the next puppet or object theatre performance realised in the academic year. Basis of the preliminary

phase consists of a dramaturgical processing of given theme in a context of its applicability for using it in contemporary puppet or object theatre.

Puppetry

The main aim of the subject is to create space for students to work with a story with the view of adapting it for a stage. Adaptation of literal texts – fairy-tales in the puppetry scene; original grasp of a story for the ‘youngest spectator’. Working on a specific theme, while creating funny, visually and technically resourceful, energetic, communicative and semantically topical pictures in the puppet theatre.

Development of puppetry aesthetics in connection with everyday reality of the performance of both creator and spectator. The performance should reflect their individuality and it should also combine art, musical and artistic style regarding the chosen theatrical and literal genre. It introduces the students as actors – puppeteers, theatre directors as

well as artists at the same time.

Preparation of a scenario with its content aimed at children audiences. Practical adaptation of an artistic material and scenography concept for a puppetry stage. Creative scenes with prepared puppets and other staging components containing various scenes and costumes. Literary text dramatization. Actor, puppeteer, kinematic and voice production under a pedagogical supervision, which will result in a theatre performance.

Learning outcomes

During the 5 weeks long practical placement in Bratislava, the students will gain knowledge and practical experience with puppetry performance for children.

Prerequisites and other requirements

None

Literature

CUNNINGHAM, Hugh: Children and Childhood in Western Society Since 1500. Pearson – Longman, London 2005

AURBACH, Eric: Morphology of the Tale was translated into English in 1958 and 1968. Ed. Mimesis

CORSARO, William: The Sociology of Childhood. Pine Forge Press. London, 2005.

WINNECOT, Donald: Playing and Reality. London, 1971.

BALES, M., NETTLE-FIOR, R. The Body Eclectic, Envolving Practices In Dance Training, USA: University Illinois

Press. 2008

BRESLER, L. Knowing Bodies, Moving Minds. The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2004.

COHEN, B., Sensing Feeling and Action. Northampton, MA. Cont.Ed., 1993.

FRANKLIN, E.: Dance Imagery for Technique and Performance. USA: Human Kinestic, 1996.

SÖRENSON, M.: Mats Ek. Ed. Max Strom Publishing, 2011.

FRANCIS, Penny: Puppetry: A Reader in Theatre Practice (Readings in Theatre Practice) Ed. Palgrave Macmillan, 2011

BELL John, Posner Dasia, ORENSTEIN Claudia: Routledge Companion on Puppet and Material Theatre, Routledge

London New York 2014.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Active presence

Further information

No schedule has been prepared for this course

The subject is a part of the following study plans