Totally Trollwood Academy

TOTALLY TROLLWOOD ACADEMY
Grades 5-7

(all grades refer to 2021-2022 school year)

Period 1 (9:00am-10:20am):

Dance for Stage
Each week, students learn and perform a new combination from selected Broadway musicals. The class focuses on learning various musical theatre dance styles, increasing expressiveness and improving dance memory. Great for those wanting to hone their dance audition skills!

Intermediate Acting
Want to continue growing as an actor?  Unlock your creativity and engage your imagination through theatre. Using games and scene work, learn how to create characters, use your voice, body and emotions as acting tools, and explore the dramatic text. Have fun and connect with peers while developing self-confidence.

Beginning MT Vocals – Classic
This class provides essential training for the young vocalist while singing songs from your favorite classic Broadway shows! You will learn all the basics of singing, such as proper breathing for singing, how to support the voice, proper diction and vowel formation, extending your range, and finding the ideal resonance. You will learn how to sing for an audience, including correct posture, interpretation, and how to work with an accompanist through the use of solos and group numbers. Daily sessions include physical and vocal warm-ups, group work on vocal techniques, and individual coaching on solo pieces.

Beginning Improv
Students will learn the fundamentals of improvisation: how to accept and not block offers, how to work intuitively rather than intellectually, how to rely on storytelling rather than jokes, understand status work, and the basics of scene building—character, physicalization, careful listening, the importance of opposites, building trust, high stakes, environment, and creating a “beginning-middle-end.” Short and long form improvisation skills will be taught in a supportive and fun environment.

Period 2 (10:30am-11:50am):

Tap Dance
A class that focuses on the fundamentals of tap dancing. The course builds skills and confidence in basic tap steps, foot patterns and tap improvisation.  For the more experienced tapper, the class will build upon the fundamentals, focusing on increased levels of difficulty and cleaner sound.

Intermediate MT Vocal – Contemporary
Perfect for students with a growing understanding of singing who are looking to enhance their skills with songs from the world of contemporary musical theatre.  You will learn to harness your vocal range and improve your vocal quality all while discovering how to tell a story through song.

Beginning Acting
Unlock your creativity and engage your imagination through theatre. Using games and scene work, learn how to create characters, use your voice, body and emotions as acting tools, and explore the dramatic text. Have fun and connect with peers while developing self-confidence.

Film Studies
Love watching movies?  Want to better understand what makes them so incredible?  This class will screen and analyze clips from popular movies, breaking down storytelling secrets such as the importance of setting, how camera movement underlines a scene, how to disguise exposition, how costuming, lighting and even the actors’ blocking all help to establish a tone–and much, much more!  From classics to contemporary films, we will explore every genre to find out why we all love going to the movies so much!  Popcorn is optional.

Period 3 (1:00pm-2:20pm):

Hip-Hop Dance
A class that focuses on the basics of hip-hop. The class guides students to find confidence in self-expression through contemporary hip-hop moves. The class teaches fundamental exercises to build groundedness and quick shifts of weight to use during dance sequences.

Beginning MT Vocals – Contemporary
This class provides essential training for the young vocalist while singing songs from your favorite contemporary Broadway shows! You will learn all the basics of singing, such as proper breathing for singing, how to support the voice, proper diction and vowel formation, extending your range, and finding the ideal resonance. You will learn how to sing for an audience, including correct posture, interpretation, and how to work with an accompanist through the use of solos and group numbers. Daily sessions include physical and vocal warm-ups, group work on vocal techniques, and individual coaching on solo pieces.

Moviemaking
Interested in movies and television but don’t know where to start?  Learn the basics of how to operate camera equipment, set up shots and piece it all together using user-friendly computer editing software, all in a fun and positive environment.  Walk away with your own 2-5 minute movie!  Quiet on the set, please, we’re ready to roll camera!

Intermediate Improv
Students will continue to build on their understanding of the fundamentals of improvisation: how to accept and not block offers, how to work intuitively rather than intellectually, how to rely on storytelling rather than jokes, understand status work, and the basics of scene building—character, physicalization, careful listening, the importance of opposites, building trust, high stakes, environment, and creating a “beginning-middle-end.” Short and long form improvisation skills will be taught in a supportive and fun environment.

Period 4 (2:30pm-3:50pm):

Dance for Stage
Each week, students learn and perform a new combination from selected Broadway musicals. The class focuses on learning various musical theatre dance styles, increasing expressiveness and improving dance memory. Great for those wanting to hone their dance audition skills!

Beginning Acting
Unlock your creativity and engage your imagination through theatre. Using games and scene work, learn how to create characters, use your voice, body and emotions as acting tools, and explore the dramatic text. Have fun and connect with peers while developing self-confidence.

Intermediate MT Vocals – Classic
Perfect for students with a growing understanding of singing who are looking to enhance their legit vocal skills with songs from the world of classic musical theatre.  You will learn to harness your vocal range and improve your vocal quality all while discovering how to tell a story through song.

Stage Makeup
This course will explore the field of makeup design & application. Beginning with an understanding of physical facial structure and visual principles, this class will open your mind to different ways of approaching the human face—through a wide range of application techniques, materials and conceptual play.  Lessons may include: transformation; character design development; drawing; tattooing; and a variety of character looks, including glamour, old age, gender-bending, scar/blood/injury, fantasy, mixed media, and more.

NOTE: If you have previously taken Stage Makeup, you are invited to take this class again, as course topics and instruction levels will adjust each year to match the experience and knowledge levels of the students enrolled.

ALSO: It is required that each student has their own personal makeup kit. Complete kits will be available for purchase from TPAS for $70. If financial barriers preclude the kit purchase, please contact TPAS for assistance.

TOTALLY TROLLWOOD ACADEMY INSTRUCTORS

Julia Beckermann
Beginning Stage Makeup

Julia is originally from Fargo, ND, and received a certification in makeup artistry from Faces Etc. of MN in Minneapolis. Since graduating from the program, She has worked on several photoshoots, weddings, and films, and is currently pursuing a major in film production at MSUM.

Lucas Burr
Intermediate Acting

Lucas Burr recently graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Music Education. There, he performed in multiple theater productions, directed and managed Concordia Vocal Jazz, and sang with the Concordia Choir which recently toured throughout Italy. Outside of college, Lucas has also served as co-director and music director for two musicals and music director and composer/arranger for an original play in the non-profit community theater organization he founded with his father in his hometown – Little Falls Theatre Company. Lucas is very excited to join Trollwood for his first year teaching Totally Trollwood Academy Intermediate Acting!

Kelsey Loeslie
Beginning MT Vocal Classic, Intermediate MT Vocal Contemporary & Beginning MT Vocal

Kelsey Loeslie is a versatile performer of both opera and musical theatre with a heart for teaching young voices. Her favorite role was playing the title character in Mary Poppins at the Leeds Center for the Arts. Kelsey holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Gordon College, a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of North Dakota, and is nearing completion of her doctoral degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Kentucky. As a Moorhead native, she is thrilled to be joining the Trollwood faculty!

Scott McClure
Film Studies

Scott McClure is a filmmaker, writer, and actor. A Fargo native, he created a popular web-series and a following on YouTube. Currently, he is working on several film projects with Trollwood Alumni and colleagues. He’s excited to be back as an instructor.

Matthew Pitner
Beginning/Intermediate/Advanced Improv
& On-Camera Acting and Auditioning

Matthew Pitner (he/him/his) is a Los Angeles-based actor, improvisor, director, and producer. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts with an emphasis on acting and directing. Since 2006 he has been the Artistic Director of The Bearded Company, an improvisation company that focuses on the development of story-focused improvised plays. During his time as Co-Artistic Director, the company has been officially selected to attend over 35 National & International Festivals. Before relocating to Los Angeles Matthew worked for Huge Improv Theater, a non-profit theatre company based in Uptown Minneapolis. There he worked as an improvisor and teacher and loved being part of the Twin Cities Improv Community. After moving to Los Angeles Matthew began working for Impro Theatre, a non-profit Theatre Company that focuses on improvising the works of famous writers and playwrights. During his time with Impro and in his position as Studio Manager, Matthew worked diligently over 5 years to grow the student body and develop Impro’s community into a thriving hub for actors and improvisers. In addition to his work as Studio Manager, Matthew was one of the founding members of Winterfest, An International Genre & Narrative Improv Festival for the past 5 years. Matthew is currently working as Co-Artistic Director of Outside In Theatre, which is scheduled to open its brand new space in Highland Park, CA the middle of 2023 of next year. Matthew is very honored and excited to be teaching at Trollwood this summer.

IMPORTANT NOTES

Clothing for Totally Trollwood Academy:

Clothes should be comfortable and movable.  Athletic wear works great!
Tops –Tank top, t-shirt, sweatshirt
Bottoms – Sweatpants, long shorts, leggings
Footwear – Appropriate shoes for the class:
Dance:  Ballet, jazz, or clean tennis shoes. Tap shoes if you are taking that section.
(If you need help acquiring dance shoes, please contact Student Services)
Acting or Musical Theatre:  Clean tennis shoe.  NO sandals or flip-flops.

Standards & Benchmarks

TOTALLY TROLLWOOD ACADEMY – Grades 5-7
(all grades refer to 2020-2021 school year)

Totally Trollwood Academy exposes students to the performing arts in three curricular areas: Vocal Music, Drama, and Dance.  The applicable standards and benchmarks for this program are listed below.  Not all standards and benchmarks will be addressed in the four week session, but a significant number of them will be represented.

MUSIC

Standard 1: Singing
Students sing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

6-8.1.1. Sing accurately and with good breath control throughout their singing ranges, alone and in small and large groups.
6-8.1.2. Sing with expression and technical accuracy a varied repertoire of vocal literature.
6-8.1.3. Sing music representing diverse genres and cultures.
6-8.1.4. Sing music written in two and three parts.

Standard 2: Instrumental Performance
Students perform on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

*This standard is not applicable in Totally Trollwood Acacemy.

Standard 3: Improvisation
Students improvise melodies, variations, and accompaniments.

6-8.3.1. Improvise simple harmonic accompaniments.
6-8.3.2. Improvise melodic embellishments and simple rhythmic variations on given pentatonic melodies in major keys.
6-8.3.3. Improvise short melodies, unaccompanied, over given rhythmic accompaniments.

Standard 4: Composition
Students compose and arrange music within specified guidelines.

*This standard is not applicable in Totally Trollwood Academy.

Standard 5: Reading Music
Students read and notate music.

6-8.5.1. Read complex rhythms in simple and compound meters.
6-8.5.2. Sight-read simple melodies in both the treble and bass clefs.
6-8.5.3. Know standard notation symbols.

Standard 6: Listening
Students listen to, analyze, and describe music.

6-8.6.1. Understand appropriate terminology to describe specific music events.
6-8.6.2. Know the uses of the elements of music in the analysis of compositions representing diverse genres and cultures.

Standard 7: Evaluating Music
Students evaluate music and music performances.

6-8.7.1. Know how to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of music and music performances.
6-8.7.2. Know how to apply specific criteria when offering constructive suggestions for improving the performance of self and others.

Standard 8: Music and Other Disciplines
Students understand the relationship between music, the other arts, and other disciplines.

6-8.8.1. Know how relationships expressed through music can be expressed differently through other art forms.
6-8.8.2. Know how principles and concepts of other disciplines are related to those of music.

Standard 9: Music, History, and Culture
Students understand music in relation to history and culture.

6-8.9.1. Know the characteristics of music genres and styles from a variety of music cultures.
6-8.9.2. Know exemplary musical works from a variety of genres and styles.
6-8.9.3. Know the functions of music, the roles of musicians, and the conditions of performance in several cultures of the world.

DRAMA

Standard 1: Dramatic Literature
Students comprehend a wide variety of dramatic literature.

6-8.1.1. Know a variety of significant works from various major playwrights.
6-8.1.2. Know themes of dramatic literature.
6-8.1.3. Understand the construction elements of dialogue and actions.
6-8.1.4. Understand elements of improvised and scripted scenes.

Standard 2: Acting
Students will engage in fundamental acting skills.

6-8.2.1.Know resource elements that help to create character motivations.
6-8.2.2. Develop a character’s behavior through a combination of movement, vocal pitch, and tone.
6-8.2.3. Interact in an ensemble.

Standard 3: Production
Students use fundamental production skills.

6-8.3.1. Know the technical elements of a scene or play.
6-8.3.2. Know publicity and house management duties.

Standard 4: Cultural Context of Drama
Students will understand the drama’s role in cultural and human experiences.

6-8.4.1. Know the historical, social, and cultural factors that influence theatre.
6-8.4.2. Know aspects of dramatic genres from a variety of cultures.

Standard 5: Consumer of Theatre
Students will understand how to be knowledgeable consumers of theatre.

6-8.5.1. Use appropriate audience behaviors.
6-8.5.2. Prepare for selected theatrical events.
6-8.5.3. Use knowledge of production elements to respond to a theatrical event.

Standard 6: Drama and Human Development
Students understand the role of theatre in human development.

6-8.6.1. Use drama to develop creative thinking skills.
6-8.6.2. Use drama to develop critical thinking skills.
6-8.6.3. Use drama to develop social skills.

Standard 7: Drama and Other Disciplines
Students understand the connections between drama and other disciplines.

6-8.7.1. Know the relationship of the other fine arts to drama.
6-8.7.2. Know how concepts expressed through drama can be expressed differently through other art disciplines.
6-8.7.3. Know the relationship of other disciplines outside of the arts to drama.

DANCE

Standard 1: Movement Skills
Students understand the role of movement elements and skills in dance.

6-8.1.1. Understand the characteristics of various dance movements and the underlying principles common to all movement.
6-8.1.2. Know basic dance steps, body positions, and spatial patterns for dances from various styles or traditions.
6-8.1.3. Understand the process of transferring a spatial pattern from the visual to the kinesthetic.
6-8.1.4. Understand the process of transferring a rhythmic pattern from auditory to kinesthetic.
6-8.1.5. Know a range of dynamics/movement qualities.
6-8.1.6. Use kinesthetic awareness, concentration, and focus in performing movement skills.
6-8.1.7. Use dance vocabulary to describe the action and movement elements in a dance.

Standard 2: Choreography
Students understand choreographic principles, processes, and structures.

6-8.2.1. Understand the relationship of principles of creative design to dance.
6-8.2.2. Understand the significance of the processes of reordering and chance.
6-8.2.3. Understand the importance of dance structures or forms.
6-8.2.4. Understand the importance of working cooperatively in a small group during the choreographic process.
6-8.2.5. Know partner dance skills.
6-8.2.6. Know performance etiquette and stage terms.

Standard 3: Dance and Meaning
Students understand dance as a way to create and communicate meaning.

6-8.3.1. Understand the difference between pantomiming and miming.
6-8.3.2. Understand how different accompaniments can affect the meaning of dance.
6-8.3.3. Communicate feelings, ideas, and needs through dance.

Standard 4: Dance and Thinking Skills
Students apply critical and creative thinking skills in dance.

6-8.4.1. Solve movement problems.
6-8.4.2. Know the critical elements that contribute to a dance in terms of space, time, and force.
6-8.4.3. Know the possible aesthetic criteria for evaluating dance.

Standard 5: Dance, History, and Culture
Students understand the historical development of dance and its relationship to various cultures.

6-8.5.1. Know the similarities and differences in steps and movement styles from various cultures.
6-8.5.2. Know social and theatrical dances from a broad spectrum of 20th Century America.
6-8.5.3. Know the role of dance in various cultures and time periods.
6-8.5.4. Know the appropriate audience response to dance performances.

Standard 6: Dance and Personal Wellness
Students understand the connection between dance and personal wellness.

6-8.6.1. Know strategies to prevent dance injuries.
6-8.6.2. Understand the value of personal health goals for dance improvement.

Standard 7: Dance and Other Disciplines
Students understand the difference between dance and other disciplines.

6-8.7.1. Know how various dance concepts and principles relate to other disciplines.
6-8.7.2. Know the aesthetic impact of performance.