Movement makes it Memorable

It was the first time we had spoken… I have been part of my lovely musical theatre group for years but as I left the loos after our rehearsal last night I stopped to chat to Chloe, a new member in the group. She was simply shining. She couldn’t help but tell me what a fabulous rehearsal she had had. She shared that learning the song, with the dance moves had helped her so much- it was as if something stuck in a different way in her brain. And how right she was…

After many years of training teachers alongside supporting schools and settings who might be struggling, I just love the craft of teaching, and last night I experienced it in person. For years, I have had a song for everything, a movement, a practical prop; it has been proven time and time again that this makes learning stick, builds cognitive connections in ways that words alone cannot do.

I have to say that, as someone with dyspraxic traits, I can feel a little anxious when I have to learn a new dance routine; my brain simply does not talk to my body. Added to this, of recent years, it appears that ADHD has crept up on me – and remembering words is a worry. But the good thing is that I can remember tunes - they simply stick (and for those of you who have been on my courses over the years I know that you are still using my silly songs!)

Well, there was no need for my fear. Next time I have to learn a song or a dance with the incredible Alison Chapman my fear will fade. I was privileged to be part of a regular rehearsal for our forthcoming show - at least that is what it was billed as. For me it actually turned out to be a masterclass in how to use movement to make learning memorable.

I spotted so many subtleties in Alison’s teaching I could write for a week, but I will share just a few of the fabulous techniques she used to make our learning memorable, to make the song stick, to help us learn the lyrics and the moves in just one evening.

Practical props
The song was ‘Coffee in a Cardboard Cup’ by Kander and Ebb. This particular song lent itself to a pretty obvious, practical prop - but Alison also had us imagine props - a cane to rest our hands on and swing side to side, a cap for the guys and a top hat for the girls, helping us to imagine the scene and remember the specific moves so much more easily.

An eye for those who needed it
She started simply, one phrase at a time, building on each one before she progressed to the next and more importantly, she had an eye for those who needed it. We all felt seen and supported, especially when, subtly and oh so respectfully, she supported my friend whose dyspraxia is more of a struggle than mine. It was lovely to see her feel believed in and valued just as much as my bendy ballerina friend, who had been positioned in the front to support her modelling of the moves.

Ambitious and achievable
We got through so much even before our coffee break - but this was not a happy accident. The choreography had been carefully planned. It moved seamlessly from one set of steps to the next it was ambitious and achievable. Some moves made us think more than others, they needed a little more practice, but the pay-off, the prize was that sense of satisfaction to be part of something so slick and we knew would look so good on the stage - something we could be particularly proud of.

Throughout, no-one was criticised, no-one humiliated or felt to feel they were slowing down the progress. One phrase of song and steps were perfected then a few new moves added in sections to build in success and self-confidence.

Walk it with you
A couple of moves relied on the confidence of seasoned stage experience - the trust that when you move on stage, others move around you. Alison used the word ‘intentional’ a lot when we were learning these moves. So many of us were familiar with this, but a couple of newbies were not so confident to march purposefully across the stage into their new positions. They were hesitating and being polite. There is no time for 'please and thankyou' when your movements need to match the speed of the song. I had never seen this done before but was blown away. Alison stood by them and said, ‘I will walk it with you’. By being alongside, them, she showed them that there was space for two people to get to the new position if they did it with intent. Before they knew it our new members were marching across the stage with such confidence and feeling so proud of what they had just practiced.

The passion of the performance
Well before I make the FingerTips link for today, I need to make a shameless plug. This blog is timeless, so I encourage you to go along to any show my lovely Godalming Theatre Group are putting on as you read this. But the particular show I am writing about here is ‘For the Love of Musicals'. It is simply stunning - and not just because I am in it!

Come along and enjoy the passion of the performance, but look out for the craft of curating the songs, of honing the harmonies, of creating the choreography - and when you experience ‘Coffee in a Cardboard Cup’ - know that you have a sneaky peak into what made the learning work, how Alison Chapman used movement and so much more to make the learning memorable.