Helen O'Grady Drama Academy Johannesburg North East: November 2011

Helen O'Grady Drama

The Helen O’Grady Drama Academy began in Perth , Western Australia in 1979.It is of international status and in South Africa alone there are 9 branches with 4,000 children attending each week.I have now been involved with the Academy for over 15 years,6 years in London,UK and 9 years in Johannesburg.The Academy has gone from strength to strength and we now have 600 students attending classes in 14 locations.The Academy has expanded with the help of my highly skilled, caring, enthusiastic teachers , Catherine Brooks,Venetia Herbst, Stephanie Nel, Hilliary Meikle and Cindy Hammond.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Lights, Camera ,Action!

Students at The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy Johannesburg East performed their End of year shows over the last two weekends to audiences of 300 people and more. Parents were impressed by the costumes and sets which complimented the high standard of performances from our little 5 year olds in our Lower primary classes to our very talented 18 year old's in our Youth Theatre classes.
The short scripted productions demonstrate how the Helen O'Grady programme builds self confidence as well as social and communications skills enabling even the most timid child to get up on stage and perform infront of huge audiences. 630 students attend the Johannesburg Academy and each child took part in 1 of 7 plays. The plays are designed accordingly to a specific age group and different styles of acting are taught from drama to comedy to melodrama.
Kensington Lower primary class(5 -8 yr olds) had the audiences participating in deciding the outcome of their mean Captain in the pirate play "Pirate Joe" . This swash buckling play involved viby music , a song and lots of AARGHs!