Little Stars and Shooting Stars: Growing Confidence in Children through Performing Arts

At Egan Performing Arts we currently offer two different classes for children in Ealing – Little Stars runs on Tuesdays at 3.40pm at Blondin Park Pavilion. From ages 3 to 5, this class is an introduction to the performing arts, primarily through play and fun activities.

When little ones join the class they can be quiet and a little daunted, but through repetition of fun games children soon build confidence and develop in a huge range of ways including:

·        language development

·        creativity

·        movement and co-ordination

·        listening skills

·        teamwork

·        growing friendships

At the end of each term is a relaxed performance to parents, followed by a family disco – always a highlight! At the end of the school year, the older Little Stars ‘graduate’ at a little ceremony and many choose to move on to our class for 6 to 10 year olds: Shooting Stars.

At Shooting Stars on a Thursday at 3.40pm, we begin to lay the foundations of performance in dancing, acting and singing. What makes us unique is that each term we work towards a performance that is partly devised by the kids themselves. This develops many creative skills and we not only rehearse and perform, but begin to learn about stagecraft from props and costumes to set design and lighting.

The end of term performance to parents is a real joy to watch – at Christmas the Shooting Stars shone in their production of ‘Adventures in Neverland’. This term we are working on songs from ‘Annie’ and ‘Oliver’ in a new devised piece, and we are very excited about the ‘Wicked of Oz’ coming in the summer term.

Our Shooting Stars develop and grow in confidence and skills not only in the performing arts of dance, drama and singing, but also in understanding stagecraft and theatre (enhanced by a trip to see live theatre) and working as a team towards a creative goal. It’s really what makes us tick at EPA – watching the slow and steady progress and all the benefits it brings in making our ‘Stars’ really shine.