Build your confidence with Helen O' Grady

We've often heard and seen the expression: Outside your comfort zone is where the magic happens. Here at Helen O' Grady Drama Academy we couldn't agree more. And that is why our drama programme is key in the development of students' Creativity, Communication and building their Confidence.

Today we'd like to put a spotlight on the development of CONFIDENCE.

How does drama contribute to building the confidence of our students?

While students focus on reading, writing and calculating during the school day, they are encouraged and taught to speak and communicate with ease and expression during drama lessons. They are taken out of their comfortable spaces and taught to interact with others working towards the same goals and sharing and building ideas together. During drama they are also practising responding to daunting challenges and asked to present resolutions. These are but a few instances where drama allows students to exercise and build confidence in individual and group settings.

If your child is between the ages of 3 and 18 find a studio near you and join us for a free trial lesson.

If YOU are in this age group and would like to get involved, tell your parents about us, give us a call and we'll tell you more.

For now, find out more at our website, on Facebook or Twitter. 

All the world's a stage

One of the best parts of being part of the global Helen O' Grady Drama Academy is witnessing the growth of our students week in and week out. Every lesson they are faced with various challenges. These challenges are often of the creative kind where they are asked to produce and create scenes, characters and stories. They are also challenged to work in teams, accept others and respect the ideas and input from classmates. These challenges allow our students to grow within the demands of drama as well as skills that will assist them with the daily demands of life.

Shakespeare said it best.

Not only is the drama class a place for our students, your children, to be anything they choose to be; they also walk out knowing a understanding a little more about themselves and the world we live in.

If your child is between the ages of 3 and 18 find a studio near you and join us for a free trial lesson.

If YOU are in this age group and would like to get involved, tell your parents about us, give us a call and we'll tell you more.

For now, find out more at our website, on Facebook or Twitter. 

Bring A Friend

Every term Helen O' Grady offers our students the opportunity to bring a friend to class and share in the drama and fun. This is a great way for those who do not know about the programme to get a hands on introduction to the curriculum and dynamic teaching. Friends are welcomed as part of the class and are included in all activities throughout the lesson.

This is also a unique opportunity for students to share with their friends what they do at their weekly drama classes and what they have learnt.

When students join us for a Bring a Friend day they often return to enrol in the programme. Once they are exposed to the high energy, the warmth and the skills taught they simply cannot stay away.

If you are at one of our studios, ask your teacher for your Bring a Friend day voucher and invite your friends to join you at drama. If you would like to visit one of our studios, remember, trial lessons are free and in the same way we welcome the friends invited by our students, we cannot wait to welcome you!

Welcome to Term 2!

We hope you've had a great break and you are ready to take on the very exciting Term 2.

All our new and returning students have so much to look forward to this term. We continue our trademark, internationally renowned curriculum which, this term, includes new activities. These new activities will not only further prepare students for the stage, it will also expand their learning and grow their skills.

Our drama programme is critical in the development of students' creativity, communication and confidence.

Creativity is a key aspect of our programme and of students' learning as this assists with their ability to produce new ideas and also use what is familiar in new and exciting ways. This will prove invaluable at later stages in their careers regardless of the fields within which they find themselves.

Nurturing their communication skills allows them to express themselves verbally and non-verbally. Drama is also a great instrument to develop their listening skills. Again, this will be of great benefit in their immediate future. Not only in classrooms or in the work place but all interpersonal relationships as well.

We see our students grow in confidence as they learn to trust in their own abilities and through performance conquer their fear of performing for an audience. This confidence is built into their personalities and carried throughout their adult lives.

At Helen O' Grady we are happy to be part of our students' growth and development in these key areas. Our teachers look forward to every class and interacting with every student.

Image by ccplwritersblock.wordpress.com

Join the world's leading drama school today and be part of the action.
You can find more on the benefits of drama here: http://www.dramaed.net/benefits.pdf

Visit our website, Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter.

We can't wait to meet you!

Youth Theatre: A stepping stone to University Drama

With the aim of developing confident, articulate communicators, Youth Theatre is our programme open to all secondary school students.

The programme does not only train students for the stage with theatre principles but also consists of components that prepares them for film and radio as well. These skills include voice production, advanced improv, script development, character analysis and production techniques. The programme is not only appealing to those who wish to pursue a career in acting but is invaluable to those who look to develop their public speaking abilities and those who wish to improve their confidence in effective communication.

A trend that runs from the Primary Classes through to Youth Theatre is that all classes have a fun atmosphere led by enthusiastic teachers.

If YOU are in this age group and would like to get involved, tell your parents about us, give us a call and we'll tell you more.

In the mean time, go over to www.helenogrady.co.za for more information.

Like us on Facebook

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You don't want to miss out!

SO MUCH IN STORE

Like a magician with an endless array of tricks in his hat, a bag full of surprises, a gift with no end, such is the level of surprises in store for the students of Helen O Grady Drama Academy.

The international curriculum builds in students creative thinking and literacy skills while also teaching children positive social skills including effective team interaction, leadership, confidence and public speaking. And all of this, packaged in a fun, interactive and energetic class.

Children can be part of the Helen O Grady family from as young as 3 years old, they form part of the Kindy programme specially designed to give the young ones the confidence and platform they need to express their creativity. Through story telling, dramatic play, language development and song preschoolers are taught to listen, share, follow instruction and vocalise emotions.

The Lower and Upper Primary groups fill up first. The curriculum is structured in a way that meets the needs specific to the age group and needs of the children. With lessons in speech, movement, mime and improvisation students are treated to the highest level of dramatic education. Within a year, they walk away with the tools and equipping to not only perform on multiple stages but also the confidence and skills needed in the world they find themselves.

Students at the Paarl Primary Composite class enjoy an
interactive, high energy lesson in improvisation.

For the older students our Helen O Grady Youth Theatre offers classes that are on the same level as first year University drama classes. Nurturing talent and refining skills of students who have grown with the Academy from a young age as well as new students with a keen interest in the world of drama.

No matter the age, there is something unique and extraordinary for each child.

If your child is between the ages of 3 and 18 find a studio near you. Trial lessons are free.

If YOU are in this age group and would like to get involved, tell your parents about us, give us a call and we'll tell you more.

In the mean time, go over to Helen O Grady's website for more information.

Like us on Facebook

And follow us on Twitter: @HOG_CT_North

Be sure not to miss out.

There's a reason we're the first choice for schools world wide.

Term 1 opens with a roar

Helen O Grady Drama Academy in the Northern Suburbs and Winelands opened their doors last week to welcome the new year, and the new term as well as 100s of returning and new learners.

The first week saw the opening of the Kenridge Kindy class where our youngest stars took their first small steps to success. And oh what fun we had!

The Kenridge studio welcomed back learners who have been with us for a number of years and they, along with their teacher, Nastassja gave new learners a treat setting them up for a dramatic 2015.

Our Durbanville studio enjoyed a full house of new and old faces throughout the age groups. The High Impact Activity in the image below shows the Lower Primary girls enjoying an improvisation session taking domesticated house cats living in the lap of luxury to the mean, dark alleys and streets. This class wasting no time in getting the year off to roaring start.

Reports from other teachers active in Bellville, Kuils River, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Wellington and Somerset West showed that students, old and new, were eager to get into character, learn and grow.

Movement, Mime, Speech and Improv, the year ahead promises to be one filled with learning and laughter. Be sure to keep your eyes on this page for weekly updates, news and images.

For more see our website www.helenogrady.co.za

Like us on Facebook: Helen O'Grady - Cape Town North & Winelands

Follow us on Twitter: @HOG_CT_North

We're excited to share this year with you.

Welcome back!

Today marks the beginning of Term 3 and it is going to be an exciting term packed with drama! The Parents' Days were wonderful and demonstrated the fantastic teaching of our dedicated teachers. Students will start rehearsing their plays near the end of this term. We have some amazing productions lined up for this year.

We have been operating in Cape Town for 15 years and over 30 years internationally, using an inspired and highly educational drama curriculum. The children have great fun learning and this programme is a great addition to a child's education. What is more, the children quickly make new friends and the younger one's develop effective socialisation skills.

We are proud of our children's development and parents can quickly see the results of this holistic programme which inspires and motivates all the young people.

Kuilsriver Parents' Day a huge success!

Jennifer Pietersen, the teacher at the Helen O'Grady Kuilsriver Studio, is seen rehearsing with some of her pupils before the Parents' Day Presentations. It was the most fantastic show. The children have shown excellent development and we are very proud of her achievements!

Durbanville Parents' Day Presentations

The Helen O'Grady Durbanville Studios had their Parents' Day yesterday and it was a afternoon filled with fun and drama! The parents were delighted with our programme and the creative participation of all their children. The Parents' Day Presentation covered a cross section of work from this term's curriculum, including improvised dramas, mime to music, script work and a hilarious verbal dynamics performed by the Upper Primary class.

Parents' Day at the Stellenbosch Studio

Parents and friends were able to see their children in dramatic action, and experience, first-hand, how the Academy's international programme develops confidence, self-esteem, communication and creativity. The Academy runs its programme from age 5 -18 at the studio and you can see here the Primary age-group to Youth Theatre performing.

Wellington Lower Primary Parents Day

Parents from the Wellington Drama Studio were incredibly impressed with their children's performances at the annual parents days this year. They showed how the programme develops speech and communication skills as well as acting skills. The Academy is famous for its method of developing improvisation and this year the students showed how excellent they were at this.

Somerset West Youth Theatre

Our Youth Theatre Programme is a theatre-arts programme, developing our secondary school students in public speaking, presentation and performance skills. Many of our students come to our Academy to improve their confidence and speaking ability which are of course valuable life-skills. To be articulate will certainly help them to get the best jobs one day in our competitive world. Likewise many of our young people want to take performance arts as a career, and we will encourage them all the way, as this programme really develops their skills for acting in film, radio and theatre.

The Somerset West Youth Theatre group had fun performing their Mini-Scripts and Group Improvisations for family and friends on Friday!

Wellington Parents Day

The programme we offer in the Academy is one of self-development. Our prime aim is to give children ongoing confidence and skill in verbal communication.

At the end of Term 2 we invite parents and friends to view a cross section of work the children have been involved in during the term.

 Most of the students in the Wellington Upper Primary class have been with the Academy for more than two years and have really benefited from this programme, making them clear, articulate communicators. This was clearly visible in their performances!