Virtual Fine Arts - Norfolk Academy

In celebration of our Virtual Homecoming 2020, we offered these encore presentations of the Be Someone Concert 2020, The Fall 2019 Dance Concert, and Ars Poetica, two beautiful virtual galleries of student artwork featuring the artistry and talent of NA alumni and current students.

Be Someone Concert Spring 2020

Fall 2019 Dance Concert

3D Gallery: Senior Exhibition 2020

Titled after the poem Ars Poetica by Archibald MacLeish

3D Gallery: Norfolk Academy Art From Home

In this time of Distance Learning, many students have been in their homes without art supplies. Their challenge, and yours, is to make art with non-traditional materials. How creative can you be with what is around you everyday? What can you make that no one else has ever seen before? We hope this virtual exhibition of our Studio 1 students' work inspires the rest of us to make something from what we have around us.

Miss Mr. Watson's special Homecoming stretching session? No worries! Watch the recorded session here! Use passcode iz4!3XAe.

Let's Take Time to Breathe

A Health and Wellness Stretching Session

with Dance Master Elbert Watson

Ars Poetica

by Archibald MacLeish

A poem should be palpable and mute
As a globed fruit,

Dumb
As old medallions to the thumb,

Silent as the sleeve-worn stone
Of casement ledges where the moss has grown—

A poem should be wordless
As the flight of birds.

*

A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs,

Leaving, as the moon releases
Twig by twig the night-entangled trees,

Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves,
Memory by memory the mind—

A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs.

*

A poem should be equal to:
Not true.

For all the history of grief
An empty doorway and a maple leaf.

For love
The leaning grasses and two lights above the sea—

A poem should not mean
But be.

Fun Arts Activities and Links to Virtual Events

Our Fine Arts teachers are constantly exploring new and exciting ways to practice and enjoy your passions while following social distancing guidelines. Here are a few of the ways they have found for you to nurture and enhance your creativity!

Drama

From Ms. Bisi , Middle and Upper School Drama Teacher— Here is a list of theater resources you can participate in with your young performer. These are FREE resources; you do not have to pay for any subscriptions. They are opportunities to keep your student moving and thinking, while staying positive and creative! Draw, read, write, play music, listen and watch a play or musical.

While we must practice social distancing, let’s try to keep the ARTS close by. Let’s see what we can create together at home.

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade

Center for Puppetry Arts
Provides free live puppet shows and workshops.

Sesame Street Puppeteers
Puppet performers explain how they use their puppets during the taping of the show. They do also go into detail on how the puppets are made. Students can practice their hand movements with this as well.

Theater Games with BBPress/Drama.com
Students have access to a wide list of theater games at home. These games include participation from 1-2 people to a small group of 4-5. This includes types of warm up activities such as tongue twisters, physical warm-ups, etc. These can also be used as brain breaks in between learning.

3rd – 5^th Grade

Playscripts.com
Providing free plays within the elementary/young audience age range that can be read or acted out at home. These are all age appropriate plays for students. Great for reading skills and fluency! Parents/guardians can view material before allowing student to view it.

Childdrama.com
Provides students unique lesson plans for theater/drama that get their bodies moving and minds thinking. These lessons can be used to promote any type of learning students are receiving during this time at home.

BBPress/Drama.com
Students have access to a wide list of theater games at home. These games include participation from 1-2 people to a small group of 4-5. This also includes types of warm up activities such as tongue twisters, physical warm ups, etc. These can also be used as brain breaks in between learning.

6^th – 9^th Grade

BBPress/Drama.com
Students have access to a wide list of theater games at home. These games include participation from 1-2 people to a small group of 4-5. This also includes types of warm up activities such as tongue twisters, physical warm ups, etc. These can also be used as brain breaks in between learning.

Playscripts.com
Providing free plays within the middle school age range that can be read or acted out at home. These are all age appropriate plays for students. Parents/guardians can view material before allowing student to view it.

BroadwayHD
This online service is offering a 7-day free trial for their site. Here you can view different award winning musicals and plays for free. Please view the summary of these performances before showing your young performer as they may or may not be age appropriate. They are also providing FREE streams of select performances during this Spring.

Drama Menu- Physical and vocal games for young performers
Drama Menu is a YouTube group that provides fun and engaging theater games and warm ups to promote a healthy sense of learning and motivation. The games you will see demonstrated in the videos are in small groups of 8-10 students. Do not feel obligated to perform these yourselves.

This is also a great resource to watch and respond to the video:

How are they using their bodies to think outside the box?
How is this group working together respectfully?
How is leadership used in this video?

For all ages:

The Virginia Stage Company is offering a series of Virtual Stage Workshops: Student Sessions (Free). Check out their new VIRTUAL education portal for more details regarding dates and times to participate in the workshops. AND Virginia Stage Company’s FACEBOOK page will host live performances.

Distance Learning Drama Activities from dramanotebook.com.

Music

Music (MS/US)
Berlin Philharmonic Resource
Middle and Upper School Music, Band & Orchestra Teacher,

Mr. Schnepel’s List of Suggested Tunes to Hear at Least Once in Your Life

Music Composition for the Complete Novice

Music Composition for the Complete Novice! Ever wanted to try composing music but didn’t know where to begin? Try this minimalist approach to music composition! At its most basic level music is organized sound. Organizing is always easiest when there is less to organize so we will start with a minimal number of things to work with:

Start with one of the many free piano apps for your phone or PC
FIVE Notes (see #1 below) and
Very Basic Rhythms (see #2 below)

You are ready to come up with a tune, do something with it, then finish the piece! If you would like a bit more structure to “hang your music on” then try setting your melody to your own Haiku (three lines of 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables).

Obtain a free piano keyboard app (assuming you have no piano at home!) and play around with the 5 notes of a Pentatonic Scale. Use the Pentatonic Scale and Keyboard Diagram to help. Five pitches can be played one at a time creating a melody or simultaneously creating harmony. Enjoy the different effects created by different combinations of simultaneously played pitches(harmony)!
Watch the videos for a basic understanding of rhythm notation.
Basic Rhythm Notation
Basic Rhythm Notation Part 2
Draw a staff (the set of 5 lines and spaces on which the 5 notes are found) and write down your melody using your new knowledge of notes and rhythms!!! Below are examples:

I need a haircut
Should I take it to the scalp
Warm Weather Waiting

(ex.) Recording of Haiku Melody (using piano app!)
(ex.) Recording of Haiku Melody with Text

Video of Notation Process

Dance

Visual Art

Social Distancing doesn't mean you can't visit a museum. Check out this Guardian article and enjoy 10 of the World’s Best Virtual Museum and Art Gallery Tours!

From Mrs. Moore, Upper School Art History Teacher

Blueprint
This site offers Online Virtual Art and Craft Classes for All Grade Levels from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The MET has made this entire resource free until the Covid 19 crisis is over. Students and parents should take advantage of this highly professionally produced series of art and craft lessons. I highly recommend the beginning drawing and painting lessons, but there are more crafty, make it - take it, lessons for those who are interested. There are even cooking lessons!

History of Art students have been encouraged to participate in a Quarantine challenge organized by The Getty Museum called #betweenartandquarantine. In the next round, they are challenged to add a person or a prop! We invite you to join us!