The Southdowns Academy of Music provides a unique mix of both quality education and music training. One of the first “Music Industry Schools” in the country grooming the future stars! Students in the SAM academy programme will participate in an IEB-accredited music curriculum, with academic schooling implemented by Southdowns College. TIME will also provide extra curricular programmes and part-time courses in various instruments. The vision and objectives are to give students the most recent and relevant music education by some of the best coaches in the industry to create the best musicians that we can with the amazing facilities at our disposal at the SAX building.
The enrichment lessons alternate between ballet, contemporary/jazz, modern, hip-hop and pilates each week. This allows the dancers to train and develop different dance styles and in turn they develop versatility. Qualified ballet teachers will train the practical ballet work and guest teachers will be invited for the alternate classes during the year. We would like to inspire the enrichment students by inviting choreographers and professional dancers to perform and motivate learners during the year. In conjunction with the enrichment classes we also offer the following:
Nothing has ever taken the place of ballet for disciplinary training. There is no technique in any other style of dancing that is so valuable for producing exactitude, precision, a sense of form and a sense of line. A ballet trained dancer will always excel at alternate dance forms. The small child at dancing class may never become a professional dancer or teacher – but – the courtesies and disciplines, postural and brain development, musicality, confidence as well as joy in movement, will touch their lives forever. Ballet trained students have had opportunities nationally and internationally in acting for television or movies, modeling, presenters on television, managing performing arts companies, production and co-ordination of large events such as miss SA, miss World, world cup opening events due to their dance knowledge and training. Many dancers have graduated as doctors, accountants, attorneys and decided to start teaching dance at a later stage.
For the most proficient and specialized dance experience contact the Southdowns Dance Academy!
Drama does not prepare you for anything… it prepares you for everything. Drama is not simply acting, acting is one of the many aspects of drama. It is both subject and methodology including the study of different forms of performance. Drama is a way to demonstrate ideas in action, of exploring human behavior and the human condition, through action.
Drama Enrichment is a place where the world of “make-believe” is explored in order to make it a liveable reality! We believe in focusing on individual performance techniques, working with the learners to find an inner confidence to act alone. This will be achieved through the usage of slam poetry, a modern form of street-acting, and children’s theatre. By being able to communicate as one actor to an adult or child audience, the actor will find their own style and develop the techniques necessary to communicate in any situation. A strong emphasis will be placed on performance, and Drama Enrichment students will show case their talents and skills to the school through a number of solo performances.
Due to dramatic activities being holistic, they involve each individual physically, intellectually and emotionally in a variety of situations. Drama therefore enables people to understand themselves, empathize with others, and know the world in which they exist.Drama encourages the development of personal characteristics such as confidence, creativity and the ability to communicate effectively. And it is a collaborative activity, one that depends on the participation of every individual. It encourages people to cross social and cultural barriers, and so develop skills in mediation and facilitation. These are skills vital to everyone in the country. If “all the world’s a stage” and the word “drama” means “to do”, or “action”, then we are all actors – in our careers, in our daily lives. Studying drama today empowers students with the skills to “do” and “act”, in the fullest sense of the words.
Our enrichment course focuses on, but is not limited to, the following:
- Communication and vocal projection
- Expression and speech clarity
- Characterization and improvisation
- Voice skills, stage techniques, character impersonation and adaptations