Perform Drama, Dance & Singing Classes

Perform has run at New Oriel Hall every Monday during term time since April 2013. Two classes follow one another: the 4–7s from 4:00pm to 5:00pm, then the 7–12s from 5:05pm to 6:05pm. Felicia is the teacher; Fleur is the Producer who runs the day-to-day; Gemma is the Area Partner for the local programme. The current summer term runs from 20 April to 13 July, with no sessions on Monday 4 May or Monday 25 May (bank holidays).

Each hour-long class weaves drama, dance and singing into three distinct sections. For the 4–7s those sections are Move & Feel — dances, rapid-reaction games and yoga-inspired exercises building coordination and balance — then Listen, Speak & Sing, using specially composed songs, tongue-twisters and raps, and finally Create & Imagine, where character explorations, storytelling and role-play improvisations develop concentration and speaking skills. The 7–12s work through Acting & Improvising, Movement & Dance and Speech & Singing, with increasing technical depth: vocal projection, physicality, accents and basic musical reading all feature. This summer the 4–7s theme is Mermaids & Pirates; the 7–12s are working through The Dream, retelling Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with a contemporary cast of footballers, pop stars and celebrities.

Class numbers are capped at 22, and every session has two Perform staff members present. The curriculum is built around four core areas — Confidence, Concentration, Communication and Coordination — and runs on a rolling basis, so children can join at any point rather than waiting for a new term. Fleur sends a weekly email detailing that week's focus, and each child receives a personalised written Feedback Form signed by Principal Lucy Quick. Three times a year — at half-termly Open Workshops and at the end-of-term Presentation — families are invited in to see what their child has been working on.