Teenage Drama Classes

We are renowned for the awesome Primary school level classes that we run. However what's really grown over the past couple of years is the wonderful lessons we run for our teenaged students.

The Youth Theatre Curriculum is targeted at students aged 13-18years. It's dynamic, fun, packed with activities and developmental. In these classes students learn to act, improvise, speak effectively, characterise, socialise and believe in themselves.

We run our teenage Drama drama classes during the week in Randpark and Fourways...on the weekends we're in Northcliff and Fourways. There's so many locations to choose from!
Contact Kerry on 0834102940 for a free trial lesson.

Kyalami

Classes running In Kyalami Estates are fun, jam packed and super exciting. The conveniently located location allows students a safe space to be creative and grow their confidence! This studio is running according to the 3 term private school terms! Call Kerry on 0834102940 for more info :)

Sign up this term

Term one has kicked off and classes are filling up! If you're keen on doing Speech and Drama or you're keen for your children to, then bring them along for a free trial lesson at one of our any studios running across Johannesburg from Mondays to Saturdays. You can start at anytime this term, each lesson is complete and every individual will take from the lesson all the benefits they as individuals need :) come along for a free lesson and see what we're all about, you've got nothing to lose!

Adult Drama Classes

Are you looking for a safe space where you can develop your confidence, improve your communication skills, teach you public speaking and learn acting techniques? We are just the place for you. We will be running our Adult Drama classes every Saturday in Fourways at the Norscot Recreation Centre. You can sign up termly or you can drop in to lessons and pay per lesson you attend. The fees are R730 per term or R100 per lesson.

Contact Kerry on Kerry@helenogrady.co.za and she can send you all the info you need to get started. We start the term on 30 January 2016 so there's still time to get signed up. 
Challenge yourself and who knows, you could be performing in our 2016 productions at the end of the year!

Cliffview Primary School

We kicked off our term this week and Cliffview Primary School was buzzing with energy full of students who excitedly ran into our Drama classes ready to roll! We've been running our extra - mural drama classes at the school since 2009...its no wonder that each class is jam - packed. If your child goes to Cliffview or if you live close by, this studio might be the perfect class for you. We run the lessons every Tuesday from 2-3 pm for 5-8 year olds and 3-4pm for 9-12 year olds. It's a great group of students who welcome new students with open arms. Come try a free lesson if you're interested :)

Drama Classes - What do we do?

The most common question we get from parents is - what do you do in your classes? 

Well a lot is my answer and then I elaborate :)

The Helen O'Grady curriculum is international so we cant just teach anything - our lessons are structured, planned and full of juicy activities. 

The focus of the Academy is to get students communicating effectively - using their bodies, voices and facial expressions. Through specially designed speech activities we are able to teach the students how the voice works and how we can use the voice to be heard.

Confidence forms an integral part of life today, and without it, life is just that little bit harder to navigate. Through improvisations, scripts, plays, public speaking activities and monologues our students are able to practice being in the limelight - and this helps them gain greater confidence each and every week.

And then there's the students who want to act and perform - can you believe we cater for them too? Every single week students explore new plays, scenes, mimes, scenarios - through their explorations they are able to create and play with new characters without being judged or marked. The aim of our Academy is not to grade our students - our aim is to give them a safe platform from which they can have fun creating and trying out new roles. Drama does not have to be an activity that gets individuals competing against one another - its a wonderful activity where students can work together, gain from one another, learn from others and experience EMPATHY!

So in a not so small nutshell :) That's what we do!

2016 Drama Classes:

Weekly Classes resume 18 January 2016

Here is a list of venues and times:

Mondays        

  Weltevreden: 3-4pm: 5-12 year olds

Tuesdays       

 Cliffview Primary School: 2-3pm:5-8 year olds

 3-4pm: 9-12 year olds

Wednesdays  

Fourways Gardens Estate: 3-4pm: 5-8 year olds

 4-5pm:9-12 year olds

 5-6pm: 13-18 year olds

Thursdays     

  Olivedale Library: 3-4pm: 5-8 year olds

4-5pm: 9-13 year old

                           Kyalami Estates: 3-4pm: 5-8 year olds

 4-5pm:9-12 year olds

Fridays        

 Randpark Ridge United Church: 3-4pm: 5-8 year olds

 4-5pm:9-12 year olds

     5-6pm: 13-18 year olds

                          Strubensvalley Library: 3-4pm: 5-12 year olds

Saturdays

  Norscot Recreation Centre: 10:00-10:30: 3-4 year olds

10:30-11:30:5-8 year olds

11:30-12:30: 9-12 year olds

   12:30-13:30: 13-18 year olds

               Berario Recreation Centre: 09:00-10:00: 5-8 year olds;

              10:00-11:00: 9-12 year olds

11:00-12:00: 13-18 year olds

Adult class 9:00-10:00

2015 – The year that was...AWESOME!!!

As we look back on 2015 I am overwhelmed with what a beautiful year it was. We opened at new schools, new venues and met so many new students. Current students thrived and we awarded over 300 students with medals, trophies and certificates at the end of year productions.

Term 1 saw a new teacher join our team – and the energy and passion she brought to each lesson inspired everyone who met her. 

Term 2 Presentations were better than ever and the students hit  a home run with their performance.

Olivedale Youth at their 2015 Production Photo Shoot

Roodepoort Theatre

Audience Members waiting in anticipation for the show to start

A few of the awards we gave out in 2015

Fourways Gardens students rehearsing for their shows

Arts Fest Teenagers receiving their Arts Fest Shirts

Arts Fest Rehearsals

Cliffview Primary Students performing at their Parent Presentations

Our Holiday Arts Fest was better than ever this year and over the two weeks the ‘Rock’ themed ‘Drama Camp’  got the students acting, singing and dancing. We ended the Fest off with a wonderful Performance by our 5-18 year olds that really rocked.

Term 3 and 4 were full of skills and stage technique work that culminated in our end of year Productions held at the Roodepoort Theatre. What a year it was!!! A massive ‘BRAVO’ to our teachers, students and parents who helped make 2015 such a success!

Creative Classes at Cliffview

Tuesdays are super creative days for our Cliffview Primary Students. Students from the ages of 5-13 years meet me after school for some jam-packed drama lessons. This week we learnt about mime to music, duologues and improvised scenes...theres no better performance than when the students feel free to play and explore their creative abilities! Classes run at the school for all children in the Northcliff area! We have a few spots available for new students. ..sign up asap!

Expressing your true self - How to use your Body and Face to be an...INDIVIDUAL!

At our academy we teach students from as young as 3 years old to adults. It fascinates me how each age group develops certain habitual blocks that keep them from expressing themselves as whole individuals. My students between the ages of 3-9 years have no problem moving their bodies, flopping around, running, jumping and dancing - there is no fear in their movement because life experience is limited and thus they have nothing to be weary of. My 9-18 year olds are a little more contained in their movements but they have no problem expressing themselves with their faces - this could be the whole 'selfie' trend encouraging them to play with their faces more and 'practise' faces on their camera phones. Physically teenagers are a little more constrained and a lot more self conscious. My Adult students have developed their own unique blocks, some are fantastic at expressing themselves physically but lack facial expression; others are wonderful at showing feelings on their faces but completely shut down any expression through their bodies. Physically and 'facially' they have developed habits that life-experience has shaped. Its our job as drama practitioners to encourage a break down of these habits so that individuals can explore various ways of expressing themselves with the whole self.
When we communicate we need to learn to express ourselves as individuals that have bodies, voices and faces.No one enjoys conversing with someone who cannot engage in eye contact or interest. Our body language needs to invite people in rather than scare them away. 
There are too many lonely people out there - I put this down to not learning the right skills at communicating their true selves.
Kerry.

 In this pic we have 3 guys who have no problem using their faces :)