Stage performance ideas to excite a cultural or school festival

Samba

Geisai 2017 Samba Party Part 1

A samba show is great for energizing cultural and school festivals thanks to its lively rhythms and dance.

It’s a quintessential Brazilian music style with a fast tempo in 2/4 time.

Authentic Brazilian samba uses instruments like the repinique, apito, and agogô.

These names may be unfamiliar, but if you don’t have them, you can substitute with a stick tambourine or a marching bass drum.

It works well on a hall stage, and it would also be exciting to present it like a parade outdoors on the school grounds.

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Nakajima Junko

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Soran Bushi

2014-11-22 Nagasaki University Gust Festival: 'Soran Bushi' (Part 1)

Soran-bushi is a dance that gets everyone fired up with the loud calls of “Soran, soran!” A large-scale performance where everyone’s movements are perfectly in sync is truly breathtaking.

Matching happi coats or costumes add a sense of unity and make the performance look even more impressive.

With choreography that matches the powerful lyrics and melody, every audience member is sure to think it looks “cool.” Soran-bushi originally comes from Hokkaido and is said to have its roots in songs sung during herring fishing.

That’s why commitment is key when dancing Soran-bushi! Even if you make a mistake in the choreography, the trick is to carry on as if you didn’t—own it.

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Nakajima Junko

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haka

The vibe of the grade-level performance is way too different between boys and girls lol

The haka is a traditional dance of the Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand.

You may have seen it when New Zealand’s national rugby team performs it before matches.

Participants stomp their feet, clap in rhythm, and dance in time with loud chants.

Although the haka is often associated with men, women can perform it as well.

There are some haka that are restricted to men or to women, and others that can be performed together.

A mixed-gender haka performance would make for a powerful and impressive display.

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hip-hop dance

School festival hip-hop

If your school has a dance club or you have people who are good at dancing, how about a hip-hop dance performance? TV shows where schools compete in dance skills are popular, so the audience is likely to get excited when they see hip-hop.

Bring out the appeal of hip-hop, which doesn’t have fixed forms, and showcase a sharp, individualistic dance.

Currently, middle school PE curricula also require dance that incorporates hip-hop rhythms.

Since hip-hop has become more familiar, it might be a good idea to practice as a class and perform it on stage.

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ensemble

Tsutomu Hirashima Best Selection [49] Instrumental Ensemble “African Symphony” (arr. McCoy)

If you want to experience the joy of creating something together, ensemble performance is the way to go.

You can achieve a beautiful ensemble even with instruments you use regularly in music class, like the melodica or recorder! Ask classmates who take piano lessons or can play the guitar to join in, too.

You might discover that someone unexpected can play an unexpected instrument, so doing some research on that is essential.

It could also be great to film your preparation and practice process and then edit it like a documentary film for the final release.

piano four hands

Sing Sing Sing piano duet

When it comes to opportunities to play the piano at school, it often means accompanying a chorus or performing classical pieces solo.

But as a culture festival–specific act, I also recommend piano duets.

If you take turns playing solo parts so each of you has a moment to shine, it will be even more exciting.

Let’s learn history in a dance class

The Shimabara Rebellion — Dancing Lesson Series [I Tried Dancing, You Know]

Let’s express the Japanese history we usually study—like the Shimabara Rebellion, the Incident at Honnō-ji, and Perry’s Arrival—through song and dance! Wouldn’t it be exciting to perform it live? Jumping straight into original songs and choreography can be challenging, right? So let’s start by performing some covers.