Ideas for Performances That Inspire Laughter and Tears: Perfect for Upper Grades at School Arts and Learning Showcases
Upper elementary school students are at an age where they can independently showcase the results of their daily learning at school arts festivals and presentations.
Not only music and choir, but also new performances that highlight each class’s unique character are gaining attention.
Here, we introduce ideas that upper graders can enjoy working on together.
There are plenty of options that make use of expressive skills, such as dance, acrobatics, and acting.
Value the ideas discussed in your class and come up with a unique performance.
Work together creatively and make wonderful, unforgettable memories!
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Ideas for Upper Grades: Performances for School Arts and Learning Presentations That Inspire Emotion and Laughter (21–30)
musical
When it comes to school performances, plays are the standard choice, but how about trying something a bit different and putting on a musical? The big difference from a play is that, instead of delivering lines, you express yourself by singing.
It might feel a little embarrassing, but it’s more impactful than a play, and choosing the songs is fun too.
For kids who are good at singing, it’s a great chance to shine—and maybe even land the lead role!
Rhythm Dance
The music we hear in everyday life each has its own rhythm, which makes the joy of sound stand out even more.
This activity focuses on those rhythms and encourages expressing them through free movement.
Even if everyone’s movements are different, you can see individual personalities and build excitement; it’s also recommended to try giving the movements a sense of direction to create unity.
A clear approach might be to first choose a theme song and let everyone move their bodies freely, then have everyone try out the movements that were especially good or most common.
[For Upper Grades] Ideas for Performances That Inspire Emotion and Laughter for School Arts and Learning Presentations (31–40)
Calligraphy performance
How about doing a calligraphy performance on a large sheet of poster paper, along with words of gratitude to your parents, teachers, and friends? You can use a regular brush, but using a large performance brush lets you write bold, oversized characters that make a strong impact and are easy for a big audience to see.
You can write anything you like on the paper, but consider writing your class or grade’s goals, or a message you want to convey to the audience.
Performing with music playing is also recommended!
manzai (a traditional Japanese stand-up comedy duo performance)
If you’re good at chatting and making people laugh, why not try manzai (a Japanese stand-up comedy duo act)? Writing material can be pretty challenging, but try drafting it while consulting with your partner and watching professional performances.
Once you’ve got your routine, it’s all about practice! Keep refining it as you head toward the real performance!
rakugo play
Rakugo is often thought of as a storytelling art performed by a single seated storyteller, but how about turning it into a stage play? Since rakugo stories are already structured like dramas, they’re perfect for events like school plays.
As a part of Japanese culture, they also offer a chance to learn about spoken language and historical context, making them a highly valuable presentation in those respects as well.
Instrument performance
I think any instrument will do—piano, guitar, bass, anything.
Music can be enjoyed regardless of age, and it would be a crowd-pleasing performance not just for the students but for the teachers as well.
A solo performance on a single instrument is fine, and teaming up to play as a band would also be exciting.
Kendama performance
A kendama performance that unleashes a variety of tricks in sync with music.
It’s more challenging than simply performing kendama tricks, making it perfect for upper-grade elementary students who, over their long years in school, have learned to do many things.
Of course, kendama skills are essential, but it’s also important to decide which parts of the music each trick will match.
If there are formation changes, you also need to plan where to move and what to do with the kendama at that moment.
Kids who are good at kendama, kids who excel with music and dance—work together to create a single stage performance.
In conclusion
We introduced ideas for performances to showcase at school arts festivals and learning presentations. Each type of performance offers different ways to express yourselves, but all of them will surely become memorable experiences created together with your peers. Practice may be hard, but the sense of accomplishment when you deliver emotion and laughter on the day is exceptional. We hope you enjoy a wonderful, memorable performance that leaves a lasting impression.