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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[For Upper Grades] Ideas for Performances That Inspire Emotion and Laughter for School Arts and Learning Presentations (31–40)
beatbox
For fifth- and sixth-graders who’ve learned many instruments and songs, let’s change things up and try beatboxing, where you turn yourself into the instrument! Beatboxing, which makes sounds using only your mouth and throat without any instruments, is a type of music many people know thanks to YouTubers like Hikakin.
It might look difficult at first, but with solid practice in how to produce sounds, control your breath, and articulate, you can do it! When doing it as a class or in groups, it’s recommended to divide the rhythm parts into smaller roles.
It would also be fun to include singers and turn it into a full-fledged musical performance!
Pocky Dance
The “Pocky Dance” that was performed in the Pocky commercials—many of you might find it nostalgic, right? Today’s elementary school kids may not be as familiar with it, but it’s a really fun dance with lively choreography.
These days, many elementary schoolers take dance lessons, and dance performances are common at events.
Dancing is also great for boosting class unity.
If you get the audience to clap along, the whole venue will get energized—how about giving it a try?
Magic
When it comes to classic entertainment or performances, magic is the go-to.
There are many types of magic, so for a classroom setting you might choose card tricks, while for a gymnasium you might pick tricks that look great on stage.
There are plenty of videos online that explain magic tricks, so be sure to use those as references.
wotagei
As otaku culture has spread, “wotagei”—fans cheering through choreographed dance moves in sync with idols and other performers—has become popular too! It’s a different style from the dances you’ve done at school sports days, so for fifth- and sixth-graders who’ve learned various things already, it’s a great “advanced” option to perform at events like school arts festivals.
Penlights and glow sticks are inexpensive, so be sure to get some.
Try dancing to songs that actually feature wotagei or to trending tracks, combining choreography unique to wotagei!
Pantomime show
Here’s an idea for a charming pantomime show! A performance that conveys stories and emotions using only body movements, without words, stimulates imagination and expressive ability.
With comical motions and surprising staging, smiles naturally spread and the audience is effortlessly drawn in.
As you immerse yourself in the world on stage, one of the best parts is the joy of understanding a story through movement and the fun of communicating nonverbally.
For children, too, it becomes a valuable time to experience a world of expression that’s hard to find in everyday life, so be sure to take inspiration from it.
For upper grades: Ideas for school performance/presentation items that evoke emotion and laughter (41–50)
Shōten
Are you familiar with the TV show “Shoten”? In it, the performers do a comic wordplay segment (ōgiri) based on a theme, competing to earn zabuton cushions.
If you’re thinking of adding humor to a send-off event, how about choosing a school-related theme and performing Shoten? Shoten is done with a host and performers.
You could even ask a teacher to serve as the host who runs the show.
Since everyone on Shoten wears kimono, you could make similar costumes using colored plastic bags.
If people know Shoten, they’ll understand what you’re doing right away!
imitation
There’s always at least one person at school who’s good at doing impressions, right? Even if you’re not, the nice thing about impressions is that anyone can learn them with practice.
Not just celebrities or anime characters—impressions of teachers can really liven things up for school performances or entertainment, too.