Recommended performance ideas for elementary school (middle grades) cultural festivals and learning presentations
When children reach the middle grades of elementary school, they start looking forward to the performances at school arts festivals and learning presentations! It’s a great chance to create wonderful memories together through activities like chorus, theater, and dance.
Many teachers and students probably wonder, “What kind of performance should we do?” Here, we introduce recommended ideas for school arts festivals and learning presentations.
It’s important to come up with ideas that make the most of your class’s unique character.
Work together through discussion and create a presentation that everyone can enjoy while showcasing your class’s individuality!
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[Elementary School] Recommended Performance Ideas for Middle Grades at School Arts and Learning Presentations (11–20)
Soran Bushi
Let’s show off a cool performance with Soran Bushi, a dance often performed at school sports festivals! Soran Bushi is a folk song from Hokkaido, known as a work song sung during herring fishing.
The choreography, which moves the whole body to a powerful, fast-paced melody, takes quite a bit of stamina.
Movements that lower the center of gravity—as if hauling up fishing nets—are tough even for energetic kids! But it goes without saying that parents are deeply moved by this vigorous performance.
Beyond the joy of moving their bodies, this is a perfect piece for 3rd and 4th graders—who are just beginning to build class bonds—to fully experience the sense of accomplishment that comes from achieving something together.
hula dance
Don’t you think hula dancing is a perfect act for a school performance? With its graceful movements and cheerful music, it brings smiles to both the children and the audience.
As they learn the choreography, they also develop cooperation and concentration, and I’m sure they’ll present themselves confidently on the big day.
It’s also appealing because it gives you a refreshing feeling, like being on a beach in Hawaii.
With creative costumes or some call-and-response, it’ll be even more exciting—no doubt about it! Let’s join our hearts and put on a wonderful hula dance together!
Body percussion
Body percussion is making music by striking different parts of your body with your hands to produce sounds.
You can tap along to music, or tap while singing your favorite song.
When the whole class does it together, it’s quite powerful, and since everyone has to keep the same rhythm, it also builds teamwork.
If you coordinate costumes or add call-and-response shouts partway through, it becomes a perfect act for a school performance.
Choosing a popular song that everyone loves will boost motivation, too!
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.
Shadow play performance
Do you remember being amazed by shadow puppets when you were little? How about putting on a play using shadow puppetry? Basically, you express the people and objects that appear using only your hands.
It often feels more convincing to watch the projected shadows than to watch the hands themselves.
Well-known stories don’t require explanations and let you focus on the performance, so fairy tales are a great choice.
Handbell performance
Handbells are a popular performance at all kinds of events, especially Christmas ones.
During the holiday season, Christmas songs are the standard, but at other times you could choose songs kids love—like tunes they learned at school or popular anime songs.
Because everyone creates the sound together, handbells require quite a bit of practice; but that makes the moment you present a polished performance all the more moving.
Let’s bring our hearts together and create beautiful music!
[Elementary School] Recommended Performance Ideas for Middle Grades at School Arts and Learning Presentations (21–30)
musical drama
How about trying a musical play where you can challenge both music and acting? Unlike a musical, a musical play basically unfolds the story through dialogue, and the stage is built by adding songs and the like along the way.
Since dialogue and songs can be treated separately, it may be easier for lower-grade children to take on.
Depending on the casting, it’s also recommended to divide roles so that some people only act, while others only sing or dance.
Choose a story that younger children are familiar with, and give it a try.