Maestro & the Christmas Tree Level: Early Grades - Listening, appraising & movement

The Nutcracker

Hannah and Charlie were playing Christmas music on Christmas Eve. A piece of music from a ballet that is often performed at Christmas time is The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, about a nutcracker toy that also arrived on Christmas Eve. Here's the part of the story where Clara, the girl in the story, finds the nutcracker. Clara goes to sleep and dreams that some little mice are dancing. The children could watch this video first, then listen to the music again and dance to it, pretending to be the little mice with one child (or a doll to prevent falling out!) chosen to be Clara.

Mouse Music (pitch, tempo)

Input from an adult is recommended for initial discussion about what sort of sounds small animals make with their feet and voices. The children could work individually or in pairs, first choosing instruments that make high-pitched, quiet sounds then creating a little piece of quick-moving music. A keyboard can be useful here, or a set of chime bars. Many children start to make up a story-line as the basis of their playing and later they might paint or draw a representation of the story or the sounds.

Christmas Elves (structure, tempo)

An Elf and Fairy Dance

Wrist bells needed - you can buy a pack of ten online, with small size adjustable fastenings.

This picture is from a very old Christmas card. The elves and fairies are doing a circle dance on the toadstool. In a large space such as a hall, help the children to dance a simple circle dance, accompanied by the bells on their wrists. They need to be evenly spaced for the dance with lots of room to shake their bells as you say the words that give the instructions:

• elves and fairies walk in a ring, this way (circle anticlockwise, then turn)
• elves and fairies walk in a ring, this way (circle clockwise)
• elves and fairies face the middle and clap your hands (clap clap clap)
• everyone bow to the fairy queen and then sit down.