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Training: Poetry in Motion dance workshop
Jabberwocky

You can read about The Jabberwocky on this page of Wikipedia.

A PDF of the poem is available to download and print here. Please make sure you have a printed copy of it with you.

The key for this workshop is to get the children to move and express themselves to words. Most of the Choreography happens to the words of the poem.

Choreographer instructions

Please see the written information below the video.

To play the video in sync with the voiceover instructions: 

1. Type the password in to the video if required

2. Press play on the voiceover

3. Listen to the spoken instructions, and press play on the video when instructed

Jabberwocky Key stage 2

1) WarmUp

2) Games

a)  Space Game

b)  Jabberwock to Jabberwock

The key for this workshop is to get the children to move and express themselves to words. Most of the Choreography happens to the words of the poem.

Play the poem for them if you haven’t already done this in the assembly. If you can do it in the assembly, play the KS2 version (unless only doing KS1 workshops, in which case play the KS1 version)

Get the children to come up with a move for the following words (see video for idea and how it needs to fit with the poem)

Slithy Toves
Gimble
Mimsy

Get them to do the first section.

Start down
Slowly unroll to standing
Slow head roll
Slithy toves
Gimble
Mimsy
Lunge forward with claws on outgrabe.
Children split into 2 groups and turn outwards to either side of the stage (or one turn and the walk to either side if there are a lot of kids)

The children change sides moving as a Jabberwock and a Jubjub bird.
Face front and position of a Bandersnatch on the word (descuss how it’s a sharp word and requires a sharp movement)

Group 1- Tumtum tree

Group 2- Person with a vorpal sword (they all make one picture, not lots of people with swords, they all have to get into a formation that shows this one thing).  Give them time to make this before doing it with the music.

“He took his Vorpal sword in hand, long time the manxome foe he sought”- they make their group 1 and 2 pictures.
Move pictures

“And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came!”
all moving as jabberwocks

into choreography- see video (same as KS1 but quicker)

Then teach Choreography:

And two - Attention position holding sword to chest
And through and through - chop tree slowly R then L
The vorpal blade went - turn holding sword above head
Snicker snack - chop quickly R, L (ask the kids if they think this should be a quick or a slow movement, sharp etc) 
He left it dead - Lunge to R arms out long to the R
And with its head - hold head, feet together
He went galumphing back - 3 Marches holding head (ask the children about galumphing, heavy or light etc)
“music bit” - turn on spot holding head like your dizzy
And has thou slain - lunge forward arms over head and out front with palms up
The Jabberwock - hold a Jabberwock position
Come to my arms - drag side arms open, feet together arms wrap around body in hug
My beamish boy - arms open and wrap body other arm on top 
O frabjous day - arms open down, bring arms up sideways to top shaking hands
Callooh Callay - two jumps arms punch up R, L
He chortled in his joy - laugh in circle hands on tummy

Last section repeats the first section

Slithy toves
Gimble
Mimsy

Raths outgrabe – children move into centre and hit jabberwock position on different levels. 

KS1 Version

1)  WarmUp

2)  Games

a)  Space Game

b)  Jabberwock to Jabberwock

The key for this workshop is to get the children to move and express themselves to words. Most of the Choreography happens to the words of the poem.

Play the poem for them if you haven’t already done this in the assembly. If you can do it in the assembly, play the KS2 version (unless only doing KS1 workshops, in which case play the KS1 version.

Sit the children down in a space and ask them how they would move and how they feel about these following words and get some children to demonstrate:

Slithy Toves
Gimble
Mimsy

Then ask them what they think a Jabberwock looks like and how it might move, tell them that each persons Jabberwock will be different (express use of levels and using their faces to express themselves) get some examples

Do the same with the Jub Jub bird

Using the carnival of the animals track, get the children to move around the room as all of the above, making sure each word shows something different. (Have some ideas yourself as the younger children often just copy you)

Then get the children to clump together in the center of the room to make their Tum Tum tree, explain that they need to work as a team. Let them have different ideas, or just get them to all stand with their arms up. Tell them when the wind blows they all have to move together. Get them to move their branches (arms) right them left.

Do this much with the track (see movie for timings etc) up to verse 4 as Jabberwock again. Get them to think about the words whiffling and burbled and get them to move like that.

Then teach Choreography:

3x marches end feet together

And two - Attention position holding sword to chest
And through and through - chop tree slowly R then L
The vorpal blade went - turn holding sword above head
Snicker snack - chop quickly R, L (ask the kids if they think this should be a quick or a slow movement, sharp etc)
He left it dead - Lunge to R arms out long to the R
And with its head - hold head feet together
He went galumphing back - 3 Marches holding head (ask the children about galumphing, heavy or light etc)
“music bit” - turn on spot holding head like your dizzy then make a star shape on the “dah dah” of music
And has thou slain - lunge forward arms over head and out front with palms up
The Jabberwock - hold a Jabberwock position
Come to my arms - drag side arms open, feet together arms wrap around body in hug
My beamish boy - arms open and wrap body other arm on top
O frabjous day - arms open down, bring arms up sideways to top shacking hands
Callooh Callay - two jumps arms punch up R, L
He chortled in his joy - laugh in circle hands on tummy, end on floor then flop through exhaustion