The purpose of this workshop is to use the Cinderella ballet to introduce the theme of discrimination.

The story of Cinderella provides a safe space for the teacher to raise questions about the themes which the class can then discuss in order to determine their own answers.

This workshop depends upon the teacher leading the group in discussion.

The teacher tells the story of Cinderella – as approached by Scottish Ballet, and the class discuss in detail the characters, in order for them to have a comprehensive understanding of them.

The teacher would have previously introduced discrimination as a comparative concept in order that the pupils understand that although this story is fictional; the purpose is to provide a safe space to debate issues which exist within modern culture.

Workshop 2 - Bullying

Discuss as a group the concept of bullying. What is bullying? How can bullying happen (it is important to highlight that bullying is not just physical but it can be mental, through text messaging and emails etc).

How do the stepsisters bully and discriminate against Cinderella? What is the stepmother’s role in this and how does the father act?

Bullying Poem

Write down eight words that relate to bullying (names, orders, words).
Make your eight words into a poem by creating a story with the words
Invent a movement that describes each word. What will your movements convey? Threat, fear, angst, terror or aggression?
Perform your movements with your words
Pair up with someone and create a bullying themed duet with your words and movements
With your partner you can make the following choices:

• To perform words together or separately
• The order of the movements and the words
• The pictures you are creating with your word and movements
• How you are telling the story of your bullying duet
• The speed and quality of the movements and the words

Pair up with another two dancers and make your duet into a quartet by combining your movement material.
Make choices about how you are grouping yourselves.
In Cinderella, the stepsisters often perform movements in unison to gang up against Cinderella.

Continue to workshop 3