PANNIQTUUQ/PANGNIRTUNG - Every Tuesday and Thursday after school from 3:35 to 4:30 p.m., budding young actors and actresses from Alookie School are getting together as part of the school's drama group.

A drama club has been started at Alookie School in Pangnirtung this year. Some of its members include, from left, Monica Shoapik, Angela Alivaktuk, Alaana Sowdluapik, Toomasie Maniapik, Alexandria Mosely and Jacob Machmer. - photo courtesy of Isabelle Saucier

"I like it because there are lots of fun things to do," said Melanie Qaqqasiq, Grade 3-4 student in the group.

The gang, all in Grades 3-5, began meeting in the gym at the beginning of October.

Getting the students involved in drama was the brainchild of English as a second language teacher Isabelle Saucier.

"I believe that having these activities with the children will be beneficial, as I hope it will increase their confidence, self-esteem, team spirit, working with others and their English language proficiency," she said.

All young actors and actresses have to start their careers somewhere so Saucier is starting the kids off by playing theatre games and activities.

Qaqqasiq said that in one game they played, they had to pretend to be sharks who could hide under a net while the other sharks swam around and tried to catch them.

"When we swim, we hold their hands together and put them on our heads to make fins," she said.

Unlike many of the other students, she has been in a play at her old school in Repulse, where she said she and her friends sang into microphones in English and Inuktitut and danced.

Another game the students have played is based on the fairy tale of the three little pigs.

Grade 3-4 student Nathan Maniapik said some of his classmates pretend to be the pigs and another is the wolf.

"Wolves are big and scary so you have to do that," he said.

The wolf tries to blow the pig's houses down.

Maniapik said he likes coming to drama group not only for the games but because many of his friends are in it, too.

The young thespians have also practised portraying different emotions and mimicking each other, and have tackled concentration exercises.

Originally, the idea was to have the students to do a Christmas play but with the holidays soon approaching they will sing, act and dance to two songs in December.

Alaana Sowdluapik, another student in drama also in Grade 3-4, said even just doing two songs will take some work.

"We will have to learn our lines and practise," she said.

While many would be afraid to take the stage, Sowdluapik said she is not nervous as she loves to sing and dance on stage.

Not only are the students expanding their abilities but Saucier said it is good for her, too.

"This club is allowing me to see the students in a different light and to build good rapport and confidence in students," she said.

Sowdluapik said her favourite days at school are Tuesdays and Thursdays all because of drama. The actress already has a good philosophy – "the whole point is just to have fun."

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