Has the moon lost her memory? Or have I lost my mind?

My 7th grade drama students are learning about movement and pantomime. (I'd decided to start easy, I figured the analytical essays on Eugene Ionesco's later works could wait until second quarter...)

I don't have access to any pantomime videos here, plus I think mimes are creepy beyond compare, so the next best option was to show them a musical with good examples of creative movement in it. Some of the musicals we own are too dark for 7th graders (Sweeney Todd) and a lot are movement-heavy, but that movement mostly involves choreographed dance rather than pantomime or just creative movement.

I'm showing them Cats.

I hate Cats.

Andrew Lloyd Weber is the Jerry Bruckheimer of the musical theatre world, and while some of his stuff is fine (I adore Joseph and don't mind Phantom, even if it is the one damn musical everyone sees, then considers themselves to be musical theatre afficionados) I really, really, really hate Cats.

The 7th graders will like Cats, though, because it's interesting to look at, even if it is insipid. And, I will admit, it is a really good example of creative movement-people pretending to be cats, and all. So it's educational. Sort of.

*sigh*

The sacrifices we make...