When Lara Caterina got together with Jacqueline Britnell, they started up Lara Caterina Performances; a children’s theatre company based in Madrid. They produce unique shows for children which combine acting and tap dancing and have a huge educational component. Lara is the performer in the plays and Jacqueline is behind the scenes.
"Our main aim is to create plays in English which are fun and educational at the same time". Lara Caterina, a bilingual native speaker of English and Spanish, gets the children to participate from start to finish. By thinking and calling out in English they learn and reinforce their knowledge of the language. The children are active participants throughout the shows.
“Movement for expression which is widely recognised as an important developmental process, is another key element in our plays”. Lara propels the story forward by encouraging the children to express themselves through movement.
Curricular contents such as geography, music and dances from different countries, means of transport ... are also covered in the plays.
Tap dancing gives the shows a magical touch which children love; as this type of dance is not only visual but also produces sound, it is an excellent asset when telling a story on stage. "As well as our snazzy routines, we use tap in our plays to create stage effects that fascinate the children".
"In the company we have joined our two vocations: performing and languages". Lara has a university degree in Performing Arts, a Master’s in Acting for Cinema, she is a trained tap-dancer and a qualified English language teacher; Jacky is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Linguists.
