The traditions of Russian theatre, music and dance are very much alive and kicking in the nursery at the Azbuka Russian-English Bilingual School in West London. Children enjoy regular visits from Russia’s traditional Petrushka Puppet Theatre, and the nursery has made large wooden puppets of its own, including Dunja. Now 14 years old, Dunja is a favourite with the children and a character that features in role-play activities based on national folk stories.
Nursery teacher Oksana Pavlykivska says, ‘Our children love using role-play and adapting their voices and personality to a different character they are portraying. Drama supports bilingualism, as children develop their oral language skills, their ability to listen and wait for their turn, and use their knowledge of both English and Russian stories to create narratives of their own.’
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