4 Square (TV series)

4 Square is an interactive show that allows preschoolers to explore four separate art forms: song, rhythm, poetry and dance. Children sing and dance along with the Do-Whahs in the song segment; clapping, patting and stamping with the Beat Team in the rhythm segment; reciting the poems of Toronto poet laureate, Dennis Lee (author), in the poetry segment; and dancing along with the dance troupe, Corpus, in the movement segment. 4 Square is a Treehouse TV production. Fifteen-minute programs use four segments. Filler programs (to take up the airspace between two larger programs) use one segment.

Format

Rhythm Segment

The rhythm segment is hosted by the "Beat Team", a group of four teenagers wearing neon orange sweatshirts and sweatpants. One by one, they all introduce a verbal rhythm with certain sounds or words (i.e. zip--zip--zip--zip--zip--zip--zip--zip), and then they combine their individual rhythms to make one intricate rhythm.

Poetry Segment

The poetry segment features a woman dressed in purple, and one (or sometimes two) child(ren), dressed with a purple shirt and black jeans. The older girl recites a poem while giving certain words a hand sign, teaching it to the younger child, the child says the poem back with the learned hand signs, and then they both say it together. This is the only Four Square segment to feature children.

Dance or Movement Segment

The dance segment features four people from the Toronto dance troupe Corpus [http://www.corpus.ca] , dressed in blue spandex outfits with green shoes, knee pads and elbow pads. A leader (known as Captain "Hup" or "Huppette") will direct the other three dancers to do three certain dances or movements (i.e. "Bianca; cross-country ski...Tyler; cross-country ski...Rufus; cross-country ski"). Finally, after learning the dances one by one and asking the viewer to try do it, everyone does them in unison.

Song Segment

This is the part where 4 people come out and sing to the 'Doo-Wahs'. These Doo-Wahs are supposed to represent the viewer as well. The 4 singers get the viewers to sing along with them, as in "Do what the Doo-Wahs do". "Yes. Do what we do".