Gulf Breeze High School Emerald Coast Invitational

2017 — Gulf Breeze, FL/US

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Declamation

Event Description:

Speeches are up to 10 minutes in length. As a result, students typically shorten the text of the speech to meet time requirements. The event is not designed for students to mimic the original author of the speech. Instead, speakers are to develop an oration that delivers the message of the author in an original and engaging manner.

Structure

There are a couple of key structural components of DEC: First, the cutting. A performer’s cutting is the 10-minute selection they perform. This is how they’ve arranged the performance, and what aspects of the speech they’ve decided to tell. It is okay for the student to move sections of text around in a different order than the author to help make the 10-minute version they’re delivering flow best. Second, the introduction. Students will construct a short introduction that gives context to their performance. At a minimum, the introduction should establish the title of the speech, the author, and when it was delivered. Typically students will do a short portion of the speech before delivering their intro, sometimes called a teaser. Some students do the introduction and then go into the speech. There is no preferred method; simply evaluate whether or not the introduction gave you a solid foundation to evaluate the speech, and fit within the flow of the speech!