Intensification offer – Participation in one course is mandatory
Intensive courses are compulsory for all pupils in the fifth, sixth and seventh grades for two lessons per week and are offered across all grades. Pupils can choose from an extensive range of musical, sporting and artistic activities each year and attend “their” course for (at least) one school year. When allocating courses, the Musikalisch-Sportliches Gymnasium in Leipzig tries to take into account the students' expressed wishes.
IA Band
Instructor: Mr. Sascha Stratmann
Group Size: max. 10 students per group
Requirements: instrumental knowledge and enjoyment of playing music together
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
Students form their first band and learn to make music together in a band setting. This includes shared instrumental training, choosing songs, songwriting, organizing and performing their own concerts. Lessons can take place in person or online.
Sign up – I'm looking forward to working with you!
Your Sascha Paul Stratmann
Musical
Instructor: Ms. Juliane Lehmann
Group Size: 8 to 25 students
Requirements: experience in at least one of the areas – acting, dancing, or singing
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
Do you love being on stage or have you always wanted to try it? Do you enjoy music, acting, and dancing? Then this is the right place for you. In the Musical Intensification course, we will sing, dance, and act together, merge these areas, and develop your skills.
Depending on group size, experience, and individual talents, a small musical will be created – a project that you will actively and creatively help bring to life.
Parkour
Instructor: Mr. Alexander Lungwitz
Group Size: max. 20 students
Requirements: curiosity, ambition, stamina, enjoyment of movement
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
Parkour is an efficient form of movement. You’ll learn to navigate from point A to B in a completely new way, using a targeted combination of movements with your own body. You’ll learn how to roll properly and overcome walls, initially using gym equipment for safety and reduced injury risk. By the end of the year, we aim to apply what we've learned outdoors.
We’re looking forward to working with motivated students ready for new challenges!
IA Fencing
Instructor: Ms. Katzsch-Brachert
Group Size: max. 10 students
Requirements: genuine interest in fencing, discipline
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
Fencing demands a highly complex set of skills. Technique and tactics are closely intertwined. Physical conditioning, coordination, and mental focus are all required. Students will receive foundational fencing instruction or develop existing skills. The program also improves motor skills, coordination, endurance, and strength.
Step-by-step, students will be introduced to using the épée. The course focuses on movement precision, speed, reaction time, power, flexibility, and stamina.
Group Fitness
Instructor: Mr. Damian Halata
Group Size: 5 to 10 students
Requirements: enjoyment of movement, coordination skills
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
Love to move and break a sweat? Want rhythmic and athletic training? Then this is the course for you!
Together, we’ll tackle functional and intense training using the power of the five elements. Every week we’ll learn new elements, grow stronger together, and fuel positive energy. Group Fitness combines the mental and physical sides of functional training and makes you fitter in a fun way. You’ll improve your endurance, coordination, flexibility, and body awareness.
Whether you're already a fitness fan or want to become one – join Group Fitness!
Fistball
Instructor: Ms. Zoe Michael
Group Size: 4 to 18 students
Requirements: enjoyment of movement, curiosity
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
Fistball is a rebound sport where the ball is struck with the arm or fist. The game is similar in concept to volleyball. Through various game and practice formats, students will learn skills in defense, setting, and attack.
If you're not afraid of balls and curious about this team sport, we’re excited to welcome you! (Videos at ifa-fistball.tv)
Urban Dance / Hip Hop
Instructor: Ms. Margarita Ermanchenko
Group Size: 11 to 18 students
Requirements: sense of rhythm, enjoyment of movement
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
Based on urban dance styles, students will explore and practice foundational dance skills, which they will strengthen and expand in higher grade levels.
They will learn basic choreography and steps in five urban styles: B-Boying, Locking, Popping, House, and Hip-Hop Newstyle. These skills will be applied in the creation of their own increasingly complex choreographies.
In doing so, they will also acquire knowledge of terminology, creative possibilities, and choreographic structures.
The course especially improves endurance, coordination, and body awareness. Collaborative tasks foster social skills that can be transferred to other areas of life. A further goal is the promotion of an active dance and movement culture at the school.
Martial Arts / Judo
Instructor: Mr. Rico Dietzmeyer
Group Size: 5 to 25 students
Requirements: discipline, courage, enjoyment of movement
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
Students receive an introduction to Japanese martial arts, especially Jujutsu, Aikido, and Judo. They will also train basic principles of modern self-defense.
The focus is on body awareness and awareness of danger. The program enhances motor and coordination skills as well as respectful interaction and social competence.
Students experience values and behavioral codes from traditional Japanese martial arts and combat sports.
After basic instruction, they learn various techniques including falling, throws, working with distance, and defending against attacks.
The emphasis is always on developing physical mobility – as a counterbalance to digitalized daily life. The approach is playful and combines martial arts, sport, and self-defense in a fun, accessible way.
IA Bachata Ladystyle
Instructor: Ms. Sindy Belz
Group Size: min. 8 students
Requirements: none
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
This course is for everyone who enjoys Latin American music and wants to express themselves through dance.
Bachata represents passion, confidence, and femininity.
We will focus on solo dancing. Starting with the basics, we’ll explore body awareness throughout our dance journey.
IA Circus
Instructors: Ms. Alessia Marques, Mr. Niclas Hellwig
Group Size: max. 20 students
Requirements: none
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
Curtains up! It's finally here – the Rahn Gymnasium is launching its first circus-themed Intensification course.
This new IA offering is all about breaking the boundaries of your athletic creativity. Inside you are artists, dancers, jugglers, acrobats, unicyclists – or maybe even that little clown waiting to shine.
Want to juggle, balance on balls, build pyramids, jump on trampolines, or soar on fabric? Love the stage and ready to show the world what’s inside you? Then this is the course for you.
You’ll be guided by two enthusiastic instructors who want to help you develop your talents in all kinds of circus arts.
As a circus team, we’ll develop acts and choreographies to present in a big stage show at the Campus Festival.
You can contribute in countless ways – whether on stage or behind the scenes: costumes, music, choreography, makeup, set design – all part of the show.
Curious? Ready to be part of the Rahn Gymnasium Circus? Sign up and join when the curtain rises!
The (In)visible Library – Rahn’s Book Club
Instructor: Ms. Ann-Kathrin Gunjal
Group Size: 3 to 17 students
Requirements: love of reading and general interest in literature
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
As Walt Disney once said: “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island… and the best part is, you can enjoy this wealth every day of your life.” And that’s exactly what we want to explore and discover together.
This book club is for bookworms, Potterheads, hobbits, adventurers, outlaw daughters, princesses, brave heroes, and everyone who loves diving into the world of books. Because literature offers so much more than what the German curriculum allows.
Together we’ll develop projects, write our own texts, create tableau scenes, explore film adaptations, craft reading boxes, and discuss exciting content.
If you’re interested in discovering books in a new way and want to broaden your horizons (and your bookshelf), this is the right place for you!
Film Club – Learning to Understand Film
Instructor: Ms. Brigitte Fuhrmann
Group Size: max. 16 students
Requirements: willingness to watch films and think about film structure
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
Movies, genres, stars & more – this Intensification course is for anyone who loves watching films and wants to understand why they can be so captivating.
We’ll explore different film genres and their intentions, analyze scenes, examine stylistic devices, and learn about filmmakers’ rights.
Each participant will give a short presentation (film analysis). You’ll help choose the movies and short films we’ll study.
IA Dance – Mime – Poetry – Stage Design
Instructor: Ms. Katja Wilde
Group Size: approx. 12 to 15 students
Requirements: none
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
Dear students,
my IA offering will help you present yourselves confidently through short dance, mime, and speech scenes.
You’ll learn to use your body, gestures, facial expressions, and voice effectively to create your intended impact.
The short scenes will be performed at various school events (e.g., exhibitions, open house days, the campus festival). We’ll also design stage sets, choose music and lighting together.
If you play an instrument or sing in the choir, we can integrate those talents, too.
We’ll pick the themes as a group. The pieces will include both humor and dramatic content.
I’m really looking forward to working with you!
Theater
Instructor: Mr. David Perlbach
Group Size: max. 15 students per group
Requirements: curiosity, talent for acting
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
Who hasn’t pretended to be someone else, imitated someone, dreamed of being in the spotlight, or wanted to step into another role?
With imagination, creativity, rhythm, pace, and suspense, we can bring any story to life – one that excites, moves, or touches you.
Acting means being inventive and daring to try new things. It means constantly surprising the audience, your fellow actors, and yourself.
With your energy and passion, we’ll make the stage come alive – because everything is possible: creative, active, spontaneous. That’s you. That’s us. Let’s bring it to the stage together.
Art Studio
Instructor: Ms. Charlotte Koch
Group Size: max. 15 students
Requirements: creativity, interest in making art together
Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 to 7
When pictures tell stories – Illustration – Comics – Bookmaking – Lettering – Printmaking
Our dream within the art department: to make art together in a free, ungraded environment – with like-minded people, like you.
We’ll develop stories and visual worlds, chat about art, and explore exciting techniques together.
Depending on your interests and prior experience, we might start a concrete book project. Maybe animals, plants, or imaginary creatures will be created and have wild adventures.
Illustrated, printed, combined with text – the possibilities are endless. You’ll learn the techniques and tools step by step, from idea to final product (images, cards, maybe even a book).
No worries if you’ve never presented a handmade book at a book fair — or have no idea how to begin.
We look forward to welcoming you to a truly special IA creative time!