Arabesque Study Guide

ARTPOWER! AT UC SAN DIEGO MULTI-ARTS SEASON 2014-2015

STUDY GUIDE

ArtPower! Educator Guide to ARABESQUE Dance Student Matinee

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IMAGE COURTESY OF CENTER STAGE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT. Arabesque at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

study guide TABLE OF CONTENTS About Arabesque...............................................................3 What You Will Experience at ArtPower!............................5 Get to Know Vietnam........................................................6 People and Culture...........................................................7 What is Contemporary Dance?........................................8 Fundamentals of Dance...................................................9 Contemporary Dance Techniques..................................10

STUDENT MATINEE GUIDE ArtPower! Educator Guide for Arabesque Student Matinee is a publication of ArtPower! at UC San Diego.

Text: Molly Clark; Design: Alejandro Duran, Kelvin Nguyen, Jane Zhao.

ARTPOWER! STAFF Jordan Peimer Executive Director Rebecca Webb ArtPower! Film Curator Molly Clark Associate Director of Artistic Planning & Education Kate Pappas Business Manager John Morgan Ticketing Manager Carolena Deutsch-Garcia Associate Director of Development Kevin Bentz Associate Director of Marketing & Communications

Day in the Life of a Dancer..............................................11 Choreographic Process..................................................12 Activities and Discussion...............................................13 What Do You Think?........................................................15

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K-12 STUDENT MATINEE & MASTER CLASS SPONSORS Jon and Bobbie Gilbert

ABOUT ARABESQUE

Arabesque was founded in 2008 by choreographer Nguyen Tan Loc as the first private neo-classical and contemporary dance company in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Its focus is on the training and development of professional dancers and the creation of an inspirational environment for choreographers to devise original dance works that present aspects of Vietnamese culture within today’s globally connected world.

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Nguyen Tan Loc was only seven when the war in Vietnam ended in 1974. His father had worked for American forces, and his family had to move from Saigon to the countryside after the war. He had little exposure to the arts until he went back to Ho Chi Minh City as a young music student. Trained as an accordionist, Tan Loc became fascinated by dance and movement, creating his own pieces while finishing his arts schooling in Vietnam. Like many of his fellow dancers and choreographers in Arabesque, he gained the bulk of his experience in contemporary dance by going abroad and learning with dance companies in Europe or elsewhere in Asia.

IMAGE COURTESY OF PHUNUONLINE

Drawing on their international experience, the Arabesque artists are finding new languages and platforms for their ideas, breaking through earlier decades of international isolation, as their homeland opens economically and culturally to the rest of the world. While young Vietnamese artists are looking outward, they remain tied to the wealth of traditions around them, particularly in the realm of dance and movement. Dancers still train in traditional forms, but are using them to their own expressive ends.

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The Mist is a contemporary dance piece that depicts the simple life and daily chores of Vietnamese farmers, such as working in

What you will experience at artpower!

contemporary dance movements with the rhythm of Cai luong (Vietnamese folk opera) percussion and zither, the audience gets a unique perspective of the peaceful landscape of the countryside.

Arabesque’s

The full dance consists of seven scenes, namely “Going to the Field”, “Pagoda’s Fragrance”, “Harvest Time”, “Night”, “Having a Bumper Crop”, “Silk” and “Rice”. Each scene has an impressive story, full of emotion about Vietnamese agrarian life.

The Mist 5

Ten Facts About Vietnam 1. Vietnam is the largest exporter of cashews in the world, and the second largest exporter of rice.

: Get to Know Vietnam

2. Instead of bells, traditional gongs are used to call the Vietnamese children to school.

3. Although Vietnam is a developing country, it has a literacy rate of 94%.

4. Among all developing countries, Vietnam has one of the lowest unemployment rates.

5. You can find a B52 American Bomber wreck in Vietnam’s West Lake.

6. An estimated ten million motor bikes travel on the roads of Vietnam every day.

7. Ruou ran (snake wine), a Vietnamese specialty of rice wine with a pickled snake inside, allegedly can cure any sickness.

IMAGES COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS

8. The most common surname in Vietnam is Nguyen.

Official Name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam

9. The Vietnamese keep potbelly pigs as pets.

Size:

10. The Vietnamese language has six different tones.

A change in tone changes the meaning of the word.

This makes their language somewhat difficult to learn.

127,881 square miles (331,210 square kilometers) slightly larger than New Mexico

Capital: Hanoi Official Language: Vietnamese, though English is widely spoken Currency: Dong Climate: Tropical in the south; in the north, a hot rainy season alternates with a warm dry season

Products: Rice, coffee, rubber, tea, pepper, cashews, soybeans, corn, sugarcane, peanuts, sweet potatoes, bananas, poultry, fish, seafood, clothing, shoes

PEOPLE & CULTURE

Most Vietnamese people live in the countryside, mainly in the river delta regions of the north and south.

Recently though, people have begun to move to the main cities of Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon) and Hanoi. The most popular sports in Vietnam include soccer, table tennis, volleyball, and martial arts.

Vietnamese food is a blend of Chinese and Thai styles and features seafood and homegrown fruits and vegetables. As a communist country, Vietnam has no official religion. But people are free to worship if they want to, and many follow what's called the "Three Teachings" of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.

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What is Contemporary Dance?

WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY DANCE? Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of several dance genres including modern, jazz, lyrical and classical ballet. Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind and body through fluid dance movements.

Contemporary dance stresses versatility and improvisation, unlike the strict, structured structure of ballet. Contemporary dancers often focus on floor work, using gravity to pull them down. This dance genre is often performed in bare feet. Contemporary dance can be performed to many different styles of music.

CONTEMPORARY DANCE ARTISTS

Contemporary dance artists come from a range of backgrounds. They may train in classical dance forms, they may have other physical backgrounds, such as martial arts or physical theatre, or they may come from other

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fields entirely. As in classical ballet, some contemporary dance artists begin their dance training at a very young age, but some come to dance as adults. In addition to dance training, contemporary dancers often use conditioning techniques- such as yoga and pilates- to help develop and maintain strenght, alignment and body awareness, and may also learn other techniques -like voice work, or clowning- to add to their artistic toolbox.

Whereas historically there has been a clear distinction between the job of choreographer and dancer, some contemporary dance artists workh in both roles, at times even dancing in their own choreography. To develop themselves as creators, contemporary dance artists may also study choreography and dance-making.

Fundamentals of Dance CENTERING is fundamental to a dancer’s

Everyone’s heart beats to a rhythm; one’s lungs

ability to perfrom well. “Centering means to maintain breathe to another. Rhythm is essential for a dancer. A dancer has to anticipate musical a sense of the body’s center of gravity that holds a dancer together as he/she moves. beats. They must feel as if they are making the beat with their body, as well as hearing it. It It allows a dancer to move gracefully and freely. The natural base is

is the rhythm and the beat of the dance that

approximately just below the navel. Learning to move forms the “threads” of the dance. These threads from the center makes movements easier to control. allow dancers to memorize the structure of the dance

GRAVITY is the force that holds a person to the earth. It is a force a dancer must master

MOVING in SPACE requires a dancer to be

because it constantly inhibits movement.

aware of more than just his or her own body and

Dancers must be aware of the gravitational

movement. Dancers have to move with care and

pulls in their own body. They must learn which points awareness, gauging the space that surrounds them. Space is not just empty air but a tangible of the body feel the most weight. element that dancers move through. Advanced

BALANCE is concerned with more than, for

dancers consciously go through space.

example, balancing on one leg A dancer’s goal is to achieve and constantly maintain an inner balance of

POSTURE is achieved when dancers change

the whole body. It is the tension of mutual support

their perception of the body. There is often a

among all parts of the body that brings the whole

wide discrepancy between what feels right and

body together in a new way. It is not something that

what looks right. It is important for everyone

is achieved once in awhile; it is constant. A sense of

to learn how to stand properly. Dancers work

balance is necessary whether a dancer is moving or

all their lives to develop their posture, also

standing

called alignment. It is the key to balance and movement. Posture reveals feelings. Good

GESTURE is how the dancer uses his or her body as

posture actually makes a person feel more

an expressive instrument to communicate

aware.

feelings and ideas in patterns of movement. With subtle gestures and postural attitudes, a dancer can

BREATHING is crucial to dance. Not only does

show cooperation, express confidence, or display

it bring oxygen to the body but it also creates

aggression, joy, or sorrow.

movement that is fluid and harmonious. It is an expressive tool. Calm, slow breathing suggests a

RHYTHM is something everybody possesses, though certain degree of self-control. A movement

some people are more aware of it and/or sensitive

to it. Discovering rhythm is largely a matter of paying attention to themusic of the body as well as to any musical accompaniment.

with breath has a controlled extension of time and a clear beginning and end, no matter how fast or slow the phrase. A phrase without breath looks stiff and mechanical. A dance phrase with breath creates a more emotional, organic look.

Contemporary Dance Techniques Although there are many forms of contemporary dance, the four main techniques used are:

CUNNINGHAM

GRAHAM

Named after teacher and choreographer Merce

Named after dancer and choreographer Martha

Cunningham, focuses on the architecture of the

Graham focuses on the use of

body in space, rhythm, and articulation.

contraction, release, fall, and recovery. Graham

Cunningham uses the idea of the body’s own “line

technique is characterized by floor work and the

of energy” to promote easy, natural movement. The

use of abdominal and pelvic contractions. The

technique incorporates using chance to create

Graham contraction carries with it a myriad of

and enhance the choreography.

emotional expressions, from a sob of pain to a gasp of joy. The style is very grounded and is visibly different from the light, airborne ideals of ballet.

LIMON

RELEASE

Named after Jose Limon, explores the use of energy

Places emphasis on minimizing tension to have

in relation to gravity and woring with weight in

more fluidity and efficient use of energy and

terms of fall, rebound, recovery, and suspension.

breath. In Release technique, there is very little

Limon technique uses the feeling of weight and

tension in the joints and muscles to create ease of

“heavy energy” in the body, and

movement, releasing the breath to aid the relax-

movement is instigated using breath to lift, and

ation of the body.

swings through the body to create and halt movement.

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DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DANCER The life of a professional dancer requires hard work, self-discipline, and determination to achieve perfection of technique. A typical dancer’s day includes a series of intensive classes, rehearsals, and performances.

Professional dancers can spend anywhere from 5-10 hours in classes and rehearsals each day. Aching bodies and joints are a daily part of life, as dancers are constantly pushing themselves to their physical limits. To become a professional dancer generally takes 8-10 years of training, with many starting around the age of 7.

Classes are the basis of a dancers existence, and must be performed each working day without fail. The body has to be finely tuned in order to be able to perform movements in demanding choreography. Each and every muscle in the body must be constantly strengthened and stretched to prevent injury. Dance classes help to perfect technique and improve a dancer’s balance.

Most days after classes, dancers have rehearsals for the various shows that they are involved in. As dancers and choreographers are generally perfectionists, this may take many hours of practice and preparation.

Although on stage, dancers often make their movements appear simple to execute, there is a huge amount of preparation that goes into creating this illusion. Being a professional dancer is by no means an easy career and often dancers retire in their early 30’s because of the demands on their bodies. Those who seek out the career of a professional dancer must have tremendous passion for it because of the time commitment required, as well as the risks you take with your body.

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CHOREOGRAPHIC PROCESS Choreography is the art of arranging dances or ballets through a series of steps or movements.

Choreographic inspiration comes from an infinite number of sources. The desire to communicate through motion (the physical and kinetic potential of the human body) may inspire one choreographer, while the desire to explore emotional expression through dance may be what motivates another to create. Some choreographers are also driven to use dance as a way to speak about social or political issues.

or look at paintings, absorbing information from other artists or art forms.

dancers themselves. Some may improvise dance movements alone in a studio to determine the choreography of an entire piece. However, it is fairly common for contemporary choreographers to compose the dance while improvising the moves on dancers who will actually perform the piece. Because each dancer expresses themselves in different ways, this could affect the choreographer’s movement decisions.

Before choreographers work with dancers in a studio, they generally spend a period of time researching and developing their ideas. They may travel, studying architecture, landscapes or dance forms new to them. They may read, listen to music

CHOREOGRAPHER VU NGOC KHAI. Š TDT-EVENT.COM

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ACTIVITIES & DISCUSSION 1.PRE-PERFORMANCE DISCUSSION Experiencing Dance Critically Prepare your students to actively experience the performance by:

• Shape? (Do they make lines, circles, spirals?

What body parts do they use? Are the shapes big or small? Are they vertical, horizontal, diagonal?)

OBSERVING how the dancers express emotions and ideas through their movements.

• Level? (Do they jump in the air? On the ground? Do they roll on the ground? Through the air?)

LISTENING to how the music and lyrics add to the meaning and emotional quality of the dance.

• Relationship? (How many dancers are there?

Where are they in relation to each other? Are they doing the same thing, or different things?

Do they dance at the same time? Do they make the space feel full or empty? Do they dance near the audience, or far away?)

THINKING about how music, costumes, and lighting contribute to the overall effect of the performance.

MARVELING at the physical and mental discipline of the dancers.

REFLECTING on the sounds, sights, and performance skills you experience at the theater.

Exploring Energy: Energy is like an adverb—it describes how movements or movement phrases are performed, and it affects the mood that is created.

2. PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES Learning the Language of Dance

In the dance you’ve watched together, discuss how are the movements performed? Brainstorm a list of words to describe them (eg. Light, heavy, poky,

Lesson Overview: These are a series of activities for finding language to describe elements of dance, and exploring the elements of dance using the body.

How does this affect the mood of the piece? Is there a story implied by the movements? How would the mood or story change if the same movements were performed with a different energy?

Introduction: Discuss what is a painting made out of? (eg. canvas, frame, paint) What is a book made of? (eg. paper, words, ideas) What is a dance made of? (eg.

People/bodies, music, props, lights, stories).

Discuss what kinds of things the students think inspired the choreographer to make the dance.

The primary tool in dance is the body. Dancing bodies move in space and time, with all different kinds of energy.

Game for exploring energy: Action Words 1. As a group, make 2 lists: one of verbs (action words), and one of adverbs (how-you-do-theaction words). Put the verbs in one hat, and the adverbs in another.

Exploring Space: Like a sculptor sculpts clay, dancers use body parts to sculpt the space around them. In the dance you’ve watched together, discuss with the students how do the dancers use:

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2. Have a leader pull out 1 action word and 1 adverb for dancers to try. Dancers can take turns calling out a pair of words for the group to try.

To build on this activity: Repeat in groups. Have them describe the different effects of moving with or against the music.

3. Discuss what dancers noticed about the pairings. What expectations did they have about how to do certain actions? What were the surprises?

3. POST-PERFORMANCE DISCUSSION What do you think the dance is about? How did movement, costume, music and lighting convey the meaning of the dance?

To build on this activity: Divide into small groups. Each group selects 5 verbs and 5 adverbs from the hat. Using the words to create movements, the group creates a short dance (or movement phrase) by putting the movements together in an order of their choice.

Each group performs their movement phrase, and the audience tries to guess the verbs and adverbs the dance came from.

Dance is the language of the body. Discuss this.

Would you consider dance a universal language?

Can you give examples of how you understand other people’s intentions through movement?

How can you tell if someone is really nervous, happy or angry? Have you seen anyone who seems frightening just from their body language? What kinds of movements are welcoming?

Exploring Time: Dance plays with time, timing and rhythm. Discuss: In the dance you’ve watched, how do the dancers you are watching use:

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• Speed? (Do they move fast, slow, or medium?

Do they speed up and slow down? Do they suspend the movements?)

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• Rhythm? (Is there a rhythm? Is it regular or irregular? How does it change? Is there music?

Do they move with the rhythm of the music, or against it?)

Game for exploring time: Freeze 1. Using a variety of fast and slow music, dancers move when you turn the music on, and freeze when you turn it off.

2. Discuss what kinds of movements come naturally with each speed? Are dancers moving with or against the music?

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3. Repeat the game, but instruct dancers to move slowly to slow music, and fast to fast music. Then, instruct dancers to move fast to slow music, and slow to fast music.

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WHAT DO YOU THINK? ArtPower! wants to hear from you! Please e-mail your comments on this Educator Guide to moclark@ucsd.edu.

ArtPower! wants to read about your story!

Submit student reflections and class projects inspired by the Arabesque matinee to the address below.

Molly Clark ArtPower! at UC San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive #0077 La Jolla, CA 92093-0077 email: moclark@ucsd.edu phone: 858.534.0499

ARTPOWER website: artpower.ucsd.edu ticket: 858.534.TIXS (8497) email: artpower@ucsd.edu