Do Jump!

Welcome to Cuesheet, a performance guide published by the Education Department of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. This Cuesheet is designed to help you enjoy the performance of Do Jump!

What’s in Cuesheet?

Do Jump! Takes Theater to New Heights pages 2-3 Imagination is Key to Creativity, pages 4-5 A Peek Behind the Curtain, pages 6-7 On the Day of the Performance, page 8

Look for the person doing a handstand for topics of discussion or activities you may want to do with other students, friends, or family.

“DO JUMP!”: YOJI HALL AND NAMI HALL. PHOTO BY JOHN KLICKER

Meet the Extreme Performers hat is “extremely physical theater?” You’ll know when you see Do Jump Movement Theater perform. The company blends dance, theater, music, acrobatics, humor, and juggling together in one performance.

W Because of the amount of strength and skill it takes to perform its acts, Do Jump Movement Theater is described as “extremely physical.”

Not only do dancers in Do Jump need to know how to move gracefully, but they must also be able to do backflips, walk on their hands, or swing on a trapeze!

Let’s Get Physical!

At the Kennedy Center, you will see a show called Do Jump!, a production that presents a selection of the company’s most-loved acts.

Here are a few pieces (or short acts) you’ll see: from Nothing”—a man • “Something in a suit and top hat loses more than he expects. See how many times you are taken by surprise in this work. of the Dollies”—performers • “Dance dance with hand trucks (upright vehicles used to move heavy objects).

Observe how the dancers balance on them.

HA”—an audience sing-along.

• “AH Look for costumes that help the audience participate.

Boys”—Two jugglers toss • “Diabolo and catch diabolos. Look at how string is used to balance the twirling diabolo and keep it from falling.

PHOTO BY DEBORAH BOARDMAN

The Chinese have juggled spool-shaped objects called diabolos for more than 4,000 years!

We Fall”—A doll, ballet • “Divided dancers, and a mysterious man bump into each other so much that strange things start to happen.

Guess how things got mixed up.

Acro b

atics cartw heel –c sidew ays ro ompleting t holdi ng ar ation of th a 360-deg m ree eb like s s and n Do Jump performances, you’ll Balle poke legs o ody by t pirou s of a w utstre see two very different styles e tte (p hand tched heel e s e pin o sp of movement—ballet and n one r-oo-WET forwa ring – com ) – to f o rd ro ot acrobatics. Ballet is based on chass turn o tation pleting a both é r 3 (shaof the 60-de arms a specific set of body positions. f S l o A a g or as body the g t onc Y) – t r e e if one round e to p b o Most positions require dancers ush o y using foot i slide alon p l i s f é (ple g f from backb chasi to outwardly rotate their legs ng th the end – fluidly e-AY) – t e a b other o ben stand endin , with from their hips with feet i g d n o g b t u h a t p e ck touch jerkin o knee pointed out–called “turn g the g sition unti ward from s round l h ands out”. When ballet dancers turn out, they have a greater range of movement.

Different Methods of Moving

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In ballet, the dancers’ movements are graceful and fluid (or flowing) and they appear as if they are floating.

Although acrobats are also graceful, their movements are less fluid than ballet and use shorter bursts of physical activity to perform challenging feats.

Both ballet and acrobatics require strength, precision, balance, flexibility, and agility.

When you watch the piece “Divided We Fall,” see if you can spot two ballet moves. Look for two acrobatic moves in “Dances with Dollies.” Use the chart above to help you identify these moves.

Acrobatics Through the Ages Tumbling, swinging on a trapeze, juggling…all of these activities are forms of acrobatics. And each activity has a different history.

Many believe acrobatics has roots in ancient Egypt, China, and Greece.

The first evidence of juggling was

found in hieroglyphics (writing using pictures instead of words) in Egyptian tombs. In China about 2,500 years ago, everyday objects such as tables, bowls, and jars were used as props in early acrobatic performances. About 3,500 years ago, a Greek artist painted people grabbing a bull’s horns and vaulting up over its back.

Young men and women in ancient Greece were not afraid to take the bull by its horns. The Greeks worshipped a physically fit body and acrobatics offered a great way to stay in shape.

Improvisation in Action

A Performer’s Challenging Moments

lthough Robin Lane and other choreographers direct the Do Jump dancers, the choreography isn’t complete without the input of its performers. During rehearsal (or practice), dancers like Aaron Wheeler-Kay often make up steps as they go along.

This process is called improvisation.

Problem-solving is an important skill in art, and dancer Aaron Wheeler-Kay knows that finding solutions is part of the fun. As a member of Do Jump, he has the freedom to come up with his own movements to improve a piece.

“Sometimes that’s really exciting and sometimes that feels like a lot of pressure,” he says.

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He explains, “What I’ve come to understand is that if you invest in the process of creating things with love and with respect and friendship…what you end up with is something great.”

Top Props Just as Chinese acrobats use everyday objects like bowls and tables in performances, Do Jump performers bring objects to life on stage by dancing with them. In “Dance of the Dollies,” performers ride, push, balance on, and fold their bodies onto hand trucks.

Find an ordinary object in your home and figure out a way to use the object in an extraordinary artwork. For example, you can turn a coffee canister into a drum by covering one end with wax paper. With a little imagination, a broom can be a wonderful dancing partner. Or try arranging scraps of newspaper and other recyclable materials into a collage. The possibilities are endless!

Movements with Meaning Dancers are able to tell stories without saying a word.

By moving their bodies in certain ways and by making different facial expressions, performers provide silent clues that hint at an action or a story—just like the game charades.

This is called mime.

PHOTO BY JOHN KLICKER

Practice mime by playing charades with a friend or classmate. Pick an action like eating an apple, riding a bicycle, or making an ice cream sundae. Mime your action while your partner guesses what you’re pretending to do. Once you’re comfortable performing simple actions without talking, try using mime to tell an important scene in a favorite story.

Make it Up Try this improvisation activity with three to four of your friends or family members. Everyone in your group writes three actions, like walk, roll, or slide on scraps of paper. Put all the scraps of paper in a bowl. Take turns picking three pieces of paper each from the bowl.

Improvise by combining the three actions together in space immediately without planning ahead.

Return your papers back to the bowl, and watch the different ideas others have when performing the same actions.

Hand trucks were made to pick up and move heavy objects.

Watch for the different and creative ways Do Jump dancers use them.

Robin Lane choreographs many of Do Jump Movement Theater’s mostloved dances.

Working with Musicians n every Do Jump performance, at least one musician plays an instrument while the performers dance on stage. Using “live” music instead of recorded music means that there’s a greater chance of making mistakes. But it also means there can be more pleasant surprises.

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Usually, the performers create a piece first without music. Then they show the movements to a musician who creates music based on the movements. Next the company practices with the music and tweaks their original choreography. It’s a back-and-forth process until the music is just right.

What a Little Light and Music Can Do Did you know that lighting and music can affect the mood of a performance? For instance, fast-paced music and bright, colorful lights might be used with an energetic dance. A sad dance might have slow, quiet music and blue lights. In “Divided We Fall,” the lighting and music change three different times. Each time there’s a change, the mood changes. Watch and listen to “Divided We Fall” closely.

After the performance, share with friends or family one way that the lights or music helped to change the mood.

Tricks of the Trade Do Jump can create interesting effects on stage with just a few basic tricks.

In “Something Out of Nothing,” an actor seems to glow because black lights are used. Black lights are similar to fluorescent lights, but are covered with a dark bluish-purple glass that blocks most visible light and lets only soft ultraviolet light shine through. Black lights make anything covered in black seem invisible while anything covered in white has a purplish glow. When you watch “Something Out of Nothing,” see if you can figure out how the performer’s hands seem to multiply.

How do you think Do Jump creates the special effects of multiple hands on one performer (left) and elongated bodies (above)?

Resources Read: Bullock, Ivan, and Diane James, I Want to Be: An Acrobat,World Book, 2002.

Kalman, Bobbie, Kids Perform Circus Arts, Crabtree Publishing, 1997.

Sendak, Jack, and Maurice Sendak, Circus Girl, HarperCollins, 2002.

Do Join in at Do Jump! sually when you go to the theater, you are asked to watch and listen quietly, right? This is because performers are in the same room with you and are affected by what you do. At a Do Jump performance, the rules are a little bit different.

For most of the show, you’ll give the performers your quiet attention. But unlike most other performances, there will be times when a member of Do Jump Movement Theater will speak to you directly and invite you to join in the fun.

Go online: Do Jump Movement Theater dojump.org

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Do Jump! dancers combine ballet and acrobatics againin this work. Can you guess the title?

This is the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC as viewed from the state of Virginia, across the Potomac River.

Visiting the Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a living memorial to John F. Kennedy, the President of the United States from 1961 to 1963. As a living memorial, the Kennedy Center has two functions: It is a place where dance, music, theater, and opera come to life every day. It is also a place that honors President Kennedy, who was a lifelong supporter of the arts.

The Kennedy Center presents more than 2,000 performances each year on seven different stages. Do Jump! will be performed in the Family Theater. Over 300 people can watch a show in the Family Theater at one time.

Stephen A. Schwarzman Chairman Michael M. Kaiser President Darrell M. Ayers Vice President, Education Theater at the Kennedy Center is presented with the generous support of Stephen and Christine Schwarzman.

Additional support for the Kennedy Center Performances for Young Audiences is provided by the U.S. Department of Education, The President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts, the Estate of Joseph R. Applegate, Chevy Chase Bank, the Clark Charitable Foundation, and Alma and Colin Powell.

Cuesheet, Do Jump!

Editor: Kirsten Bodensteiner Writer: Theresa Sotto Design: The Kirwan Company, Inc. Special thanks to Robin Lane and Aaron Wheeler-Kay for their participation in this Cuesheet’s creation.

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, a program of the Kennedy Center Education Department.

For more information about the performing arts and arts education, visit our Web sites: www.kennedy-center.org/education www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org Questions, comments? Write us at cuesheets@artsedge.kennedycenter.org.

PHOTO BY DEBORAH BOARDMAN

During a piece called “AH HA,” you will have an important role.

Listen carefully to the directions the performer gives you—and enjoy being part of the show!

DO JUMP! Study Guide dojump.org/docs/dojump_study_ guide.pdf

© 2007 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The U.S. Department of Education supports approximately one-third of the budget for the Kennedy Center Education Department.The contents of this Cuesheet do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.