Water is Rising

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The Water is Rising website (www.waterisrising.com) provides background information on climate change, a list of documentaries about the crisis of the Pacific Islanders, and basic notes on activist organizations that work to protect the environment.

Who Else?

Think about what rising water could do in the U.S.A. How much would the water have to rise in order for your hometown to see a difference?

What parts of the country are as low as these three island nations?

(These islands are between 10 and 16 feet above sea level, on average.) Go online to www.waterisrising.com to find answers to some of these questions.

Your Own Grass Skirt What native plants and natural resources could you use to make your own performance clothing? As you’ve seen, the Pacific Islanders create headpieces, skirts, and necklaces from leaves, shells, and flowers. See what you can create from the materials you find in your own backyard or local park. (Without destroying anyone’s flower garden or breaking local or federal laws, of course!)

And remember…

Being a good audience member is important—just stay seated and quiet, don’t eat or drink during the performance, and watch, listen, and clap.

David M. Rubenstein Chairman Michael M. Kaiser President Darrell M. Ayers Vice President, Education Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided by the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts, Capital One Bank, the Carter and Melissa Cafritz Charitable Trust, The Clark Charitable Foundation, Fight for Children, Inc., Mr. James V. Kimsey, The Kirstein Family Foundation, Inc., The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc., Linda and Tobia Mercuro, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Park Foundation, Inc., Mrs. Irene Pollin, Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk, The Theodore H. Barth Foundation, Inc., the U.S. Department of Education, and the Verizon Foundation.

Major support for the Kennedy Center’s educational programs is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

Te Waa Mai, a 60-member Kiribati dance group, was founded in 2009 and has already been invited to perform in the U.S.A., Taiwan, and Peru.

PERFORMANCE GUIDE

Learn More About Climate Change

Cuesheet

Here are some post-performance resources that you and your family might want to explore:

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center. ARTSEDGE is a part of Verizon Thinkfinity, a consortium of free educational Web sites for K-12 teaching and learning.

Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedycenter.org/education 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.

g n si i R i s er t a W Performed by Pacific Artists from Kiribati, Tokelau, and Tuvalu Judy Mitoma, Project Director and Curator As the Pacific Ocean rises, low-lying island nations risk losing everything. Now, the performers from some of the smallest countries in the world, Kiribati, Tokelau, and Tuvalu, share their traditional music and dance as they stand on the front lines of climate change.

© 2011 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Please recycle this Cuesheet by sharing it with friends!

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

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Water, Water, Ever ywhere ATO L L

LAGOON

Climate is what the weather looks like in a certain region over years. When weather patterns show big shifts, we say there’s “climate change.”

What You’ll See and Hear

Tens of thousands of islands dot the Pacific Ocean.

Among them are Kiribati, Tokelau, and Tuvalu. All three are made up of atolls (AT-awls), which are coral islands that surround lagoons.

At the Performance…

Kiribati’s inhabitants are known as the I-Kiribati.

Their country is made up of 33 separate islands, with I-Kiribati living on 21 of them. (The other 12 islands are uninhabited.)

Watch for:

O Projected images representing the most important elements of islanders’ lives. These include scenes of village life, family, church, the ocean, and the lagoon.

O Supertitles (words that appear near the stage) that translate the poetic texts sung by the performers.

H AW

AI

I

O R U A T E Q

O Native costumes made by the performers from finely woven leaves, palm tree branches, shells, and flowers.

Listen for:

O Voices singing with multi-part harmonies.

SAMO

AUST

RALIA

A

Tokelau can only be reached by ship from Samoa, a trip that takes 30 to 35 hours!

O Men drumming with open hands on a large wooden box.

AN D

As Earth’s temperature increases, our water expands— and rises. Glaciers melt, adding to the water. That’s not great if you like to lie on the beach. But imagine what it means when your entire country is low-lying.

Kiribati, Tokelau, and Tuvalu are all between 10 and 16 feet above sea level. In other words, as our climate changes, they have a lot to to lose.

On the Other Side of the World

AL

Over the past two hundred years, human pollution, including coal, cars, landfills, and fertilizers, among other things, have contributed to a higher global temperature. Today, when scientists discuss climate change, they’re usually talking about this warming trend.

ZE

Tuvalu performers make their costumes from various tree leaves, shells, and flowers.

Why Is the Water Rising?

EW

In Water is Rising, you’ll see 36 Pacific Islanders perform traditional songs and dances that represent their connection with nature and their ancestors. The show displays photographs and poetic texts from three island nations, Kiribati (pronounced KEER-a-bass), Tokelau (TOKEallow), and Tuvalu (too-VAH-loo), and aims to alert Americans to the dangers that face these nations as global water levels rise.

N

Tuvalu is the fourth-smallest country in the world. Do you know which countries are smaller?

For instance, Washington D.C. is six times the size of Tuvalu. (See the lower corner of this page for the answer.)

In order of increasing size, the smallest countries in the world are Vatican City (.2 square miles), Monaco (.7 square miles), and the Pacific island of Nauru (8.5 square miles).

23604_WaterIsRising:23604_WaterIsRising

10/10/11

11:46 AM

Page 2

Water, Water, Ever ywhere ATO L L

LAGOON

Climate is what the weather looks like in a certain region over years. When weather patterns show big shifts, we say there’s “climate change.”

What You’ll See and Hear

Tens of thousands of islands dot the Pacific Ocean.

Among them are Kiribati, Tokelau, and Tuvalu. All three are made up of atolls (AT-awls), which are coral islands that surround lagoons.

At the Performance…

Kiribati’s inhabitants are known as the I-Kiribati.

Their country is made up of 33 separate islands, with I-Kiribati living on 21 of them. (The other 12 islands are uninhabited.)

Watch for:

O Projected images representing the most important elements of islanders’ lives. These include scenes of village life, family, church, the ocean, and the lagoon.

O Supertitles (words that appear near the stage) that translate the poetic texts sung by the performers.

H AW

AI

I

O R U A T E Q

O Native costumes made by the performers from finely woven leaves, palm tree branches, shells, and flowers.

Listen for:

O Voices singing with multi-part harmonies.

SAMO

AUST

RALIA

A

Tokelau can only be reached by ship from Samoa, a trip that takes 30 to 35 hours!

O Men drumming with open hands on a large wooden box.

AN D

As Earth’s temperature increases, our water expands— and rises. Glaciers melt, adding to the water. That’s not great if you like to lie on the beach. But imagine what it means when your entire country is low-lying.

Kiribati, Tokelau, and Tuvalu are all between 10 and 16 feet above sea level. In other words, as our climate changes, they have a lot to to lose.

On the Other Side of the World

AL

Over the past two hundred years, human pollution, including coal, cars, landfills, and fertilizers, among other things, have contributed to a higher global temperature. Today, when scientists discuss climate change, they’re usually talking about this warming trend.

ZE

Tuvalu performers make their costumes from various tree leaves, shells, and flowers.

Why Is the Water Rising?

EW

In Water is Rising, you’ll see 36 Pacific Islanders perform traditional songs and dances that represent their connection with nature and their ancestors. The show displays photographs and poetic texts from three island nations, Kiribati (pronounced KEER-a-bass), Tokelau (TOKEallow), and Tuvalu (too-VAH-loo), and aims to alert Americans to the dangers that face these nations as global water levels rise.

N

Tuvalu is the fourth-smallest country in the world. Do you know which countries are smaller?

For instance, Washington D.C. is six times the size of Tuvalu. (See the lower corner of this page for the answer.)

In order of increasing size, the smallest countries in the world are Vatican City (.2 square miles), Monaco (.7 square miles), and the Pacific island of Nauru (8.5 square miles).

23604_WaterIsRising:23604_WaterIsRising

10/10/11

11:45 AM

Page 4

The Water is Rising website (www.waterisrising.com) provides background information on climate change, a list of documentaries about the crisis of the Pacific Islanders, and basic notes on activist organizations that work to protect the environment.

Who Else?

Think about what rising water could do in the U.S.A. How much would the water have to rise in order for your hometown to see a difference?

What parts of the country are as low as these three island nations?

(These islands are between 10 and 16 feet above sea level, on average.) Go online to www.waterisrising.com to find answers to some of these questions.

Your Own Grass Skirt What native plants and natural resources could you use to make your own performance clothing? As you’ve seen, the Pacific Islanders create headpieces, skirts, and necklaces from leaves, shells, and flowers. See what you can create from the materials you find in your own backyard or local park. (Without destroying anyone’s flower garden or breaking local or federal laws, of course!)

And remember…

Being a good audience member is important—just stay seated and quiet, don’t eat or drink during the performance, and watch, listen, and clap.

David M. Rubenstein Chairman Michael M. Kaiser President Darrell M. Ayers Vice President, Education Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided by the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts, Capital One Bank, the Carter and Melissa Cafritz Charitable Trust, The Clark Charitable Foundation, Fight for Children, Inc., Mr. James V. Kimsey, The Kirstein Family Foundation, Inc., The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc., Linda and Tobia Mercuro, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Park Foundation, Inc., Mrs. Irene Pollin, Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk, The Theodore H. Barth Foundation, Inc., the U.S. Department of Education, and the Verizon Foundation.

Major support for the Kennedy Center’s educational programs is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

Te Waa Mai, a 60-member Kiribati dance group, was founded in 2009 and has already been invited to perform in the U.S.A., Taiwan, and Peru.

PERFORMANCE GUIDE

Learn More About Climate Change

Cuesheet

Here are some post-performance resources that you and your family might want to explore:

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center. ARTSEDGE is a part of Verizon Thinkfinity, a consortium of free educational Web sites for K-12 teaching and learning.

Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedycenter.org/education 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.

g n si i R i s er t a W Performed by Pacific Artists from Kiribati, Tokelau, and Tuvalu Judy Mitoma, Project Director and Curator As the Pacific Ocean rises, low-lying island nations risk losing everything. Now, the performers from some of the smallest countries in the world, Kiribati, Tokelau, and Tuvalu, share their traditional music and dance as they stand on the front lines of climate change.

© 2011 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Please recycle this Cuesheet by sharing it with friends!

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by