BODYTRAFFIC (Grades 6-8)

BODYTRAFFIC STUDY GUIDE

The Broad Stage presents

BODYTRAFFIC

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STUDENT MATINEE

FRIDAY OCT 28, 2016 11 AM GRADES 6-8

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BODYTRAFFIC STUDY GUIDE

Jane Deknatel Director, Performing Arts Center EDUCATION & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS STAFF Alisa De Los Santos, Manager of Education & Community Programs Mandy Matthews, Education & Community Programs Associate Sam Sandoval, Education & Community Programs Assistant EDUCATION & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS Phone 310.434.3560 education@thebroadstage.com thebroadstage.com/education

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Education and Community Programs at The Broad Stage is supported in part by Herb Alpert Foundation Bank of the West Johnny Carson Foundation City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission Colburn Foundation The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Leonard M. Lipman Charitable Fund Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation SMC Associates David & Linda Shaheen Foundation Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Dwight Stuart Youth Fund Ziering Family Foundation, a Support Foundation of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles

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THE BROAD STAGE 1310 11th Street Santa Monica, CA 90401 Box Office 310.434.3200 Fax 310.434.3439 info@thebroadstage.com thebroadstage.com

BODYTRAFFIC STUDY GUIDE

Greetings from The Broad Stage!

Dear Educators,

We are so excited to bring BODYTRAFFIC back to The Broad Stage this season! The company will be performing one of their latest creations,”Death Defying Dances” as well as several other pieces. BODYTRAFFIC has has surged to the forefront of the concert dance world and was named “the company of the future” by The Joyce Theater Foundation.

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Our goal is to help you generate a dialogue and an environment in which your students feel safe to explore, move, and create. We’ve incorporated elements of BODYTRAFFIC into the lessons and have worked to promote new ways in which to view and participate in the art of dance.

Beginning with a discussion of the role of dance through history and in contemporary life, students can start a discourse about the importance and ongoing relevance of this medium.

Pre-Show activities include warm-ups to open the body and release the inner critic that keeps students from working freely. The lessons develop into Post-Show movement exercises that involve identity and elements students will have seen in the live BODYTRAFFIC performance.

Again, in preparation for the performance, we encourage you to look through this study guide and implement some (or all!) of these activities in your classroom. As always, the activities are supported by the California Common Core and the VAPA Standards. We hope that this guide proves to be helpful in preparing your students to for the presentation.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or ideas. We’ll see you at BODYTRAFFIC!

Sincerely,

Education & Community Programs Staff

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Please take some time to work through some or all of the activities in this guide with your students. Each element of the guide has been developed by dancers and educators to help explain the concepts behind the performance you’ll be seeing and to engage your students both pre- and post-show.

BODYTRAFFIC STUDY GUIDE

Contents Lessons Lesson 1: Dance throughout History Lesson 2: Moving through Time and Space Lesson 3: Storytelling without Words

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California Common Core Standards Addressed VAPA Standards Addressed

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Index

BODYTRAFFIC STUDY GUIDE

Lesson 1 Pre-Show Lesson: Dance throughout History Description: An exploration of the impact of dance throughout the world’s history.

Goals: 1. Students will understand the significance of dance amongst culture and across time.

2. Students will begin to explore their own natural movement.

Duration: 30 minutes

Part 1: Discussion

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Dance has been used to...

• • • •

Express emotions Tell stories Form of celebration (In African culture, they use dance for baby naming ceremonies.

Many cultures also utilize dance in wedding celebrations) Connect to heritage (Slaves in early America used dance as a way to connect with their African culture)

Ask students what styles of dance they are familiar with (ballet, hip hop, tap, folk, musical theater). Further the discussion by asking, what role has dance played in your life?

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Introduce students to the role dance has played throughout time. Discuss and brainstorm different reasons people have danced.

BODYTRAFFIC STUDY GUIDE

Lesson 1, cont.

Part 2: Engagement

1. Have “A’s” lead “B’s” through slow movement for about 30 seconds. “B’s” should aim to mirror/copy “A’s” movements as closely as possible. Advise the leaders to move slowly (and mostly with hands and arms) so their partners may keep up.

2. Switch the leader in the pair so “B’s” lead. Have them lead for another 30 seconds.

3. Switch the leader again, increase the pace, and give “A’s” 20 seconds before switching back to “B’s” leading.

4. Increase the pace again, giving each partner only 15 seconds to lead.

5. Finish the exercise by having the pairs move slowly for 30 seconds without having a designated leader.

Discuss the differences between being the leader and/or follower.

What was it like to not know who was leading or following?

What challenges did you face?

Were you and your partner in sync?

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Guide students through a mirroring exercise. Instruct students to partner up. Have them designate an “A” and a “B”. The goal of this exercise is to understand the importance of nonverbal communication and teamwork when dancing in a group.

BODYTRAFFIC STUDY GUIDE

Lesson 2 Pre or Post Show Lesson: Moving through Time and Space Description: Students will explore the different methods of changing tempo, energy, spatial relationships, and motivation.

Goals: Students will understand how dancers utilize rhythm,tempo, space, and nonverbal cues to tell stories through movement.

Duration: 40 minutes

Part 1: Engagement

1. Gather students in a circle and begin by isolating and shaking out different body parts for ten seconds each: shoulders, hands, arms, hips, knees, feet, legs. **NOTE: Challenge students to shake out more difficult body parts such as elbows, teeth, nose, eyebrows, etc.

2. Shake out the whole body at once.

3. Do 25 jumping jacks.

4. Reach high to the sky.

5. Stretch arms wide (Imagine you can touch opposite sides of the room.)

6. Bend and reach for the ground (See if you can reach all the way to the center of the Earth).

7. Roll up to standing through one vertebra at a time. Head is the last thing to come up.

8. Grow taller through the crown of the head (Act as if a helium balloon is holding you up).

Finish by asking some reflection questions.

Do you notice any changes in your body?

Do you actually feel taller?

How did this warm up exercise make you feel?

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Lead students through the following warm-up exercise.

BODYTRAFFIC STUDY GUIDE

Lesson 2, cont.

Part 2: Experimenting with Movement, Tempo, and Space Ask students to stand up and spread out across the room (Ideally in an auditorium or stage. If not accessible, try to create as much open space as possible by moving desks) **This following exercise may be set to different pieces of music or may be done with simple verbal cues.

Instruct students to walk around the room. Remind them to be mindful of their classmates while walking.

**NOTE: A simple way to transition from step to step is to call out “Freeze!”)

1. Ask them to move in the pattern of a grid, only making perfect left and right turns at 90 degree angles.

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3. Abandon the grid and move about the room normally. Continue to play with tempo (Move as if you have a jet pack propelling you, or move as it you’re walking through mud).

4. Return to normal pace and movement.

5. Instruct students to fill the room and work on the element of space (Move as if you are a NFL defensive lineman, or move as if you are an ant).

6. Combine the two elements of tempo and space. Allow students to practice walking small and fast, big and slow, etc.

7. Return to normal pace and movement.

8. Have students move based on emotions (Move as if you are joyful, angry, heartbroken, scared, energetic, strong, hungry, proud, etc.)

Finish with asking some reflection questions. .

Did you have a favorite way to move? Why? Which way did you least like to move? Why? Which way made you feel like your true self?

Do you feel transformed in any way?

Encourage students to move throughout the space in their favorite way for 30 seconds.

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2. Have students continue to walk in a grid, but speed up their pace. Then have them slow done. Repeat.

BODYTRAFFIC STUDY GUIDE

Lesson 3 Post Show Lesson: Storytelling Without Words Description: Students will reflect on the BODYTRAFFIC performance and explore the concepts of timing, spatial relations, and motivation within their own movement.

Goals: 1. Students will analyze the performance using the language/concepts they explored in class.

2. Students will apply elements of dance as they create their own short narrative movement.

Duration: 50 minutes

Part 1: Discussion Engage students in a post-show dialogue about the pieces performed by BODYTRAFFIC.

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Part 2: Reflection Ask students to talk about the difference between seeing a recorded dance (on YouTube, a music video, etc.) and seeing a live performance. What, if any, differences did they feel in their emotional response to the dancers? Did they interpret what they saw as a series of movements, or as a story with a beginning, middle, and end? Remind them that art is subjective and emotional, and no one individual’s interpretation is “wrong”.

Part 3: Exercise Ask students to stand up and spread out across the room similarly to Lesson 2.

Instruct them to think of their favorite animal and have them continue walking around, but move as if they were that animal.

Cue students to start incorporating the elements of dance by asking, “how does this animal move?” Are they quick like a squirrel? Slow like a sloth? Intense like a shark? Remind them to consider their pace, the space around them, and their size compared to other animals.

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What were their reactions to watching stories told without words?

What were their interpretations of the stories expressed?

Were their other forms of art integrated into the performance? (lighting design, costume, etc.)

BODYTRAFFIC STUDY GUIDE

Part 3: Exercise, cont.

Lesson 3, cont.

Return to walking normally after about a minute of experimenting with this animal’s movement and physicality.

Begin to call out a series of different animals for the students to try. Pick animals that have a variety of sizes, shapes, and tempos, such as birds, giraffes, mosquitos, etc.

Examples may be: - A “Perfectionist” brushing their teeth and gets toothpaste on the counter. Their torn between brushing their teeth and cleaning the counter. Counter wins.

- A “Comedian” gets on the bus to school. They make a series of funny faces and silly moves to get their classmates to laugh. Once they achieve their goal, they take a bow.

- An “Introvert” is happily reading a book on a calm, weekend morning. They look up and realize they’re not alone and covers their face to hide. They then slowly turn their back to avoid interacting with anyone.

One at a time have students perform a 30+ second movement piece (mimed or dance), that expresses the word they have chosen to represent their personality.

Further the discussion with a conversation about the difficulty, or ease, students felt while telling a story without speaking. Take it further with the question, “Was it easy or difficult to come up with one word to describe yourself?” Talk about the ways in which artists (dancers, painters, musicians, actors) represent who they are and what matters most to them with and without the use of words.

Writing Adaptation After students perform their movement, ask them to write a short narrative about the story they created.

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Have students return to their seats and instruct them to consider a word - noun or adjective that describes them/their personality. Remind them of the show they saw, the stories they saw without words, and ask them to think of how they would like to tell their own story. Tell them to think of a simple routine, like getting ready for school or how they spend their Sunday morning through which they can depict their character trait.

BODYTRAFFIC STUDY GUIDE

California Common Core Standards Addressed

Lesson 2: Grades 6-8 Speaking and Listening 1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. c. Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.

Language 1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing and speaking.

2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Lesson 3: Grades 6-8 Writing 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Speaking and Listening 1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. c. Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.

2. Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.

Language 1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing and speaking.

2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

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Lesson 1: Grades 6-8 Speaking and Listening 1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. c. Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.

Language 1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing and speaking.

2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

BODYTRAFFIC STUDY GUIDE

VAPA Standards Addressed Dance 1.0 Artistic Perception Development of Motor Skills and Technical Expertise 1.2 Incorporate a variety of force/energy qualities into executing a full range of movements.

Comprehension and analysis of Dance Elements 1.3 Identify and use force/energy variations when executing gesture and locomotor and axial movements.

Development of Dance Vocabulary 1.5 Describe and analyze movements observed and performed, using appropriate dance vocabulary.

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3.0 Historical and Cultural Context History and Function of Dance 3.2 Explain the importance and function of dance in students’ lives.

Diversity of Dance 3.3 Explain the various ways people have experienced dance in their daily lives (e.g. Roman entertainments, Asian religious ceremonies, baby naming in Ghana, Latin American celebrations).

4.0 Aesthetic Valuing Description, Analysis, and Criticism of Dance 4.1 Apply knowledge of the elements of dance and the craft of choreography to critiquing (spatial design, variety, contrast, clear structure).

Meaning and Impact of Dance 4.3 Discuss the experience of performing personal work for others.

4.4 Distinguish the differences between viewing live and recorded dance performances.

5.0 Connections, Relationships, Applications Connections and Applications Across Disciplines 5.1 Describe how other art disciplines are integrated into dance performances (e.g., music, lighting, set design).

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2.0 Creative Expression Creation/Invention of Dance Movement 2.1 Invent multiple possibilities to solve a given movement problem and develop the material into a short study.

Application of Choreographic Principles and Processes to Creating Dance 2.4 Demonstrate the ability to coordinate movement with different musical rhythms and styles.

Communication of Meaning in Dance Through Dance Performance 2.6 Demonstrate an awareness of the body as an instrument of expression when rehearsing and performing.

Development of Partner and Group Skills 2.8 Demonstrate an ability to cooperate and collaborate with a wide range of partners and groups (e.g., imitating, leading/following, mirroring, calling/responding, echoing, sequence building).