2019/20 SEASON NUTCRACKER SUITE
The Broad Stage presents
WESTSIDE BALLET'S NUTCRACKER SUITE
STUDENT MATINEE
WED DEC 4 & FRI DEC 6, 2019 11 AM GRADES K-6 THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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2019/20 SEASON NUTCRACKER SUITE
Rob Bailis Director, Performing Arts Center EDUCATION & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS STAFF
Ilaan Mazzini, Director of Education & Community Programs
Olivia Murray, Education & Community Programs Coordinator Mandy Matthews, Curriculum Consultant Ann Whitley, Educator Caprice Walker, Artist EDUCATION & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS Phone 310.434.3560 education@thebroadstage.org thebroadstage.org/education THE BROAD STAGE 1310 11th Street Santa Monica, CA 90401 Box Office 310.434.3200 Fax 310.434.3439 info@thebroadstage.org thebroadstage.org
Education and Community Programs at The Broad Stage is supported in part by The Herb Alpert Foundation Johnny Carson Foundation City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Leonard M. Lipman Charitable Fund Los Angeles County Arts & Culture The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Dwight Stuart Youth Fund The Plaza at Santa Monica
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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GREETINGS FROM THE BROAD STAGE! Dear Educators, We are excited for 5th graders to come to The Broad Stage and attend a Student Matinee of Westside Ballet’s beloved holiday performance of The Nutcracker Suite. The Westside Ballet of Santa Monica is one of the nation’s premiere ballet training companies. It was founded in 1973 by Yvonne Mounsay and Rosemary Valaire and quickly gained a reputation for providing promising young dancers the precise training and discipline required of this art form. Since that time, hundreds of Westside Ballet students, many who attended Santa Monica Schools, have gone on to receive scholarships, attend summer residencies, and enjoy distinguished careers in top dance companies around the world. It is their annual performance of The Nutcracker Suite that has inspired many children to take their dancing more seriously or simply awaken their interest in dance. The ballet, based on the story, "The Nutcracker and The Mouse King" by E.T.A. Hoffman was first performed in St.Petersburg, Russia in 1892. However, it wasn’t until after the 1954 version, choreographed by George Balanchine for The New York City Ballet, that it became a holiday tradition. At the performance you will be attending with your class, Caprice Walker, associate of the Westside Ballet, will be narrating. Your students will see an abridged version of The Nutcracker. The narration will put the scenes into context so your students can fully enjoy the story being told through movement. The narration will also include background information on its history, and its music, by composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. By exploring this guide’s integrated lessons with your students before attending, students will not only learn the complete story of The Nutcracker and develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of its music and the language of dance. As a result, it will deepen their experience as they watch the performance and prepare them to ask thoughtful questions of either Ms.Walker or the dancers during the postperformance Q&A. After attending the performance, you will also have the opportunity to utilize a post-performance lesson in order to give your students time to reflect on and interpret their experience. It is through experience and exposure to both fine and performing arts in conjunction with a strong academic foundation that your students become well-rounded future citizens of the world. We hope you and your students enjoy what has been provided for you in this guide and feel exhilarated by The Westside Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker Suite.
Sincerely, Ann Whitley and Caprice Walker Teacher/Artist Collaborators, The Broad Stage
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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CONTENTS LESSONS LESSON 1: Telling a Story with Pantomime.............................5 HANDOUT 1: Scenes from The Nutcracker..............................8 LESSON 2: Telling a Story in Ballet...........................................9 HANDOUT 2: Ballet Steps.............................................................12 HANDOUT 3: Venn Diagram, Pantomime and Ballet...............14 LESSON 3: Active Listening and Poetry.................................15 HANDOUT 4: Active Listening.......................................................20 HANDOUT 5: Figurative Devices...................................................21 LESSON 4: Responding to Dance in Sculpture (Post-Show).....................................................................................22 HANDOUT 6: Performance Reflection Form............................25 HANDOUT 7: How to Write a Dance Review..............................26 HANDOUT 8: Scultpture Directions.............................................27
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Additional Resources.................................................................28 Glossary.........................................................................................29 What I Learned.............................................................................31
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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LESSON 1: TELLING A STORY WITH PANTOMIME LESSON AT A GLANCE LESSON OBJECTIVE: Students will listen to the story of “The Nutcracker” and participate in a collaborative small group pantomime in which they will physically and emotionally act out a story to understand how dance uses movement to tell a narrative. DURATION: 45 mins MATERIALS: Picture book of The Nutcracker, Handout 1: Scenes from The Nutcracker STANDARDS: CCCS, ELA/Literacy: Reading Standards for Literature, Grade 5: 5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. CCSS, ELA/Literacy: Speaking and Listening Standards, Grade 5: 5.1 Engage effectively in a range of discussions with diverse partners on Grade 5 topics and texts, building on other’s ideas and expressing their own clearly. CCSS ELA/Literacy: Speaking and Listening Standards, Grade 5: 5.2 Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. CA VAPA, Dance, Grade 5: 2.5 Convey a wide range of feelings and expression through gestures, posture and movement. CA VAPA, Dance, Grade 5: 2.6 Demonstrate cooperation, collaboration, and empathy in working with partners and in groups. CONCEPTS/VOCABULARY: Ballet: A classic Western dance form that originated in the Renaissance courts of Europe. By the time of Louis XIV in the mid-1600s, steps and body positions were classified. Character: A person who is part of a story or drama. Dramatize: To present something in a dramatic way. Gesture: A movement of a part of a body, especially a hand or head, to express an idea or meaning. Setting: Where and when a story takes place. Theme: An idea, belief, message or lesson of a story that the author wants the reader to understand. Pantomime: Using body movement, gestures, and facial expression to communicate or tell a story. GUIDING QUESTIONS: How would you briefly summarize this story in words? Why is movement effective in telling a story?
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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LESSON PLAN Mini-Lesson: Pantomime Begin The Nutcracker unit with a pantomime exercise. Do a pantomime in front of the class and tell students to watch, and try to guess what emotion you are feeling. Stand with arms folded, brows furrowed, and lips pursed. You are feeling angry. Next, add movement and gesture to the pantomime by pretending to hold a bat and hit a ball. Call on another student to guess what the action was. Ask the students if anyone knows the word for what you were doing. If someone answers with “pantomime” ask that it be explained. Review the definitions of pantomime and gesture as a class. Pantomime is using body movements, gestures, and facial expression to communicate or tell a story. Gesture is a movement of a part of a body, especially a hand or head, to express an idea or meaning. Have students stand and pair up with a neighbor. Have students decide who is Partner A and Partner B. Tell students that you will assign a pantomime to Partner A who will then go back to Partner B and perform it. Partner B will guess what the pantomime is. Ask Partner A students to come to the front of the room and whisper the pantomime that they receive happy news whispered in their ear followed right away by sad news whispered in their ear. Have Partner A’s go back to their partners and perform the pantomime. Ask Partner B to guess the action! Repeat this activity with the Partner B students. Whisper to them that they will pantomime chewing a piece of gum, blowing a bubble which then bursts, sticking all over their face. When done, have students take their seats and remind them that they will be attending a ballet performance of The Nutcracker performed by Westside Ballet at The Broad Stage. Similar to the pantomimes they just performed, ballet uses dance, music, and expression to tell a story. The music is integral to the story as it sets the mood. Students will learn more about the music in The Nutcracker in Lesson 3. The specific type of dance used to tell the story of The Nutcracker is called ballet, which has many of its own specific movements that will be explored in further lessons. Main Activity Part 1: Read and Discuss The Nutcracker Tell students you are going to read aloud, The Nutcracker so that they are familiar with the story before seeing the ballet. While you read, tell them to think about the story elements (plot, setting, main character, conflict, and theme) and visualize how they would tell it without words. NOTE: In this version, the main character is Marie, but in the Westside Ballet production, the main character is Clara, as it is in other versions of this story. Read any version of the entire story with the class. (Suggested: The Nutcracker, Illustrated by Valeria Docampo, Based on the New York City Ballet Production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, published by Little Simon.) THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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When done reading, have partners pair share about the story elements and identify the plot, main character, setting and conflict. After identifying, ask partners to discuss what they believe the theme of the story is and why. Ask for two partnerships to share with the class. Part 2: Demonstration of Learning with Pantomime Task: Perform a scene from The Nutcracker using gesture, movement, and expression in small groups. Form groups of 4 students and give each group Handout 1: Scenes from The Nutcracker. Assign each group a scene from numbers 1-5 on Handout 1. Cut into strips and give one strip to each group. NOTE: To be consistent with Westside Ballet’s performance the name Clara is used for the scenes to pantomime, instead of Marie. Ask students to collaborate and create a brief pantomime of the scene they were given. Remind students of the assessment criteria that all members of the group play a part in the pantomime, and that they use facial expressions and gestures to communicate the story. Assessment Criteria:
• Work cooperatively. • All group members participate in the scene, or is the “Director.” • Use facial expressions and movements/gestures to communicate what is happening in assigned scene. After assigning parts and rehearsing, ask groups to perform their pantomime to the class. Make a clear area for a “stage” and remind students of audience etiquette. After the group performs, ask for an audience member to guess the scene that was performed. Ask for more student volunteers to identify the gestures and facial expressions that the group used to tell the story. Purpose: To be more familiar with the story of The Nutcracker, develop nonverbal skills of gesture and expression and have a better understanding of how ballet uses movement and expression to tell a story. Student Reflection In a brief group discussion (or quick write), students reflect on how pantomiming of the scene from the story was different from the mini lesson pantomime activity. Have students answer and reflect on the following questions: • Why was it helpful to have heard the story? • In what ways will listening to the story and pantomiming a brief scene help you better understand and appreciate how dance can tell a story?
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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HANDOUT 1: SCENES FROM THE NUTCRACKER 1. Clara and friends are enjoying talking, laughing, playing. Herr Drosselmeier enters the room and beckons Clara. Clara goes to him and he hands her the nutcracker. She takes it and excitedly goes to show her friends her new toy.
2. Clara is cracking nuts with her nutcracker and handing them out to the other children. Fritz, who is jealous, grabs it from her, swings it around the room and throws it forcefully to the floor, causing it to break. Clara bursts into tears.
3. After the party ends, Clara goes to sleep. She is awakened by loud chimes later in the evening. Rubbing her eyes in surprise, she sees great big mice, led by the terrible Mouse King, come out from the shadows and begin to scurry around the room. As they leave the room, Clara gets out of her bed and follows.
4. Fritz’s toy soldiers spring to life and march into battle with the Mouse King and his mice. The Nutcracker comes to life, grows full size, and leads the battle against the mice. The Mouse King jeers at him, so Clara throws her shoe, hitting him on the head. The Mouse King falls and the Nutcracker victoriously claims the Mouse King’s crown.
5. The Nutcracker transforms into a handsome prince and sails with Clara to the Land of Sweets. They step out and look around, amazed by the sights. They are soon greeted by the Sugarplum Fairy who welcomes them with a curtsy. She waves her wand and leads Clara and the Nutcracker Prince into a room where they settle into two thrones. As they eat delightful treats, they watch Spanish hot chocolates snap their fingers as they perform a beautiful dance.
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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LESSON 2: TELLING A STORY IN A BALLET LESSON OBJECTIVE: The students will perform basic ballet steps and watch a scene from The Nutcracker. Students will also complete a venn diagram and compare their experience of doing ballet steps versus pantomime. DURATION: 50 mins MATERIALS: YouTube video of “The Battle” scene from The Nutcracker, The Nutcracker Curriculum Video, Handout 2: Ballet Steps, and Handout 3: Venn Diagram. STANDARDS: CCSS ELA/Literacy: Reading Standards for Informational Text, Grade 5: 5 Compare and contrast the overall structure of events, ideas, concepts in two or more texts. CCSS ELA/Literacy: Speaking and Listening Standards, Grade 5: 5.1 Engage effectively in a range of discussions with diverse partners on Grade 5 topics and texts, building on other’s ideas and expressing their own clearly. VAPA Dance, Grade 5: 1.5 Use appropriate dance vocabulary to describe dances. VAPA Dance, Grade 5 1.2 Name and use a wide variety of movements. CONCEPTS/VOCABULARY: Battement Tendu: A movement in which one leg is extended until the point of the stretched foot barely touches the ground. Choreographer: The person who creates or composes and arranges dances. Choreography: The creation and composition of dances by arranging or inventing steps, movements and patterns of movement linked together in a sequence. Demi-Plie: Half bend. A position in which the knees are half bent. Five Positions: The 5 basic steps used at the beginning and end of movements and in passing from one movement to another. Grand Jete: A big jump from one leg to the other, with legs outstretched in the air. Grand Plie: A position in which the legs are fully bent. Pirouette: To whirl about on one foot or on the points of toes. Pas De Deux: A dance for two. Releve: Raised. A movement in which the body is raised on pointes (points of toes) or demi-pointes. (Half raised on ball of foot) Saute: A jump. Venn Diagram: a diagram that shows the relationship between two groups of things by means of overlapping circles. GUIDING QUESTIONS: How does seeing the ballet steps and hearing the music from an actual scene of The Nutcracker help you to better understand how telling a story in ballet is similar and different from pantomime? Why is movement effective in telling a story?
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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LESSON PLAN Mini-Lesson: Watch a Short Scene of The Nutcracker Remind students that the pantomimes from Lesson 1 used movement, gestures and expression. Ballet uses this as well, but the dancers use very specific steps which have been arranged in a variety of patterns and sequences by a person called a choreographer. To help students better understand the language of ballet and some of the basic steps, watch The Nutcracker Curriculum Video. The video introduces students to basic ballet positions and steps with the narrator of the performance, Miss Caprice Walker. The students can stand up facing their chairs or front of the room to watch and learn the steps with the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyX6IaJjlWI&feature=youtu.be After learning the steps with the video, call on a few volunteers to demonstrate some of the steps they just learned. For example, demi-plie and releve. Pass out Handout 2: Ballet Steps and finish reviewing the steps together as a class. NOTE: After the lesson, collect the handout to reuse in Lesson 4. Main Activity Now that students are familiar with a few ballet steps, watch a short scene together from The Moscow Ballet’s version of The Nutcracker. They will also hear the music of The Nutcracker written by famous composer, Tchaikovsky. Students will learn more about him in Lesson 3. The scene they will be watching is one from the pantomime exercise of the battle between the Mouse King and the Nutcracker. The music written for this scene is called “The Battle.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfFLjXszBiQ As they watch the scene, ask students to observe the dancers movement, facial expression, gestures, and more theatrical elements (costume, music, specific steps). They will see a variety of ballet steps and movements, including some they just learned. Students can use Handout 2: Ballet Steps as a reference and guide. Task: Complete a Venn Diagram that compares pantomime and ballet. When the scene ends, ask students to complete Handout 3: Venn Diagram. Give students a few minutes to work with a partner on comparing pantomime and ballet. Ask students, what are some similarities and differences between how their pantomimes and this scene from The Nutcracker told the story?
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Assessment Criteria:
• Students identified several similarities and differences listed on their venn diagram. • Students used some of the terms learned from Lesson 1 and 2. • Partnership worked cooperatively. Purpose: To experience foundational ballet steps and have a better understanding of how a story is told in ballet, and how it differs from pantomime. Reflection Lead a class discussion on the students’ venn diagrams and what they observed. Discuss how seeing the scene and trying some ballet steps helped them better understand the way dance tells a story and what makes it different from pantomime.
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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HANDOUT 2: BALLET STEPS
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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HANDOUT 2: BALLET STEPS Five Positions: The 5 basic steps used at the beginning and end of movements and in passing from one movement to another. Demi-Plie: Half bend. A position in which the knees are half bent. Grand Plie: A position in which the legs are fully bent. Releve/Eleve': Raised. A movement in which the body is raised on pointes (points of toes) or demi-pointes. (Half raised on ball of foot) Battement Tendu: A movement in which one leg is extended until the point of the stretched foot barely touches the ground. Pirouette: To whirl about on one foot or on the points of toes. Saute: A jump.
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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HANDOUT 3: VENN DIAGRAM, PANTOMIME, AND BALLET
Pantomine
Pantomine and Ballet
Ballet
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LESSON 3: ACTIVE LISTENING AND POETRY LESSON OBJECTIVE: Students will practice active listening by connecting how music impacts one’s mood. Students will listen to music composed by Tchaikovsky, and journal images, ideas, and emotions that they felt while listening. Students will make further connections by writing a short poem about the music or what they experienced. DURATION: 50 mins MATERIALS: Handout 4: Active Listening, Handout 5: Figurative Devices, access to Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker (Spotify or YouTube), paper (or writing notebooks), pencil STANDARDS: CCSS ELA/Literacy: LS 5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. CCSS ELA/Literacy: Speaking and Listening Standards: SL 5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on Grade 5 topics and texts, building on other’s ideas and expressing their own clearly. CA VAPA MUSIC, Grade 5: 4.1 Identify and analyze differences in tempo and dynamics in contrasting music selections. Social Emotional Learning Competency: Recognizing one’s feelings. CONCEPTS/VOCABULARY: Active Listening (music): What you do when you’re focusing on what you hear, for example focusing on the words someone is saying when you are having a conversation. Alliteration: Use of words with the same letter or consonant sound that repeats. Composer: A person who writes music by organizing sound. Dynamics: Varying degrees of volume in the performance of music. Imagery: The use of pictures/visuals to describe/paint a picture in words. Metaphor: A direct comparison. Onomatopoeia: Use of a word associated with a sound. Personification: Giving human qualities to animals, inanimate objects or abstract notions. Simile: A comparison using like or as. Suite: A musical composition consisting of a succession of short pieces. Tchaikovsky: Famous Russian composer of the Romantic era whose music is heard in The Nutcracker. Tempo: The pace at which music moves according to the speed of the underlying beat. GUIDING QUESTIONS: How does the tempo or dynamics in a piece of music impact the way you feel? When you focus on listening to a brief section of music, what do you see, feel, or imagine? How is writing poetry similar to composing music?
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LESSON PLAN Mini-lesson: Identifying Tempo and Dymamics in Music Watch the scene “The Russian Trepak” from The Nutcracker together. Ask students to focus on the music and its effect on the choreography as they watch. Review tempo and dynamics together before watching. Tempo is the pace at which music moves according to the speed of the underlying beat. Listen to when the music speeds up and slows down. While watching have students consider this question, what happens to the dancers when the music speeds up or slows down? Dynamics are the varying degrees of volume in the performance of music. While watching have students consider this question, when the music gets louder, do you hear your heartbeat go louder? How does that make you feel? How about when the music gets softer? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiiuN9eAy9Y After watching, lead a class discussion on the clip. Identify if the tempo was slow or fast, and if the dynamics were loud or soft. Ask students to share what they observed and answer these questions: • How did the tempo or dynamics impact the way the dancers moved and the emotion expressed in the scene? • How did the tempo or dynamics affect your mood or energy as you watched? Main Activity: Part 1: Active Listening to Tchaikovsky Explain that students will be practicing their active listening skills by listening to the famous composer, Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky is a Russian composer who wrote the music for The Nutcracker. His music can also be heard in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty! Review the definition of a composer together, a person who writes music by organizing sound. Explain to students that while listening to different pieces from Tchaikovsky, they will be practicing their active listening skills. Active listening is what you do when you are focusing on what you hear, for example focusing on the words someone is saying when you are having a conversation. Active listening in music is similar to how you would describe a painting by using your eyes, except you are using your ear. This skill is very important for professional musicians, conductors, and composers to be able to better understand the music they are playing and work together to produce the sound. Pass out Handout 4: Active Listening Handout and review the questions together. These are the questions that professional musicians ask themselves when listening to a piece of music. NOTE: Make enough copies for each student to have four sheets.
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Listen to the following four pieces of music from The Nutcracker and composer, Tchaikovsky. Encourage students to use the handout while listening to help them stay focused. After listening to each piece, ask students to pair share for one minute about the of music and how it made them feel, tempo, dynamics, etc. NOTE: Songs are accessible via the Spotify link below, or by the YouTube links below each title. https://open.spotify.com/album/3Cm31x7y11ygWiRHLvbjBS 1. “Overture” 3:05
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYeDxshrYN8
2. “In the Pine Forest” 3:58
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjjrY5_lEYI
3. “Chocolate: Spanish Dance” 1:16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KgVQIWkMFk
4. “Trepak: Russian Dance” 1:17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2ISRMSIyX8
After listening, ask students to review their notes and circle ideas that are interesting to them. Come back together as a class and compare and contrast each piece of music. Additional Resource for Active Listening If you want to research more about active listening for music here is a great article that explains active listening vs. passive listening. If you want, this could also be an article that you read with your class before doing the main lesson or attending the performance. https://www.hoffmanacademy.com/blog/active-listening/
Part 2: Write a Poem Task: Students write a poem in response to how they felt when listening to one of Tchaikovsky’s pieces of music from The Nutcracker. Explain to students that in the next activity they will be writing a poem about one of the pieces of music they just listened to. This poem will describe the tempo, dynamics, and emotion of the music through the use of figurative language and inspired by the five senses. Passout Handout 5: Figurative Devices and review the devices together. You can choose to have students focus on just a few, or all of them depending on what you have already reviewed this year.
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After reviewing, ask students to write a short poem. The poem can be about how one of the pieces of music made them feel, or their experience of active listening. An easy structure for the poem is using the five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, taste. These can trigger memory, reveal emotion, and help students to describe how they felt or what they saw when they were active listening. Offer these questions to students for inspiration: • • • • •
What did you see when you listened to Tchaikovsky’s music? Did any images come up for you? What instruments did you hear? Were they loud or soft? Was the music fast or slow? While listening, did the music shine a memory of you touching something soft like a dogs tail? Or something smooth like a seashell? Did the music bring up any memories of a recognizable scent? Could you smell a cookie fresh out of the oven? Could you taste anything while listening? Did the music remind you of a pumpkin pie, or something you eat during the holidays?
Like Tchaikovsky who painted a picture with music, they will be poets painting a picture with words. If time permits, option to read a few short poems together to inspire students and give them an example of the structure. Below is an example written by Perie Longo, a Poet Teacher.
If You Walked Into My Heart… by Perie Longo You would hear me reading Sam and the Firefly to my two granddaughters, then singing Hush Little Baby to my new grandson. You would see my son curled inside the tube of a wave. My daughter, dressed as a tree, singing out how deep her roots go. I might be snorkeling with them and my husband in the smooth blue water of Hawai'i, gazing at schools of fish learning about the currents of life. If you swam inside my heart, you’d see yourself writing about what fills your heart, your poems the hope of the world and we would be strangers no longer.
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Assessment Criteria: • • •
Poems are inspired by Tchaikovsky’s music, or the experience of listening to his music. Poems use the five senses to describe the music or a feeling. Poems use a figurative device.
Give students 15 minutes to quietly write their poems. Remind students that there is no right way to write poetry, it is a way of artistic expression. Option to play music by Tchaikovsky in the background. Ask students to reread what they wrote and make any edits. As an option, have students circle the figurative devices that they used. Have students share their poem with a partner during the reflection. Purpose: Students develop their poetry writing skills, reflect on their active listening experience, and create a better understanding of how music and instruments evoke emotions. Student Reflection Have students share their poem with a partner. When reading, ask students to pause at commas and read with expression. Those listening should practice their active listening skills, and write down anything that they noticed in the poem. After the first student reads, have the listener share what they noticed in their peers’ poem. After pair sharing, have students journal independently and reflect on the experience. What do you notice about the experience? What do you wonder? What have you learned about yourself?
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HANDOUT 4: ACTIVE LISTENING
HANDOUT 4: ACTIVE LISTENING
Name of Piece
Name of Piece
Write down or circle the answers to these questions.
Write down or circle the answers to these questions.
How did this piece make me feel?
How did this piece make me feel?
Happy
Sad
Curious
Excited
Happy
What instruments do I hear? Trumpet
Violin
Sad
Curious
Excited
What instruments do I hear?
Piano
Trombone
Drums
Trumpet
Violin
Piano
Trombone
Drums
Is this song fast or slow? (Tempo) To help you decide, try clapping or tapping along with the song.
Is this song fast or slow? (Tempo) To help you decide, try clapping or tapping along with the song.
Fast Somewhere in the Middle Is this song loud or soft? (Dynamics)
Slow
Fast
Loud
Soft
Somewhere in the Middle
Somewhere in the Middle
Slow
Is this song loud or soft? (Dynamics) Loud
What do I see when listening to this piece of music?
Somewhere in the Middle
Soft
What do I see when listening to this piece of music?
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HANDOUT 5: FIGURATIVE DEVICES Metaphor: A direct comparison. Example: Her eyes are glistening diamonds. Simile: A comparison using like or as. Example: Her eyes are like glistening diamonds. Personification: Giving human qualities to animals, inanimate objects or abstract notions. Example: The sun smiled down on the child as she played. Onomatopoeia: Use of a word associated with a sound. Example: While the thunder boomed, the kitten hid under the eaves, meowing for its mother. Alliteration: Use of words with the same letter or consonant sound that repeats. Example: Alexander ate an awesome apple as he ambled along the avenue. Imagery: The use of pictures/visuals to describe/paint a picture in words. Example: A river of tears fell down the wrinkled face of the woman who silently mourned.
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LESSON 4: RESPONDING TO DANCE IN SCULPTURE (POST-SHOW) LESSON OBJECTIVE: After going to The Broad Stage for the performance of The Nutcracker Suite, students will construct a dance sculpture in the style of Alberto Giacometti, inspired by the performance. DURATION: 40 mins MATERIALS: tin foil, paper, pencil, index cards, scissors, Handout 2: Ballet Steps, Handout 5: Performance Reflection Form, Handout 6: How to Write a Dance Review, Handout 7: Sculpture Directions STANDARDS: CCSS ELA/Literacy: Writing Standards: WS 10 Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of discipline specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. CCSS ELA/Literacy, Speaking and Listening Standards: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: SL5 Include visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes. CA VAPA Dance 1.5 Use appropriate dance vocabulary to describe dances. CA VAPA Visual Arts 1.2 Identify and describe characteristics of representational, abstract and nonrepresentational works of art. CA VAPA Visual Arts 2.4 Create an expressive abstract composition based on real objects. CONCEPTS/VOCABULARY: Alberto Giacometti: Swiss sculpture who is known for his thin, tall figures made of bronze. Elongated: Unusually long in relation to its width. Movement: The principal of design dealing with the creation of action. Sculpture: A 3-dimensional (3D) work of art. Texture: The surface quality of materials, either actual (tactile) or implied (visual); one of the elements of art. GUIDING QUESTIONS: How can I represent movement through visual art?
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LESSON PLAN Warm-Up: Discussion about the Performance After seeing the Student Matinee of The Nutcracker Suite, ask students to write their impressions and reflections on Handout 5: Performance Reflection Form. Let their answers generate a class discussion about the performance. Make connections to topics explored in previous lessons (theme, facial expressions, gesture, choreography, specific dance steps, music, etc.) As an optional homework or in-class assignment, have students write a review of the performance using Handout 6: How to Write a Dance Review. Mini-Lesson: Drawing Stick Figures To prepare for the next activity of making sculptures, tell students that they are going to draw stick figures. Pass out a piece of paper, and fold the paper in half and then in thirds so there are six folded squares on the paper. For each square, students will draw different actions of a stick figure, in only 20 seconds. This activity is timed to help students to not be afraid to “mess up� and just draw what first comes to mind. This is a warm-up, and is a good reminder that art can be fun and light-hearted! Go through the drawings with your students, and time each drawing so you go quickly. Square 1: Stick figure standing Square 2: Stick figure running Square 3: Stick figure spinning Square 4: Stick figure that is sad Square 5: Stick figure that is happy Square 6: Any kind of stick figure you want! After drawing, have students quickly share their drawings with a partner. Bring the class back together and ask these questions: How can the simplest of stick figures convey emotion? How can a few lines in your stick figure show movement and action? Main Activity Tell students to turn their stick figure paper around, and practice drawing a stick figure of a dancer from The Nutcracker performance. Students can also refer to their reflections Handout 5 or Handout 2 of basic ballet steps. After drawing a few figures, pass out pieces of foil and tell students that they are going to make their stick figure into a 3-dimensional foil sculpture. This sculpture style is modeled after the work of the famous artist, Alberto Giacometti. Review Alberto Giacometti together. Giacometti was a Swiss sculpture who is known for his thin, tall figures made of bronze. Show a few pictures of Giacometti sculptures of people. Discuss how his figures were elongated, in a state of movement, and how the bronze was very textured.
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View Images at this link: https://www.moma.org/artists/2141 Next, explain that their sculpture will be made of foil and, like Giacometti’s work, this material will look textured, elongated, and because it will be a dancer doing ballet, it will also show arm and leg movement. Task: Create a foil sculpture in the style of Giacometti inspired from The Nutcracker Suite performance. Pass out Handout 7: Sculpture Directions and demonstrate how the foil should be cut and then twisted to form a sculpting of a dancer in the position they envisioned from their stick figure. Place your model on a base which can be tag board, or card stock and either glue or tape it on base, as they will also do. Give students between 15-20 minutes to create their sculpture. When done, give the student a piece of black cardstock and ask to glue or tape their figure to their cardstock. Have students sign and title their art piece on the cardstock. Assessment Criteria: • • •
Students use what they learned about ballet to show a ballet step or movement in a piece of art. Students followed the process of cutting and twisting the foil in order to successfully create the form of a dancer. Students gave their art work a title.
Purpose: To use visual art as a means for students to demonstrate what they learned about ballet and reflect on The Nutcracker Suite performance. NOTE: This activity was inspired from this site https://nurturestore.co.uk/giacometti-sculpture-art-project-for-kids Student Reflection: With student sculptures complete, ask students to explain the scene that their dancer sculpture represents from the performance on a large index card or piece of paper. Students can reflect on something about the story, music, movement, expression, etc. When complete, have students leave the index card in front of their art piece. Optional: Have students do a quiet gallery walk around the classroom to view each other’s sculptures and what was written.
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HANDOUT 6: PERFORMANCE REFLECTION FORM Capture your immediate thoughts after you watch The Nutcracker Suites’s performance at The Broad Stage, while the images and reactions are still fresh in your mind. Name of dance piece: What words would you use to describe the movement?
Describe the impact of the following on the piece: lighting, costumes, music, and props/set. What was the most striking image you remember? What surprised you?
Did any questions come up while you were watching the piece?
Name of dance piece: What words would you use to describe the movement?
Describe the impact of the following on the piece: lighting, costumes, music, and props/set.
What was the most striking image you remember? What surprised you?
Did any questions come up while you were watching the piece?
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HANDOUT 7: HOW TO WRITE A DANCE REVIEW 1. Title of your review 2. Your name (by line) 3. Introduction: a. Title of the show b. What genre of dance is it? c. Name of the performing group d. Name of the Artistic Director 4. Theme: a. What was your interpretation of what the company was communicating? 5. Production Values: a. Describe the set and lighting b. Costumes c. Sound d. Does it all work together? What effect does it achieve? 6. The Performers: a. Did the company members deliver a strong performance? b. Were there any remarkable performances within the smaller roles? c. Were the dancers dedicated to the movement? d. Was there a performance that detracted from the show? 7. The Choreography: a. How was the piece structured? Was it made up of sections? Were there solos, duets, trios? b. How did the dancers interact with each other? c. Did the piece use theme and variation? d. Did you see any choreographic elements at work that you are familiar with: mirroring, counterbalance, partnering, elements of dance (body, action, space, time, energy)? e. Do you like the way that these elements/tools were used? Describe your opinion. f. What were the latin dance influences in the piece? 8. Personal Opinion (make sure to give reasons to back up your opinion): a. What did you think of the performance as a whole? b. Would you recommend the show? c. What did you particularly enjoy/not enjoy?
Based on “How to Write a Play Review.” Goodman Theater. http//www.goodmantheater.org/Education/Materials/HowTo.aspx THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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HANDOUT 8: SCULPTURE DIRECTIONS Step 1: Divide your foil into 5 sections. Label each section: arm, head, arm, torso, leg, and leg.
Step 2: Cut along the section lines. (Red lines pictured below)
head arm
head arm
arm
torso
leg
arm
torso
leg
leg
leg
Step 3: Mold your foil by sofly squeezing or pinching the foil into the shape of each section. Be creative, does you figure have long arms, big feet, or a square head?
Step 4: Have fun with your figure by creating poses by using a few of the 5 basic ballet positions.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Alberto Giacometti Bio https://www.theartstory.org/artist/giacometti-alberto/ Nutcracker History/Tchaikovsky’s Role https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Nutcracker#ref1198396 Tchaikovsky’s Bio https://www.biography.com/musician/pyotr-ilyich-tchaikovsky Books for Children on Tchaikovsky and Giacometti: Greenberg, Jan & Jordan, Sandra, et al. Two Brothers, Four Hands. New York, NY: Neil Porter Books, 2019 Venezia, Mike, Peter Tchaikovsky. New York, NY: Children’s Press, 2018.
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GLOSSARY
2019/20 SEASON NUTCRACKER SUITE
Active Listening (music): What you do when you’re focusing on what you hear, for example focusing on the words someone is saying when you are having a conversation. Alberto Giacometti: Swiss sculpture who is known for his thin, tall figures made of bronze. Alliteration: Use of words with the same letter or consonant sound that repeats. Ballet: A classic Western dance form that originated in the Renaissance courts of Europe. By the time of Louis XIV in the mid-1600s, steps and body positions were classified. Battement Tendu: A movement in which one leg is extended until the point of the stretched foot barely touches the ground. Character: A person who is part of a story or drama. Choreography: The creation and composition of dances by arranging or inventing steps, movements and patterns of movement linked together in a sequence. Composer: A person who writes music by organizing sound. Choreographer: The person who creates or composes and arranges dances. Dynamics: Varying degrees of volume in the performance of music. Demi-Plie: Half bend. A position in which the knees are half bent. Dramatize: To present something in a dramatic way. Elongated: Unusually long in relation to its width. Five Positions: The 5 basic steps used at the beginning and end of movements and in passing from one movement to another. Gesture: A movement of a part of a body, especially a hand or head, to express an idea or meaning. Grand Jete: A big jump from one leg to the other, with legs outstretched in the air. Grand Plie: A position in which the legs are fully bent. Imagery: The use of pictures/visuals to describe/paint a picture in words. Metaphor: A direct comparison. Movement: The principal of design dealing with the creation of action.
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GLOSSARY Onomatopoeia: Use of a word associated with a sound. Pantomime: Using body movement, gestures, and facial expression to communicate or tell a story. Pas De Deux: A dance for two. Personification: Giving human qualities to animals, inanimate objects or abstract notions. Pirouette: To whirl about on one foot or on the points of toes. Releve/Eleve': Raised. A movement in which the body is raised on pointes (points of toes) or demi-pointes. (Half raised on ball of foot) Saute: A jump. Sculpture: A 3-dimensional (3D) work of art. Setting: Where and when a story takes place. Simile: A comparison using like or as. Suite: A musical composition consisting of a succession of short pieces. Tchaikovsky: Famous Russian composer of the Romantic era whose music is heard in The Nutcracker. Tempo: The pace at which music moves according to the speed of the underlying beat. Texture: The surface quality of materials, either actual (tactile) or implied (visual); one of the elements of art. Theme: An idea, belief, message or lesson of a story that the author wants the reader to understand. Venn Diagram: A diagram that shows the relationship between two groups of things by means of overlapping circles.
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WHAT I LEARNED... Write a letter to the artist. Be sure to include your favorite part of the performance and what you learned.
Dear _________
Your friend,
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