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Music, Dance and Theater (December, 2001)Check out these interdisciplinary
activity ideas, TV programs and online
resources for your classroom. |
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Musical Chairs and Abstract Art
Young students enjoy art and being creative. They also enjoy the old, familiar
"Musical Chairs." Why not combine the two into a fun, informative art lesson!
Abstract art is sometimes hard to explain to younger students, so we can let them experience it firsthand. The idea is to let them "do it" first and explain it afterwards.
The materials are simple—a sheet of drawing paper and a crayon for each student, enough space in the classroom to spread out the papers individually, a cassette of upbeat music, and a cassette player.
Spread out the paper in a pattern that the students can easily follow and be sure to explain the route to the students. Give each student a crayon, as many different colors as possible. When the music starts, the students start walking around the papers, following the prescribed route. When the music stops, each student stops at a sheet of paper and begins to draw a swirling, doodling line in any design on the paper. When the music starts again, the students resume walking. Each time the music stops, the students begin drawing on the paper in front of them, continuing where the last student left off. After 5 or 6 repetitions, each student takes the paper in front of him back to his seat and colors in some or all of the spaces on the paper.
When the students are finished, they should be given the opportunity to name their creations. This should lead to a discussion of why each artist gave his paper the name he chose. Show examples of abstract art from the computer or art books obtained at the library. Ask the students what each picture reminds them of before giving the artist’s title. Then discuss why the artist might have chosen that title for his work.
Tell the students that they have just become abstract artists so they must sign their works so they may be displayed. Let students use a word processor to label their creations. The art work can be displayed in the hallways, as part of a school art exhibition, and/or even digitally photographed and put on the school’s Web site.
This K-12 site in Oregon gives examples of as well as a fairly simple explanation of abstract art:
The Abstract Five
http://riverdale.k12.or.us/whatsup/Abstract/homepage.htm
The Night Before Christmas
Students enjoy hearing "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement Moore, but have
they ever had a chance to actually present it as a dramatization? Make this
the year that the story comes to life! Find the story at http://www.night.net/christmas/Twas-night01.html.
After reading the story, have students list the characters needed. Discuss the settings of each verse and what types of costuming might be needed. Divide the class into groups and have each group work on its own production. Be sure to include a narrator in each group. Allow for practice time.
Now it’s showtime! Each group should have the opportunity to present its rendition of the famous play to your class. After some advice and polishing, advertise the play to other grades and classes and let the students become traveling troubadours. The holiday spirit will follow wherever they go!
Have students dramatize other holiday stories and practices as well.
American Masters
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/index_flash.html
The body of work American Masters has created, which includes profiles of such
American artists as Charlie Chaplin, James Baldwin, Helen Hayes, Andy Warhol,
Charlie Parker, Aaron Copland, William Wyler, Martha Graham, Eugene O'Neill,
Billie Holliday, The Group Theater, Philip Johnson, Paul Simon, Alexander Calder
and Leonard Bernstein among others, continues to inspire and inform site visitors.
American Roots Music
http://www.pbs.org/americanrootsmusic/
Come discover the pioneers of the musical forms that combined on American soil
to become the most pervasive music throughout the world.
Buena Vista Social Club
http://www.pbs.org/buenavista/
Discover an award-winning documentary and Web site featuring the wonderful music
of the Cuban ensemble Buena Vista Social Club.
Culture Shock
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/
They inspire, but may provoke. They thrill, but sometimes offend. And often
the same art attracts both acclaim and condemnation. This site provides context
that promotes understanding of the history of the arts and controversy.
Duke Ellington's Washington
http://www.pbs.org/ellingtonsdc/
Before there was a Harlem Renaissance, there was the African-American artistic
community in Washington, D.C.—the environment that created Duke Ellington.
Egg: The Arts Show
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/egg/series.html
This site offers interactive pieces about the artists and artwork featured in
the TV series. Through original content -- including streaming video and audio
clips, slide shows, interviews, schedules of public appearances and exhibits,
and more -- eggsite encourages visitors to make the arts an integral part of
their lives and to explore the arts in and outside of their own communities
through the "See and Do USA" database.
ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theater
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/
For 30 years ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre has enthralled audiences with the
works of the finest classic and contemporary writers interpreted by the world's
foremost actors. Little wonder it is the longest running prime-time drama series
on American television. Whether you've been with us since the beginning or are
a new recruit, you'll find all the detail and background you crave here.
Great Performances
http://www.pbs.org/gperf/
Lovers of music, theater, and literature will enjoy the information available
on the Great Performances Web site. Past features have included content on ragtime,
gospel, Sinatra, opera, ballet, movie music, comedy, and Shakespeare.
Holo Mai Pele
http://www.pbs.org/holomaipele/
Holo Mai Pele (Pele Travels) tells the epic saga of the rivalry between Pele,
Hawaiian goddess of the volcano, and her sister Hi'iaka. The performance program
features a dazzling display of ancient hula and chant.
I'll Make Me A World
http://www.pbs.org/immaw/
Learn more about African American singers, painters, dancers, and actors in
the twentieth century. The site contains biographies, selected works of art,
and links to related resources.
Jazz
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/
Access a wealth of interactive, educational features exploring the history and
influence of jazz; interdisciplinary lessons for grades 3-12 are also provided.
Mississippi River of Song
http://www.pbs.org/riverofsong/
PBS and the Smithsonian take you on a virtual roll down the river as you learn
about contemporary music along the Mississippi River. Get information about
individual artists, teachers guides, and sample the wide variety of music by
the Great Big Muddy.
PBS Hollywood Presents: The Old Settler
http://www.pbs.org/hollywoodpresents/theoldsettler/index.html
John Henry Redwood's play "The Old Settler" is the story of two middle-aged
sisters, Elizabeth and Quilly, who share an apartment in Harlem in 1943. The
sisters quarrel amiably, but they share a wounded history that becomes revealed
as the tale unfolds.
Stage on Screen
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/stageonscreen/
Stage on Screen is the new drama series dedicated to innovative productions
of great dramatic works, both classic and contemporary, that celebrate the excellence,
excitement, and diversity of theater in America today. Through a diverse array
of plays -- recorded live, staged for television, and restored from Thirteen's
rich archives -- Stage on Screen will provide access to the transformative power
of theater.
Who's Dancin Now?
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/dancin/
Who's Dancin Now? explores the impact of early exposure to the arts, it is also
a valuable tool for educators, artists, administrators, parents, and students
to learn about arts education in an easy and effective way. Through a wealth
of arts education resources, Who's Dancin Now? Online has the potential to transform
the lives of children across the nation and to make the arts a vital factor
in every school and community.
*For more PBS.org arts-related sites, please visit http://www.pbs.org/neighborhoods/arts/.
Don't miss this program airing in December! Check your local listings for the most accurate air date and time.
Amato: A Love Affair with Opera
Acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Ives documents the charming Amato Opera House, a
family-run opera company that performs full-scale classical operas on a tiny
stage in a New York City brownstone. Though the company is small, it has endured
season after season for over half a century, giving young and rising opera talent
a place to perform in full productions. In addition, the film is also a sweet
and romantic tale of Tony and Sally Amato, the couple who founded the company
in 1948, revealing their generosity, enthusiasm for art and love for one another.
American Masters: Merce Cunningham--A Lifetime of Dance
This show profiles one of the great 20th-century choreographers, acclaimed for
his abstraction, innovation and imagination. Merce opened his famous dance studio
in 1953 and went on to choreograph over 150 pieces throughout his career. Now
80 years old, he is still working, proving that he really is dance's fountain
of youth.
Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits continues its longstanding tradition of showcasing the best
of original American music and beyond. Musical styles range from contemporary
and traditional pop, rock, country, blues, bluegrass, Latin, folk, roots and
more. All find a home on the ACL stage.
Christmas at San Xavier
From the opening processional of 'Veni, Veni Emmanuel' to the closing echoes
of 'Silent Night,' Christmas at San Xavier celebrates the holiday season with
powerful musical performances delivered in the brilliantly restored art of San
Xavier del Bac Mission. This splendid example of 18th-century Mexican Baroque
architecture is illuminated by hundreds of flickering candles. The program features
the celebrated Tucson Boys Chorus, The Sons of Orpheus Men's Choir and the brilliant
voice of award-winning soprano Vanessa Salas. Augmenting the program is the
violin of teenage sensation, Tommy Liu.
Egg: Working Dancers 2
Joy. Pain. Discipline. Sweat. Egg looks at the life of the working dancer, from
the tenderfeet, new to the professional world, to company veterans; from classic
ballerinas to modern dancers who push dance to a new level. The episode features
a 72-person performance staged in New York's Grand Central station; Pilobolus,
a modern dance company; the Oregon Ballet; and 62-year-old dancer Dudley Williams,
a 35-year veteran of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
The First Seven Years
This meticulously detailed adaptation of Bernard Malamud's National Book Award-winning
story, set in 1949 in the immigrant Jewish community of Manhattan's Lower East
Side, stars actor/playwright Israel Horovitz as the pragmatic shoemaker Feld
and Emmy Award-winning actress Carol Kane as his wife. Together, they dream
of a better life for their daughter Miriam (Annette Arnold). Feld arranges a
match between Miriam and Max, a local college boy (Daniel London), without knowing
that Miriam is more interested in the shoemaker's loyal assistant, Sobel (Ned
Eisenberg), a Holocaust survivor who is 16 years her senior.
Great Performances: The Nutracker from the Royal Ballet
Since its first production in St. Petersburg more than a century ago, The Nutcracker's
charming story, dazzling choreography and magnificent score have combined to
make it one of the most popular and enduring ballets the world over. Treasured
not only by traditional ballet audiences but by generations of children who
have participated in its productions, this perennially beloved tale of holiday
enchantment now comes to Great Performances in Sir Peter Wright's unique version
from the beautifully restored Covent Garden Opera. The acclaimed cast includes
Ivan Putrov as the Nutcracker, Alina Cojocaru as Clara and Sir Anthony Dowell
as the toy and clockmaker Herr Drosselmeyer.
People and Pianos: 300 Years
In 1700, a Florentine artisan/musician, Bartolomeo Cristofori, invented a remarkable
new instrument he called "il gravicemballo con piano e forte" – 'keyboard with
soft and loud.' Named for its uniquely expressive qualities, Cristofori's complex
music machine ignited a social-cultural revolution that has dramatically enriched
musical performance and composition. This program celebrates the piano's 300th
birthday with performances by artists such as Evgeny Kissin at Royal Albert
Hall, Daniel Barenboim with the Berlin Philharmonic, Dezso Ranki with the English
Chamber Orchestra, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Katia and Marielle Labeque from The
Smithsonian's millennium gala, 'Piano Grand!'
Rediscovering Dave Brubeck
Hedrick Smith talks with the legendary pianist, composer and bandleader, who
is still performing and creating new music even today, at the age of 80. The
special remembers Brubeck's exciting career, talks to him about projects he
is currently working on and explores the unique style of music — a distinctive
fusion of jazz and classical — that made him so widely popular.
Rejoice and Sing! A Holiday Celebration
The famed 100-voice Sanctuary Choir of the First Presbyterian Church in Davenport,
Iowa, performs this extraordinary Christmas concert under the direction of Steven
R. Jobman. In addition to the full Sanctuary Adult Choir, the concert also features
the Cathedral Choir of Young Men and Boys, the Celebration High School Singers,
Vesper Handbells and organ. A full orchestra accompanies popular secular and
sacred Christmas music. The concert was recorded in the newly restored 100-year-old
Victorian Sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church during performances December
18 and 19, 1999.
Stage on Screen: Tantalus Behind the Mask
ast season, Denver was the unlikely setting for the most ambitious theater event
of the new millennium. The ancient story of the Trojan War has cast a shadow
through the centuries in the words of the greatest storytellers — Homer, Virgil,
Chaucer, Shakespeare, Goethe, Joyce. Three thousand years after the war became
legend, director and playwright John Barton set out on his own odyssey to resurrect
these ancient stories in a fresh new light, to illuminate the modern world.
