Download Study Guide - Young People`s Theatre

A Story Before TIme Study Guide
Allen MacInnis
Artistic Director
L-R: Blair Puente, Alex Meraz; Original Set/Costume Design by Linda Leon; Original Lighting Design by Harry Frehner; Remount Lighting Design by Alaina Perttula;
Additional Costume Design by Elaine Redding | Photo by Don Lee
A Story Before TIme
Written by Drew Hayden Taylor
Produced by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre
Co-production by The Banff Centre
Created by Artistic Director/Choreographer/Performer: Santee Smith
Study Guide
WRITTEN BY: AMBER EBERT, ADAPTED FROM KAHA:WI DANCE THEATRE STUDY GUIDE RESOURCES
DESIGN AND LAYOUT BY JAN BORKOWSKI | SEASON DESIGN BY KEY GORDON
YOUNGPEOPLESTHEATRE.CA
Nancy J. Webster
Executive Director
A Story Before TIme Study Guide
Theatre is a
Two-Way Exchange
Table Of Contents
We’re so glad you’re coming to visit us here at the
theatre. We want you to feel safe and welcome
whenever you come to YPT. Whether you’ve come to
the theatre before or this is your first time at YPT, this
guide will help prepare you for your visit.
THE STUDY GUIDE.................................................................. 3
thematic overview
STRANDS AND
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS........................................... 3
THE COMPANY......................................................................... 3
the cast.
DISCUSS WITH YOUR CLASS THE ROLE
OF AN AUDIENCE MEMBER
You play a vital part in the success of a theatrical performance.
In the way that the actors have a responsibility to the audience, as audience members, you have a responsibility to
each other and to the actors on stage.
Actors are thrilled when the audience is engaged and
responsive. We want you to laugh, cheer, clap and really
enjoy your time at the theatre. At the same time, please
remember to be considerate. Talking, whispering and excessive movement during a live performance is distracting
for the actors and disruptive for other audience members.
Watching a play can often make you think about things
in a new way. The Q&A after the show is the perfect time
for you to ask questions you might have. As you watch the
play, prepare one question to ask the actors.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER
IN THE THEATRE
MESSAGE FROM SANTEE SMITH,
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR KAHA:WI DANCE THEATRE.... 4
SYNOPSIS................................................................................... 4
GLOSSARY................................................................................. 4
UNITS OF STUDY..................................................................... 5
curriculum expectations
PRE-SHOW QUESTIONS.................................................... 5-7
pre-showexercise 1: creation stories
pre-show exercise 2: visual representations
pre show exercise 3: exploring O nkwehonwe culture
primary exercise (grades 1-3)
junior exercise (grades 4-5).
pre-show culminating exercise
junior extension (grades 4-5): .
personal thanksgiving addresses
Within the theatre, electronic devices are not permitted,
as they affect our sound system. Photography, audio and
video recording during a performance are prohibited by
the Canadian Theatre Agreement. This is important, as it
ensures the protection of the work of the artists.
We ask that you enjoy any food, drinks, candy and gum
before entering the theatre. YPT is a nut-free zone, as
many people have severe, life-threatening allergies, so no
peanuts or nut products are permitted in the theatre.
THINKING ABOUT THE
WHOLE PRODUCTION
POST-SHOW QUESTIONS................................................ 8-9
post-show exercise 1: Balance in nature.
post-show exercise 2: learning indigenous dances
post-showexercise 3: character exploration .
through controlled movement
post-show culminating exercise: dance phrases
APPENDICES...................................................................... 10-12
appendix a - A Story B efore Time scene synopsis
appendix b: graphic novel template
appendix c : traditional dances
SOURCES & RESOURCES.................................................... 15
the toronto public library recommends ….
During the show, look at different aspects of the production together. Before the show, identify tasks for your class.
For instance, have one group focusing on the set, another
listening for the music and sound effects, a third watching
the lighting and a fourth, the costumes. Compare notes
after the show about what you observe. You will be more
informed and you’ll be surprised by how much you noticed.
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creative team
native dance resources
cultural resources
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A Story Before TIme Study Guide
The Study Guide
THEMATIC OVERVIEW
As part of our 2013/14 season’s focus on the resourcefulness
of youth, A Story Before Time invites young audiences to
consider the precarious Balance that exists in the natural world
and to explore the effect that one person can have on the
creation of a new place. This guide promotes a reflective and
a practical response to the central issues and questions in the
play. Designed for both primary and junior grades, it aims to
support students in the application of critical thinking skills,
with a specific focus on developing an understanding of dance
and theatrical storytelling in relation to Onkwehonwe culture.
of creation stories from around the world. The post-show
unit uses movement and dance to engage with the theme of
interconnectedness in the world and, in particular, the idea of
stewardship.
Along with employing the exercises in this Study Guide in your
classroom, we encourage you to visit A Story Before Time’s
page on YPT’s website to access instructional videos that will
help your class learn some of the dances that appear in the
performance.
The pre-show unit focuses on student-driven inquiry into
Onkwehonwe culture and history, including an examination
Strands and Curriculum Connections
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
• The Arts (Drama, Dance, Music)
• Social Studies
• Language
• Aboriginal Perspectives
CHARACTER EDUCATION
CONNECTIONS:
• Respect
• Perseverance
• Cooperation
• Responsibility
THEMES:
• Physical Storytelling
• Interconnectedness
• Balance in Nature
• Creation Stories
The Company
KAHA:WI DANCE THEATRE (KTD)
Kaha:wi Dance Theatre (KDT) is one of Canada’s leading contemporary dance companies, recognized for its seamless fusing
of indigenous and contemporary dance into a compelling signature choreographic vision. Internationally renowned for artistic
excellence, innovation and collaboration, KDT electrifies audiences from Canada and around the globe.
THE CAST
Kateri (Storyteller)
eyotsi’tsyane:karen (Exploding
Flower)/SkyWoman/Goose
Great Chief/Goose/
West Wind/Deer
Sky Being/Katsi’tsyani:yonte
(Hanging Flower)/
Daughter/Raccoon
Sky Being/Goose/
Otter/Taharonhawa:kon
(Holder of the Heavens)
Sky Being/Goose/Otter/
Tawiskara (The Bent One)
Sky Being/Muskrat/
Chipmunk/Otter
CREATIVE TEAM
Semiah Kaha:wi Smith
Santee Smith
Michael Demski
Emily Law
Singers/Songwriters
Zhenya Cerneacov
Louis Laberge-Côté
Sarain Carson-Fox
Created and produced by
Co-production with
Artistic Director/
Choreographer/Dancer
Playwright
Composer
Set/Costume Designer Original
Lighting Designer Musicians
Singers
Additional Recording Studio
Language Translator
Photography
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Kaha:wi Dance Theatre
The Banff Centre for the Arts
Santee Smith
Drew Hayden Taylor
Donald Quan
Harry Frehner
Rick Shadrach Lazar, David R.
Maracle, Bob Doidge
ElizaBeth Hill, David R. Maracle,
Santee Smith, Amos Key Jr.
Faron Johns, Semiah Smith,
Ol’Mush Singers
Grant Avenue Studio
Frank Miller, Amos Key Jr.
Don Lee
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A Story Before TIme Study Guide
Message from Santee Smith, Artistic Director Kaha:wi
Dance Theatre
It is my pleasure to share the incredible journey of A Story Before Time. A cherished bedtime story I grew up listening to my
parents tell our Onkwehonwe story of Creation. The story with its connection to the stars and animals filled my imagination and
so this production originates from my childhood dreaming. The Creation Story has and continues to play a profound role in my
life reminding me of the importance of listening to dreams, respecting the natural world and striving for balance and harmony
with all living things in the universe especially our home on the turtle’s back. It is my hope that the story becomes meaningful in
your life as well.
Synopsis
The Onkwehonwe Creation Story comes to life in A Story Before Time. The journey begins as a wondrous Sky Woman is revealed
and Sky Beings dance like stars in the cosmos. It is when Sky Woman falls through the roots of the Celestial Tree to the Water
World below that life on Turtle Island takes shape. Sky Woman sings and dances her world into existence. Animal characters swim
across the stage and trees grow from silk as the powerful cultural story is explained through movement and storytelling.
Glossary
ABA Dance Phrase
a three-part choreographic pattern
consisting of two distinct self-contained
dance sequences.
Balance
an even distribution of weight or power,
enabling someone or something to
remain upright, steady and healthy
Metaphor
the act of travelling from point A to point
B (i.e., walking, rolling, galloping)
a figure of speech in which something
is used to represent something which
it is not in order to make a comparison
between the two
Creation Story
sometimes referred to as myths; they
generally tell about a god or gods, about
superhuman beings, animals, plants, and
about the first people on the earth
Non-locomotor
Movement
Duality
Indigenous
consisting of two parts; division into two
produced, growing, living, or occurring
naturally in a particular region or
environment
Onkwehonwe
a Mohawk term meaning “real people” or
“People of the Six Nations Confederacy”
Tableau
a group of silent, motionless figures used
to represent a scene, theme or abstract
idea, or an important moment
Haudenosaunee
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Locomotor
Movement
“People of the Longhouse”, a league of
several nations and tribes of indigenous
people of North America sometimes
referred to as Iroquois; the original
Iroquois League was often known as the
Five Nations, as it was composed of the
Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga
and Seneca Nations, but after the
Tuscarora Nation joined the League in
1722, the Iroquois became known as the
Six Nations
Turtle Island
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a non-travelling movement, where the
body is anchored in one place (i.e.,
moving the arms and/or twisting the
body while staying in one spot)
is recognized as the continent of North
America according to the Onkwehonwe
Creation Story
A Story Before TIme Study Guide
Units of Study
CURRICULUM EXPECTATIONS
In relation to the curriculum students will:
Dance
•
use dance as a language to express feelings and ideas suggested by songs, stories, and poems, with a focus on the
element of body.
•
translate into dance a variety of movement sequences
observed in nature.
•
identify and describe the different roles of dance in their
lives and in communities around the world.
•
use a variety of locomotor and non-Locomotor
Movements to depict creatures and objects in the world
around them.
Drama
•
engage in dramatic play and role play, with a focus on
exploring themes, ideas, characters, and issues from
imagination or in stories from diverse communities, times,
and places.
•
express thoughts, feelings, and ideas about a variety of
drama experiences and performances.
•
plan and shape the direction of a dramatic play or role
play, building on their own and others’ ideas both in and
out of role, with support.
Language Arts
•
listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in
a variety of situations for a variety of purposes.
•
identify some non-verbal cues, including facial
expression, gestures, and eye contact and use them in
oral communications, appropriately and with sensitivity
towards cultural differences, to help convey their meaning.
Social Studies:
•
describe how they follow the rules about respecting the
rights and property of other people and about using the
shared environment responsibly (e.g., by sharing, being
courteous, cooperating, not littering).
•
brainstorm and ask simple questions (e.g., How? Why?)
to gain information about relationships, rules, and
responsibilities.
•
identify ways in which heritage and traditions are passed
on.
•
use a variety of resources and tools to gather, process and
communicate information about First Nations peoples.
•
use media works, oral presentations, written notes and
descriptions to communicate research findings (e.g., a
model of an early settler home, or a diorama of a First
Nation settlement, a poster encouraging immigration to
Pre-Show Questions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is a Creation Story? What are some Creation Stories that you
know? What are common features found in each of these?
Why are Creation Stories important? What do they represent?
How are Creation Stories different than fairytales?
What are different ways to tell a story? How does a story change
based on how it is told? (i.e. through dance, music, film, etc.)
What do you know about the Onkwehonwe culture?
Why is the Onkwehonwe history important to us in Canada?
What more about Onkwehonwe culture would you like to learn?
What is stewardship?
PRE-SHOWEXERCISE 1: CREATION STORIES
Objective:
Through this exercise, students will be introduced to Creation Stories
and will specifically explore the Onkwehonwe Creation Story of the
Sky Woman.
Materials:
•
Appendix A: A Story Before Time Scene Synopsis
•
Computer with internet access
•
Library resources
•
Writing materials
•
Space in which to move
The Onkwehonwe Creation Story is the gateway to
understanding Onkwehonwe culture perspective. This
Creation Story has been passed on from generation to
generation within the Six Nation communities as a part
of oral history. Each community and storyteller has their
own version, however several elemental features are
constant:
• The presence of a Sky World
• A pregnant Sky Woman who falls to the Water World below
• Sky Woman lands safely on a giant turtle’s back
• Water animals help Sky Woman create the earth
• Sky Woman gives birth to a daughter
• The daughter becomes pregnant by the West Wind
and gives birth to twin boys
• The birth of twin boys, Holder of the Heavens and
The Bent One
• Holder of the Heavens, later called Sonkwaiatison,
goes on to create man from the land
Directions:
•
Have students brainstorm on the question: What is a Creation Story? For Junior grades, give students time to research this
question online or in the school library.
•
Together, read Appendix A: A Story Before Time Scene Synopsis.
•
Discuss as a class the important events of the story.
•
Then, divide students into five groups and assign each group a scene or group of scenes, as listed in Appendix A.
•
Give students five minutes to create a Tableau to represent that significant moment.
•
Allow time for students to present their Tableaux in chronological order of the story.
Debriefing Questions:
Other than using Tableau, what are some other ways to represent the important moments of the Onkwehonwe Creation Story?
What symbols are found within this story? What might they represent?
What does this story tell us about the Onkwehonwe culture?
How does this Creation Story compare to another Creation Story that you know?
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A Story Before TIme Study Guide
PRE-SHOW EXERCISE 2: VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS
Objective:
Now that students have physically explored the story, they will deepen their understanding of this Creation Story and different
forms of storytelling by representing this story visually.
Materials:
•
Computer with internet access
•
Library resources
•
Art materials (paper, markers, paint, crayons)
•
Examples of graphic novels and comic books
•
Appendix B: Graphic Novel Template
Directions:
•
For this exercise, have students work individually or in a small group.
•
Look at examples of graphic novels and comic books together. Brainstorm as a class what techniques are used to tell the
story (i.e. speech bubbles and dialogue, close-up frames of characters’ faces, etc.). Discuss how this kind of storytelling
compares to telling a story through a series of Tableaux.
•
Photocopy Appendix B: Graphic Novel Template and distribute out to the class. Have students create a graphic
representation of the Creation Story.
Debriefing Questions:
How does the medium change the understanding of the story?
How do you think this story will be told using dance and movement when you come to visit the theatre?
PRE SHOW EXERCISE 3: EXPLORING ONKWEHONWE CULTURE
Objective:
This exercise will encourage students to explore the history of
Onkwehonwe in Upper Canada.
Materials:
•
Computer with internet access
•
Library resources
•
A Story Before Time Resource List (p.14)
•
Presentation materials (power point, Prezi, Bristol board,
overhead projector)
Brief Background on the Onkwehonwe
The Six Nations of the Grand River Territory is a First
Nations reserve located in south-central Ontario.
Coexisting on the reserve are the six distinct and
interdependent nations: Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida,
Onondaga, Cayuga and Tuscarora.
PRIMARY EXERCISE (GRADES 1-3)
Directions:
•
As a group watch the A Story Before Time History and Culture Video clip. http://youtu.be/UFkmYqL1aJQ
•
Make a list of any new ideas or information students learn from watching the video, as well as any questions.
•
As a class, choose one or two of these questions and agree to do further research as a group to find the answers.
•
Discuss what resources would be available to find the answers (i.e. books, websites, community members, the
Educational Services team at YPT, etc.)
•
As a group, make an action plan for research to learn the answers to your chosen questions.
JUNIOR EXERCISE (GRADES 4-5)
Directions:
•
Ask students to research individually or in small groups a specific topic of inquiry:
1. The Six Nations of the Grand River Territory
2. The Iroquois Confederacy or League of Nations
3. First Nations people living in the Grand River Territory in the 1800s in comparison to today
4. The clan system
5. Contemporary Indigenous Artists and their work (dance, theatre, visual arts, literature, film)
•
Ask students to put together a short presentation in a format of their choosing that demonstrates what they have learned
about their topic.
•
Have students share what they have learned.
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A Story Before TIme Study Guide
PRE-SHOW CULMINATING EXERCISE
The Thanksgiving Address, “Ohenton Kariwahtekwen” (Mohawk)
The Thanksgiving Address translates to “The Words Before All Else”
and is a prayer or speech that is recited before all major gatherings
in the Onkwehonwe community. It is significant since it outlines the
ethical, moral, cosmological and spiritual relationships within the
Iroquoian worldview. During the address the speaker will gather the
thoughts of the people and direct prayers and acknowledgment to
the natural world such as to Mother Earth, the waters and water life,
plant world, medicines, all animals, winds, thunder, sun and moon,
stars, elders, unborn children, spiritual beings, people and the Creator.
The Haudenosaunee people were environmentalists.
By acknowledging their place within the environment the people
became the custodians, trustees, stewards and guardians of the
natural world. It is our responsibility to maintain harmony and the
intricate natural balance of the universe.
The Importance of the Circle
The continuous circle symbol represents the natural cycles of Life and
is a predominant symbol in all Onkwenhonwe teachings. Recognizing
the symbol of the circle is a way of affirming connection to the Earth
and the natural cycles.
View video here: http://youtu.be/RL4CmGx1EmQ
Objective:
Upper Canada).
Students will learn about the Onkwenhonwe peoples’ practice of stewardship of the environment and will explore how they can
employ these actions and ideas to their own lives.
Materials:
•
Computer with internet access
•
Library resources
•
Chalk and chalkboard
•
Markers and whiteboard
•
Pictures, Magazines, Posters
•
Scissors
•
Drawing utensils
•
Glue or tape
Directions:
•
Have students sit in a circle.
•
Share with students The Thanksgiving Address video clip
and The Importance of the Circle information.
•
Lead a discussion with the following guiding questions:
How am I connected to nature? In what ways am I
responsible for my world? What am I thankful for?
•
Write down all of the students ideas on the board or on a
large sheet of paper.
•
As a group, create a circular collage of images and ideas
that represent the students’ ideas.
JUNIOR EXTENSION (GRADES 4-5): PERSONAL THANKSGIVING ADDRESSES
Directions:
•
Once students have completed their collage, explain that
they are to write their own Thanksgiving Addresses which
reflect the images that they used in their collages.
•
Each address should begin with the phrase: Greetings to
the Natural World…
•
Encourage students to choose four other topics that
they would like to include in their address (i.e The People,
The Earth Mother, The Waters, The Medicine, etc.). Have
students include in their address one or two lines about
why they are thankful for their chosen topics.
•
If there is time, form a large circle with the whole class and
have students read their addresses aloud to one another
each other.
Debriefing Questions (All Grades):
Why do you think the Thanksgiving Address is used?
What did you learn in the creation of your own Thanksgiving
Addresses?
How does giving thanks connect to the practice of
stewardship?
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A Story Before TIme Study Guide
Post-Show Questions
•
•
•
How did the human characters and the animal characters
work together in the story? What did this teamwork allow
them to achieve?
Where in the performance did we see characters take
responsibility for their environment?
How did The Bent One and Holder of the Heavens’
relationship change the world?
•
•
What does rivalry mean? What impact do rivalry and
conflict have on our world?
Why do people dance? What are some different reasons
that we use dance today (i.e. in celebration, ceremony, or
to tell a story)?
POST-SHOW EXERCISE 1: BALANCE IN NATURE
The characters of Holder of the Heavens and The Bent One represent the important idea of duality and Balance:
Objective:
Materials:
In this exercise, students will explore the idea of duality by
•
Space in which to move
physically experimenting with contrasting character traits and
actions.
Positive (right) forces
Negative (wrong) forces
Light
Dark
Female forces
Male forces
The real or earthly world
The other or spirit world
Lifegiving forces
Lifetaking forces
Directions:
•
As a class, brainstorm different gestures or movements
which express emotions. Ask the students to experiment
with variety types of gestures, using their whole body in
the action.
•
Split students into pairs, assigning one as A and one as B.
•
Student A will represent the positive forces, while Student
B will represent the negative forces characteristics.
•
Have Student A make a gesture of their choosing that
represents a positive force.
•
Student B will mirror their partner’s movements.
•
Have students repeat this several times, having A and B
alternate as leaders.
DANCES AND SONGS
Embedded within all Onkwehonwe ceremonies are elements of
storytelling, song and dance. It is believed that song and dance were
gifts given to the people to honour Life.
There is a distinction between sacred and social song and dance.
Sacred songs and dances include: curing dances, sacred society
dances and sustenance songs and dances. Social dances function as
social celebrations and often end a ceremonial cycle.
Stylistically, songs and dances are simplistic in structure to
encourage participation by all people regardless of age, gender and
ability. Most dances follow a counter-clockwise circle, the elliptical
path of the earth and order of the universe.
Debriefing Questions:
Which did you most enjoy: being the leader or the follower of
the movement?
How did your movements connect to emotional expression?
Did certain movements make you feel particular emotions?
Other than movement, how else do people express character
traits or their feelings?
Onkwehonwe social dances can be categorized into three basic
types of step styles:
•
Stomp Dance
•
Fish Dance a dance where each foot hits in two or more
consecutive beats
•
Shuffle Dance a side-step shuffle where the right foot and the
left foot shuffle oppositely
In all dances the feet hit or stomp the ground on beat with the
music. Energy flow of the steps travels in a circular pattern through
the body. In a rebound quality the foot stomps and the upper body
remains loose and bouncy. There is no tension held in the body
including the neck, shoulders, arms and torso. All dancers’ foot
stomps should be heard and in unison.
POST-SHOW EXERCISE 2: LEARNING INDIGENOUS DANCES
Objective:
Students will learn the basis of the traditional indigenous dances of the Onkwehonwe people featured in A Story Before Time.
Materials:
•
Space in which to move
•
Computer with internet access
•
Appendix C: Traditional Dances
•
Music
Directions:
•
As a class, read about the Onkwehonwe Dances and
Songs.
•
Visit the A Story Before Time page on our website to
watch a demonstration of the Stomp Dance, Rabbit Dance,
Round Dance and Old Moccasin Dance.
•
Use the instructional videos on the website, along with
Appendix C: Traditional Dances to teach students the basic
steps of these dances.
•
Practice these dances and have students perform for, and
8
teach them to, another class.
Debriefing Questions:
How were elements of these dances incorporated into the
production of A Story Before Time?
How did they help to tell the story of the Sky Woman?
How is dance important to different cultures? Where else do
we see people dance in our lives?
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A Story Before TIme Study Guide
POST-SHOWEXERCISE 3: CHARACTER EXPLORATION THROUGH CONTROLLED MOVEMENT
Objective:
In this exercise, students will collectively explore the physicality of the characters in A Story Before Time through experimenting
with body, space, energy and tempo.
Materials:
•
Space in which to move
•
Music (particularly drumming or Indigenous flute music)
Directions:
•
Review the characters from A Story Before Time (listed below).
Character list:
Sky Woman
Sky Beings
Hanging Flower
Holder of the Heavens
The Bent One
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
West Wind
Turtle
Beaver
Otter
Muskrat
Chipmunk
Deer
Raccoon
Geese
Have students find a space in the room where they can swing their arms freely.
Choose one of the characters listed for the whole class to focus on.
While standing in one spot have the students explore the specific body shapes and possible movements of that character.
Encourage students to use their whole bodies.
Once students have explored the movements of their characters in
one spot, ask them to move around the space, exploring movements
Teacher Prompts (to be read as students move):
as they travel. Students should try to work on their own and move into
What shape am I? Am I big, small, round, twisted,
the open spaces of the room.
curved, angular, straight?
Begin by asking the students to move as one particular character
How would I move? Would I walk, run, swim, fly?
around the room in different directions (forwards, sideways,
Would I move slowly or quickly?
backwards, etc.).
How would I move my head, arms, legs, back,
Now ask the students to try various actions such as jumping, leaping,
shoulders, knees, feet?
skipping, creeping, prancing, wiggling, crawling or sliding.
Ask the students to experiment with different tempos, moving slowly,
quickly, freezing on the spot, moving in slow motion, etc.
Each time, choose a different character and start the movement
exploration from the beginning, standing in one spot and then
progressing to moving around the room.
End the exercise by having students explore movement with a character of their choosing.
If time allows, split the class into two groups and have one group of students continue their movement exploration while the
other watch. Then, switch groups.
Debriefing Questions:
What was your favourite character to explore? Why?
Was it easier to stand still or move around the room as the character?
What was easy about this exercise? What was challenging?
What did it feel like when you changed from one character to the other?
POST-SHOW CULMINATING EXERCISE: DANCE PHRASES
Objective:
In this exercise, students will integrate and apply their learning from the previous exercises by creating simple dance phrases that
will retell a section of A Story Before Time.
Materials:
•
Space in which to move
Directions:
•
Explain what an ABA dance phrase (definitionon pg. 4) is and experiment as a class with how to create one together using
the movement work from Post Show Excerise #3 (i.e. choose one character from the play and apply an ABA dance phrase
together to represent that character).
•
Place students in groups of 4 and ask them to collectively create an ABA Dance Phrase that represents a character from the
story. Remind students to experiment with different sizes, levels, space and tempo.
•
Give students 15 minutes to create a phrase.
•
Give each group time to perform the phrase for the class.
Debriefing Questions:
What did it feel like to perform the dance phrases as a group?
What was it like creating these together?
What was your favourite type of movement to perform and to watch? Why?
How did creating your own movements compare to learning the indigenous social dances in the previous exercises?
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A Story Before TIme Study Guide
Appendices
APPENDIX A - A STORY BEFORE TIME SCENE SYNOPSIS
SCENES ONE AND TWO
A very long time ago there existed a wondrous place called Sky World. In this world high above
the clouds lived a great nation of Sky Beings known as Sky Dwellers. Sky Beings looked exactly
like human beings but their bodies were made of light. In the middle of the Sky World grew a
great Celestial Tree. The sacred tree shone so brightly it lit up the entire Sky World. A beautiful
Sky Being named Sky Woman becomes ill and the Great Chief cures her. They fall in love and
marry. She becomes pregnant. The Great Chief is told in a dream that Sky Woman must leave
Sky World. In the dream he is told to place her beneath the roots of the Celestial Tree.
SCENES THREE AND FOUR
The Celestial Tree at the centre of Sky World is uprooted and Sky Woman falls down through
the hole into Water World. The water animals below are amazed to see a Sky Being falling
toward them in a beam of light. They form a council and decide to send the geese to catch her
and carry her down. A giant snapping turtle volunteers her shell for Sky Woman to land upon.
Three animals, Beaver, Otter and Muskrat dive deep in the sea to gather mud for Sky Woman
to spread on the hard shell of Turtle. Only Muskrat succeeds. Sky Woman dances a “Woman’s
Shuffle Dance”, spreading the mud across Turtle’s back. As she sings and dances, Turtle’s shell
expands and becomes Turtle Island.
SCENES FIVE TO NINE
Sky Woman gives birth to a daughter, Hanging Flower, and they enjoy their life on Turtle
Island. Hanging Flower plays with all the animals, especially enjoying the otters. However she
is lonely, and sits singing, longing for someone to befriend her. A Thunder Being called West
Wind hears her songs and falls in love with her. He sings her a lullaby and she falls to sleep.
SCENES TEN TO THIRTEEN
Sky Woman finds two arrows (one dull and one sharp) that are a sign Hanging Flower is
pregnant, and they happily prepare for the birth of twin boys. The twins named Holder of the
Heavens and The Bent One are quarrelsome even in the womb and when it comes time for
their birth, the second twin, The Bent One, cuts through his mother’s arm pit and she dies.
Sky Woman arrives to find the other twin, Holder of the Heavens standing beside his lifeless
mother and The Bent One pointing accusingly at his brother. Sky Woman banishes Holder of
the Heavens to the wilderness. The Three Sisters (Squash, Corn and Beans) plants grow out of
Hanging Flower’s body as a symbol of her nurturing spirit.
SCENES FOURTEEN TO SEVENTEEN
Sky Woman raises The Bent One, but neglects Holder of the Heavens, who must live alone
with only the animals for friends. Holder of the Heavens learns the powers of creation and
creates many beautiful creatures such as raccoons, chipmunks, and deer. Sky Woman grows
old and dies. Holder of the Heavens places her in the sky where she becomes Grandmother
Moon. Jealous of his brother’s beautiful creations, The Bent One creates dangerous rapids,
poisonous fruit, and such animals as the skunk. Eventually the brothers meet and have a
series of contests to see who will rule Turtle Island. As they run, tumble and wrestle, the skies
thunder and their actions create the valleys, mountains and rivers we know today. Holder of
the Heavens is victorious and the two agree to stop fighting and share Turtle Island with all
its creatures. Holder of the Heavens and The Bent One live in harmony on Turtle Island and
therefore, the first world here on earth, our world today, has a Balance of light and dark, good
and bad, right and wrong.
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APPENDIX B: GRAPHIC NOVEL TEMPLATE
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APPENDIX C: TRADITIONAL DANCES
Stomp Dance (Gada:tro:t) Video: http://youtu.be/bQwYJ_X-YGk
The Stomp Dance called the Gada:tro:t is the first dance to be performed at a social dance. It is also referred to as a trotting
dance because the movement resembles a fast walk.
Stomp Dance Steps:
•
Call leader at the start of the line, followed by the response call second leader and then the rest of the group following
behind alternating between male and female.
•
Step with right foot.
•
Close or gather the left floor to the right foot position.
•
Accent the lead foot.
•
The stepping foot rhythm remains steady and unchanging such as a heart beat.
•
The rhythm is also kept by using a horn rattle.
The New Women’s Shuffle Dance (Ehsga:Nye: Gae:Nase) Video: http://youtu.be/GFkylmuUZqU
The New Women’s Shuffle dance honours the female connection to Creation and nature. Travelling in a counter-clockwise circle,
women gather and shuffle their feet back and forth around the circle swinging their arms on the heart beat rhythm kept by male
singers and drummers.
New Women’s Shuffle Dance Steps:
•
use a Shuffle Dance style of dance.
•
The women form a circle facing inward.
•
The women travel to the right around the circle.
•
Keeping their feet parallel to each other, twist or shuffle your feet starting with the heels down to the right, followed by
twisting toes to the right.
•
Two or more males sit in the middle of the women’s circle and sing and keep the rhythm using horn rattles and water
drums.
Rabbit Dance Video: http://youtu.be/DDF7iKn0Tjo
The Rabbit Dance is relatively new social dance in the Haudenosaunee communities.
Rabbit Dance Steps:
•
This dance starts by a woman choosing a male dance partner.
•
Couples gather to form a large circle, the couples face each other with the women forming the outside of the circle and
men create the inside of the circle.
•
Partners join hands with arms crossed (left hand hold the left hand, right hand hold the right hand).
•
Each partner takes two steps forward and one step back together traveling on a counter-clockwise path.
•
At the change of the beat, the partners turn a complete circle around themselves while keeping the beat and the dance
steps continuous.
Round Dance Video: http://youtu.be/1USMwU6V8kA
•
use a Stomp Dance style, but side-step only.
•
This dance is completed in a sideways motion with the lead foot stepping forward and to the side, then the other foot
catches up to the lead foot.
•
With a change in the beat, the dances go in the opposite direction.
•
The women will get up and dance first forming an inner circle and the men will form and outer circle moving in the
opposite direction.
•
Two or more singers will be in the middle of the circle using instruments such as the water drum and horn rattles to keep
the rhythm.
Old Moccasin Dance (Gayowaga:yoh) Video: http://youtu.be/xqid6nvn4tk
Old Moccasin Dance Steps:
•
Single file, two men lead the dance and other men join in pairs.
•
The women join the men, two at a time and join the line between the men so that the line eventually ends up as two men,
two women, two men.
•
The song changes beat and the men and women switch places, so that the women that started on the inside of two men,
end up on the outside of two men.
•
The song ends and the partners stay where they are until the next song, and they will switch places again, when the beat
changes.
Old Moccasin Dance Songs:
•
2 or more singers, usually about 6-10, in the middle using instruments such as the water drum and horn rattles to keep
the beat.
Smoke Dance Video: http://youtu.be/hWLx35PpGHQ
The Smoke Dance is a relatively new and evolving dance in the Iroquoian dance repertoire. Recently, Smoke Dance competitions
are witnessed at Inter-tribal Powwow across Turtle Island. It was originally a war dance danced only by men.
Over the past few decades while putting on “Shows” or exhibitions of Iroquoian Singing and Dancing, some singers sped up the
tempo of the old “War Dance“ songs to see if the dancers could keep up.
Smoke Dance Steps:
• “Fish Dance” style with individual variations Smoke Dance Songs.
•
Sung by a solo singer using only a water drum or skin drum
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Sources & Resources
THE TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY RECOMMENDS…
The Toronto Public Library created these supplemental reading lists to help our audience connect with and explore more deeply
the themes and ideas found within each of our 2013-2014 season productions. Click on the titles below to link to the Toronto
Public Library website. Happy reading!
Bones in the Basket: Native Stories of the Origin of People
C.J. Taylor
Tundra Books, c. 1994.
Ribbon Rescue
Robert Munsch
North Winds Press, c. 1999.
Badger the Mischief Maker
Kay Hill
McClelland and Stewart, c 1965.
Turtle Island: Tales of the Algonquin Nation
Jane Curry
Margaret McElderry Books, c. 1999.
In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World
Virginia Hamilton
Harcourt Brace Javonovich, c. 1988.
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Paul Goble
Bradbury Press, c. 1978.
NATIVE DANCE RESOURCES
CULTURAL RESOURCES
http://nativedance.ca
Direct link to Haudenosaunee content:
http://nativedance.ca/index.php/Haudenosaunee/Traditional_
Dances
Six Nations: Oldest Living Participatory Democracy on Earth
www.ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/
Earth Songs
http://www.ohwejagehka.com
YouTube – Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Indian Dance & Songs
Part I:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnR1bKTF3jg
YouTube - Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Indian Dance & Song
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5uCUZC2YBs&feature=rel
ated
Six Nations of the Grand River Culture and History
http://www.sixnations.ca/
Six Nations Tourism
www.sntourism.com
Native American Home Page – Nations
Lists numerous Nations from across North America
www.nativeculturelinks.com/nations.htm
The Woodland Cultural Centre
www.woodland-centre.on.ca
Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy Stomp Dance Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq8We0FS4nU&feature=related
Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy Stomp Dance Part 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7xCwlLs8Oo&feature=related
A Story Before Time DANCE IN EDUCATION:
http://www.artsalive.ca/en/
Be sure to explore the section on the Choreographer’s Toolbox
http://www.artsalive.ca/en/dan/make/toolbox/chtoolbox.asp
See also the section on creating your own animated
choreography:
http://www.artsalive.ca/en/dan/yourturn/virtualdance/
Get more ideas on writing reviews of dance performances
http://www.artsalive.ca/en/dan/yourturn/write/review.asp
YOUNGPEOPLESTHEATRE.CA
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A Story Before TIme Study Guide
YOUNG PEOPLE’S THEATRE
YPT is the largest
Theatre for Young
Audences (TYA)
company in Canada
and a significant
institution in the
Canadian professional theatre
community. Over
our 48-year history
we have produced
many of the most
important works
that now form the
canon of plays for young audiences
in this country. At the heart of founder Susan
Rubes’ idea for Young People’s Theatre
(YPT) was a belief that children deserve a
theatre of their own – with resources and
standards no lesser than those for adults.
She believed – as we do today – that young
people deserve good theatre because
theatre is good for young people.
Through the communal experience of the
theatre we create for them, children can
receive indications of what is important,
funny, trivial; positive, negative, wrong, right,
rightish, wrongish; frightening, reassuring,
empowering, unavoidable; familiar, new,
eternal … We strongly believe that even
through the most playful of plays, we are
speaking powerfully to children about the
community and the world in which they live.
Therefore, at the centre of the artistic policy
of YPT is a desire to have a positive and
lasting impact on the emotional, social, and
intellectual development of young people.
We want children to be imprinted with
experiences that will increase their access
to the world, in order for them to grow into
the unique and wonderful people they were
born to be. To do this, our programming is
drawn from the world classics of children’s
14
stories, from contemporary works, from the
new plays we develop, and from productions
showcasing the most innovative and
accomplished theatre for young audiences
by other Canadian and international theatre
companies.
At YPT, because we are serious about child
development through theatre art, children
can experience our work as either audience
members or theatre creators. We extend
the learning opportunities of our professional productions through our substantial
Education & Participation Department. The
Department’s services for teachers and
students helps connect curriculum objectives and learning outcomes to the content of
our professional productions; its Community
Participation projects link our theatre skill
with the educational aspirations of partners
who are dedicated to the growth of young
people; our interest-based Drama School
offers young people the chance to engage
deeply in the excitement of theatre art; and
our Community Volunteer programme offers
everyone who wants it, the opportunity to
participate in the mission of YPT.
YPT is not only a professional theatre for
young audiences but a vital communitybased centre of arts education.
Allen MacInnis
artistic director
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A Story Before TIme Study Guide
Subsidized Programs for Schools
YPT provides subsidized programs to qualifying schools through our Connections and Arts Impact initiatives,
which offer students and teachers the ability to experience, participate and learn through live theatre. It is only
with the generous support of our Education Partner, BMO Financial Group and our Arts Impact Sponsor, Great
West Life, London Life & Canada Life, along with Tippet Foundation and an anonymous donor, that these programs are made possible. Please visit youngpeoplestheatre.ca for additional information.
EDUCATION PARTNER
ARTS IMPACT PARTNER
YOUNGPEOPLESTHEATRE.CA
15
A Story Before TIme Study Guide
Allen MacInnis
Artistic Director
Nancy J. Webster
Executive Director
EDUCATION & PARTICIPATION DEPARTMENT
AMBER EBERT
INTERIM EDUCATIONAL SERVICES DIRECTOR
416.363.5131 X230
AEBERT@YOUNGPEOPLESTHEATRE .CA
16
416.862.2222 | YOUNGPEOPLESTHEATRE.CA
| 165 FRONT STREET EAST, TORONTO ON. M5A 3Z4
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