ONSTAGE 2017/ 18 RE SOU RC E G UIDE STEVE WINTER COLIN BRENNAN RACHEL NEVILLE

Transcription

1 ONSTAGE 2017/ 18 RE SOU RC E G UIDE STEVE WINTER COLIN BRENNAN RACHEL NEVILLE

2 ABOUT OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS RESIDENT ORGANIZATIONS Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society Children's Theater of Madison Forward Theater Company Kanopy Dance Company Li Chiao-Ping Dance Company Madison Ballet Madison Opera Madison Symphony Orchestra Wisconsin Academy s James Watrous Gallery Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra RESOURCE GUIDE CREDITS Executive Editor Writer/Designer Overture Center for the Arts fills a city block in downtown Madison with world-class venues for the performing and visual arts. Made possible by an extraordinary gift from Madison businessman W. Jerome Frautschi, the center presents the highest-quality arts and entertainment programming in a wide variety of disciplines for diverse audiences. Offerings include performances by acclaimed classical, jazz, pop, and folk performers; touring Broadway musicals; quality children s entertainment; and world-class ballet, modern and jazz dance. Overture Center s extensive outreach and educational programs serve thousands of Madison-area residents annually, including youth, older adults, people with limited financial resources and people with disabilities. The center is also home to ten independent resident organizations. Internationally renowned architect Cesar Pelli designed the center to provide the best possible environment for artists and audiences, as well as to complement Madison s urban environment. Performance spaces range from the spectacular 2,255-seat Overture Hall to the casual and intimate Rotunda Stage. The renovated Capitol Theater seats approximately 1,100, and The Playhouse seats 350. In addition, three multi-purpose spaces provide flexible performance, meeting and rehearsal facilities. Overture Center also features several art exhibit spaces. Overture Galleries I, II and III display works by Dane County artists. The Playhouse Gallery features regional artists with an emphasis on collaborations with local organizations. The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters Watrous Gallery displays works by Wisconsin artists, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art offers works by national and international artists. Meri Rose Ekberg Danielle Dresden

3 MOMIX: Opus Cactus Overture Center OnStage 1 Dear Teachers, In this resource guide you will find valuable information that will help you apply your academic goals to your students performance experience. We have included suggestions for activities which can help you prepare students to see this performance, ideas for follow-up activities, and additional resources you can access on the web. Along with these activities and resources, we ve also included the applicable Wisconsin Academic Standards in order to help you align the experience with your curriculum requirements. This Educator s Resource Guide for this OnStage presentation of MOMIX: Opus Cactus is designed to: Extend the scholastic impact of the performance by providing discussion ideas, activities and further reading which promote learning across the curriculum; Promote arts literacy by expanding students knowledge of music, science, storytelling and theatre; Illustrate that the arts are a legacy reflecting the values, custom, beliefs, expressions and reflections of a culture; Use the arts to teach about the cultures of other people and to celebrate students own heritage through self-reflection; Maximize students enjoyment and appreciation of the performance. We hope this performance and the suggestions in this resource guide will provide you and your students opportunities to apply art learning in your curricula, expanding it in new and enriching ways. Enjoy the Show! Education Categories Table of Contents About Opus Cactus... 2 About Momix and Moses Pendleton... 3 The Desert and What Lives There Non-Verbal Communication...6 Post-Performance Questions & Resources...7 Amazing Animal Adaptations Activity Activity Worksheet...10 Arts Social Emotional Science Academic Standards...11 About Live Performance...12 We Want Your Feedback! OnStage performances can be evaluated on-line! Evaluations are vital to the future and funding of this program. Your feedback educates us about the ways the program is utilized and we often implement your suggestions. Survey:

4 MOMIX: Opus Cactus Overture Center OnStage 2 About MOMIX: Opus Cactus If you thought a dance performance meant classical music and people in tutus, think again. This performance could change your idea of what dance is. Moses Pendleton, the artistic director of MOMIX and choreographer of this piece, describes his surreal performance works as stream of unconsciousness. No wonder seeing Opus Cactus can feel like stepping into a dream world. Opus Cactus is a celebration of the American Southwest and the creatures that call it home. You ll see dancers becoming lizards, insects, pole vaulters, and cacti -- to name just a few of the show s transformations. The performance consists of 12 different sections, each with its own look and sound. The music you ll hear ranges from world beat to Bach to Brian Eno and Gotan Project. Black lights, colorful backdrops, sculptures, belly trolleys, harnesses, and more give each section a unique character. MOMIX Artistic Director Moses Pendleton explains his unique approach to dance in this way: When you go to make dance, you don t necessarily begin to make the dance in the dance studio. You might find it in the desert, or in the ballpark... or maybe watching the sunflowers. I continue to be interested in the using the human body to investigate non-human worlds. Our show is as much about the visual as the kinetic. We create images, sculpture; it s not exactly traditional dance, but more of a visual, physical theater. Metamorphosis, plant, animal, mineral, human, you never know. Some images might make you feel joy and surprise, others twist you into nightmare. We leave it up to the viewer as to what they might or might not be seeing. I take my cues from the natural world.

5 MOMIX: Opus Cactus Overture Center OnStage 3 About MOMIX & Moses Pendleton Just like the startling, fantastical images MOMIX is known for, the company s name can be taken at least two different ways. MOMIX was the name of a solo dance the company s founder and artistic director, Moses Pendleton, created to perform at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. It came from a shortened version of his name MOses MIX. However, MOMIX is also the name of a milk supplement Pendleton fed calves when he was growing up on a dairy farm in Vermont. The dairy farm is actually how Pendleton got his first performance experience, by exhibiting his family s Holstein cows at the Caledonian County Fair. But his performance career began in earnest after he graduated from Dartmouth College with a BA in English Literature and co-founded the acrobatic dance company, Pilobolus, and that eventually led to the creation of MOMIX. Gymnasts, dancers, illusionists, athletes The 10 multi-talented performers of MOMIX sometimes don t seem human and that s just the point. In Opus Cactus you ll see the dancers become insects, plants, part of a giant lizard and other things it s hard to put a name on. The company doesn t use special effects to create its striking visuals. All it relies on are lights, shadows, a few props, and the unbeatable combination of imaginative choreography and highly-trained human bodies. MOMIX regularly performs all around the world and has been featured in many films. Its work has been broadcast on television stations in 55 countries. One piece, Bat Habits, was created to celebrate the opening of the San Francisco Giant s spring training camp in Arizona. More About Moses Pendleton Moses Pendleton, the artistic director of MOMIX and choreographer of Opus Cactus, has been one of America's most innovative and widely performed choreographers and directors for more than 40 years. A co-founder of the Pilobolus Dance Theater in 1971, he formed his own company, MOMIX, in Pendleton has also worked in film, TV, and developed choreography for many different organizations, from the Joffrey Ballet to the Deutsch Opera Berlin to the Romanian National Gymnastics team to the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Pendleton was born and raised on a dairy farm in Northern Vermont. Opus Cactus Program Below are the names of the different movements or sections of Opus Cactus. What do you predict each section will look, feel or sound like based on its name? Desert Storm Cactus Wren / Morning Star Pole Dance Desert Blooms Ostrich of Imagination Prickly Pair Black Mesa Sidewinder Gila Dance Tracking the Earth Caravan

6 MOMIX: Opus Cactus Overture Center OnStage 4 The Desert... Pendleton s choreography is often inspired by nature, and for Opus Cactus the inspiration was the Sonoran Desert, which covers more than 100,000 square miles in Arizona, California, and Mexico. It is the hottest desert in Mexico. In the summer, daytime temperatures are typically over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. But once the sun goes down, the temperature can drop by as much as 60 degrees! It s common to think of deserts as dry, dusty, and abandoned places, but that s not true. While the Sonoran Desert can be very dry in some places, the average rainfall in the region ranges from 3-20 inches a year and it s thought to have more different kinds of flora and fauna than any other desert in North America....And What Lives There According to the National Park Service, the Sonoran Desert is home to: 60 species of mammals 350 species of birds The Sonoran Desert 20 species of amphibians 100 species of reptiles 30 species of native fish 2,000 species of plants Pendleton described the impact of the desert and its inhabitants on his choreography in this way, It s another kind of rhythm out in that desert. It was just so still. What caused that stillness was the impression of the giant saguaro cactus. They have a personified power and presence and size. Here s more information about some of the flora (plants) and fauna (animals) found in the desert: Cactus There are more than 1,750 different kinds of cactus plants in the world and they come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. They can be shaped like a barrel or a fishhook, as small as a finger nail, or feet tall. Some are tasty to eat (if prepared carefully) and others bloom only at night. But they all have one characteristic in common cactus plants, or cacti, are uniquely well adapted for life in a dry climate. Their shallow roots help them collect what rainwater there is, and their fleshy stems help them store it. Spines and stems protect the plant and keep it from losing too much water through evaporation. Cacti grow slowly, sometimes as little as 1/4 of an inch a year, but they are still a big part of the desert ecosystem, providing the only source of shade in these arid environments and a home for birds! The fruit and fleshy stems of some cacti, along with the nectar of the cactus flower, provide food for many animals, birds, bats, insects, and humans.

7 MOMIX: Opus Cactus Overture Center OnStage 5 Gila Monster The Gila Monster is one of only two known types of poisonous lizards. Its colorful skin pink with yellow and black shading and dark bands on its long, thick tail actually works well as camouflage. Typically inches long and weighing in at 3-5 pounds, the Gila Monster hunts small mammals, birds, insects, and even other lizards, using its venom to disable its prey. Due to habitat destruction and the pet trade, the Gila Monster is approaching endangered status and is legally protected in Arizona. Sidewinder The sidewinder, a poisonous snake found in the deserts and rocky hillsides of the Southwest, got its name because of the way it moves. Just two sections of the snake s body touch the ground at a time, which protects the snake from the hot sand as it throws its body from side to side. A member of the rattlesnake family, it is also known as the horned rattlesnake because of scales above its eyes, which help protect it from the desert sun and sand as it lies waiting for its prey to come within striking distance. Saguaro Cactus The Sonoran Desert is the only place where you can find this cactus growing in nature. This well-adapted plant can store up to 160 liters of water in its roots, so it can thrive for a long time without water. If growing conditions are good, a saguaro cactus can live for years. This explains why, even though the saguaro is very slow-growing, it can still wind up being feet tall and is the largest cactus in the U.S. It grows in a columnar-shape and forms branches, or arms, as it matures. Some never grow any arms and some grow as many as 25! Discussion Questions What did the performance show you about the plants and creatures that live in the desert? What characteristics do desert plants and animals have that help them survive in this unique environment? How do they get the food, water, and shelter they need to survive? What senses do they use? How do desert plants and animals relate to each other and the larger environment?

8 MOMIX: Opus Cactus Overture Center OnStage 6 Non-Verbal Communication Dance is all about communicating without words. In dance, expression is created by the human body and movement, along with all the other production elements, such as music, costumes, props, and lighting. Body language is a big part of non-verbal communication and we all use it, sometimes without even meaning to. Body language includes facial expressions, posture, how close we are to others, type of eye contact, hand movements, gestures and other body movements. Definitions Opus Opus is a term used to describe any work of art, particularly a large one. A major musical composition is often referred to as an opus and may be followed by a number, such as Beethoven s opus 61. Choreography Choreography is the art of designing a sequence of movements, steps, and patterns for individuals to follow in a dance, figure skating routine, or other performance event. Kinetic Kinetic comes from the Greek word to move. When used to describe a work of art, such as a sculpture or a dance, it means movement contributes to the impact of the artwork. Prop An object used in a performance. Discussion Questions What examples of body language have you seen people using to communicate in everyday life? How can you tell if someone is really nervous, excited or angry? Can you tell if someone is frightened by observing his or her body language? What kinds of movements are welcoming? Can you give an example of a time when someone s words didn t match his or her body language?

9 MOMIX: Opus Cactus Overture Center OnStage 7 Post-Performance Discussion Questions In what ways did dancers use their bodies? Did you see any physically demanding parts? What were they? Did you see any physical jokes? What were they? How were props used in the production? Can you describe a visual illusion you saw? How did the lighting affect your emotions? How were costumes used to create a character? What different colors did you see in the show? How did they change the mood? Describe the different music you heard in the show. How did it affect your feelings? Describe the ways you saw dancers working together. How did the performance differ from what you expected? Additional Resources Enjoy a preview of the performance here. A longer clip of Opus Cactus. Listen to the music used in Black Mesa here. This biographical video offers a closer look at Moses Pendleton. General information on contemporary dance. A more in-depth look at Environmental Dance. This is a great resource on arts education. Background on the Sonoran Desert. Information from the National Parks Service. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum site. Check out this excellent article by Douglas H. Chadwick, Life in the Desert: Songs of the Sonoran, published in National Geographic.

10 MOMIX: Opus Cactus Overture Center OnStage 8 Activity - Amazing Animals Adaptations! Grades 4-8 Learning Objective: Students will be able to determine various ways that an animal could adapt to a specific habitat. Materials and Preparation: American Landforms worksheet (one per student) Various art supplies, such as construction paper, markers, scissors, and glue Key Terms: adapt habitat physical adaptation camouflage behavioral adaptation Introduction (5 minutes) 1. Ask students to discuss the following question: What do people do to adapt to winter weather? 2. Tell students that adapt means to change something about your appearance, behavior, or surroundings to make it easier to live and survive. 3. Have some students share out. Students may say things like: wear winter clothes, use blankets, salt the sidewalks, and stay indoors. 4. Tell students that animals must also adapt to their habitat, or place where they live, to survive. Explicit Instruction/Teacher Modeling (10 minutes) 5. Tell students that there are two basic ways that animals adapt to their habitats. One way is by changing the way that they look. This is called a physical adaptation. For example, a deer can camouflage, or blend in, with its brown forest surroundings. A duck has webbed feet to help it swim in the water. Ask students to share some other physical adaptations that they know of. Another way an animal adapts to its habitat is by changing the way it acts. This is called a behavioral adaptation. For example, a bear hibernates in the winter. Geese fly south for the winter. Ask students to share some other behavioral adaptations that they know of.

11 MOMIX: Opus Cactus Overture Center OnStage 9 Guided Practice/Interactive Modeling (5 minutes) 6. Explain that students will be creating a new animal. They can use supplies to draw a picture of their animal or create a three-dimensional sculpture. 7. First, students will read the worksheet American Landforms. Then, they will choose the habitat in which their animal will live. The animal they create must visually demonstrate at least two physical adaptations. 8. When students are finished creating their animals, they must write about the two physical adaptations as well as two behavioral adaptations that their animal has. Independent Working Time (40 minutes) 9. Pass out the American Landforms worksheet and have students silently read it. When students are finished, they should choose a habitat in which they would like their animal to live. 10. Students should brainstorm what their animal will look like, how it will act, and what it will be named. Give students ample time to create their new creature and write about its adaptations. Assessment (5 minutes) 11. Use the students written work to determine that they understand the difference between physical and behavioral adaptations, and that their adaptations match the landforms and climate of the habitat. Review and Closing (5 minutes) 12. Ask students to set their animals and written work on their tables, and walk around the room to look at their classmates creative work!

12 MOMIX: Opus Cactus Overture Center OnStage 10 Worksheet American Landforms American Landforms A landform region is an area of land that has similar landforms all over it. The Unites States is made up of the following regions: Coastal Plain The Coastal Plain is one of the largest landform regions in the U.S. It s made up of low, flat land and extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. In the Coastal Plain, you ll find wetlands. Appalachians West of the Coastal Plain lie the Appalachian mountains. The oldest mountains in North America, they are smooth and round, having been worn down over centuries of erosion. The mountains and the areas around them are covered in trees, and the highest peaks in the range are around 6,700 feet high! Interior Plains The Interior Plains are the biggest region, stretching across the middle of the country and covering many states. The Interior Plains are mostly flat, with forests to the east and grasslands to the west. Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains fall to the West of the Great Plains and make up an entire region. The mountain range extends all the way up and down the country, from Mexico to Canada. While the Appalachians are smooth after centuries of erosion, the Rockies are younger and are much sharper and more jagged. Some points in the Rockies are high enough to be covered by snow year round. The West West of the Rocky Mountains, the land is uneven and unpredictable. Deserts, beaches, forests and mountain ranges live side by side. The Great Basin, a low, flat area surrounded by higher ground, makes up much of Nevada and some of the states around it. Death Valley in California is the lowest point on the continent, more than 280 feet below sea level. Along the coast, the beaches range from sandy and sunny to cold and rocky.

13 MOMIX: Opus Cactus Overture Center OnStage 11 Academic Standards Life Science SCI.LS1. Structure and Processes SCI.LS1.A.4 Plants and animals have both internal and external macroscopic structures that allow for growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction. SCI.LS1.A.m All living things are made up of cells. In organisms, cells work together to form tissues and organs that are specialized for particular body functions. SCI.LS1.B.m Animals engage in behaviors that increase the odds of reproduction. An organism s growth is affected by both genetic and environmental factors. SCI.LS1.C.5 Food provides animals with the materials and energy they need for body repair, growth, warmth, and motion. Plants acquire material for growth chiefly from air, water, and process matter, and obtain energy from sunlight, which is used to maintain conditions necessary for survival. SCI.LS1.D: Information Processing SCI.LS1.D.4 Different sense receptors are specialized for particular kinds of information; animals use their perceptions and memories to guide their actions. SCI.LS.2 Ecosystems SCI.LS2.A.5 The food of almost any animal can be traced back to plants. Organisms are related in food webs in which some animals eat plants for food and other animals eat the animals that eat plants, while decomposers restore some materials back to the soil. SCI.LS2.A.m Organisms and populations are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors, any of which can limit their growth. Competitive, predatory, and mutually beneficial interactions vary across ecosystems but the patterns are shared. SCI.LS.4 Evolution SCI.LS4.C.3 Particular organisms can only survive in particular environments. SCI.LS4.C.m Species can change over time in response to changes in environmental conditions through adaptation by natural selection acting over generations. Traits that support successful survival and reproduction in the new environment become more common. Dance Critical Thinking E.4.1 Identify how dance movement is similar to and different from ordinary movement E.4.2 Observe and describe similarities and differences in basic movement patterns E.4.3 Identify the movement elements in creative movement studies E.8.2 Demonstrate appropriate audience behavior while watching dance performances, and discuss their opinions about the dances with their peers in a supportive and constructive way E.8.4 Identify possible criteria for evaluating dance (such as skill of performers, originality, visual and/or emotional impact, variety, and contrast) Communication & Expression F.4.4 Interpret and react to dance through discussion F.8.4 Use and explain how different accompaniments (such as sound, music, and spoken text) can affect the meaning of a dance F.8.5 Demonstrate and/or explain how lighting and costuming can contribute to the meaning of a dance

14 MOMIX: Opus Cactus Overture Center OnStage 12 About Live Performance Theater, unlike movies or television, is a LIVE performance. This means that the action unfolds right in front of an audience, and the performance is constantly evolving. The artists respond to the audience s laughter, clapping, gasps and general reactions. Therefore, the audience is a critical part of the theater experience. In fact, without you in the audience, the artists would still be in rehearsal! Remember, you are sharing this performance space with the artists and other audience members. Your considerate behavior allows everyone to enjoy a positive theater experience. Prepare: Be sure to use the restroom before the show begins! Find Your Seat: When the performance is about to begin, the lights will dim. This is a signal for the artists and the audience to put aside conversations. Settle into your seat and get ready to enjoy the show! Look and Listen: There is so much to hear (dialogue, music, sound effects) and so much to see (costumes, props, set design, lighting) in this performance. Pay close attention to the artists onstage. Unlike videos, you cannot rewind if you miss something. Energy and Focus: Artists use concentration to focus their energy during a performance. The audience gives energy to the artist, who uses that energy to give life to the performance. Help the artists focus that energy. They can feel that you are with them! Talking to neighbors (even whispering) can easily distract the artists onstage. They approach their audiences with respect, and expect the same from you in return. Help the artists concentrate with your attention. Laugh Out Loud: If something is funny, it s good to laugh. If you like something a lot, applaud. Artists are thrilled when the audience is engaged and responsive. They want you to laugh, cheer, clap and really enjoy your time at the theater. Discover New Worlds: Attending a live performance is a time to sit back and look inward, and question what is being presented to you. Be curious about new worlds, experience new ideas, and discover people and lives previously unknown to you. Your open mind, curiosity, and respect will allow a whole other world to unfold right before your eyes! Please, don t feed the audience: Food is not allowed in the theater. Soda and snacks are noisy and distracting to both the artists and audience. Unplug: Please turn off all cell phones and other electronics before the performance. Photographs and recording devices are prohibited.

15 STEVE WINTER COLIN BRENNAN RACHEL NEVILLE Series funder American Girl s Fund for Children with additional support from the DeAtley Family Foundation, Kuehn Family Foundation, A. Paul Jones Charitable Trust, Promega Corporation, Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts, Stoughton Trailers, LLC, Nancy E. Barklage & Teresa J. Welch and by contributions to Overture Center for the Arts. Help make arts experiences real for hundreds of thousands of people at o v e r t u r e. o r g / s u p p o r t SPONSORS