Learning Guide for. Balafon

Transcription

1 Learning Guide for Balafon If you enjoyed today s program, we hope you ll consider making a donation to The Smithsonian Associates. Your contribution will help ensure that we are able to continue offering the outstanding programming you ve come to expect from The Smithsonian Associates. For more information go online to ResidentAssociates.org/levels or call Programs are made possible, in part, by gifts from få à{áéç tç \Çáà àâà ÉÇ jéåxçëá VÉÅÅ ààxx The Nora Roberts Foundation Siewchin Yong The Grace Richardson Trust (202) DTInfo@DiscoveryTheater.org DiscoveryTheater.org See our website for tickets, location, directions, resources for teachers, and much more!

2 Balafon West African Dance Ensemble The mission of Balafon West African Dance Ensemble, Inc. is to provide an insightful woman-centered perspective on West African tradition and culture to be used as a source of healing and balance by providing quality education and entertainment to audiences of all nationalities and walks of life. Guided by the artistic directorship of Mama Kadiatou Conté, a native of the Republic of Guinea, the ensemble brings to the stage an exquisite celebration of classical West African song, music, and dance reflecting more than 30 years of experience in the world of African performance arts. With its intricate display of choreography and elaborately colorful costumes, Balafon is a breath of fresh air within the contemporary African dance scene offering a unique perspective on West African tradition and culture. Officially formed in 1997 in Washington, DC, Balafon is a creative partnership among several artists who masterfully lend the natural elegance of traditional West African dance and music with amazing and heroic athleticism. For more information about this awesome troupe, please visit their website at: About Mama Kadiatou Conte As a young girl born in Conakry, Guinea West Africa in 1955, Kadiatou Conte loved to dance and sing. In 1970 she was selected to join Les Ballet Africaines, the national dance company of Guinea. She became one of the premiere dancers in Les Ballet Africaines and Ballet Djoliba. From 1970 to 1985 she traveled and performed around the world for heads of state and sold out audiences in Moscow, France, Belgium, England, Brazil, Spain, Japan, Australia, the United States and nearly every country in Africa. As a performer she served as a cultural ambassador for Guinea. While on tour in the United States she fell in love with the people of the U.S., especially the African-American community. She left the United States hoping to return one day to teach the culture of her country to the young and old alike. In 1985, Kadiatou returned to the United States, coming to Washington, DC to fulfill her dream. Kadiatou, affectionately known as Mama Kadiatou, has become a major force in the African Arts community serving as bridge between the Guinea and the Washington, DC community.

3 Facts about Guinea Full Country name: Republic of Guinea Language: French Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon Climate: generally hot and humid; monsoon-type rain season (June to November) with southwestern winds; dry season (December to May) with northeastern harmattan winds What is a Balafon? The balafon (bala, balaphone) is a resonated frame, wooden keyed percussion idiophone of West Africa. It is part of the idiophone family of tuned percussion instruments which includes the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, and the vibraphone. Sound is produced by striking the tuned keys with two padded sticks.

4 Activities: Worm Dig Introduction to activity: Explain that the kind of insects and animals in an area can tell a lot about that area. Use a local example. Then explain that in Guinea, you can find a wide variety of bugs! Today we are going to go on a dig to find out facts about Guinea. For your reference, we have collected a list of bugs found in Guinea and our area. We call it The Big Bug List. These are some of the bugs that are found in Guinea and in the Washington Metropolitan Area Spiders Beetles Ants Bees Crickets Scorpions Butterflies are Here are some bugs that unique to Guinea Tsetse Fly Certain breeds of Bees/Wasps Tarantulas These are bugs that can be found in the Washington Metropolitan Area Millipedes Praying Mantis Cockroaches Allow the children to either: dig through a specified dirt area where you have buried bug facts that have been taped to rocks. dig through a cup of pudding that you have prepared for each child, with a fact taped to a gummy worm. - go on a dig outside and then come back in and have the worm pudding snack. After the children have discovered their facts about Guinea, allow them to share their new-found information with the group. Create a Science Fair type display for your findings. Take a group snapshot and it to Discovery Theater at DTinfo@DiscoveryTheater.org. We will share it online on our Facebook page!

5 Make Your Own Drum! Introduction to activity: The drum serves many purposes in African culture. It can be used to tell stories, to pray, to celebrate, and to gather people together. At the Discovery Theater performance, you will see the drum and other percussion instruments used to provide the music for the dance presentation. As an example of how the drum is used in Guinea, you can explain that, a drummer will go sit on a nearby mountain and beat the drum. The people will then go to their fields and work to the rhythm of the drum. Today we are each going to make a drum and use them to communicate with each other. Directions: Cut butcher paper to cover the sides of the container. Paint the paper. Tape the lid to the container. Cover the top with construction paper cut into a circle. Allow 5 cm to hang from the edge of the top. Wrap it with a rubber band. Decorate the drums. These activities were adapted from gowestafrica.org Want to Watch More West African Music and Dance? Try showing some of these videos to your class before they come see Balafon. See if they recognize the dances in the live performance! How to Play the Balafon : Adama Diabaté balafon : Balafon performs at Dance Place 2007 : Balafon performs Sorsornet at the Kennedy Center 2001 : Balafon performs Guinea Fare and Makarou :

6 Explore the Nation of Guinea! Color in the landscape; fill in the names of cities you discover in your research.

7 ABOUT DISCOVERY THEATER DISCOVERY THEATER ( the Smithsonian Institution s theater for children, is dedicated to offering the best in live educational performing arts for young people. Each year, more than 50,000 children and their adults visit Discovery Theater on the National Mall to explore American history and cultures, folk tales from around the world, and exciting, accessible science and math programs. Discovery Theater performances unite ideologies, enact themes that reflect the diversity of its audiences, open avenues of self-reflection, and offer an enjoyable means for parents and teachers to demonstrate life's lessons. For more information or to purchase tickets, call or see Discovery Theater Artistic Director: Roberta Gasbarre Discovery Theater Learning Guide compiled by Anna January, additional editing by Kate Nolen and Stephen Brady February 2011 Coming up next at Discovery Theater: Junkyard Pirates with Dinorock Productions Meet puppet pirates created from recyclable materials who discover that one person s trash is another person s treasure. Nettie the Recycler explains that a pirate s favorite letter ( ARRRRRR! ) stands for Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Recycle. Educational content recommended for ages 3 to 10. Curriculum connections: Natural Science, Ecology/Recycling, Language Arts, Reading, Music Tuesday, April 19 Friday, April 22, 2011.Shows at 10:15 a.m. and 11:30a.m. Call or visit