In the Ftsteps f Ibn Battuta Study Guide Sitar Fusin Anwar Khurshid Geneviève Beaulieu Demetri Petsalakis Presented in assciatin with Prlgue t the Perfrming Art www.prlgue.rg www.sitarfusin.ca
Table f Cntents Abut the Artists Abut the Prductin Glssary Themes, Backgrund, and Histry Arts Curriculum Cnnectins Scial Studies Curriculum Cnnectins Suggested Activities Resurces 2
Abut the Artists Hailing frm Pakistan, Anwar Khurshid speaks Urdu, Pushtu, Punjabi, and Persian, and has a wrking knwledge f ther reginal languages, including Arabic. He has been immersed in the culture, and understands the intricacies, nuances, cmmn elements and differences within the regins. Trained as an Indian classical musician, he has studied and analyzed the great masters cmpsitins and cmpsed his wn. He has been cllabrating with numerus musicians representing different genres and cultures and has perfrmed internatinally. One f Anwar s aims is t cllabrate with as many diverse artists as pssible. Anwar's innvative cllabratins create music transcending categrizatin. Geneviève Beaulieu is an interpretive dancer frm Québec. She has studied Indian classical dance frms (Odissi) and cntemprary mvement practices (Imprvisatin and Integrated Dance). She cmbines these t express emtins, tell stries and interpret petry. Geneviève s dance is like petry in mvement. She is currently wrking with Prpeller Dance, an integrated dance cmpany based in Ottawa. Geneviève and Anwar have been cllabrating fr 14 years, presenting Indian classical music and dance as well as their wn creatins. Tgether they explre the themes f lve, nature, and scial justice in petry and the arts. Originally frm Athens, Greece, Demetri Petsalakis perfrms in a variety f styles with a fcus n Greek and Middle Eastern lutes. He plays a variety f string instruments, including guitar, ud, lyra, and baglama. They cme tgether as Sitar Fusin, an eclectic gathering f internatinally acclaimed artists prmting cultural diversity and understanding thrugh music and dance. Thrugh the magic f Anwar Khurshid s sitar, Geneviève Beaulieu s interpretive dance, and Demetri Petsalakis ud and lyra, they take their audience n an unfrgettable jurney acrss the sea. 3
Abut the Prductin Summary: Thrugh captivating music, dance, and narrative, Anwar Khurshid and Geneviève Beaulieu will dramatize the travels f the great medieval traveler, Ibn Battuta, as dcumented in his bk, Rihla. Ibn Battuta was an educated Berber frm Mrcc, a cuntry in Nrth Africa. He left hme at a yung age t perfrm an Islamic pilgrimage (Hajj) t Mecca, and cntinued walking 120,000 km t far-ff cuntries. He travelled thrugh Mrcc, East Africa, West Africa, mdern day Palestine/Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, Bulgaria, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, India, China, and Indnesia. With the help f the students, Anwar and Geneviève will trace his rute, shwcasing the languages, cultures, stries, and sngs f the regins he visited. Frmat: This 50-minute shw includes nine shrt selectins f vcal and instrumental music frm Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, fllwed by a brief Questin and Answer perid. Each piece includes an engaging intrductin and an interactive cmpnent, encuraging students t participate thrugh stry, sng and dance. Prgram: 1. India (Urdu): Lab be aati hai dua ban ke (A Child s Prayer) The shw pens with a musical setting f an Urdu text by the Persian pet, Allama Iqbal. The piece was immediately accepted as a schl assembly sng in India and Pakistan, and is sung there t this day. The sng aptly expresses the desire fr knwledge and self-develpment that the yung Ibn Battuta felt when he left his native land f Mrcc. Geneviève will teach the students eye and hand mvements and expressins related t the text: My desire cmes t my lips in the frm f a prayer: May my life be like that f a candle, May the darkness in the wrld disappear because f me; Because f my lustre it is bright everywhere. May I beautify my cuntry the same way as a flwer beautifies a garden, May my wrk be t stand up fr the pr And t take care and lve the weak. Gd save me frm evil and guide me alng the path f gdness. 2. Lebann/Palestine/Israel (Arabic): Bint El Shalabiya This sng is abut a girl frm the twn f Shalabiya. It describes her beautiful almnd eyes as she thinks f hw her belved wed her by singing t her under a pmegranate tree. Originally recrded by Lebanese singer Fairuz, Bint El Shalabiya is a traditinal Lebanese and Palestinian flk sng that is reputed t date back t 1901: The pretty girl with almnd eyes I lve yu frm the bttm f my heart, yu re my eyes 4
Near the bridge my lve awaits T let yu dwn, my lve, was never my intentin Yu appear in the distance, but my heart is wunded Days are n my mind, and the memries cme and g Under the pmegranate tree, my lve spke t me He sang t me sngs, h my eyes, as he wed me 3. Turkey, Greece (Greek): Nina Nai Nai Turkish music was influenced by a migratin f Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gillani in the 15th century. He brught music, art, fd, and language frm India ver t Turkey. This sng is special because the Greek peple have adpted the sng and dance. Nina nai is an expressin, like saying Opa! Greeks have a scial dance called tsifteteli. Bth f these terms appear in the lyrics. The students will be invited t clap and sway as the sng is being sung. Get up and dance, s I can see yu becme happy. Dance the Turkish tsifteteli! Nina nai! Nina nai! I will sing t yu again. Shake yur bdy! We nly live nce in this illusin; We must enjy urselves a bit. 4. Afghanistan, Pakistan (Pushtu) Shinaware la vangina (The Sund f the Water) Again this is a uniting sng frm bth Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is a very peaceful meldy frm a war-trn regin, frm which many immigrant children in Canada riginate. The students will call, lye shay as they shw the mvement f the water with their hands: In this river the water flws, Making the sund, shinaware la wangina. Eyes can talk; Talk t me thrugh eyes. 5. India, Pakistan (Sindhi) H Jamal H Jamal is a sng that celebrates the arrival f a lcal flk her, Jamal Khs Balch, in the middle f the 19th century. He was sentenced t be hung by the British and asked t drive the untested bridge f Sukkur in return fr freedm. He was successful, and was subsequently freed. The sng was riginally written by Jamal s wife, and Anwar has rewritten the lyrics t frame the immigratin experience fr a Canadian audience. The students are invited t sing H Jamal during the sng. A place where there is true, beautiful freedm, Where everyne is respected, The prince f cuntries: We have arrived safely in Canada. 6. India, Pakistan (Punjabi) Lai Beqadran Nal Yari Punjabi peple are ften cnsidered generus, lively, sensitive, and frgiving. This is a lighthearted sng celebrating gd friendships that last fr years and never break. The students will be invited t clap t keep the rhythm during the uplifting sng. I made friends with unappreciative peple My friendship with an unappreciative persn It brke ff with a crack, just like a stick. 5
7. India (Instrumental) Maharaja India has many classical dance styles which are all used t tell stries. This particular dance was inspired by the Art Gallery f Ontari s 2010 exhibit, Maharaja: The Splendur f India s Ryal Curts. This exhibitin featured artifacts and artwrk depicting the pulent lifestyles f India s great kings ver the last three centuries. This dance tells the stry f an Indian Maharaja (King) entering a village n his elephant, fllwed by his veiled Maharani (Queen). After the prcessin, the Maharani remves her elabrate jewellery and lngs fr the freedm f a cmmner, as symblized by a kite flying utside her windw. Geneviève will teach the mvements f the elephant, the veiled Queen and the flying kite. 8. India, Sri Lanka (Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam) Sargam, Knkl, Bl, Jugalbandi Oral traditin is a deeply rted and ancient learning methd that is a uniting element in an therwise culturally split and divisive India. Musicians all arund the wrld have started learning Knkl (the Eastern language f rhythm), Sargam (the Eastern equivalent f slfège), and Bl (the Nrth Indian language f the tabla). Anwar will teach the students the building blcks f this ral traditin thrugh a playful call-and-respnse interchange called Jugalbandi. 9. China Weaving a Flwer Basket Ibn Battuta s travels extended far beynd Suth Asia, as he jurneyed thrugh Eastern Eurpe and Russia all the way t China. His encunter with a hly man in a cave helps students t see that cultural cnnectins can span vast distances, and Anwar draws the students t distant lands thrugh this jyful Chinese flksng. Glssary Berber The Berbers are an ethn-linguistic grup indigenus t Nrth Africa. Bl Derived frm the Hindi wrd blna, which means t speak, the bl is a mnemnic syllable. The bls are used in Indian classical music t define the rhythm. Hajj An Islamic pilgrimage t the hly city f Mecca. This jurney shuld be dne at least nce in the lifetime f an adult Muslim. Jugalbandi In Indian classical music, it is a perfrmance featuring tw musicians. Knkl The art f perfrming percussin syllables vcally in Indian classical music. Lyra A stringed bwed musical instrument frm Greece. 6
Maharaja The title f a great ruler r king in India befre the independence f the cuntry in 1947. Maharani The wife f a Maharaja. Mudras Frm Sanskrit, it means seal r gesture. The mudras are hand gestures used in Indian classical dance. Oud A shrt-neck, pear-shaped stringed instrument used in Persian, Greek and Turkish music. Palki The carriage in which a wman is being transprted. Fr example, a Maharani in clnial times r a bride n her wedding day. Qazi Means judge in Arabic. Raag A meldic framewrk based n scales. Raags have evlved ver time thrugh traditin and practice. Each raag is assciated with the time f the day r sme with seasns. There are emtins and mds assciated with raags. Ascent and descent f ntes is defined. There is als an emphasis n certain ntes in raags arund which the meldic structure is centered. Sargam The singing ntes in Indian classical music Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Da Ni Sa, like the slfège: D, Re, Mi, Fa, S, La, Ti, D. Sitar A plucked-string musical instrument mainly used in Indian classical music. It is cnsidered t be hundreds f years ld. Lyra Oud Sitar 7
Themes, Backgrund, and Histry Scial and Cultural Themes This prject demnstrates that we can all learn and enjy music frm varius cultures and pride urselves in identifying with them. It als shws the distinctive and the cmmn aspects f different cultures. Despite Canada s cmmitment t multiculturalism, the accmplishments f Muslims in travel, science, medicine, art, and architecture are ften verlked. While the adventures f Eurpean explrers are well knwn, few students are aware f the 120,000- kilmetre jurney f Ibn Battuta, an African-brn Muslim f indigenus descent. This prject is a small effrt t bring pride back t the children f the immigrant families wh dn t find much t take pride in r relate t in the mainstream media s current prtrayal f the Muslim wrld. Children listening t music frm their regin f rigin will be able t identify and relate t it as their wn, and listeners frm ther traditins will begin t recgnize the cnnectins between music f different times and places, develping a sense f kinship with previusly unfamiliar cultural expressins. Histrical Backgrund Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta was brn in Tangier, Mrcc, n February 24th 1304. He was a Berber wh was educated as a judge. He left hme at age 21 t perfrm the Islamic pilgrimage called Hajj. He gt hked n travelling and ended up walking 120,000 km t far ff cuntries. He travelled thrugh Mrcc, East Africa, West Africa, mdern day Palestine/Israel, 8
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, Bulgaria, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, India, China, and Indnesia. Over almst 30 years, he cvered nearly every part f the Islamic wrld. He wrte a bk called Rihla in Arabic in which he describes the stries f his travels. Ibn Battuta (1304-1368) Music and Dance Cncepts Indian Music Indian classical music cnsists f frms called raags which are based n scales and have evlved ver time thrugh traditin and practice. The cncept f raag is similar t the cncept f dastgah in Persian music; maqam in Arabic music. Thus, there are cmmn raags between Arabic, Persian and Indian music. Indian classical music has its basis in flk music f Sindh, Punjab, Bengal, etc. There is a divide between Nrth and Suth music frms. The perfrmance displays the cmmnalities f these types f music as well as their specificities. Indian Dance: A Strytelling Frm In this perfrmance, the stry f the travels f Ibn Battuta is tld thrugh music and dance. The dance being presented is based n Indian Classical Dance. India has many classical dance frms. They all use a cllectin f symblic hand gestures (mudras) and facial (bhavas) and bdy expressins (rasas) t tell stries. They have a very strng theatre-drama cmpnent. Histrically perfrmed in temples, the dance dramas mainly depict varius gds enacting stries f Hindu mythlgy. Geneviève uses the idims f Indian classical dance t tell the stry f Ibn Battuta. The interpretive dance that she perfrms is als based n cntemprary dance. In cntemprary dance, imprvisatin serves as an exercise t create new dances. Imprvisatin is the prcess f creating mvement spntaneusly by explring thrugh the bdy a variety f emtins, ideas, 9
shapes, and dynamics. During the perfrmance, Geneviève will demnstrate sme simple dance mvements and invite students t learn and emulate them during the dance. Curriculum Cnnectins The Ontari Arts Curriculum encurages students t experience the arts in their wn lives, and t cnsider their rle in the lives f peple arund the wrld thrughut histry. Thrugh the arts, students are encuraged t participate actively and intuitively in meaningful cultural explratins. In the Ftsteps f Ibn Battuta supprts the Arts curriculum expectatins at every grade level, particularly thse related t the cultural expressins characteristic f different cmmunities, times, and places. Similarly, the Ontari Scial Studies curriculum encurages students t develp their sense f identity in bth lcal and glbal cntexts, and t understand hw peple arund the wrld have related t ne anther thrughut histry. This prject addresses these brad themes, and als applies directly t the study f Lcal and Glbal Cmmunities and Celebratins (Grade 2), Early Scieties (Grade 4), Heritage and Identity (Grade 6), and Glbal Settlement Patterns (Grade 8). Arts Curriculum Cnnectins The Ontari Arts Curriculum encurages students t experience the arts in their wn lives, and t cnsider its rle in the lives f peple arund the wrld thrughut histry: Thrugh study f the arts, students learn abut sme f the diverse artistic practices, bth traditinal and cntemprary, f a variety f cultures. They learn that they are part f a living and changing culture. They als learn t appreciate the similarities and differences amng the varius frms f artistic expressin f peple arund the wrld. The arts ffer students unique pprtunities t engage in imaginative and innvative thught and actin and t develp the ability t cmmunicate and represent their thughts, feelings, and ideas in numerus ways. (p. 3) Explring Frms and Cultural Cntexts fcuses n the students awareness and understanding f hw the varius arts and art frms have develped in varius times and 10
places; f the rle f the different arts in students wn lives and in the lcal, natinal, and glbal cmmunities; and f the scial and ecnmic factrs that influence hw the arts are perceived and valued. This cmpnent als encmpasses the study f cntemprary media and art frms. It is intended t help students understand that the arts are an imprtant means f recrding and expressing cultural histry and identity and are als an essential aspect f living fr all peple. (p. 14) The arts themselves can be regarded as texts r cmmentaries that reflect, recrd, celebrate, and pass n t future generatins the persnal and cllective stries, values, innvatins, and traditins that make us unique. (p. 4) Thrugh the arts, students are encuraged t participate actively and intuitively in meaningful cultural explratins. Using authentic music frm arund the glbe in an engaging, interactive frmat, In the Ftsteps f Ibn Battuta supprts the general aims and the specific expectatins f the Ontari Arts Curriculum at every grade level. Mrever, the prject teaches students that we can use dance (facial expressins and mvements) as a language t express emtins and tell stries. Students can identify the variety f rles played by the dancer. They can nte the use f space and shapes, identify elements frm their envirnment and nature depicted in the dance. It als familiarises the students with different dance frms, mainly Indian classical dance, cntemprary dance and ther flk dances (frm Lebann and Greece). Scial Studies Curriculum Cnnectins The Ontari Scial Studies curriculum encurages students t develp their sense f identity in bth lcal and glbal cntexts, and t understand hw peple arund the wrld have related t ne anther thrughut histry: Students develp a sense f wh they are by explring their identity within the cntext f varius lcal, natinal, and glbal cmmunities in which they participate. Students develp their understanding f where they came frm by studying past scieties, analysing cnnectins between the past and present, and explring the cntributin f past scieties t Canadian heritage (p. 10). In meeting this bjective, teachers are urged t select tpics, resurces, and examples that reflect the diversity in the classrm (p. 16), and are encuraged t invite cmmunity partners int the schl t prvide expertise, skills, materials, and prgrams that are nt available thrugh the schl (p. 17). Teachers are als encuraged t find pprtunities t bring [ELL] students languages int the classrm, using parents and cmmunity members as a resurce (p. 41). In the Ftsteps f Ibn Battuta supprts the general aims f the Scial Studies prgram at every grade level. Thrugh the perfrmance, students will be able t identify cuntries f persnal r familial significance and lcate them n a map. They will see the similarities and differences between cmmunities in different parts f the wrld, sme scial rganizatin, cultural practices thrugh histry, hw they may differ frm Canada tday. 11
Activities The general discussin questins and activities belw can be mdified fr use at any grade level. Advanced discussin questins are als included, based n sme f the mre cmplex scial and cultural issues raised in the curriculum dcuments. Sme f the activities and questins refer t the Maharaja prtin f the shw, which yu can read abut in detail in the Resurces sectin f this dcument. Pre-shw Questins What is an explrer? Can yu name any famus explrers? Where did they g? What did they see? Have yu ever travelled t anther cuntry? What was it like? Are there places yu wuld like t explre sme day? What wuld it be like t travel arund the wrld n ft, withut a phne r GPS? What kinds f music and dance d yu experience with yur family? Have yu ever experienced music r dance frm anther part f the wrld? What did yu think? Have yu ever heard f Ibn Battuta? Why d yu think he is less well-knwn than smene like Christpher Clumbus? Wh has heard the fllwing musical instruments befre: sitar, ud, lyra? Wh has seen a dance perfrmance befre? What style f dance was it? What kind f mvements d yu remember? D yu take dance lessns? What style f dance? Hw can yu tell stries thrugh dance (hand gestures, facial expressins, cstumes, etc.)? Pre-shw Activities Watch a dcumentary r read a bk abut Ibn Battuta s travels (see Resurces). Cmpare different frms f travel literature (guidebks, brchures, blgs, etc.). On a large classrm map, highlight students cuntries f rigin, places they have travelled, and/r places abut which they are curius. Take a survey f languages spken by students at the schl. Watch r learn simple flk sngs, stries, and/r dances frm sme f the places Battuta visited (see Resurces). Make a list f wrld instruments students have seen r heard. Intrduce instruments that will be featured in the shw. Hw are they the same? Hw are they different? 12
What t watch and listen fr during the perfrmance: The dancer s facial expressins (happy, sad, prud, scared) The dancer s hand gestures. What d they represent? The cstumes wrn by the dancer (including jewellery, ankle bells) The mvement changes when the music change (speed, md) Identify the instruments being played and where they came frm Hw the rhythm changes, hw the meldies make yu feel. Pst-shw Questins Did anyne recgnize any languages, sngs, r places frm their wn experiences? Did anyne see r hear anything that was different frm what they had experienced befre? What was the mst interesting part f the shw fr yu? Why? What are yu curius abut? What did yu nt like? What inspired yu? D yu have questins fr the artists that yu did nt get t ask? Can yu name the instruments used in the perfrmance? Can yu shw a gesture, mvement that yu remember seeing? What des it mean? Can yu name the cuntries visited by Ibn Battuta? Which ne was yur favurite and why? If we went n Battuta s jurney tday, what wuld we see? What might be the same? What might have changed? What des it mean t be an explrer tday? D yu think there are still places that have nt been discvered? Hw d music and dance help us t express and understand ur cultures? Which part f the perfrmance did yu have truble understanding? Pst-Shw Activities Scial Studies: Add Battuta s travel destinatins t the classrm map yu created befre the shw. Where is there verlap with ur wn experiences? Are there places we wuldn t have cnsidered withut seeing the shw? Research the places n Battuta s rute: Each persn/grup describes the gegraphical characteristics f a different regin Cmpare Battuta s destinatins with each ther, and/r with a Canadian cmmunity Investigate ways in which these regins have changed r stayed the same since Battuta s time Investigate means f transprtatin in different regins and time perids Language: Research the rigins f English wrds that cme frm languages Battuta wuld have heard n his travels. Fr instance, the fllwing terms are all derived frm the Arabic language: adbe, alchemy, chemistry, alchl, algebra, algrithm, assassin, average, benzene, brn, candy, cffee, cttn, henna 13
Creative Writing: Travel writing: Write yur wn brchure, guidebk, article, r blg abut a place yu have visited Speculative fictin: Imagine yu are an explrer setting ut n an expeditin t a new land. Describe yur experiences. Histrical fictin: Write a stry frm the perspective f Battuta r ne f the peple he encuntered. Petry: Write a cllectin f pems in the style f Iqbal r anther Eastern pet (see Resurces) (Aut)Bigraphy: Write the stry f Battuta s life frm his r anther persn s perspective Write Battuta s life stry as a series f blg psts r jurnal entries Write Battuta s life stry as it wuld appear n scial media tday (e.g. create a Facebk page with a prfile, status updates, friends lists, pht albums, cmments, etc.) Create a living timeline r wax museum in which each persn/grup represents a different stage f Battuta s life/jurney Math: Persnal reflectin: Reflect n the shw r n selected passages frm Battuta s writings Calculate the distances traveled n Battuta s jurneys. Hw many ftsteps wuld he have taken? Research the cntributins f Arab mathematicians and navigatrs in the Middle Ages (e.g. circumference f the earth, algebra, astrnmy, etc.) Fine Arts: Create an artistic representatin f a traditinal pem r sng, using visual art, drama, dance, music, film, petry, etc. Create an artistic representatin f the stry f the Maharaja (see Histry thrugh the Arts: Exhibiting a Stry thrugh Music and Dance in Resurces) Alternately, visit a related exhibit at a lcal museum (r select similar histrical images frm a print r nline surce), and create yur wn stry based n what yu see Create a class art gallery r museum exhibit, and invite ther students t cme fr a tur. Each student must be prepared t tell visitrs abut the significance f his/her artifact r perfrmance. Discuss hw the chices f the curatr influence the message f the exhibit, and the respnse f the visitr. Create an exhibit f Battuta s travels, r f ne f the ancient civilizatins he visited (see Resurces fr further ideas) Create an exhibit f tday s art/culture as it might be viewed 500 years frm nw in a museum Pst-shw Questins (Advanced) What wuld it be like if we culd nt use wrds t cmmunicate? Culd art replace spken/written language? In develping their understanding f the wrld, yung children respnd t gesture and mvement befre they react t the spken wrd. They understand and explre the use f sund befre they learn t speak. They draw pictures befre they frm letters. They dance and rle-play stries befre they learn t read. 14
Gestures, mvement, sund, and images are symbl systems fr frms f thinking and cmmunicatin that allw children, as students, t frmulate ideas and express bservatins and understandings. (Ontari Arts Curriculum, p. 54) Spend an hur r a day withut wrds, and reflect n the experience. Hw d art and culture influence ne anther? Hw des culture travel? Did the creatin and transmissin f the arts change as explrers like Ibn Battuta interacted with new peple grups? Can yu give examples? Hw has the transmissin f culture changed in the infrmatin age? Knwing smething abut the cntext in which a wrk was created can shed valuable light n the meaning f signs and symbls used in the wrk. The arts nt nly reflect scial reality but cntribute t its creatin; peple shape and are shaped by cultural interactins and wrks. (Ontari Arts Curriculum, p. 27) Geneviève is a French-Canadian dancer wh takes Indian Classical Dance and uses it t create her wn unique style. Hw d yu feel abut this? Is an art frm still authentic if it is perfrmed by peple frm utside the riginating culture? Shuld peple have the freedm t mdify traditinal music and dance, r shuld the arts be preserved in their riginal frms? Hw d traditinal art frms evlve int cntemprary expressins? Emphasis shuld be placed n understanding that dance is cntinually evlving and that innvatins develp alngside r ut f traditinal frms r practices. (Ontari Arts Curriculum, p. 15) What is the rle f the arts in preserving histry? What will tday s art frms tell future generatins abut ur lives? The arts themselves can be regarded as texts r cmmentaries that reflect, recrd, celebrate, and pass n t future generatins the persnal and cllective stries, values, innvatins, and traditins that make us unique. (Ontari Arts Curriculum, p. 4) Is there a cnnectin between art and character? Thrugh interacting with varius wrks f dance, drama, music, and visual arts, including multimedia art wrks, students deepen their awareness and appreciatin f diverse perspectives. They can empathize with the characters in a dance wrk, a drama, a sng, r a visual art wrk, and can imagine what it wuld be like t be in the same situatin as these peple. They can identify cmmn values, bth aesthetic and human, in varius wrks f art, and in ding s, increase their understanding f thers. The arts can als encurage students t be respnsible and critically literate members f sciety and citizens f the wrld. (Ontari Arts Curriculum, p. 4) What is the rle f perspective in the transmissin f histry? What is the relatinship between explratin and cnquest? Hw might different grups f peple remember the same events and interactins? The expectatins encurage students t explre issues related t persnal identity and cmmunity cncerns as they interact with increasingly cmplex and/r challenging media... Explratin and cmmunicatin f multiple perspectives and pints f view shuld be emphasized... Whse perspective is missing? Why d yu think it has been left ut? Hw d yu feel abut that? What wrds might yu give t this vice? (Ontari Arts Curriculum, Grade 7) Anwar and Geneviève cmpsed and arranged much f the material fr tday s shw themselves. Read abut their artistic prcess in the Additinal Culminating Exercise belw, and cmpare it t yur wn r that f ther artists yu have studied. 15
Resurces Museums and Galleries Aga Khan Museum (Trnt): extensive museum highlighting Islamic art and culture thrughut histry Educatinal prgrams fr children Exhibitins Stre (includes many relevant bks and resurces fr children) Art Gallery f Ontari (Trnt) Archives cntain a blg and sme infrmatin abut the 2010 Maharaja exhibit (including a picture f A Wman Flying the Kite) Bks Classrm Music and Dance Resurces Games Children Sing series (Varius authrs: Alfred Publishing): authentic singing games frm varius cuntries, including India, Japan, Malaysia, and China The Singing Sack (Helen East): authentic, interactive flk sngs and stries frm arund the wrld Let s G Zudie-O (Helen MacGregr/Bbbie Gargrave: A & C Black, 2002): creative dance and music activities frm arund the wrld, including music frm India and China Histrical Resurces The Travels f Ibn Battutah (Tim Mackintsh-Smith, Pan MacMillan, 2003): an abridged, English translatin f Battuta s Rihla (Travels) The Amazing Travels f Ibn Battuta (Fatima Sharafeddine, Anansi, 2014): A children s stry bk abut the life f Ibn Battuta Many ther bigraphies f Ibn Battuta are available fr bth children and adults Educatinal Articles Vides Ibn Battuta: Muslim Travelling Judge: Khan Academy article abut the life f Ibn Battuta Ibn Battutah: Britannica Kids article abut the life f Ibn Battuta (ffered at three different reading levels) The Man wh Walked Acrss the Wrld: The Adventures f Ibn Battuta: 3-Part BBC dcumentary travelgue f Battuta s travels presented by Tim Mackintsh Smith. These 60-minute episdes are intended fr an adult audience, and cntain references nt suitable fr children. Hwever, teachers may wish t watch the series fr backgrund infrmatin, and select shrt clips t incrprate int lessns. Part 1: Wanderlust 16
Part 2: Magicians and Mystics Part 3: Trade Winds Artist websites Sitar Fusin: Anwar Khurshid s fficial website Demetris Petsalakis Geneviève Beaulieu Other Arts Resurces Mrccan Assciatin f Ibn Battuta: Hsts festivals and ffers ther resurces t prmte awareness f Ibn Battuta Petry resurces Iqbal Petry (translated) Additinal Culminating Exercise: Histry thrugh the Arts: Exhibiting a Stry thrugh Music and Dance Intrductin Fr this culminating task, the class will wrk tgether t prduce an exhibit similar t the ne that inspired sme f the music in the shw. Students will recreate varius elements f life in Imperial India thrugh music, drama, visual arts, and/r dance. Grade 4 Arts, Scial Studies, and Language curriculum links are included at the end f this dcument; hwever, this activity may be adapted fr use at any age level. The Stry During the shw, Anwar and Geneviève use music and dance t share a simplified stry frm the life f the great Indian Sultan Mhammed bin Tughluq Shah: Sultan Mhammad Shah liked t display pwer and wealth. He wuld have huge prcessins and parades. He wuld travel n an elephant. In this stry, the Queen is part f the parade, but she has her face cvered with a veil s n ne can see her. The twn crier shwers mney n peple t get them t cme ut and greet the king. After the prcessin, the queen ges t her quarters and remves her fancy jewellery. She wishes she culd be free like all f the ther peple in her kingdm. The Queen sees a girl flying a kite. The kite becmes a symbl f freedm and the queen dreams f flying in the pen sky. 17
Here, Anwar and Geneviève share their artistic prcess in creating the music and chregraphy fr the stry: In 2010, Geneviève Beaulieu and I were asked t create a music and dance piece fr the Art Gallery f Ontari s exhibit, Maharaja: The Splendur f India s Ryal Curts. This exhibitin featured artifacts and artwrk depicting the pulent lifestyles f India s great kings ver the last three centuries. The creative prcess started with the inspiratin Geneviève and I received frm saking up the exhibit. We visited the exhibit befre the pening and spent hurs and hurs lking at the relics, art, and histrical cntent. The articles were displayed in five rms, wherein a cuple f films were shwn f the Maharaja arriving n an elephant, fllwed by his Queen, the veiled Maharani. A twn crier annunced the arrival and shwered peple with cins. There was a sectin f the Maharani s rich garb and heavy, gld jewellery. One particular painting, A Wman Flying the Kite, caught ur attentin. We discussed the exhibit tgether befre cmpsing the music and dance. We cmpsed a petic and artistic narrative f a Maharaja visiting the twn. The twn crier annunced his visit and enticed peple by thrwing cins at them. The time f day, mixed with the excitement f the crwd, required a certain sweetness in the ntes, s I cmpsed all five sectins f the music in Raag Madhuvanti. Madhuvanti translates lsely t hney-laden tune. Anwar ges n t describe in detail the six sectins f the Maharaja piece that he and Geneviève created t perfrm at the AGO exhibit. He ffers scial, cultural, and plitical insights that add further depth t his artistic expressin. These cmplex themes, and their artistic cntext, ffer rich pprtunities fr discussin in the upper grades. In the lwer grades, teachers may simplify the stry as they see fit: The first piece, The Gathering, shws an artistic ffering f flwer petals that starts with a circular mvement arund the stage (metaphrically, arund the twn). The music and dance bth depict a certain exuberance and a gust t inspire the peple, and t give them a sense f pride in being the subjects f the great Maharaja. Irnically, the peple being urged ut f their hmes were the very peple wh had been taxed t the bnes by the very same Maharaja. The sad eventuality f the cin shwer was the culminatin f the mney ging back int the cffers f the King. The secnd piece, The Maharaja Arrives, is meant t shw the magnificence and pwer f the Maharaja n his elephant, metaphrically implying that anybdy wh cmes in his way wuld get crushed. Many f his subjects had been physically, emtinally, and ecnmically crushed in rder fr the Maharaja t gain pwer and attain his current status. We watched the vide f a Maharaja in the display and matched the music and temp. The piece is cmpsed in Jhaptaal (5+5 beats) and mimics the elephant s swaying bdy in its awkward gait. The third sectin, The Prcessin, depicts the king s wife, the Maharani, n her palki (a palanquin, r sedan). As was custmary, wmen f nbility, whether they were Hindu, Sikh r Muslim, cvered their faces, s the Queen remains veiled as she fllws the King. This subservience f wmen is an awkwardness that we depict irnically bth in the music and dance. 18
The Task Maharani at Night cnveys the Queen s reflectins after the prceedings, when she returns t her quarters at the end f the day. Tired after a needless display f pulence, she feels the weight and pressure f being a Queen. Her sumptuus clthes, her lavish quarters, and her jewellery f heavy gld are physical and metaphrical burdens. The cnfines f the rich palace becme a gilded cage, and she feels suffcated by its lneliness. The piece makes a reference t the plight f wmen, and t wmen s liberatin. She takes ff these garments and jewels srrwfully. Quest fr Freedm is inspired by a simple tableau. Right acrss frm the AGO s glass display f the Maharani s garb was a tiny miniature painting f a lady flying a kite. It was as if the Maharani was caged and was lking wistfully at the little wman -- a simple wman dressed in white, happy and carefree. The Maharani yearns fr freedm and fr the simple pleasures f life that cme with it. That freedm is the very desire that Indians have felt fr centuries. Our peple have been attacked by Aryans, Greeks, Arabs, Persians and thers. Indians ften wnder why Alexander is cnsidered The Great. Of curse, hw can we frget -- the British are ur favurite cnquerrs f all time. That quest fr freedm is a part f the Indian psyche. This piece shws the inner turmil f the cnstant quest fr freedm. The Maharani nw becmes the symbl f her peple lking at the happy wman flying the kite. The music carries undertnes f hpe that this freedm may be achieved. The mvements are strng and assertive, suggesting that smething is abut t happen. Freedm, the final piece, is abut the Maharani s peple achieving liberty. In a symblic ending, the Maharani flies ff like a bird, signifying the spirit and sul surging high with the lightness f jy and liberty. The music uses the fast strumming patterns (jhaala) n sitar t achieve this effect. Geneviève and I perfrmed Maharaja at the AGO thrughut the perid f the exhibit, thus bringing t life the histric artifacts and the peple wh nce handled them. We cntinue t perfrm this wrk in cultural and academic settings thrughut the prvince. Anwar s music and Geneviève dance fr Maharaja is available n Yutube fr further listening and discussin. Students may re-enact the stry thrugh drama and dance, r they may create their wn musical accmpaniments using classrm instruments, vcal sunds, r electrnic media. Each grup may represent a different part f the stry, r ne grup may tell the entire stry, while the ther grups express their learning in different frms. Fr instance, the visual arts may be incrprated by having students illustrate the stry thrugh drawing, painting, cllage, r sculpture. The stry may be tld frm a different character s perspective, r it may be reimagined in anther setting. The students may recreate the artifacts (garments, jewellery, cins) and artwrk (paintings) frm the riginal exhibit, and then cmbine the display with an ral presentatin and live perfrmance fr a schl r cmmunity audience. Elements t Include: Characters: King Queen 19
Twn crier Twnspeple Animals Wman with kite Settings: Twn square (Imperial India) Palace (Imperial India) Events: Scene 1: The Gathering Scene 2: The Maharaja Arrives Scene 3: The Prcessin Scene 4: Maharani at Night Scene 5: Quest fr Freedm Scene 6: Freedm Artifacts: Cins Garments Jewellery Artwrk Maps Other items frm the daily lives f the characters in the stry Discussin f scial issues: Inequity based n class r gender Definitins f freedm Current and past plitical systems in India and elsewhere Effects f clnialism Grade 4 Curriculum Links: Arts: A1.2 use dance as a language t explre and cmmunicate ideas derived frm a variety f literature surces A1.3 use narrative frm t create shrt dance pieces n a variety f themes A2.1 demnstrate an understanding f hw the language f dance can clarify and highlight ideas, images, and characters frm familiar stries A3.1 describe, with teacher guidance, hw frms and styles f dance reflect peple s different scial and plitical rles in varius cmmunities, times, and places B1.1 engage actively in drama explratin and rle play, with a fcus n explring drama structures, key ideas, and pivtal mments in their wn stries and stries frm diverse cmmunities, times, and places C3.2 demnstrate an awareness, thrugh listening, f the characteristics f musical frms and traditins f diverse times, places, and cmmunities D1.2 demnstrate an understanding f cmpsitin, using selected principles f design t create narrative art wrks r art wrks n a theme r tpic D1.3 use elements f design in art wrks t cmmunicate ideas, messages, and understandings D3.1 describe hw visual art frms and styles represent varius messages and cntexts in the past and present D3.2 demnstrate an awareness f a variety f art frms, styles, and traditins, and describe hw they reflect the diverse cultures, times, and places in which they were made 20
Scial Studies: A3: demnstrate an understanding f key aspects f a few early scieties (3000 BCE 1500 CE), each frm a different regin and era and representing a different culture A3.2 demnstrate the ability t extract infrmatin n daily life in early scieties frm visual evidence A3.3 describe significant aspects f daily life in tw r mre early scieties A3.6 identify and describe sme f the majr scientific and technlgical develpments in the ancient and medieval wrld A3.7 describe hw tw r mre early scieties were gverned A3.8 describe the scial rganizatin f sme different early scieties Language Arts: 1.8 identify the pint f view presented in ral texts and ask questins abut pssible bias 2.3 cmmunicate in a clear, cherent manner, presenting ideas, pinins, and infrmatin in a readily understandable frm 2.7 use a variety f apprpriate visual aids t supprt r enhance ral presentatins 21