march 2020

MTC study guide

1

Dance NOW! MiamiDance NOW! Miami is the

leading contemporary dance company in South Florida creating and producing contemporary dance of the highest quality. Exploring themes of earth, air, fire and water, this incredible performance is a perfect way to introduce your students to modern dance. Company co-founders Hannah Baumgarten and Diego Salterini create, promote and produce contemporary dance through performance, arts education, community leadership and innovative programming. Their mission is to nurture new talent, foster artistic collaboration and make the art of dance accessible to diverse audiences locally, nationally and internationally.

POST SHOW REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

What was the piece called “Elementals” about? What images did you see?

What was the piece called “Visions” about? What images did you see?

What kinds of movements did you see in both dance pieces?

Did any of the dancers use props (objects) on stage?

What kind of music was played?

2Miami Theater Center 9806 NE 2nd Avenue • Miami Shores, FL 33138 • (305) 751-9550 • mtcmiami.org

MADLIB “ELEMENTS” POEM

In this activity, your students are going to read a poem about the “Elements” and then choreograph and short dance inspired by the poem.

1. Next, divide your students into small groups and give each group a section of the poem.

2. Ask them to fill in the blanks with adjectives, verbs or nouns that describe their element. How does water move? Flow, splash, wave. Fire? Sparks, flicker, blazing?

3. Now ask them to decide on a movement to represent each of the words they added. Encourage them to make their movements expressive and therefore dance-like.

4. Finally, ask them to share their section in order to the rest if the class and when they get to the part where they say their work – encourage them to do their movement. Encourage your students to make their movements expressive and therefore dance-like.

ELEMENTS POEM

by Anonymous

Fire ________ in the spirit,

forging the metal of our soul.

And during exaltation,

flames can _________ us whole.

Water _________ all of life,

_____________ the ocean.

And saturates living cells,

like a magical potion.

Air ________ lungs with breath,

____________ our blood

And spreads carbon dioxide,

allowing flora to bud.

Earth’s essential for _______ health,

holding minerals we need.

And those ___________ elements,

are all absorbed when we feed.

“Dance NOW! are not only elegant and fierce, but dedicated to its community… a mature, exciting and bounds breaking company.”

Miguel Estefan, Miami Art Guide

CHOREGRAPHY

The art of arranging the movements of dancers for a performance.

C-PALM Learning Standards DA.4.C.1.1, DA.4.1.2, DA.4.C.1.3