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2017/18RESOURCE GUIDE

ONSTAGE

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ABOUT OVERTURE CENTER

FOR THE ARTS

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.

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

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 2,250-seat Overture Hall to the casual and intimate Rotunda Stage. The renovated Capitol Theater seats approximately 1,110, 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.

RESOURCE GUIDE CREDITS

Executive Editor Writer/Designer

Meri Rose Ekberg Danielle Dresden

Havana Hop 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 Havana Hop! 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 theater;

• 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!

We Want Your Feedback!

OnStage performances can be evaluated online! 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 link: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3753286/2017-18-OnStage-Post-Show-Survey

Table of Contents

About Havana Hop! ................................ 2

About Hip Hop ....................................... 3

About Cuban Music, Dance & Performers ..........................................4

Activity: My Family Journey.................. 5-7

Academic Standards ................................8

About Live Performance ..........................9

Social Emotional Social Studies

Education Categories

Paige Hernandez in Havana Hop!

Language Arts


About Havana Hop!When it comes to making the most of your opportunities, roots matter. This performance shows a young hip-hop dancer named Yeila making the most of her multi-cultural background by using it to spur herself on as she prepares for an opportunity to perform at the White House.

This one-woman, multi-disciplinary show uses theater, music, dance, and projection to tell Yeila’s affirming, inclusive, and inspirational story. Yeila dreams of being a hip-hop dancer, and when she hears about auditions for a special concert at the White House, she knows this could be her big chance. She makes the cut to perform in the show, but the judges tell her that her dancing lacks “oomph,” and suggest she find it by exploring her roots.

Yeila gets the chance to learn more about her background when, just a few days before the concert, she and her mother travel to Havana, Cuba, to help Yeila’s grandmother who is suffering from dementia, which means she is losing her memories. Yeila and her grandmother, or abuela in Spanish, connect through salsa – not the spicy sauce, but a special kind of dance popular in Cuba. Yeila combines her grandmother’s salsa steps with her own hip hop moves to create a new, roots-inspired dance that’s full of “oomph” – Havana Hop!

Havana Hop! was first produced in 2008 and has toured across the country, entertaining thousands of young people as it teaches them about dance, music, Spanish language and the benefits of all aspects of our identity.

About Paige Hernandez – Writer and Performer Havana Hop! was written and is performed by Paige Hernandez, a critically acclaimed performing artist and educator. In this production, she draws on her extensive experience as a theater artist, choreographer, and arts educator to portray three generations of lively women and engage young audience members in the arts.

Paige has performed across the United States, from Texas to Pennsylvania, and her choreography has been seen throughout the world. She received playwrighting commissions from the Kennedy Center, National New Play Network, and the Glimmerglass festival. A 2016 “Citizen Artist Fellow” of the Kennedy Center, she was named a “Classroom Hero” by the Huffington Post and a “Rising Leader of Color” by the TCG, the Theater Communications Group.

Paige writes, “My inspiration as a performer comes from my multicultural background. It’s important for me to acknowledge every aspect of my identity and not just one facet. Keeping this in mind, I created Havana Hop, a story that takes a young girl’s passion and fuses it with culture and family history.

I play different characters using props, music, dance and costumes. I hope that by the end of the performance, the audience will see that the differences that divide us can only make us more well rounded if we accept them. Anything is possible when you listen to your grandmother and keep an open mind!”


About Hip-HopHip-hop is thought of as a kind of music or dancing, but it is both those things and more. Hip-hop is a cultural movement that began in the 1970s in the South Bronx neighborhoods of New York City with African-American youth blending beats of different records and spray-painting their own platforms. For many, it was a way to express themselves, their creativity, and steer clear of violence and oppression. Hip-hop is now practiced and enjoyed by people of all backgrounds all over the world.

It is even at the heart of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking Broadway musical, Hamilton. Hip-hop is all about mixing different things together to make something new, and that’s exactly what Yelia does in Havana Hop!

These are key elements of hip-hop culture:

• DJing: In the early days of hip-hop, music was played on records placed on a turntable, or record player. DJs, or disc jockeys, not only put together playlists of songs to shape a crowd’s energy, they combined songs and samples to make something new. They create new sounds by “scratching” and “cutting,” or moving vinyl records back and forth over the same spot to create a distinctive scratching sound.

• MCing/Rapping – Humans have been speaking words to rhythmic beats for longer than anyone can say. Griots (West African storytellers) chanted over drumbeats long before Beat poets gathered in coffee houses to read to the accompaniment of bongos. In addition to these forms, rap has many other roots, including the African-American game of The Dozens and the Jamaican art form of toasting (chanting over a rhythm). MC stands for “Master of Ceremonies,” and first referred to the only person who could use a microphone while a DJ was working turntables. Some also say it stands for “Move the Crowd.”

• Breakdancing – This athletic style of dancing is full of back flips, headspins, handstands, and another gymnastic style moves. It was developed by street dancers in New York City when hip-hop culture was emerging. People who practice this style of dance are called b-girls or b-boys, or breakers.

• Graffiti – This visual art form often consists of words or drawings painted illicitly on a wall in public space. The first urban graffiti were tags, or signatures of someone’s name or crew (group of associated artists). It has since evolved into elaborate scripts, color effects and shading.

Questions & Resources

• In Havana Hop!, Yeila explains: “I don’t just like hip-hop. I am hip-hop.” What does this mean to you?

• The early hip hop pioneers used the rhythms and sounds around them to make their own dances and music. What rhythms could you use to make your own compositions?

• Hip-hop history source: www.pbs.org/independentlens/hiphop/about_hiphop.htm


About Cuban Music, Dance, & PerformersAlthough Cuba might not seem very big in comparison to the United States – it’s a little smaller than the state of Pennsylvania – it is the largest island in the Caribbean and has had a very large impact on cultures around the world.

Part of this is due to the very special nature of Cuban music, which is shaped by the wide variety of people who came to the island with their own musical instruments and traditions and then combined these many different ways of making music to forge something truly unique. Cuban music includes the polyrhythmic beats and percussion instruments of enslaved Africans, Spanish guitars and melodies, and Chinese reed instruments. Perhaps Cuban music is popular all over the world because it has its roots in people from all over the world.

About the “Queen of the Salsa”Celia Cruz is one of Cuba’s many outstanding musicians, singers, and dancers. She was born in Havana, Cuba on October 21, 1925. While still in school, she won a singing contest, which helped propel her into a musical career. She made her first recordings in 1948, when she was 23, and continued making records for the rest of her life. She became a U.S. citizen in 1961, made a total of 75 albums (23 of them went gold), won several Grammys, Latin Grammys, and was awarded the American National Medal of Arts. No wonder she was called the “Queen of the Salsa!” The song, “Quimbara,” referred to in Havana Hop! was one of Cruz’s many hits.

Salsa DancingLike the spicy sauce that shares its name, salsa dancing comes in many varieties. Salsa dance has strong ties to Cuban music and culture, although people love to dance it around the world and each variation is different. While dancers might follow a basic pattern of steps, there is always room for improvisation, or making things up as you go along.

Celia Cruz

Resources, Activities & Discussion Questions

• This video provides an overview of the history of salsa dancing -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABVIc1Ir1RE

• Read Martina the Beautiful Cockroach by Carmen Agra Deedy as a class. Discuss the different things the family in the book likes, dislikes, and cares about. What does your family like, dislike, and care about?

• Listen to or watch Celia Cruz sing “Quimbara.” Here is a link to a YouTube video -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXN-_asIaYs. How does it make you feel?

• What kind of music do you like to listen and dance to? What kind of music do your older family members like? How do you feel about that style of music?


Activity: My Family JourneyJust as Yeila and her family went on journeys, all our families have followed unique paths to be where we are today. This activity, from the Teaching Tolerance website of the Southern Poverty Law Center, helps students connect with their roots and builds respect and understanding for people of all backgrounds.

Objective

• Identify different aspects of culture

• Interview a family member and learn about their history

• Identify why aspects and traditions of their cultural history are important and how they contribute to society

• Understand, appreciate and respect differences and similarities among classmates’ cultures

Materials• World map• Thumb tacks/ push pins• Pieces of string• Family Interview (page 7)• Art materialsProcedure

Prepare the class before this activity by discussing the growing diversity of the United States. Before beginning the lesson, address any special concerns that adopted children and those living in foster care may have, as well as those who may be undocumented. Give all students the choice of sharing the journey of an adult who is very important in their lives. On the day before the lesson, ask students to find out the name of the city/country where they were born and the name of a city/country where a grandparent, great-grandparent, other relative or an important adult in their lives was born outside of the United States. Before students enter the room, hang a large world map in a central location and place a pushpin over the city/location of your school. Script:

1. Today we are going to take a journey. Share with a partner what you think the word “journey” means. Now share your answers with the class.

2. Today’s journey might be different from other journeys you have taken. This journey is a “Family Journey.” It will take you back in time to learn about your family history. You’ll also learn how that history connects to your life now.

3. Look at the world map. A pushpin shows the location of our school. If you were born somewhere else, find the location of your birthplace and place a new pin there. You may need to do this one person at a time. How many different places are marked on the map? Who was born the farthest from here?

4. Now, one at a time, try to find the location of the city/country where your ancestor or an important adult in your life was born. Place a pushpin at that location. Then take a piece of string and use it to connect your pushpins. Start with your ancestor’s location, then your birthplace and finally your school. Your birthplace and school location may be the same.

Paige Hernandez as Yeila, on her journey


My Family Journey (continued)5. After everyone in your class has had a chance to connect their strings, take a look at the map. These strings

show part of the family journeys of your classmates! Share with a partner how you think those journeys have had an influence on the community we live in. For example, are there certain restaurants, celebrations or stores that reflect the cultural journeys of community residents? Have each partner present your ideas to the class.

6. These journeys have helped shape American culture. All of your ancestors and the important adults in our lives have brought unique customs and traditions to our community!

7. Sometimes it is hard to keep our cultural traditions alive. Now you are going to be a cultural historian for your family. You will interview a family member or an important adult in your life. You’ll learn more about where your family comes from and the traditions and customs that you have contributed to American life.

8. Distribute the Family Interview handout. Choose a family member or important adult in your life who came to this country from another country. Explain to the person that you would like to interview them about their unique cultural history. Complete the handout together.

9. Bring your completed handouts to class. Pair up with another student and share what you learned about your cultural history.

10. Then, one pair at a time, present to the class this information about your partner’s cultural history:

o Partner’s name

o Number of people in family

o Languages spoken at home

o State or country where ancestor or important adult comes from

o One special tradition that has been passed down and why it is special to the partner

11. After each pair has presented, have volunteers share something they learned about a classmate’s culture.


Family Interview HandoutTEACHINGTOLERANCE

A PROJECT OF THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTERTOLERANCE.ORG

EARLY GRADES ACTIVITY

K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Family Interview

My name is:___________________________________________________________________.

There are _____________ people in my family.

We speak these language(s) in our home: _______________________________________.

An ancestor is a relative who lived before me. My ancestors came from (list one or more countries): ______________________________________________________________.

One relative or important adult in my life who came to this country from another country is named ______________________________________________________________. She or he came to this country in _________ (year) because ______________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Family traditions include holidays, foods we eat, games we play and things we like to do. The family tradition that is most special to the person I interviewed is _______________________________________________________________________________ because _______________________________________________________________________.

The family tradition that is most special to me is _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ because _______________________________________________________________________.

On the back of this paper is a picture that represents something special about my family’s cultural history …


Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & LiteracySpeaking & Listening Standards K-5,

1. Engage effectively in collaborative discussion

2. Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a presentation

3. Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker

Social StudiesPolitical Science & Citizenship C.4.1 Identify and explain an individual’s responsibility to family, peers, and the community, including the need for civility and respect for diversity

The Behavioral Sciences E.4.4 Describe the ways in which ethnic cultures affect the daily lives of people

E.4.9 Explain how people learn about others who are different from themselves

E.4.11 Give examples of how artistic creations are expressions of culture

DanceCritical Thinking E.4.1 Identify how dance movement is similar to and different from ordinary movement

Communication & Expression F.4.4 Interpret and react to dance through discussion

Making Connections H.4.4 Study dance from a particular culture and/ or time period

Theatre EducationPlay Reading & Analysis A.4.1 Attend a live theatre performance and discuss the experience

• Explain what happened in the play

• Identify and describe the characters

• Say what they liked and didn’t like

• Describe the scenery, lighting and/or costumes

MusicAnalysis F.4.3 Demonstrate perceptual skills by listening to, answering questions about, and describing music of various styles representing diverse cultures

Evaluation G.4.1 Devise criteria for evaluating performances and compositions

G.4.2 Explain, using appropriate music terminology, personal preferences for specific musical works and styles

History & Culture I.4.1 Demonstrate audience behavior appropriate for the context and style of music performed

I.4.2 Listen to and identify, by genre or style, examples of music from various historical periods and world cultures

Academic Standards


About Live PerformanceTheater, 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.

SPONSORSHelp make arts experiences real for hundreds of thousands of people at overture .org/ sup port

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.

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