Residency Program & Performance Proposal Description: dancEnlight’s “Dance & Chinese Calligraphy” residency program and “Ink Passion” performance offer a curriculum in Chinese-influenced modern dance and art with an emphasis on culturally related studies and movement with Chinese calligraphy work. This program inspires students of all ages to learn and expand their dance skills, their cultural awareness and the historical relevance of Asian language arts. Students will have a hands-on, interactive experience comprised of brush work and creative movement based on calligraphy lines and shapes. Ms. Chang will encourage them to use their imagination to create their own “characters” and movement phrases. Class will include a warm-up, center exercises, across floor combinations, and a composition based on their own brush work. In addition, she will choreograph a piece specifically for the participants that will be performed at the end of the “Dance & Chinese Calligraphy” residency. This residency program will nurture an appreciation of the ancient art form of calligraphy as well as encourage students to explore an innovative way of learning and creating. What students will gain from this residency: *the ability to exercise mind and body in a new way, *the confidence to take on a new task, *an opportunity to create an individual composition, heightened observation, imagination and creative learning skills, *a solid base in Chinese-influenced modern dance and calligraphy, new knowledge of Chinese culture and its influence on the arts, *an appreciation of dance based on calligraphy, *the opportunity to perform a piece of work specifically designed just for them. Specifics: *Title of the workshops: Dance & Chinese Calligraphy *Length of classes: 50 mins. may be adjusted to meet the needs of school
*Fee per class: $10 per student plus supplies fee *Number of students required per class: 20-30 *Curriculum links: Dance, Visual Arts, Physical Education, Language Arts, Music. Title of the performance: Ink Passion
*Length of the workshop: 45 mins followed Q & A *Cost: $10-$15 per student with minimum of 100 students, or $1000 to $1500 per performance depending on how many performers are involved. Performance & Assessment: Following the last day of the residency, or at a designated time chosen by the school, there will be a performance by the students’ demonstrating their completion of the program. This performance will include students’ individual compositions as well as a group piece created by Ms. Chang. Participating students and teachers will be asked to complete an evaluation of the Dance & Chinese Calligraphy residency. We appreciate your feedback as we continue to enhance this program. Sharing observation
1. Discuss students’ observations, 2. Analyze one example of the phrase, discuss the possibilities of using different parts of the body by doing the same strokes, 3. Continue to manipulate the specific phrase by adding the elements of time, energy, space and level change. For example, what if we do the same phrase in slow motion? What if we do everything on the floor at a very low level? What if we face a different direction doing the exact same phrase? 4. Sharing comments. Sample outline for 5 day residency of “Dance & Chinese calligraphy” Day 1: *Introduce Chinese calligraphy including brief history, rules and basic strokes. *Students create character-like lines and shapes based on Chinese calligraphy with the idea that the brush is their body and the rice paper is the space. Movements will come out of their own creative calligraphy. *Students will be asked questions: How can one’s body flow like a brush? How can one’s body turn, twist and rotate like a brush on paper? Where does the movement end according to the brush work he or she has created? Day 2:
*Discuss movement of the body. *Lead warm-up through each part of the body exploring basics of modern dance with Chinese influence. *Discuss movements based on what students created at the first class. Classroom exploration of movements that match students’ calligraphy work. Day 3: *Lead warm-up, center exercises and across the floor combinations. *Continue to explore movement based on calligraphy work and begin to have students memorize phrases developed in class. *Begin to learn specific piece to be performed at the end of the residency. Day 4: *Continue to expand on and solidify warm-up, center exercises and across the floor combinations. *Students perform their own memorized phrases in front of class to develop confidence on stage. *Continue to learn specific piece to be performed at the end of the residency. Day 5:
*Warm up, center exercises and across the floor combinations are becoming more natural and easier for the students. *Students practice their phrases for final performance. *Finalize group piece and prepare for presentation.
A Sample Lesson Plan For The 1st Day 1.A brief history of Chinese Calligraphy a. How Chinese calligraphy developed over 5000 years,
b. Five different basic scripts of Chinese calligraphy, Xiang xin, Jin Wen, Zhuan, Li, Cao, Xing, Kai,
c. Introduce “four treasures” in Chinese Calligraphy, d. Basic eight strokes of Chinese calligraphy: dot, horizontal, vertical, left falling, right falling, hook, folding, horizontal to left falling. * 2. Movements based on the eight basic strokes a. Using different parts of the body to do the eight strokes b. Combining two strokes and using certain parts of the body to express specific strokes c. Using two different parts of the body to express the same stroke d . Using two different parts of the body to express two different strokes e. Give three strokes and having students create a short movement phrase by using the same part of the body. For example: using hand movement to express left falling, horizontal and hook f. Give three strokes and having students create a short movement phrase by using different parts of the body. For example: using head, feet, and elbow to express left falling, horizontal and hook g. Add level change, time and space etc. 3. Sharing observation a. Discuss students’ observation and sharing comments b. Analyze one example of phrase, discuss the possibilities of usingdifferent parts of the body by doing the same strokes c. Continue to manipulate the specific phrase by adding the elements of time, energy, space and level change. For example: What if we do the same phrase in slow motion? What if we do everything on the floor in a very low level? What if we face different directions doing exactly the same phrase? 4. Discuss our next class plan This is good time to ask students what their interests are and let them know what they are going to learn in the upcoming class.
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