SEASON. MARCH 15, 2017 PRODIGAL SON & PANORAMA Student Matinee Study Guide

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1 SEASON 2017 MARCH 15, 2017 PRODIGAL SON & PANORAMA Student Matinee Study Guide

2 Welcome to the San Francisco Ballet Student Matinee We are delighted to share the joy of dance and the beauty of ballet with your students. SF Ballet Student Matinees are a wonderful way to expose students to the transformative power of creativity through the performing arts. SF Ballet is thrilled to present two Student Matinees in These educational performances provide K 12 students with an engaging introduction to classical and contemporary ballet. The Student Matinee on March 15, 2017 features George Balanchine s Prodigal Son, Trey McIntyre's Presentce, and the world premiere of a new work choreographed by Myles Thatcher called Panorama. This Student Matinee Study Guide provides educators with comprehensive materials that explore dance as an art form and introduce key elements of ballet. We encourage educators to use the Study Guide before and after the performance to help students explore movement and dance, learn about ballet, and discover what happens behind the scenes of a ballet production. This Study Guide includes pre-performance worksheets, post-performance writing activities, and materials for guided discussions that challenge students to think deeply and critically about the performance and about the artistic process. Symbols are used throughout this Study Guide to direct educators to key concepts that ask students to think critically and creatively about the arts. indicates a student activity or discussion question indicates a key concept about dance or the artistic process indicates a key concept about music for ballet indicates a look behind the scenes SF Ballet Student Matinee performances and Study Guides are designed to support learning through the arts in the classroom. Teachers are encouraged to adapt the activities to specific grade levels and integrate the arts with the core curriculum. We hope this Study Guide, combined with the performance, sparks conversation and reflection, inspires creative expression, and fosters an appreciation and understanding of dance as an art form. Thank you for sharing the joy of dance with your students. We look forward to seeing you at the SF Ballet Student Matinee. Sincerely, Andrea Yannone Director of Education and Training SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 2

3 Table of Contents 4 SECTION 01 Exploring Ballet Exploring Movement, Dance, and Ballet Music for Ballet Behind the Scenes During the Performance: Audience Etiquette 13 SECTION 02 Pre- & Post-Performance Activities 37 SECTION 03 Glossary of Dance & Ballet Terms 42 SECTION 04 About the Production: Prodigal Son Meet the Characters Prodigal Son: A Ballet in Three Scenes The Story of Prodigal Son About the Ballet Meet the Creative Team 51 SECTION 05 About the Production: Panorama What is a New Work? The Creative Process: From Rehearsals to Stage The Performance Meet the Artists A Day in the Life of a SF Ballet School Trainee 57 SECTION 06 About San Francisco Ballet 61 SECTION 07 Education Standards & Resources California State Board of Education Visual & Performing Arts: Dance Content Standards National Core Arts Standards in Dance Additional Resources for Educators All editorial material San Francisco Ballet 2017 Chris Hellman Center for Dance 455 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA SECTION 08 Important Field Trip Information for Teachers & Chaperones San Francisco Ballet School school@sfballet.org SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 3

4 SECTION 01 EXPLORING BALLET EXPLORING MOVEMENT, DANCE, AND BALLET MOVEMENT How can movement alone tell a story? Think about this: you can often tell a lot about how people are feeling just by looking at them. Their emotions, and sometimes their thoughts, show on their faces and in how they move. There are many ways people can communicate without words. Movement is one way to communicate and express yourself. Try communicating without words. Use facial expressions and body movement to communicate that you are feeling excited, nervous, or surprised. Did you change the expression on your face for each emotion? How did you use your hands to show your emotions and thoughts? Did you move your shoulders and arms? Did you stand very still, or did you jump or skip? Dance is a way to express yourself! In ballet, dancers don t use their voices to tell the story to the audience. Instead, ballet dancers move their bodies to show how a character is feeling or to communicate a story or idea to the audience. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 4

5 DANCE Dance is a special way of moving, usually to music. As far as historians know, dance is as old as humans are; it has always been a way for communities and groups of people to tell stories and pass values and ideals from one generation to another. Today we see dance in traditions like coming-of-age ceremonies (such as a bar mitzvah or quinceañera), celebrations (weddings and parties), and festivals (such as Carnival and Lunar New Year). There are many different kinds of dance from all over the world. Some dances are performed on a stage for an audience while others are forms of social dances (line dancing or salsa). Often dances have set steps that everyone in a culture or community knows, but sometimes dance can be an individual form of selfexpression. Can you name three different genres or styles of dance? Maybe a style of dance that you have seen on a stage, in a movie, or at a community festival? Think about the dance steps, costumes, and music. Is this a social dance that requires a group of people, or can it be performed as a solo or duet? What makes these genres similar or different? A few examples of different dance styles to think about are: ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, and modern. There are also many different styles of folk dances and cultural dances from around the world. language of ballet. To this day, all of the steps in ballet still have French names, so you can take a ballet class anywhere in the world and know exactly what to do. Look carefully at the illustration of King Louis XIV of France. He is wearing a costume for the role of the Sun King in the 1650s. How does the costume communicate to the audience that he s portraying the character of the Sun King? (See the Pre- and Post- Performance Activities section for a full-size image.) In ballet there are five basic positions of the feet (and accompanying arm positions). These positions originated from fencing positions, and require the dancer to turn out, or rotate the entire leg, from the top of the thigh to the toes, away from the center line. If you look at a dancer standing in any of the five positions, you ll see that her toes point in opposite directions. BALLET S BEGINNINGS Ballet is a form of dance that began hundreds of years ago in the royal courts of Italy and France. Formal group dances from the royal courts developed into the art form we know now after King Louis XIV (the Sun King ) of France established the first ballet school, the Académie Royale de Danse, in Paris in Because this happened in France, French became the official SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 5

6 BALLET The dancers you will see perform in the SF Ballet Student Matinee are professional ballet dancers with San Francisco Ballet. What does it mean to be a professional ballet dancer? How many years do you think it takes to become a professional ballet dancer? Just as professional athletes must train for years before they can join a professional sports team, most ballet dancers train for at least 10 years before they are ready to join a ballet company. Sometimes you will see kids your age in a ballet, like Clara in Nutcracker. These young dancers are still students learning ballet at San Francisco Ballet School. A choreographer is a person who puts together dance steps to tell a story or communicate an idea to the audience. He or she creates phrases of dance steps to communicate an idea, express an emotion, or tell a story. The choreographer decides the order of the dance steps, how many people will perform each section of the ballet, and when the dancers enter and exit the stage. The choreographer is like the coach of a sports team. The dancers create the team and every person has a different role, but ultimately, everyone is working together for the same goal. And they can be combined in countless ways. All of these decisions which steps, how to do them, and how to put them together are up to the choreographer. While dancers perform the steps the choreographer creates, each person brings his or her own way of moving and thinking about the steps to a performance. All of this together the ideas and feelings, the steps, the way the dancers do them, and the music create a visual and emotional experience for both dancers and audiences. This is what makes dance an art. Many ballets (like Nutcracker or Cinderella) tell a story which means that sometimes the characters need to communicate with one another. How can they do that when no one speaks in a ballet? They use what we call mime (or pantomime), which is a collection of gestures that have special meaning. The gestures can involve the hands, the head, or the entire body. For example, to say no (and really mean it!), a dancer raises her hands in front of her body, then opens them sharply on a downward diagonal, so they end up in front of her and out to her sides. While doing this, she shakes her head. And if a dancer wants to say he loves someone, he cups his left hand with his right and holds both hands over his heart. At other times, ordinary gestures are all that s needed. Picture this: a ballet dancer bows to you and sweeps an arm toward the other side of the stage. You would know what to do, wouldn t you, even if you d never taken a single ballet class? You d accept his invitation to cross the stage. What is choreography? In ballet, the dancers perform steps that a choreographer creates to communicate a story or idea to the audience. Sometimes the steps go along with the music, at the same rhythm and speed, or tempo. Steps in ballet can be done in many different ways (soft or sharp, fast or slow, sudden or sustained) and they can be traditional, drawn from the hundreds of years of ballet history, or newly invented. Want to see how dancers use mime (or pantomime) to tell a story? Watch a video of Ballet Master Anita Paciotti discuss the art of mime in the story ballet Giselle, choreographed by Helgi Tomasson. youtu.be/3scwc6dwo60 SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 6

7 MUSIC FOR BALLET Music is a big part of a dance experience; in fact, some music lovers come to SF Ballet partly because of the wide range of music they ll hear played by the acclaimed SF Ballet Orchestra. A composer is a writer of music. The music used for ballet includes the whole spectrum of classical music by famous composers (think Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Igor Stravinsky) and brand-new music created specifically for a new ballet. Music is an important part of a dance, not only because it sets a rhythm and speed and mood. In a ballet, the dancers respond to the music and how it makes them feel, and so does the audience. SF Ballet Orchestra has about 50 regular musicians, with extra players hired for performances of music that calls for more instruments. A few of the musicians joined the Orchestra when it began in 1975 they ve been playing for SF Ballet for more than 40 years! Leading the Orchestra is Principal Conductor and Music Director Martin West. The conductor, the leader of the orchestra, decides how to play each piece of music to best re-create what the composer wanted. To do that, he refers to the composer s notations in the written score, but he has many decisions to make. For example, how fast, exactly, should a fast portion of the music be played? And when the score says to gradually increase the volume (a crescendo), how quickly should the sound get louder, and how loud should it get? The conductor makes sure the musicians play together and, during a show, must make decisions on the spot, responding to what is happening onstage. Music Director Martin West conducts the SF Ballet Orchestra SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 7

8 The instruments that make up a ballet orchestra fall into four categories: Strings, the largest group, include the violin, viola, cello, double bass (also called the contrabass), and harp. All of these instruments produce sound when the strings are played with a bow (or, in the case of the harp, a hand) or plucked with fingers. Woodwinds are instruments whose sound is produced by the breath. These instruments are flute, piccolo, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bassoon, and contra-bassoon. The mouthpieces of the oboe, clarinet, and bassoon are made of reeds (made from the plants called reeds and shaped by the musicians to be just right). When you are watching a ballet, listen carefully to the orchestra and notice how the dance steps match the music. What instruments do you hear? Is the tempo fast or slow? How does the music make you feel? Does the music make you want to jump, hop, or turn? How do the music and the choreography work together to tell the story? Think about these questions during the Student Matinee or when you are watching a dance performance. Try this in the classroom with a short dance excerpt video of Justin Peck's In the Countenance of Kings with music by Sufjan Stevens. sfballet.org/season/repertory/program-01. Brass instruments are played with the breath, and the tension of the player s lips is very important in making the sound. Brass instruments include trumpet, cornet (like a trumpet but smaller, with a softer sound), French horn, trombone, and tuba. Percussion instruments are those that are struck by the hand, a stick, or another mechanism (like the hammers inside a piano that hit the steel wire strings, when a key is pressed). A piano and harp are not considered part of a percussion section, even though they are percussion instruments. Orchestra percussion instruments include all kinds of drums (timpani, snare, bass), the xylophone, cymbals, and tambourine. Themes and motifs are melodies that occur more than once in a piece of music, and they serve several purposes. One is to help to give the music a structure that audiences can hear. Here s an example of a musical structure: think of a song that has a refrain (a repeated section of music) first you sing a verse, which is followed by the refrain; then you sing a different verse, again followed by the refrain. Another important purpose of themes and motifs in ballet is to identify certain characters; often, in full-length ballets, some of the main characters have their own theme. When you go to the Opera House to watch a ballet, look carefully at the people in the orchestra pit. Can you find the conductor? What instruments do you see? SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 8

9 BEHIND THE SCENES Think about all the things you see onstage: sets, costumes, makeup, hair and wigs, lighting, and projections. Together, all of the elements designed for each individual ballet help tell the story, convey a mood or feeling, or suggest the setting and time. Sets might be nothing more than a backdrop (plain, with color added through lighting, or painted with a scene) and side curtains (called legs) that prevent the audience from seeing into the backstage area (the wings). Or sets can fill the stage with walls and platforms and curtains that have been painted to look like a room, or forest, or town square, to name a few. A ballet like Nutcracker or Cinderella has many large sets. Other ballets, like Haffner Symphony and Prodigal Son, have one or two backdrops that set the scene for the whole ballet. All of these design decisions help communicate to the audience the story or what the choreographer wants to say with his or her ballet. Ballet costumes range from simple leotards or pants and T-shirts to elaborate, colorful tutus. A ballet like Nutcracker or Cinderella, with a very large cast of dancers, has hundreds of costumes, and all of them have to be made with dancing in mind. That means that even a fitted jacket must be made of material that can stretch so a dancer can raise his arms overhead. Costumes can be classical tutus for the women, and jackets or vests over tights for the men or contemporary, like dresses and pants and shorts and tunics. Costumes are very important. Like sets, they help us to understand something about the characters or dancers who wear them. They can also help us see the dancing. Those short, flat tutus you see in classical ballets reveal the dancer s legs, letting us see clearly the steps and artistry. Even when the costumes for a ballet look alike, often various colors will be used one for the principal dancers, another for the soloists, and another for the corps de ballet. In a ballet that doesn t have a story, the colors of the costumes help the audience identify the main characters. Sets, props, costumes, makeup, and wigs help tell the story in the ballet Coppélia. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 9

10 The designer makes all of these choices, working with the choreographer. Together, they decide what s important to show to the audience. Shoes are an important part of ballet costumes. Ballet dancers wear special ballet shoes when they take a ballet class, rehearse for a performance, or perform onstage. Men, women, and children wear ballet slippers made out of canvas or leather. When girls are old enough and strong enough to dance on the tips of their toes, known as dancing en pointe, female ballet dancers start wearing pointe shoes. Pointe shoes are hardened around the toes and have a flat surface on the tips, allowing dancers to turn and stand en pointe. Ribbons and elastics tied around the ankles keep the pointe shoes firmly secured to a dancer s feet. Dancing en pointe is very difficult and requires years of practice and a lot of strength in their muscles. Makeup, hair, and wigs go hand-in-hand with costumes, completing the look the designer and choreographer want for each character or dancer. Sometimes a dancer might need to wear a special cap to make him look bald, or wear a special wig to portray an older person. Makeup can add wrinkles, or simply help someone s normal features stand out. Makeup can help the dancers look their best even when it s not changing their appearance in a drastic way. Lighting is an important part of a ballet s design, even though much of the time we don t notice it. Lighting can tell us what to look at (imagine a dark stage with one dancer in a spotlight) and what to feel (bright, clear lighting seems happy; darker scenes convey drama or sadness). Like sets and costumes, lighting helps set the scene and tell the story. Some lighting instruments focus on one part of the stage, while others move follow spots literally follow a dancer, and remotecontrolled instruments can create special effects. Colored sheets of material called gels, which come in hundreds of colors, are placed on the front of a lighting instrument to color the light. Gobos are patterns placed in front of a lighting instrument to cast shadows that help it look like the dancers are in a forest, for example, or standing at a window. Some ballets use projections to enhance the scenery and lighting. The projected images might be very noticeable or quite minimal. Some are still images and some of them move. SF Ballet uses projections in Nutcracker and Cinderella. When we go to a ballet, we know we ll see exciting things onstage. But it s fun to know that there s a lot more that we don t see, an entire world that exists behind the scenes. The activity that happens backstage can be equal to the activity onstage during a performance, and there s a lot that goes on before and after a show and during intermissions. The stage must be washed or swept; sets and props must be placed or repositioned; the gels on the lights must be replaced or changed; costumes need to be set in the wings, ready for quick changes; sound equipment and headsets for stage crew communications must be tested and maintained. This is only a small part of what happens behind the scenes: it takes a large team backstage to make the ballet magic happen onstage. Let s look at the key players. The production director oversees all of the elements of production: sets, lighting, projections, costumes, and sound. He communicates with all department heads and is responsible for all events that happen on the stage. The lighting director works with the lighting designer and the crew to make sure all lights are positioned properly and all lighting effects work as intended. Sometimes the lighting director designs the lights for new productions; for ballets already in the repertory, he re-creates the existing lighting design. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 10

11 The stage manager is the master organizer backstage. She calls all the production cues (lighting, sound effects, scenery movement), and runs the curtain calls. She talks to crew members through a headset and must be able to handle anything unexpected that might happen. The property master is in charge of all props objects that are handled or carried by the dancers, like swords and baskets. He makes sure they are in good repair and are where they need to at particular times; on big shows he oversees a crew. The master electrician works with the lighting designer s plans to place and maintain all the lighting equipment and focus the lights to make sure they light the correct portion of the stage. He is in charge of the lighting control computer and he helps the lighting supervisor oversee a crew of electricians. The stagehands install and set up scenery and roll, carry, or fly set pieces and drops. Flown scenery, controlled by the flymen, is attached to a long pipe that reaches across the stage. The pipes are hung from a support system (the grid) very high above the stage and are lowered when needed, bringing the scenery into place and flying it out again. Stagehands wear black so the audience are less likely to see them if they need to go onstage for a scene change. The audio engineer is responsible for all the sound that isn t produced by the Orchestra, such as announcements, recorded sound effects, and microphone use. The wardrobe managers oversee everything to do with costumes, including placement in dressing rooms or backstage, cleaning, repairs, and problem solving. The head carpenter is in charge of the scenery, stage, and curtains, making sure everything is correct and in good repair; he also might oversee a crew of stagehands. The dressers work in the wings, assisting dancers with fast costume changes or problems that arise during the performance. Left: A dancer puts on his costume before a performance. Right: A ballet dancer prepares her pointe shoes for a performance. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 11

12 DURING THE PERFORMANCE AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE: PREPARE YOUR STUDENTS FOR THE PERFORMANCE It takes a lot of people to put on a ballet production. Some of the roles introduced in this Study Guide include the choreographer, composer, professional dancers, designers, crew, conductor, and musicians. All of the people involved in the production work very hard to create a beautiful and exciting performance. There s one more important role. The audience! but the audience can also clap after a difficult sequence of turns, exciting jumps, or when a dancer lifts another dancer high in the air. Say Bravo! when you see something on stage that it very exciting. Bravo is an Italian word that means "great job!" Applaud when the performance is over. This tells the dancers, orchestra, and crew that you appreciate their hard work. Give a standing ovation if you really enjoyed the performance. A live performance is a very exciting experience for the audience as well as the performers. The audience should pay close attention to what is happening on stage and participate and applaud at the appropriate times. What are some of the differences between going to the theater to see a live performance and watching a video or going to a movie? What makes a good audience member? DURING THE PERFORMANCE Watch the dancers carefully Look for movement motifs, familiar ballet steps, impressive jumps, and exciting partnering lifts. Think about how the costumes and sets help tell the audience something about the story, idea, or mood of the ballet. Consider how the dancers are using movement to express themselves or tell a story. Listen to the music Clap when the conductor enters. Watch the conductor and musicians. Listen for your favorite instruments. Think about how the music and the choreography work together. Clap when you see something you really like During a ballet performance, the audience usually claps at the end of a scene or ballet, A good audience member will... Watch the performance quietly. Remain seated during the performance. Do not put your feet on the seats or kick the seat in front of you. Use the restroom before the performance. If you need to visit the restroom during the performance, you must be accompanied by a teacher or adult chaperone. An usher will direct you to the nearest restroom. When you wish to return to your seat, an usher will direct you to the safest path back to your seat. For the safety of all patrons, students may not leave their seats without a teacher or adult chaperone. Turn off phones and cameras. Absolutely no phone calls, texting, photos, or videos are allowed during the performance. Leave food, drinks, chewing gum, and candy in the backpack. Food may not be consumed anywhere in the Opera House building. AFTER THE PERFORMANCE Think about how the artists used movement, music, costumes, and sets to communicate a story, idea, or feeling to the audience. Talk with a friend, classmate, teacher, or family member about your favorite part of the performance. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 12

13 SECTION 02 PRE- & POST- PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES In this section you will find activities that will encourage your students to think critically and creatively about dance. Use the pre- and post-performance worksheets to help students process, analyze, respond, and make connections to the language of dance. After the Student Matinee, use the writing activities and suggested discussion questions to guide students through the artistic process of creating, performing, responding, and connecting to the dance experience. Activities include: Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) with SF Ballet Pre-Performance Worksheets Post-Performance Worksheets Post-Performance Writing Worksheet Elementary: Write a letter to a ballet dancer Post-Performance Writing Activity Secondary: Write a critique of a dance performance Suggested Post-Performance Discussion Questions Use the full-page image flashcards to facilitate discussions among students about ballet before or after attending a SF Ballet Student Matinee performance using Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS). VTS is a research-based teaching method that improves critical thinking and language skills through discussion of images. The VTS method supports student growth through teacher-facilitated discussions that use existing visual and cognitive skills to develop confidence and language literacy. For more information about the VTS method, visit SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 13

14 VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES WITH SF BALLET For each of the following images, ask your students to look at the image silently. Then ask your students three open-ended questions: What s going on in this picture? What do you see that makes you say that? What more can we find? Additional discussion questions: What do you see that makes you say this is ballet? What s happening in this picture? What part of the ballet is this scene from? Use your imagination: what type of music are they dancing to? What more can we learn about the characters, setting, or plot from the scenic design, lighting design, and costume design? What can we learn about how the characters might be feeling or thinking? Are there other possible interpretations? 1 2 Image 1: King Louis XIV of France portraying the character of the sun or Apollo, the Greek God of the sun. Image 2: SF Ballet in Helgi Tomasson's Haffner Symphony. Image 3: The Snow Queen and Snow King in Helgi Tomasson s Nutcracker. 3 Image 4: San Francisco Ballet in Christopher Wheeldon's Cinderella. Cinderella and the prince meet in the ballroom. 4 SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 14

15 Image 5: SF Ballet in George Balanchine's Prodigal Son. The Son. Image 6: SF Ballet in George Balanchine's Prodigal Son. The Son, his father, and his sister. Image 7: SF Ballet in George Balanchine's Prodigal Son. The Son, his two friends (in blue), and the revelers (somtimes called Goons or Companions). Image 8: SF Ballet in George Balanchine's Prodigal Son. The Son with the revelers. Image 9: SF Ballet in George Balanchine's Prodigal Son. The Siren and the revelers SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 15

16 Image 10: SF War Memorial Opera House. View from the stage. Image 11: SF War Memorial Opera House. View from Van Ness Avenue. Image 12: SF War Memorial Opera House. View of the stage and orchestra pit from the audience. Image 13: SF War Memorial Opera House. View of the stage and backstage area. The ballerina is waiting for her entrance. She is standing behind the lighting equipment and wings. 10 Students will watch the SF Ballet Student Matinee in the War Memorial Opera House. Similar to how the Golden State Warriors play at Oracle Arena and the SF Giants play at AT&T Park, the Opera House is like the Ballet Company s home court. Fun Facts o The Opera House has been the home of SF Ballet since o The Opera House can fit more than 3,000 people in the audience. o The Opera House was designed by Arthur Brown, Jr., the American architect who also designed San Francisco City Hall. o In 2015, some scenes from the movie Steve Jobs, starring Seth Rogen and Kate Winslet, were filmed in the Opera House. Take a virtual tour of the Opera House! SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 16

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30 SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE PRE-PERFORMANCE WORKSHEET (page 1 of 2) Ballet Prodigal Son Choreographer George Balanchine Composer Sergei Prokofiev NAME DATE What s going on in the pictures below? What do you see that makes you think that? Left: Gennadi Nedvigin in Balanchine's Prodigal Son. Right: San Francisco Ballet in Balanchine's Prodigal Son // Choreography by George Balanchine // The George Balanchine Trust // Photos Marty Sohl SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 30

31 SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE PRE-PERFORMANCE WORKSHEET (page 2 of 2) What kind of music do you think is playing? Think about the dancers, musicians, costumes, and sets needed for this performance. What did you visualize? Write or draw about it. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 31

32 SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE POST-PERFORMANCE WORKSHEET (page 1 of 2) Ballet Prodigal Son Choreographer George Balanchine Composer Sergei Prokofiev NAME DATE What s going on in the pictures below? What do you see that makes you think that? Left: Gennadi Nedvigin in Balanchine's Prodigal Son. Right: San Francisco Ballet in Balanchine's Prodigal Son // Choreography by George Balanchine // The George Balanchine Trust // Photos Marty Sohl SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 32

33 SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE POST-PERFORMANCE WORKSHEET (page 2 of 2) What was your favorite section or part of this ballet? Think about the dancers, musicians, costumes, and sets needed for this performance. What did you visualize? Write or draw about it. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 33

34 SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE POST-PERFORMANCE WRITING WORKSHEET TEACHERS MAY SEND TO: San Francisco Ballet Attention: Education Programs 455 Franklin Street San Francisco, CA After watching the SF Ballet Student Matinee, write a letter to the professional ballet dancers in SF Ballet. The letter can be to your favorite dancer or all of the dancers at SF Ballet. Include an illustration of the performance. Dear My favorite part of the performance was The ballet made me feel I was surprised when One question I would like to ask about ballet is Include an illustration on the back of this page. From, Name Age School SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 34

35 SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE POST-PERFORMANCE WRITING ACTIVITY TEACHERS MAY SEND TO: San Francisco Ballet Attention: Education Programs 455 Franklin Street San Francisco, CA Write a critique of a dance performance. Imagine that you are the new arts reviewer for your local newspaper; your assignment is to write a critique of one of the works or ballets you watched at the Student Matinee. Follow your teacher's instructions about the writing structure, length, and font size. Comment on the overall production. Give the reader a sense of the performance. Analyze the performance by examining the elements such as choreography, music, scenic design, costumes, and lighting. Interpret the choreography. What was the choreographer s intent, is there symbolism, what is the theme? What story, concept, or feeling do you think the choreographer was trying to communicate to the audience? If the choreographer created an abstract ballet to communicate an idea, feeling, or mood to the audience, what story did you create or imagine while watching the ballet? Describe and analyze at least one specific movement phrase. How did the choreographer use movement to tell a story or communicate an idea to the audience? Evaluate the performance; do you think the choreographer s intent was clear? Describe the qualities, elements, and dancers that made the performance interesting for you to watch. Compare and contrast the ballet Prodigal Son or Panorama with another ballet. A dance performance is an interaction between performer (dancers and musicians), production elements (sets, props, lights, costumes, etc), and audience that heightens and amplifies artistic expression. How did the movement and music work together? How did the production elements add to the performance? What did the choreography or music remind you of? What qualities and elements made the performance interesting for you to watch? Tips The first sentence should set the tone for the paper and should draw the reader in. Describe, interpret, analyze, and evaluate the performance. Identify the choreographer(s), composer(s), designers, title of the work(s), and the performers or name of the dance company you are discussing. Include a conclusion. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 35

36 SUGGESTED POST-PERFORMANCE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS What is one new interesting fact that you learned about ballet? What qualities and elements make a dance interesting for you to watch? Did any of the dances or dancers surprise you? If so, how? How was the experience of seeing dance on stage different from watching dance on television? What style or genres of dance do you enjoy most? Think about ballet, modern, jazz, tap, hip hop, and social dance styles. Also consider folk dances and cultural dances from other countries and cultures around the world. How are these styles different and similar to ballet? Think about the specific steps, lifts, turns, or jumps in the Student Matinee performance. Is there one step that reminded you of another dance style, a sports move, a cultural activity, or a historical event? What was the ballet about? How did the choreographer use movement to tell a specific story? If the choreographer created an abstract ballet to communicate an idea, feeling, or mood to the audience, what story did you create or imagine while watching the ballet? Choreographers use a variety of sources as inspiration to transform concepts and ideas into movement for artistic expression. Imagine you are a choreographer. What story or idea will you communicate through dance? Choreographers and dancers rehearse, or practice, a long time before a dance is performed. Choreographers analyze, evaluate, refine, and document their work to communicate meaning. How do artists use self-reflection, feedback from others, and documentation to improve the quality of their work? How is this process similar to an author or painter? What was your favorite dance step or dance phrase? How do dancers work with space, time, and energy to communicate artistic expression? What do you think a dancer needs to do to prepare for a performance? How does a dancer heighten artistry in a performance? A dance performance is an interaction between performer (dancers and musicians), production elements (sets, props, lights, costumes, etc), and audience that heightens and amplifies artistic expression. How did the movement and music work together? How did the choreography, music, costumes, and sets communicate the story or concept to the audience? As dance is experienced, all personal experiences, knowledge, and contexts are integrated and synthesized to interpret meaning. How does dance deepen our understanding of ourselves, other knowledge, and events around us? What did the dance and music remind you of? SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 36

37 SECTION 03 GLOSSARY OF DANCE & BALLET TERMS THE LANGUAGE OF BALLET This section includes: Ballet Terms and Vocabulary Department of Education Dance Glossary When you take a ballet class, the ballet teacher will use words in French to describe the steps and movements. Ballet schools and dance companies all over the world use the same words in French to describe ballet steps because the first ballet school was established more than 350 years ago in France by King Louis the XIV. Dance steps are similar to words in a sentence. It takes a lot of words to tell a story. It also takes a lot of dance steps or moves to create a ballet. When you are watching a dance performance, try to recognize some of the dance steps, positions, and vocabulary terms included in this section. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 37

38 THE LANGUAGE OF BALLET Plié [plee-ay]: to bend Demi-plié: half-bending of the knees, heels stay on the floor. Grand plié: full bending of the knees (knees should bend until the thighs are horizontal) Port de bras [pawr deh brah]: movement of the arms Tendu [tahn-dew]: to point or stretch the foot to the front, side, or back Relevé [rehl-eh-vay]: to rise to the balls of the feet (or tips of the toes in pointe shoes) Jeté [zhuh-tay]: to leap (in a grand jeté, both legs are fully extended, one to the front, one to the back.) Plié Arabesque [a-ra-besk]: a position of the body supported on one leg with the other leg extended behind, forming a right angle (or higher), with the arms held in various harmonious positions creating a long line from fingertips to toes Pirouette [peer-wet]: to whirl or turn; a rotation of the body on one foot Fouetté [fweh-tay]: a short whipped movement of the raised foot as it passes rapidly in front of or behind the supporting foot, or the sharp whipping around of the body from one direction to another. There are many varieties of fouettés. Grand Jeté Chaînés [sheh-nay]: a series of rapid turns on the pointes or demi-pointes done in a straight line or in a circle. Chassé [sha-say]: a step in which one foot literally chases the other foot out of its position; done in a series. Arabesque SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 38

39 Pas de chat [pah duh shah]: a step in which both legs tuck up under the body, one after the other, quickly, so that both feet are in the air momentarily. Fish dive: a partnering move in which the ballerina is held low to the ground with her back arched and her legs in fifth position or crossed, so that it looks like she s diving toward the floor. Pas de deux [pah duh DUH]: a dance for two people, traditionally a ballerina and a premier danseur. A grand pas de deux has four parts: PART 1 Adage [a-dahzh]: the opening section in which the ballerina, assisted by her male partner, is lifted, supported, or carried. Includes various types of partnering skills; for example, turns and lifts. Fish Dive PART 2 Male variation: male solo PART 3 Female variation: female solo PART 4 Coda: the finale in which the two dancers appear separately doing short, fast, virtuosic solos, then dance together again. Includes difficult partnering lifts and technically challenging sequences of jumps and turns performed separately by the male and female. Corps de ballet [core duh ba-lay]: a group of dancers who work together as an ensemble; they form a background for the ballerina and her partner in a classical ballet and are the backbone of any ballet company. Pas de deux Corps de ballet SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 39

40 CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DANCE GLOSSARY Social Dance: Dance done in a social setting. It is traditionally referred to as ballroom dance but includes all popular social dances performed with or without partners. Below are selected terms from the dance glossary in the Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools adopted by the California State Board of Education. For the complete VAPA Dance Glossary, visit documents/vpastandards.pdf Dance: Movement selected and organized for aesthetic purposes or as a medium of expression rather than for its function as work or play. DANCE GENRES Genre: A particular kind or style of dance, such as ballet, jazz, modern, folk, tap, social, cultural, folk, and traditional dances. Ballet: A classical Western dance form that originated in the Renaissance courts of Europe. By the time of Louis XIV (mid-1600s), steps and body positions underwent codification. Folk/Traditional Dance: Dance associated with a nationalistic purpose, usually performed today as a surviving portion of a traditional celebration and done for social gatherings or as recreation. Tap Dance: A type of dance that concentrates on footwork and rhythm. This type of dance grew out of American popular dancing, with significant roots in African-American, Irish, and English clogging traditions. TERMS RELATED TO CHOREOGRAPHY AND ELEMENTS OF DANCE Choreography ( dance writing ): The creation and composition of dances by arranging or inventing steps, movements, and patterns of movements. Technique: The physical skills of a dancer that enable him or her to execute the steps and movements required in different dances. Different styles or genres of dance often have specific techniques. Force/energy: An element of dance characterized by the release of potential energy into kinetic energy. It utilizes body weight, reveals the effects of gravity on the body, is projected into space, and affects emotional and spatial relationships and intentions. The most recognized qualities of movement are sustained, percussive, suspended, swinging, and collapsing. Jazz Dance: Dance marked by movement isolations and complex, propulsive polyrhythms. It is an outgrowth of African-American ragtime, jazz, spirituals, blues, work songs, and so forth and is considered an American dance style. Space: An element of dance that refers to the immediate spherical space surrounding the body in all directions. Use of space includes shape, direction, path, range, and level of movement. Space is also the location of a performed dance. Modern Dance: A type of dance that began as a rebellion against steps and positions, and values expressive and original or authentic movement. It is a twentieth-century idiom. Dance Phrase: A partial dance idea composed of a series of connecting movements and similar to a sentence in the written form. Dance Sequence: The order in which a series of movements and shapes occurs. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 40

41 Dance Structures: The way in which a dance is constructed or organized; a supporting framework or the essential parts of a dance. Movement Pattern: A repeated sequence of movement ideas, a rhythmic movement sequence, a spatial design on the floor or in the air, or a specific relationship or grouping of people. Axial Movement: Movement anchored to one spot by a body part. Only the available space in any direction is used while the initial body contact is being maintained. Movement is organized around the axis of the body and is not designed for travel from one location to another. Also known as nonlocomotor movement. Examples include stretching, bending, turning in place, and gesturing. Opposite: locomotor movement. Motif: A distinctive and recurring gesture used to provide a theme or unifying idea. Pathways: A line along which a person or a part of the person, such as an arm or head, moves (e.g., her arm took a circular path, or he traveled along a zigzag pathway). Phrasing: The way in which the parts of a dance are organized. Repetition: The duplication of movements or movement phrases within choreography. Shape: The positioning of the body in space: curved, straight, angular, twisted, symmetrical, or asymmetrical. Locomotor Movement: Movement progressing through space from one spot to another. Basic locomotor movements include walking, running, galloping, jumping, hopping, skipping, sliding, and leaping. Opposite: axial movement Accent: A strong movement or gesture. Canon: A passage, movement sequence, or piece of music in which the parts are done in succession, overlapping one another. Dynamics: The energy of movement expressed in varying intensity, accent, and quality. Gesture: The movement of a body part or combination of parts, with emphasis on the expressive aspects of the move. It includes all movements of the body not supporting weight. Isolation: Movement done with one body part or a small part of the body. Examples are rolling the head, shrugging the shoulders, and rotating the pelvis. Unison: Dance movement that takes place at the same time in a group. TERMS RELATED TO MUSIC AND DANCE Musicality: Attention and sensitivity to the musical elements of dance while creating or performing. Beat: Unit of measure of rhythmic time Tempo: The speed of music or a dance. Rhythm: A structure of movement patterns in time; a movement with a regular succession of strong and weak elements; the pattern produced by emphasis and duration of notes in music. Time: An element of dance involving rhythm, phrasing, tempo, accent, and duration. Time can be metered, as in music, or based on body rhythms, such as breath, emotions, and heartbeat. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 41

42 SECTION 04 ABOUT THE PRODUCTION: PRODIGAL SON ABOUT THE BALLET PRODIGAL SON One of the ballets on the Student Matinee program is Prodigal Son, choreographed by George Balanchine to music composed by Sergei Prokofiev. Prodigal Son was first performed in Paris, France, in More than 80 years later, Prodigal Son is still performed by ballet companies all over the world. Prodigal Son is Balanchine s interpretation of the story Parable of the Prodigal Son. In this ballet, the Son is a spoiled, impatient young man who is tired of living a quiet life with his father and two sisters. When he leaves home to see what the world has to offer, he learns a very hard lesson. In this section, you will learn about the characters, story, and creative team of Prodigal Son: Meet the Characters Prodigal Son: A Ballet in Three Scenes The Story of Prodigal Son About the Ballet Meet the Creative Team Please note that Student Matinees are designed for students in grade 2 and above, and that some content in this ballet may not be suitable for young audiences in grade 1 or younger. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 42

43 MEET THE CHARACTERS THE SON Headstrong, carefree, and naive, the Son goes out into the world eager for adventure and oblivious to risk. (Image 1) SIREN Beautiful and mysterious, the Siren is powerful and seductive, with a serpentine quality to her movement. She wears a large white headdress and a long red velvet cape. She wears pointe shoes that allow her to dance on the tips of her toes. (Image 2) 1 2 FATHER & SISTERS The Father and two Sisters represent comfort and security. Concerned and apprehensive about the Son leaving, they nevertheless welcome him back when he returns. (Image 3) 3 FRIENDS Like the Son, the two Friends are eager for adventure and revelry. They are more cautious of the revelers, but follow the Son s lead. They become caught up in the revelry and betray their friendship with the Son. The two friends wear blue and white costumes. (Image 4) REVELERS (Goons or Companions) 4 The nine revelers operate as a group, with a mob mentality. Their revelry turns to greed, debauchery, and thievery. The nine revelers have identical white costumes and wear special caps to make them look bald. (Image 5) 5 SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 43

44 PRODIGAL SON: BALLET IN THREE SCENES SCENE 1 SCENE 2 As the ballet begins, the curtain rises to show a painted backdrop of a village. Two men come out of a tent, which is the Prodigal Son s family home. They are the Son s friends. The two Friends quickly start to set up long, bugle-like horns and large jugs of wine in preparation for a journey. The Son joins them, picking up some of the jugs and gesturing happily in anticipation of the adventure to come. His two Sisters, who are worried about his plan to leave home, beg him not to go. In response, the Son dances wildly, showing his frustration and excitement. He doesn t want to be stuck at home he wants to see the world! Then the Father appears and calls his children to him. They kneel in prayer, but the Son is impatient he doesn t join hands with his Sisters, and the Father has to place the Son s hand on theirs. When the Father and Sisters bow their heads, the Son slips away and dances, this time showing how angry he is. Then he gestures to his Friends to leave, and they gather up the horns and jugs of wine and run off. The Son dances alone, then follows them, jumping over a low fence to freedom. The Son has two solos in Scene 1, and both show his youth and strength. In the first solo he s excited, which we can see by the way he flies through the air in his big jumps and the fast turns he does with one arm raised. In the second solo, which comes after the Father tries to get him to pray, the Son is angry. He drums his fists on his thighs, flings his arms out straight behind his body, and opens his mouth in a silent scream. (This kind of movement would not have been used in a classical ballet.) Again, he does fast turns and big jumps, sometimes with one leg straight and pointed and the other one tucked up underneath his body. The curtain rises on a faraway place at night. The backdrop is painted with an open tent where a table is set for a banquet or dinner party. A group of nine revelers enters, all bald and dressed identically. They set up a table and seem eager to have fun. When the Son and his two Friends enter, at first they don t see the revelers. When they do, they are startled, and the Friends hang back, afraid to say hello. The Son wants to make friends, though, so he tries to shake hands with the strangers. Each reveler pulls his hand away at the last minute, taunting the Son. Then they notice the Son s fancy clothing and reach for him, admiring the beautiful fabric and workmanship. The two Friends distract the revelers with the musical horns and jugs filled with wine. Then everyone dances together, with the Son and his Friends imitating the clumsy moves of the revelers. Everyone dances with abandon and what seems to be friendship. In Scene 2, the revelers enter, stomping and opening and crossing their arms in a line that makes them look like a centipede. Throughout the scene their movement is awkward, rowdy, and sometimes funny. They link arms, throw one another around, and skitter like bugs, legs apart. When the Son and his Friends dance with them, they imitate the revelers flat-footed steps, pounding the floor joyfully. Next, the Siren enters. She is wearing a big headdress and a long red velvet cape. She is regal and beautiful. Walking on her toes, she dances, showing off her cape. She doesn t pay any attention to the Son, but when he appears at her side, stunned by her beauty, she s not surprised. They dance together, and very quickly the Son falls under her spell. He has never seen a woman like this or been so close to one! She entices him, but her motive is greed, not love she has seen the heavy gold medallion and fine clothing he wears. The SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 44

45 Son tries to touch her and stares at her, but he doesn t notice that her expression never changes. She shows no feeling at all. The Siren moves slowly and serenely, with a regal manner. She makes great use of her cape, winding it around her long legs, and often dances on pointe with her legs in parallel (knees and toes pointed forward, not to the sides, or turned out, as in classical ballet). She goes through the motions of romance, hugging the Son and even wrapping her entire body around him, but we can tell that she doesn t care about him. She always appears distant and unfeeling. At the end of their dance together, she pulls the Son to her and looks out at the audience, and one of her hands snakes up behind her head like a cobra. Meanwhile, the revelers have had too much to drink, and soon they drag the Son into their revelry. Everyone dances and drinks, and at first the Son enjoys himself. But soon the Siren pushes him away and the mood changes. The revelers, and the Friends too, become threatening and throw the Son around. He is no longer having fun. Helpless to fight so many of them, he keeps looking at the Siren in hopes that she might help him. Instead, she pours more wine down his throat, and when he collapses at her feet, she puts one pointed foot on his chest in victory, then leaves. The revelers surround the Son, dragging and pushing him until he ends up propped against a tall pillar. Then the Friends hold him upside-down and shake him, and when his money falls to the ground all the men scramble to collect it. The Siren returns, standing on the shoulders of two revelers. When they set her down, she gathers coins while the revelers strip the Son of his fine clothing, even his shoes. The Siren yanks the Son s medallion from his neck, holds it up to admire it, and runs off. Now the Son is alone, beaten and exhausted, robbed of all his possessions. Slowly he collapses, then pulls himself back up. He realizes that the revelers and the Siren had set a trap for him, pretending to welcome him in order to rob him, and that his Friends have betrayed him. Sad and remorseful, he collapses again. He finds some water and splashes it on his face, then drags himself offstage. He can barely crawl. As soon as the Son leaves, the Siren and the revelers return. Celebrating their success, they create an imaginary ship and pretend to sail off in victory. First they flip over the pillar so that the long, solid side lies flat on the floor, then the revelers climb aboard. The Siren poses as the ship s figurehead by standing at one end of the ship and arching her back. Some of the revelers circle their arms like imaginary oars. Another group holds up a sail (the Siren s cape). A third group blows the horns the Son and his Friends left behind. After they enjoy their little game, gloating about the riches they ve stolen, they run offstage and the scene ends. One interesting story about this ballet is that the boat scene was created quickly, on the day the ballet premiered, as a kind of placeholder for a section of dancing that Balanchine didn t have time to finish. He never intended for the make-believe boat to remain in the ballet, but after seeing the performance he decided to keep it. Try this! Move your arms in a low circular motion as if your arms are oars of a boat in the ocean. Only move your arms to represent the oars of a boat, don t use your upper body. Keep your arms strait, and hold your fingers together. Now mime (or pantomime) that you are blowing one of the horns that belong to the Son and his Friends. Don t use your voice. Instead, only use movement of your arms and facial expressions to show that you are blowing a musical instrument. Try puffing out your cheeks as if you are really blowing air into the SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 45

46 horn to make a loud sound. When you are watching Prodigal Son during the Student Matinee, look carefully for the boat scene. Can you identify the oars? Do you see the horns? How do the revelers create the sail of the boat? SCENE 3 The Son enters on his knees, wearing a black cloak and sandals and pulling himself forward with a staff (a tall, thick, wooden stick). Unable to walk, he has been traveling for a long time, in pain and distress. Finally home, he collapses outside the gate, where his Sisters find him. They see how hurt and sorry he is and help him toward the tent. Too exhausted to continue, the Son collapses again. Then the Father appears and goes to him, his arms held out in welcome. The Son is ashamed and turns away. The Father moves away, then turns and holds out his arms. Realizing that his Father forgives him, the Son crawls to him and falls forward at his feet. The Father stands with his arms at his sides, waiting for his Son but not helping him. Finally the Son manages to pull himself up into his Father s arms, and the Father wraps his cloak around him lovingly, as if he were a child. The ballet Prodigal Son has only one set piece, and it is used in several ways. The set piece starts out as a low fence in Scene 1. In Scene 2 it becomes a table, then a pillar, and then a boat. In Scene 3 it is used as a fence again. The designs suggest something rather than accurately depicting it, which shows the influence of modernism. When you are watching the ballet, look carefully at how the same set piece is used to represent multiple items or locations. Think about how the scenic designer uses the same set piece to communicate different parts of the story. Can you think of other things the set piece could represent in Prodigal Son? SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 46

47 THE STORY OF PRODIGAL SON The story of Prodigal Son comes from the Bible, the Parable of the Prodigal Son or Parable of the Lost Son. A parable is a moral or spiritual lesson, in this case attributed to Jesus, and the word prodigal describes someone who is wasteful and reckless with money. In this story, the Prodigal Son is a spoiled, impatient young man who is tired of living a quiet life with his father and two sisters. When he leaves home to see what the world has to offer, he learns a very hard lesson. ABOUT THE BALLET Prodigal Son was made in Paris, France, in The choreographer was a Russian dancer named George Balanchine. Balanchine is one of ballet s most famous choreographers. He choreographed Prodigal Son for a ballet company called Ballets Russes, then brought Prodigal Son with him when he came to New York City in The dancing in Prodigal Son comes in lots of varieties, from ballet steps and poses to ordinary movement walking, gesturing, embracing. This is a neoclassical ballet, so it s based on classical ballet steps but is more modern. In fact, Balanchine based some of the movement on acrobatics and circus tricks not at all usual in ballets. Prodigal Son was an unusual ballet for the Ballets Russes because of its biblical story and powerful emotions. The ballet stays true to the main idea of the parable, but the choreographer, George Balanchine, and the librettist (writer), Boris Kochno, made changes necessary to tell the story through dance, without words. In the ballet, the characters of the Siren and the revelers (or Drinking Companions) were added to show how easily the Son could be tempted and fooled. This scene provides a lot of action that is perfect for dance. To emphasize the theme of redemption (being saved despite your own bad actions), the ballet ends with the Son returning home and the Father forgiving his child. Prodigal Son has touched audiences ever since its premiere, when many viewers cried at the ending. At the premiere, a famous dancer named Serge Lifar danced the role of the Son, and he almost didn t perform because of last-minute doubts about his understanding of the character. What finally sent him onstage that night was the realization that if he didn t go on, he would be betraying the company s director, Serge Diaghilev, whom he loved, just like the Prodigal Son hurt his father. Having found the character (he was the Prodigal Son!), Lifar gave a tremendous performance. Later, Balanchine said Lifar was the best of all the dancers who performed the role of the Son during Balanchine s lifetime, of course. Prodigal Son shows the influence of the art movement called modernism. Modernism moved away from showing things realistically toward taking an abstract view (an expression of the ideas, feelings, or atmosphere of something, rather than showing every physical detail). In this ballet, we see the abstraction in both the dancing and the designs (sets and costumes). SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 47

48 SCENIC & COSTUME DESIGN THE DANCERS The sets and costumes are done in the Fauvist style, meaning they emphasize color and painterly qualities over realism. This was the first style of the modernist period. The designs are simple, with bold patterns and colors. The costumes, mostly short tunics and cloaks, suggest the biblical time period without trying to represent it accurately, while the backdrops are almost cartoonish simple, colorful, with bold lines and not much detail. MUSICAL SCORE The composer, Sergei Prokofiev, was very unhappy with Balanchine s concept for the ballet as a whole, and especially for the Siren. He thought the ballet should be realistic and the Siren should be a sweet, shy woman who tempts the Son, and he was furious with Balanchine for making the Siren cold and heartless. In those days, it was normal for a ballet s composer to pay the choreographer part of his earnings, but Prokofiev wouldn t give Balanchine a penny. As for Balanchine, he never worked with Prokofiev again and never used any of his music in his ballets. Prodigal Son has 16 dancers: the Son, Siren, Father, two Friends, two Sisters, and nine Revelers (Goons or Companions). This ballet is a major accomplishment for the dancer who plays the Son. The role is physically demanding because of the big jumps, high energy, and the amount of movement done on the knees. And it s difficult mentally because of the intense emotions the dancer must show. As with many ballets, much of the feeling can be seen in the dance steps, but the role of the Son requires a dancer who is an excellent actor. He has to show many different emotions and do it without overacting. When the role is danced well, the audience feels the Son s anger, pain, remorse, and gratitude. Many people cry at the end of this ballet it s that powerful! The roles of the Son and Siren are usually performed by principal dancers or soloists, while the Friends might be soloists or corps de ballet dancers. The Sisters and Revelers are corps de ballet dancers. The Father is often performed by a principal character dancer, someone who performs roles that are mostly acting, not dancing. Listen to the music! Listen to a clip of the music Prokofiev composed for Prodigal Son. Use your imagination. What part of the story do you think this music is for? What types of dance steps do you imagine when you listen to this music? Is the Son jumping or turning? How does the music make you feel? soundcloud.com/naxosusa/prokofiev-theprodigal-son-the SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 48

49 MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM OF PRODIGAL SON CHOREOGRAPHER: GEORGE BALANCHINE Russian choreographer George Balanchine ( ) is one of ballet s most famous dancemakers. After leaving Russia in the 1920s, he joined Sergei Diaghilev s Paris-based company, the Ballets Russes, as both dancer and choreographer. He choreographed Prodigal Son for the Ballets Russes, then brought the ballet with him when he came to New York City in He co-founded the School of American Ballet and the company that became the world-renowned New York City Ballet. Balanchine created more than 400 dance works, and his development of the neoclassical style of ballet changed the look of American ballet forever. SF Ballet is currently performing a program called Must-See Balanchine, which includes three Balanchine Ballets: Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Prodigal Son, and Diamonds. In 2016, SF Ballet performed George Balanchine's story ballet Coppélia. COMPOSER: SERGEI PROKOFIEV Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev ( ) was one of the major musical artists of the 20th century. A pianist, he began composing at age 5 and later performed throughout Russia (later the U.S.S.R.) and Western Europe. His works include symphonies, concertos, operas, and dance scores. One of his most beloved works is the symphony Peter and the Wolf, a narrated children s story written in 1936 that is widely performed. He wrote several pieces specifically for ballet, including Prodigal Son, Romeo and Juliet, and Cinderella, and many of his other compositions have been used for dance. STAGER: RICHARD TANNER Richard Tanner, a former dancer, is a choreographer and stager of ballets. Tanner trained at the School of American Ballet and danced with Ballet West as a soloist and with New York City Ballet for 10 years. He choreographed dozens of ballets for New York City Ballet (including one for the historic 1972 Stravinsky Festival) and other companies, including Ballet West, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Pennsylvania Ballet. He was an associate artistic director at Pennsylvania Ballet and a ballet master at American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet. Now, as a stager for The George Balanchine Trust, he sets many Balanchine ballets on companies in the United States and Europe. SCENIC & COSTUME DESIGNER: GEORGES ROUAULT Georges Rouault ( ) was a French artist a watercolor and oil painter, printmaker, ceramicist, and stained-glass artist. He worked in the expressionist style (depicting emotions rather than reality) and, after becoming a Roman Catholic, often created religiousthemed works. His one contribution to the ballet world was designing the Fauvist-style sets and costumes for Prodigal Son for Diaghilev s Ballets Russes. LIGHTING DESIGNER: JEAN ROSENTHAL Jean Rosenthal ( ) was an early, prominent, and influential artist in the field of lighting design. She worked in theater, opera, and dance as both a lighting designer and production supervisor, and with the Federal Theater Project of the Works Projects Administration, American Shakespeare Festival, and The Juilliard School. Her designs for dance include all SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 49

50 of New York City Ballet s productions for more than a decade, as well as works by Jerome Robbins and Martha Graham. She also designed many Broadway plays and musicals, including West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, and Hello, Dolly! LIBRETTIST: BORIS KOCHNO Russian-born Boris Kochno ( ), a poet and librettist (writer of stories for theater and dance), was a longtime associate of Sergei Diaghilev of the Ballets Russes, serving as his advisor and spokesperson. He wrote the stories for many ballets by important choreographers, including George Balanchine (Prodigal Son), Bronislava Nijinska, and Léonide Massine. He was an advisor for the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo and the co-founder (with Roland Petit) and artistic director of Les Ballets des Champs-Élysées. He played an important part in the development of ballet in France after World War II. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 50

51 SECTION 05 PANORAMA PANORAMA: A NEW WORK BY MYLES THATCHER One of the ballets on the Student Matinee program is a brand-new ballet called Panorama. Panorama was choreographed by SF Ballet Corps de Ballet member Myles Thatcher especially for the students in the San Francisco Ballet School Trainee Program. The dancers performing Panorama are called Trainees because they are advanced ballet students aged who are training to become professional ballet dancers. They are not yet professional dancers! In this section, you will learn more about the choreographer Myles Thatcher, the teenagers in the San Francisco Ballet School Trainee Program, and the new work called Panorama. What Is a New Work? The Creative Process: From Rehearsals to Stage The Performance Meet the Artists A Day in the Life of a SF Ballet School Trainee SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 51

52 WHAT IS A NEW WORK? One of the ballets on this program, Panorama, is brand-new, created by SF Ballet Corps de Ballet member Myles Thatcher especially for students in the San Francisco Ballet School Trainee Program. The dancers performing Panorama are advanced ballet students aged who are training to become professional ballet dancers. When a new ballet is performed for the first time, it s called a world premiere in other words, it s the first time the piece is being performed anywhere. It s a big event in the ballet world, similar to the opening of a Hollywood film or a Broadway show. Later, if the work is performed in another part of the world, we say it s having a premiere in that region. For example, the next time Panorama will be performed will be in Paris, and we ll call that performance the European premiere. Many people work together to create a new work, turning the first glimmer of an idea into a fully developed ballet. For the choreographer, the first steps are to choose the music and a concept or theme.for this ballet, Thatcher chose Dutch composer Douwe Eisenga s lively Piano Concerto: I from the album Rose Road City Lines. The concept might come first for a story ballet, but often choreographers find their inspiration in the music. The images or emotions heard in the music can shape the ballet s ideas, the style of dancing (classical or contemporary, or something in between), and even the particular steps to be used. The choreographer listens to the music over and over again, making notes about movement ideas and what might happen at certain points in the music. For example, a solo might be best for a quiet moment, or a group dance for an exciting section. Next, the choreographer chooses which dancers to work with. For Panorama, Thatcher selected six of the San Francisco Ballet School Trainees, the most advanced students in the San Francisco Ballet School. He also chose six students for a second cast. Then rehearsals begin. THE CREATIVE PROCESS: FROM REHEARSAL TO STAGE A ballet begins to take shape only once the Some ballets are two or three hours long, for example choreographer and dancers work together the Nutcracker and Cinderella, and can take months of rehearsal period. The choreographer creates the rehearsals in the ballet studio and weeks of rehearsals movement on the dancers, suiting their individual onstage. Other ballets can be very short. Panorama is physiques, skills, and artistry. There s often plenty only nine minutes long, and Thatcher began creating of experimentation, and new ideas emerge as it in December He had to squeeze in rehearsals the ballet develops. In fact, many choreographers whenever he could, working around his own rehearsal welcome the dancers ideas about how to do certain and performance schedule as a professional ballet movements. If the music was commissioned (meaning dancer in SF Ballet. written especially for the ballet), the composer might make changes during the rehearsal period, such as Before rehearsals start, the choreographer discusses lengthening or cutting the score. The choreographer, the ballet s concept and any preferences about dancers, and composer work closely together to make colors and styles with the designers. The designers the ballet exactly what was envisioned. watch rehearsals and make notes or sketches for example, a costume designer thinks about which All this happens in a relatively short time period. Every fabrics and colors will suit the ballet. (For Panorama, new ballet takes a different amount of time to create. fashion design student Sylvie Rood created sleek SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 52

53 black costumes with insets that look like swirling watercolors.) If needed, the scenic designer creates pieces like platforms, staircases, and walls, and decorative elements like chandeliers, but sometimes the designs involve only the stage curtains and a lit or painted background. Lighting designers do most of their work once the ballet is being rehearsed onstage, but they decide ahead of time which colors to use and how the lighting should look at various points in the ballet. A few days before the world premiere, the onstage rehearsals begin. First is a technical (or tech ) rehearsal, which is when all of the production elements come together. The sets have been built and placed onstage, the costumes made and fitted, and the lighting instruments hung, gelled (fitted with a sheet of plastic that colors the light), and focused on specific portions of the stage. Any other technical parts of the production, such as sound effects or video projections, are worked out during this rehearsal as well. A big ballet with lots of set changes and technical elements might have two tech rehearsals. At SF Ballet, an orchestra rehearsal comes next, usually with all sets, costumes, and lighting. The conductor rehearses the orchestra before then, but this rehearsal is the first time the musicians and dancers get to rehearse together. Next comes the dress rehearsal again with all sets, costumes, and lighting, plus hair and makeup. At SF Ballet, the dress rehearsal is usually held the day of the world premiere. It s the final chance for everything to come together before the big opening. THE PERFORMANCE The day of a world premiere is a long, busy one. After the dress rehearsal, the choreographer gives any final instructions to the dancers, who then have a few hours to rest, and the stagehands prepare the stage for the performance. Half an hour before the show (or earlier if more time is needed for hair and makeup), the dancers begin to prepare. They put on their costumes and makeup, take whatever time they need to warm up their muscles and stretch their bodies, and mentally prepare themselves for this exciting event. After the world premiere, the choreographer, designers, and composer (if the music was commissioned) join the dancers onstage for bows. When you see all those people onstage, it s a reminder of how many artists are involved in this art form. Of course it s the dancers who bring the ballet to life, but there would be no ballet without someone to create the choreography, clothe the dancers, give them a setting to dance in, light them in ways that create a mood or feeling, play the music, and do the organizing and publicity. At SF Ballet, often dozens of people (sometimes many dozens!) take part in a ballet s world premiere. It s very exciting for everyone involved. And for audiences, it s thrilling to know they are the first people in the world to see a one-of-a-kind premiere a just-created ballet in performance. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 53

54 MEET THE ARTISTS CHOREOGRAPHER: MYLES THATCHER Myles Thatcher has performed principal or featured roles in Tomasson s Giselle, Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet, and Swan Lake; Tomasson/Possokhov s Don Quixote; Cranko s Onegin; Balanchine s Symphony in C, Symphony in Three Movements and Theme and Variations; Caniparoli s Ibsen s House and Lambarena; Lifar s Suite en Blanc; Scarlett s Hummingbird; and Wheeldon s Cinderella, Ghosts, and Within the Golden Hour. He created roles in Caniparoli s Tears (soloist), Tomasson s Caprice, and Scarlett s Hummingbird. Gala, and for the San Francisco Ballet School Student Showcase for three successive years. Thatcher was selected by Alexei Ratmansky to participate in the Rolex Mentor & Protégé Arts Initiative. In 2016 he was nominated for an Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for Manifesto. He is one of the youngest choreographers to be commissioned to create a new work for SF Ballet. He trained in the SF Ballet School and was a SF Ballet School Trainee, and that s where he really began to develop his affinity for choreography. In 2010, he joined SF Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet. In 2015, Thatcher created a new work called Manifesto for SF Ballet. Watch this video to learn more about Myles and his choreographic process. youtu.be/othh3qhm_f4 COMPOSER: DOUWE EISENGA His repertory includes many Balanchine ballets, and works by John Neumeier, Yuri Possokhov, Alexei Ratmansky, Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon, as well as works created by SF Ballet Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson. In 2015, Thatcher choreographed Body of Your Dreams for the Rolex Arts Weekend in Mexico City, Polaris for New York City Ballet, and Passengers for The Joffrey Ballet. He created works for San Francisco Ballet's 2015 Repertory Season, the 2013 Repertory Season After a short career in pop music, Douwe Eisenga studied composition at the Conservatory in Groningen (Netherlands). After learning all sorts of contemporary composing techniques, it took a while until Eisenga found his own sound. In 2001 his own musical language developed rapidly, which resulted in the chamber opera Kabaal, the large-scale Requiem, and the premiere of his Piano Concerto in Yokohama, Japan. Since 2010, his music has received more and more attention worldwide. The Claudia Schreier Dance Company premiered the ballet Harmonic in NYC, followed by Charge and Pulse, all set on Eisenga s music. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 54

55 Recent projects are Momentum as part of the National Celebration of Liberation in The Netherlands in 2015, the premiere of Bliss by Cello8tet Amsterdam and Echoes for the Belgian ensemble Origami. At the moment Eisenga is writing music for the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble. Piano Concerto: I from the Rose Road City Lines album, used with permission; get your free album at DOUWEEISENGA.COM. Listen to the music before you see the Student Matinee performance! Listen to an excerpt of the music for the Myles Thatcher s ballet Panorama, composed by Douwe Eisenga. news-concerts/bericht:san-francisco---san-franciscoballet-school.htm DANCERS: SAN FRANCISCO BALLET SCHOOL TRAINEES Established in 2004, the San Francisco Ballet School Trainee Program is a one- to two-year pre-professional program comprised of students chosen from San Francisco Ballet School's most advanced level. Participation is by invitation from San Francisco Ballet School Director Helgi Tomasson and School Associate Director Patrick Armand. This comprehensive program provides the experience necessary to ease the transition from student to professional dancer, all while offering personal attention in a close, nurturing environment. Trainees participate in daily ballet technique class, as well as pointe, batterie, and pas de deux classes taught by San Francisco Ballet School faculty members. They rehearse and perform classical and contemporary works from the repertory of San Francisco Ballet and works created especially for them. Trainees also participate in workshops on teaching a ballet class, choreography, and stagecraft. Trainees perform from October to June throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. They understudy and dance in many San Francisco Ballet productions including Tomasson's Nutcracker and in full-length ballets like Swan Lake and Cinderella. The year culminates with the San Francisco Ballet School Student Showcase performances at the end of spring. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SF BALLET SCHOOL TRAINEE Hi! I am a San Francisco Ballet School Trainee. I moved to San Francisco to train at SF Ballet School. My dream is to become a professional ballet dancer. Just like you, I go to school every day, but my classes include different dance classes that will help me prepare for a career as a professional ballet dancer. I live at the SF Ballet School s student residenc with other teenagers studying ballet at SF Ballet School. The student residence is like a college dorm. Some of us were born in California, and some of us were born in other countries and moved to SF to study ballet at SF Ballet School. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 55

56 My morning routine consists of a big, healthy breakfast because it takes a lot of energy to dance all day. I also prepare my dance bag for the day ahead, just like you prepare your backpack for school. I make sure to pack my ballet shoes, dance clothes, a roller to prevent injury, and lots of food. I take the Muni bus with my classmates to the SF Ballet building. I get there early before class begins to warm up my muscles. It is really important to prepare my body by warming up and stretching before ballet class. I take a ballet technique class every day. The first part of ballet class is at the barre, the second part of class is called center. Sometimes I take additional classes like strengthening, conditioning, pas de deux, character dance, contemporary dance, mime, or music. After my classes and rehearsals, I take the bus back to the student residence. After eating a healthy dinner I do my homework just like you. When I m done with my homework, I like to hang out with my friends, watch movies, play video games, or watch the Golden State Warriors games on TV. My hobbies include playing the piano and cooking. I m learning how to cook healthy meals. Sometimes I get to watch a SF Ballet performance in the evening at the War Memorial Opera House. Depending on the performance, I may be cast and perform with the SF Ballet! Performances make for long days, but it is exciting to dance onstage. Lastly, I make sure to get lots of sleep so I m well rested for the next day. After classes I have a short break before rehearsals. I make sure to have a big, healthy lunch. Rehearsals can last from three to four hours. Today, I m rehearsing Panorama, a new ballet by choreographer Myles Thatcher. Sometimes I rehearse with the professional ballet dancers of SF Ballet for Swan Lake or Cinderella. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 56

57 SECTION 06 ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO BALLET ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO BALLET San Francisco Ballet, long recognized for pushing boundaries in dance, has a history of making history. Founded in 1933, SF Ballet has emerged as a worldclass arts organization. In this section you will learn about three different parts of San Francisco Ballet: San Francisco Ballet San Francisco Ballet Orchestra San Francisco Ballet School During a Student Matinee performance, you will see professional ballet dancers from the San Francisco Ballet Company perform both classical and contemporary ballet. The Company dancers will be accompanied by the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. You might also see teenagers who are advanced level students, called Trainees, who are studying ballet at the San Francisco Ballet School. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 57

58 SAN FRANCISCO BALLET Helgi Tomasson, Artistic Director & Principal Choreographer A tradition of innovation flows through the history of San Francisco Ballet. Long recognized for pushing boundaries in dance, SF Ballet has always built upon strong classical roots, while continually exploring and redefining where the art form is headed. The San Francisco Opera Ballet was founded in 1933, primarily to prepare dancers to appear in lavish opera productions. In 1942, the ballet officially separated from the opera and was renamed San Francisco Ballet. Headed by brothers Willam, Lew, and Harold Christensen from the late 1930s until the 1970s, the Company staged the first full-length U.S. productions of Swan Lake (1940) and Nutcracker (1944). Under Lew s direction, the Company made its East Coast debut at Jacob s Pillow Dance Festival in 1956 and toured 11 Asian nations the following year. In 1972 the Company settled in the War Memorial Opera House for its annual residency. The following year, Michael Smuin was appointed associate artistic director. When Helgi Tomasson (pictured below) became artistic director in 1985, it marked the beginning of a new era. Like Lew Christensen, Helgi had been a leading dancer for George Balanchine. Among his many works, Helgi has staged acclaimed full-length productions of many classics, including Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo & Juliet, Giselle, and Nutcracker. SF Ballet s repertory includes works by many choreographers, including George Balanchine, Lew Christensen, William Forsythe, Edwaard Liang, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Agnes de Mille, Mark Morris, Rudolf Nureyev, Justin Peck, Marius Petipa, Yuri Possokhov, Jerome Robbins, Liam Scarlett, Helgi Tomasson, Paul Taylor, and Christopher Wheeldon. Watch a dance video of SF Ballet. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 58

59 SAN FRANCISCO BALLET ORCHESTRA Martin West, Musical Director & Principal Conductor San Francisco Ballet Orchestra is internationally recognized as one of the top ballet orchestras in the world. Since its 1975 performance debut with SF Ballet s Nutcracker under Music Director Denis de Coteau, the Orchestra s home has been the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. First known as the Performing Arts Orchestra of San Francisco, the ensemble took the name San Francisco Ballet Orchestra in Martin West (pictured below) is the Music Director & Principal Conductor of the SF Ballet Orchestra. With a core group of 49 members, increased to 65 or more players for certain productions, the Orchestra s performance season includes the annual production of Nutcracker and a winter/spring repertory season. The Orchestra s repertory ranges from such classics as Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky s Swan Lake and Adolphe Adam s Giselle to abstract works and contemporary symphonic pieces, some of them written for SF Ballet. Over the years, the Orchestra has accompanied such prestigious ballet companies as American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, Ballet Nacional de Cuba, The Royal Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, and Paul Taylor Dance Company. Listen to composer Igor Stravinsky s Violin Concerto in D, which is the score for George Balanchine s ballet called Stravinsky Violin Concerto. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 59

60 SAN FRANCISCO BALLET SCHOOL Helgi Tomasson, Director Patrick Armand, Associate Director San Francisco Ballet School is America s oldest professional training academy. Overseen by Director Helgi Tomasson and Associate Director Patrick Armand (pictured below), the School attracts students from around the world, training approximately 700 young dancers annually. In addition to filling the ranks of SF Ballet, graduates have joined distinguished ballet companies throughout the world. More than 50 percent of the professional dancers in the SF Ballet Company received training in our school. the demands of any choreographer, any company, any type of movement. In the supportive atmosphere at SF Ballet School, there are classes for all ages and levels of ability; discovering the joy of dance is an essential part of learning ballet. At levels beyond pre-ballet, girls and boys are placed in one of eight levels according to age, experience, and ability. They follow a structured sequence of training stages, designed to increase their technical skills, stamina, and self-discipline in accordance with their age and physical development. The program includes classes in technique, pointe work, pas de deux (partnering), men's technique, contemporary dance, character dance, mime, conditioning, and music. The challenging curriculum, taught by an expert staff, emphasizes a strong classical technique and a flow of movement that suggests a sense of energy, freedom, and joy reflecting the kind of dancing favored by San Francisco Ballet. It is a style that readily adapts to meet Take a ballet class! Learn more about ballet classes at San Francisco Ballet School. SF BALLET STUDENT MATINEE STUDY GUIDE 60