ONSTAGE 2017/ 18 RE SOU RC E G UIDE STEVE WINTER COLIN BRENNAN RACHEL NEVILLE

Transcription

1 ONSTAGE 2017/ 18 RE SOU RC E G UIDE STEVE WINTER COLIN BRENNAN RACHEL NEVILLE

2 ABOUT OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS RESIDENT ORGANIZATIONS Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society Children's Theater of Madison Forward Theater Company Kanopy Dance Company Li Chiao-Ping Dance Company Madison Ballet Madison Opera Madison Symphony Orchestra Wisconsin Academy s James Watrous Gallery Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra RESOURCE GUIDE CREDITS Executive Editor Writer/Designer Overture Center for the Arts fills a city block in downtown Madison with world-class venues for the performing and visual arts. Made possible by an extraordinary gift from Madison businessman W. Jerome Frautschi, the center presents the highest-quality arts and entertainment programming in a wide variety of disciplines for diverse audiences. Offerings include performances by acclaimed classical, jazz, pop, and folk performers; touring Broadway musicals; quality children s entertainment; and world-class ballet, modern and jazz dance. Overture Center s extensive outreach and educational programs serve thousands of Madison-area residents annually, including youth, older adults, people with limited financial resources and people with disabilities. The center is also home to ten independent resident organizations. Internationally renowned architect Cesar Pelli designed the center to provide the best possible environment for artists and audiences, as well as to complement Madison s urban environment. Performance spaces range from the spectacular 2,250-seat Overture Hall to the casual and intimate Rotunda Stage. The renovated Capitol Theater seats approximately 1,110, and The Playhouse seats 350. In addition, three multi-purpose spaces provide flexible performance, meeting and rehearsal facilities. Overture Center also features several art exhibit spaces. Overture Galleries I, II and III display works by Dane County artists. The Playhouse Gallery features regional artists with an emphasis on collaborations with local organizations. The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters Watrous Gallery displays works by Wisconsin artists, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art offers works by national and international artists. Meri Rose Ekberg Danielle Dresden

3 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 1 Dear Teachers, In this resource guide you will find valuable information that will help you apply your academic goals to your students performance experience. We have included suggestions for activities which can help you prepare students to see this performance, ideas for followup activities, and additional resources you can access on the web. Along with these activities and resources, we ve also included the applicable Wisconsin Academic Standards in order to help you align the experience with your curriculum requirements. This Educator s Resource Guide for this OnStage presentation of Dance Theatre of Harlem is designed to: Extend the scholastic impact of the performance by providing discussion ideas, activities and further reading which promote learning across the curriculum; Promote arts literacy by expanding students knowledge of music, science, storytelling and theatre; Illustrate that the arts are a legacy reflecting the values, custom, beliefs, expressions and reflections of a culture; Use the arts to teach about the cultures of other people and to celebrate students own heritage through self-reflection; Maximize students enjoyment and appreciation of the performance. We hope this performance and the suggestions in this resource guide will provide you and your students opportunities to apply art learning in your curricula, expanding it in new and enriching ways. Enjoy the Show! Education Categories Arts We Want Your Feedback! Social Emotional OnStage performances can be evaluated on-line! Evaluations are vital to the future and funding of this program. Your feedback educates us about the ways the program is utilized and we often implement your suggestions. Survey: OnStage-Post-Show-Survey Stephanie Williams & Anthony Savoy Table of Contents Photo by Matthew Murphy About Dance Theatre of Harlem... 2 Arthur Mitchell & The History of Dance Theatre of Harlem... 3 About Ballet...4 Fun Facts About Ballet...5 Pre- & Post-Show Questions...6 Resources... 7 Arts Education: Moving Constellations...8 Elements of Dance Poster...9 Arts Education: Brief History of Ballet Article on History of Ballet Academic Standards About Live Performance... 16

4 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 2 About Dance Theatre of Harlem Take a giant leap into the world of ballet in this special 60-minute presentation by Dance Theatre of Harlem and come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of dance, dance training, and the direct relationship between effort and achievement. In the first part of the program, the ballet master/narrator introduces audiences to the process of making a dancer. Company dancers simulate their daily technique class, complete with the exercises they do at the ballet barre and demonstrations of partnering techniques and lifts. Imagine the warm-ups and drills that athletes do before a meet or a game, and see if you can find any resemblance between the two. The second half of the program demonstrates the performance styles of classical, contemporary, and neo-classical ballet, interspersed with commentary from the ballet master/narrator. As the similarity between ballet dancers and professional athletes is highlighted, the underlying message of the program that success is the result of the work you do shines through. Audience interaction is encouraged as time allows. Dance Theatre of Harlem is a great example of turning lemons into lemonade, or, more accurately, tragedy into art. In 1968, with the country reeling from the death by assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and some people still believing that black people couldn t do ballet, Arthur Mitchell was inspired to provide children especially those growing up in Harlem, like he did with the opportunity to study dance. He teamed up with his mentor and ballet instructor, Karel Shook, to establish Dance Theatre of Harlem and its multi-faceted mission: To operate a school to train young people in ballet and the arts To serve the Harlem community and others with educational and artistic programs To present a world-class ballet company with a demanding and diverse repertory The company offered its debut performance in 1971 at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Over the years, Dance Theatre of Harlem has earned international acclaim as a touring ballet company and established itself as a force in education with its Dancing Through Barriers program.

5 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 3 Arthur Mitchell & the History of Dance Theatre of Harlem Arthur Mitchell, the president, artistic director, and co-founder (along with Karel Shook) of Dance Theatre of Harlem, has had a career of chock full of firsts. Born in Harlem on March 27, 1934, he attended Manhattan s High School of the Performing Arts, earned scholarships to the Dunham School and the School of American Ballet, and, in 1955, he became the first African-American to become a permanent member of a major ballet company, the New York City Ballet. He established another first in 1957 when he performed in the first interracial ballet duet, Agon pas de deux, created for him by the world-renowned ballet choreographer, George Balanchine. He performed several leading roles as a Principal Dancer for the New York City Ballet, before founding the National Ballet Company of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro in Yet another first came in 1969 when he co-founded Dance Theatre of Harlem. This was the first predominantly black classical ballet company in the country. The company offered its debut performance in 1971 at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Over the years, Dance Theatre of Harlem has earned international acclaim as a touring ballet company and established itself as a force in education with its Dancing Through Barriers program. Due to financial constraints, the professional company was placed on hiatus in the 1990s and again in the early 2000s, resuming a full schedule of performances and touring in Today, the company consists of 14 racially diverse dance artists, trained to meet the exacting standards of Dance Theatre of Harlem s thrilling, eclectic and demanding repertoire. Mitchell has received many awards, including: 1993 Kennedy Center Honors (He was the youngest recipient of the award) 1993 Handel Medallion Award, New York City s highest arts award 1994 MacArthur Genius Award Dance Theatre of Harlem in National Medal of Arts (the highest honor awarded by the President of the United States in the Arts and Humanities) 1999 Inducted into the National Museum of Dance Hall of Fame 2001 Heinz Award in Art and Humanities Dancers Are Athletes! Who do you think is tougher, dancers or football players? The answer might surprise you. While it takes a lot of strength, endurance, and coordination to play team sports or dance ballet, a 2014 study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine compared 40 ballet dancers and 40 athletes competing in team sports. Participants were asked to jump onto one leg from a 30-centimeter platform. After several tries they were studied to see who was measurably more tired and it took the dancers much longer than the athletes to get to the same point of fatigue!

6 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 4 About Ballet Unlike folk dance or social dance, ballet is not a dance that comes from the people. What is known today as ballet basically came from the court of King Louis XIV, who ruled France from As the dances featured at his palace balls became more involved, telling stories of myths and history, and more difficult to perform, gradually attendees became audience members who watched these dances, or ballets, in a more theatrical setting. In 1661, King Louis XIV founded the first school to train professional ballet dancers. When Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, invited French ballet dancers to Russia in the18th century, that country began to become the center of ballet. Ballet became popular in the United States during the 20th century, thanks in part to the influence of George Balanchine, a Russian immigrant, dancer, choreographer, and Arthur Mitchell s teacher. Ballet is a very precise form of dance. Although you ll see dancers moving all over the stage, following many specific steps, and taking many poses, ballet technique is based on five basic positions for the feet and arms, and seven fundamental movements. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has a concise description of basic ballet positions at this website. The seven fundamental movements of ballet, which are all described in French, thanks to King Louis XIV, are: Plier, which means to bend, and helps the knees and ankles absorb the impact of the dance Étendre, which means to stretch, and helps dancers build strength in their feet and legs Glisser, which means to glide, and describes a smooth, gliding of the feet against the floor Relever, which means to rise, and means dancers raise their heels off the ground and balance on the balls of their feet, or even their tip-toes if they re wearing a special shoe called a pointe shoe Sauter, which means to jump, and the hardest part is learning to land quietly and in control Tourner, which means to turn around, and can refer to any kind of spinning, with a pirouette being a special kind of spin done on only one leg Élancer, which means to dart, and describes dashing movements across the floor Davon Doane, Anthony Savoy, & Dylan Santos, Photo by Renata Pavam

7 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 5 Fun Facts About Ballet During a ballet, you may have seen a male dancer pick up and hold another dancer in the air, which is called a lift. You might have thought it looked hard, but you probably didn t know quite how hard it is. It s estimated that, in one performance, male ballet dancers can lift 1 1/2 tons worth of people. Ballet shoes are soft, lightweight, flexible shoes specially made for this art form. They fit very closely to the foot. But they don t have a long shelf life. A professional ballerina following a rigorous schedule of practice and performance can wear out 2-3 pairs of ballet shoes a week. Some ballerinas can do so many turns in a row, while standing on one foot, that their pointe shoes actually get hot. It can take up to 5,000 hours of rehearsals to prepare one ballet performance. A female ballerina can wear tutus in her career. Over the course of his career, a male dancer can wear out 4,000 pairs of tights. What is a Ballet Barre? A ballet barre is a special railing set up for dancers to use during their warm-ups and exercises. It is meant to provide support, not to take a dancer s full weight. Dancers will frequently go through a series of exercise on one leg using the barre, and then turn around and do them all again on the other leg. Exercises at the barre are a great workout, and some fitness centers feature versions of these classes for people who are not studying ballet. Dancers working out at the ballet barre What is a Ballet Barre? A ballet barre (as seen in the photo above) is a special railing set up for dancers to use during their warm-ups and exercises. It is meant to provide support, not to take a dancer s full weight. Dancers will frequently go through a series of exercise on one leg using the barre, and then turn around and do them all again on the other leg. Exercises at the barre are a great workout, and some fitness centers feature versions of these classes for people who are not studying ballet, exactly, but who are looking for a fun way to keep fit.

8 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 6 Pre- & Post-Show Questions Pre-Show Questions 1. What s a choreographer? Discuss the role of the choreographer and explain that a choreographer is the individual who makes up how the dancers move and where they go in a dance, just as a composer makes up a piece of music. In most dances you see performed for audiences, pretty much everything that happens is set by the choreographer, sometimes with input from the dancers. 2. Discuss contemporary forms of dance, such as hip-hop, disco, punk or slamming, break dancing, and others. Are these folk dances? What kinds of music are used? What about costumes? Note how many of these steps are never officially preserved, but are taught and passed along from one person to the next, one neighborhood to the next. Do students know any group dances, such as square dancing or clogging? Do people have different dance styles based on their neighborhood, borough or city? 3. Discuss the concept of dance being the language of the body, and why it s a universal language. See if students can give examples of how they understand other people s intentions and messages through their movements and not their speech. For example, how can you tell if someone s really nervous, excited or angry? Have you ever seen anyone on the street who seems frightening just from their body language? Ask students to use their own bodies to communicate some of these emotional states. Post-Show Questions 1. What did you appreciate about the Dance Theatre of Harlem performance? 2. Describe some of the dancers movements on stage. Did they tell a story? 3. What were your feelings as you watched the dancers and listened to the music? 4. How can dance help you understand people from other cultures? 5. What else did you learn from the dancers and/or the ballet master? 6. Have students describe a memorable moment from the performance in various ways verbally, in writing, by drawing, or through movement. 7. What makes a ballet classical or modern? 8. What moves were smooth and graceful, or strong and powerful? 9. How did the dancers use their arms, legs, bodies and heads? 10. Did the ballet seem to convey stories, moods or emotions? 11. How did the dancing vary depending on the music used?

9 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 7 Resources The Dance Theatre of Harlem website. A website with basic ballet information. Read here to learn about Arthur Mitchell. A fascinating article & compelling slide show. This is a clip from Diana Adams and Arthur Mitchell in a 1960 TV broadcast of this groundbreaking 1957 ballet by George Balanchine. Learn about different dance forms here. Learn about the history of modern dance here, from Ballet Austin. Here s a comprehensive site about contemporary dance. Young dancers from Dance Theatre of Harlem perform at the White House

10 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 8 Moving Constellations Grade Level: 3 5 Written by by Susan Riley, of Education Closet Objectives: Students will be able to represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky. Students will be able to analyze, interpret and select artistic work for presentation. Materials: Elements of dance poster Chart paper & markers Projections Glow in the Dark Constellations book MP3 or CD music player Recording of Aurora Borealis Concerto No. 3 Space to move in Chrystyn Fentroy, Photo by Rachel Neville Procedure: Have students view images of constellations in the sky at night and trace the connections between the stars. Ask students to describe what shapes, characters or stories come to mind. Read the book Glow in the Dark Constellations, by C.E. Thompson, as a group. Look at selected constellations during one season (ie: summer) and then another (ie: winter). Identify similarities and differences based on the season. Ask students how they would describe the same constellation differently based on what season it is. For example, the Big Dipper may look like it s pouring in the summer and dipping in the winter. Create a table chart with the columns, Season, Constellation, Description and Dance Element. As you look at each constellation, fill in the chart just like you worked on step one. When you get to dance element, use the dance element poster to identify how you might move to that constellation (ie: curved shape). Tell students you will play a piece of music and they are to move around the room however the music makes them feel. When the music stops, you will call out a constellation and they will need to freeze into the dance element you identified for that constellation. For example, if you call out Big Dipper, students should show a curved shape. Repeat this step, but when the music stops this time, students need to form the selected constellation in a group with 4-5 other students that also uses the dance element they identified. Create a moving constellation map. Each group is assigned a constellation during the same season. They must create the constellation and then dance to how that constellation changes in the sky as you call out different seasons.

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12 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 10 A Brief History of Ballet Grade Level: 9 12 (can be simplified for middle school students) Written by Typhani Harris Objectives: Students will be able to: Analyze and discuss dances from selected genres or styles and/or historical time periods Formulate reasons for the similarities and differences between them in relation to the ideas and perspectives of the peoples from which the dances originate Materials: Article, Into a fantasy world: A history of ballet (Attached) Access to videos of: Le Ballet Comique de la Reine La Sylphide Beginning ballet students at Malmstrom Air Force Base Giselle The Sleeping Beauty Coppella Swan Lake Petrouchka Feel free to add to this list, or present some more contemporary pieces for comparison. Choose small clips of each piece just for students to gain some understanding of ballet of each era. Procedure Have students read the article from CBC News Online (2004), Into a fantasy world: A history of ballet. This is a very brief article on the history of Ballet, if time allows you can add additional articles for a more comprehensive look at Ballet. If reading during class, the videos listed above can be shown throughout the reading as each piece is addressed. If students are reading at home, take a class period to review videos. These pieces have been chosen specifically because they are mentioned in the article.

13 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 11 A Brief History of Ballet (continued) Adult ballerina in mid-flight During the viewing, have students make notes on what they see (adjectives/verbs), what emotions are evoked, reflections on what they like and dislike about the piece, and any connections they can make to what they are currently studying in history and in dance classes they may be taking. Separate students into groups of 2-3 (preferably with students who are studying the same era in history) and have them complete the following tasks: Research the time period you are studying in history class through your notes, book, and/or internet searches. Identify the social and cultural issues occurring at that time. Search for ballets that were created at that time. Choose one ballet of that era to study, which can include watching the full ballet, and make connections to the storyline, plot, conflicts, etc. to the historical (political and social) issues of that time. Choose 1-2 minutes of the ballet to recreate and present (this can alter based on your students needs and skill level). Prepare and share a presentation which includes a brief discussion of the background of the piece and connections to the era, performance of 1-2 minutes of the ballet, and taking questions from the audience. As students watch others present, have them write down further questions for research on an index card. At the culmination of the presentation, have the presenters collect the cards and respond to them.

14 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 12 Into a fantasy world: A history of ballet CBC News Online September 7, th century: Ballet originates as the court entertainment of Renaissance Italy, where the ruling aristocracy patronizes the arts and compete with each other by holding elaborate, costly parties featuring dance performances by their subjects. Members of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Ensemble perform Swan Lake at the concert hall in Winnipeg on March 11, (CP PHOTO/Winnipeg Free Press/Phil Hossack) Ballet can tell a story, express an emotion, reflect a piece of music or simply showcase a choreographed series of movements. At the heart of the classical dance form, however, is a bit of deception. Reality tells us ballet is a physically brutal art that contorts its dancers into movements unnatural for the human body. It demands the utmost commitment, willpower and strength for, at most, a few decades dancing in the spotlight. A well-executed ballet, however, transports the audience into a fantasy world where dancers defy gravity as they leap, maintain balance during dizzying spins, glide along their tiptoes and rise into the air as if light as a feather. A fine ballet is graceful and natural. Though it may encompass incredible technicality and difficulty, a ballet's audience is only aware of its ability to personify or evoke emotion from rage to jealousy to love simply though the movements and the lines of the dancers' bodies. It is this illusory fantasy world that has enthralled audiences for centuries. 16th century: Catherine de Medicis, whose family ruled Florence, becomes the queen of France in 1547 and introduces the French court to the same kinds of entertainment she enjoyed in Italy. In 1581, her chief musician Balthasar de Beaujoyeux (whom she brought with her to France), creates what is considered the first ballet: Le Ballet comique de la Reine. At more than five hours long, the performance combines dance, an original orchestral work, sets, special effects, singing and spoken verse in its retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Circe. 17th century: Louis XIV revives French interest in ballet. The Sun King greatly enjoys dance and in his younger, fitter days takes part in all the ballets given at his court. In 1661, he establishes the first ballet school, l'académie Royale de Danse, to train dancers to perform for him. Around 1670, Pierre Beauchamps develops and codifies the five classic ballet positions at the Académie.

15 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 13 18th century: Professionally trained French ballet dancers begin performing publicly around 1708 and similar dance troupes develop across the continent and eastward, including the acclaimed Russian Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg, founded in Though early dancers wore heavy, elaborate costumes and floor-length skirts, the increasingly skilled and technically accomplished dancers demand costumes that do not hide or interfere with their movements. Famed ballet dancer Marie Salle dons flowing robes inspired by the ancient Greeks while her rival and contemporary Marie Camargo ballet as a distinct art form. In his 1760 book Lettres sur la danse et sur les ballets, he criticizes the past style of dance that uses masks, wigs and bulky costumes to portray characters. He urges dancers to use only their bodies and faces to convey emotion and become the characters. 19th century: Audiences begin to abandon ballets inspired by ancient Greek myths or dramas in favor of more romantic creations: fairy tales, love stories and escapist tales of dreamlike worlds or faraway lands. Between 1820 and 1830, Italian dancer, teacher and choreographer Carlo Blasis writes extensively about ballet history and theory, and codifies the techniques of ballet. The Romantic period influences ballet technique and fashion by inspiring pointe shoes, which lift female dancers and portray them as heavenly beings, and tutus, which complete free the legs. Female dancers gain importance over their male partners and the concept of the prima ballerina is born. shortens her skirt above her ankles, pulls on tights and removes the heels from her dancing shoes, effectively creating the ballet slipper. Another set of rivals, choreographers Jean- Georges Noverre of France and Gasparo Angiolini of Italy, separately develop the dramatic style known as ballet d'action. Where early ballets were court entertainments that encompassed dance, theatre and singing, ballet d'action tells a story through dance steps and movements. Noverre rejects opera-ballets and promotes Italian choreographer Filippo Taglioni creates in 1832 what is considered the first Romantic ballet, La Sylphide. The star, his daughter Marie Taglioni, changes ballet fashion by dancing the role of the fairy-like being dressed in a lightweight, white, calf-length skirt and a top that bares her neck, arms and shoulders. Taglioni's dreamlike dance style is later rivalled by Austrian Fanny Elssler's strength as well as by fellow Italian Carlotta Grisi, star of 1841's Giselle. In 1847, French-born dancer and choreographer Marius Petipa joins the Russian Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg (which would become the Kirov Ballet) and helps the city

16 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 14 become the ballet centre of the world. Petipa introduces a rigorously trained corps de ballet and creates some of the form's enduring works, including Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, and restagings of Giselle, Coppélia, La Sylphide and Swan Lake. His roles showcasing lead ballerinas would continue to be among the most desired parts for more than 150 years. 20th century: Sergei Diaghilev establishes the Ballets Russes in 1909, employing Michel (Mikhail) Fokine as choreographer. Fokine advocates dancers using their entire bodies as opposed to separate gestures to express emotion. Among others, he creates The Firebird in 1910 and Petrouchka in 1911, enlisting composer Igor Stravinsky to compose original music for the two. Beginning around 1910, modern dance develops in Europe and North America. Declaring themselves independent of ballet, proponents often state vehement opposition to the classical form, calling it unnatural and a form of torture. Ballet enthusiasts disparage the newer form as "barefoot ballet." During and after the 1917 Russian Revolution, some of the country's finest dancers emigrate to the West, join or develop troupes and open ballet academies. Their contributions to North America and Europe elevate ballet skill in countries like the U.S. and the U.K. to levels comparable to the acclaimed Russian troupes. These Russian dancers also dramatically increase worldwide audiences for ballet. In the 1920s, dancer, choreographer and theorist Rudolf von Laban begins developing Labanotation, a system of dance notation used to record or make a blueprint of dance choreography. It eventually becomes a method of recording all body movement and is also used to analyze movement in sports and other areas. Dancer and choreographer Rudolf Nureyev elevates traditional male dancer parts, transforming the simple porter function into significant, athletic and dynamic roles. Following his move to the U.S. and a job choreographing at the American Ballet Company (the country's first major ballet school), former Ballet Russes dancer George Balanchine co-founds in 1948 what would become the world-famous New York City Ballet. Choreography begins to explore more abstract dance techniques: without or with less of a dependency on plot or storyline, as an expression of the music, or as a study in a particular style of movement. This is expressed in works like 1957's Agon, one of many collaborations between Balanchine and Stravinsky. By the 1970s, many ballet and modern dance groups have eliminated their rivalry and both begin to incorporate each other's techniques in new productions.

17 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 15 Academic Standards Dance Critical Thinking E.4.1 Identify how dance movement is similar to and different from ordinary movement E.8.2 Demonstrate appropriate audience behavior while watching dance performances, and discuss their opinions about the dances with their peers in a supportive and constructive way E.8.4 Identify possible criteria for evaluating dance (such as skill of performers, originality, visual and/or emotional impact, variety, and contrast) Communication & Expression F.4.4 Interpret and react to dance through discussion F.8.4 Use and explain how different accompaniments (such as sound, music, and spoken text) can affect the meaning of a dance F.8.5 Demonstrate and/or explain how lighting and costuming can contribute to the meaning of a dance Making Connections H.4.4 Study dance from a particular culture and/or time period Heaven #9, Photo by Rachel Neville

18 Dance Theatre of Harlem Overture Center OnStage 16 About Live Performance Theater, unlike movies or television, is a LIVE performance. This means that the action unfolds right in front of an audience, and the performance is constantly evolving. The artists respond to the audience s laughter, clapping, gasps and general reactions. Therefore, the audience is a critical part of the theater experience. In fact, without you in the audience, the artists would still be in rehearsal! Remember, you are sharing this performance space with the artists and other audience members. Your considerate behavior allows everyone to enjoy a positive theater experience. Prepare: Be sure to use the restroom before the show begins! Find Your Seat: When the performance is about to begin, the lights will dim. This is a signal for the artists and the audience to put aside conversations. Settle into your seat and get ready to enjoy the show! Look and Listen: There is so much to hear (dialogue, music, sound effects) and so much to see (costumes, props, set design, lighting) in this performance. Pay close attention to the artists onstage. Unlike videos, you cannot rewind if you miss something. Energy and Focus: Artists use concentration to focus their energy during a performance. The audience gives energy to the artist, who uses that energy to give life to the performance. Help the artists focus that energy. They can feel that you are with them! Talking to neighbors (even whispering) can easily distract the artists onstage. They approach their audiences with respect, and expect the same from you in return. Help the artists concentrate with your attention. Laugh Out Loud: If something is funny, it s good to laugh. If you like something a lot, applaud. Artists are thrilled when the audience is engaged and responsive. They want you to laugh, cheer, clap and really enjoy your time at the theater. Discover New Worlds: Attending a live performance is a time to sit back and look inward, and question what is being presented to you. Be curious about new worlds, experience new ideas, and discover people and lives previously unknown to you. Your open mind, curiosity, and respect will allow a whole other world to unfold right before your eyes! Please, don t feed the audience: Food is not allowed in the theater. Soda and snacks are noisy and distracting to both the artists and audience. Unplug: Please turn off all cell phones and other electronics before the performance. Photographs and recording devices are prohibited.

19 STEVE WINTER COLIN BRENNAN RACHEL NEVILLE Series funder American Girl s Fund for Children with additional support from the DeAtley Family Foundation, Kuehn Family Foundation, A. Paul Jones Charitable Trust, Promega Corporation, Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts, Stoughton Trailers, LLC, Nancy E. Barklage & Teresa J. Welch and by contributions to Overture Center for the Arts. Help make arts experiences real for hundreds of thousands of people at o v e r t u r e. o r g / s u p p o r t SPONSORS