SUBJECTS
Dance
GRADE LEVEL
Senior (9-12)
PLEDGE
1 - Protection of water
Resources Needed:
This lesson was developed and contributed by Marie-Eve Charbonneau.
- Link to the video, Nature Is Speaking – Penélope Cruz is Water by Conservation International
- Video transcript
- Selected piece of music or instrumental track to accompany the dance (optional)
- Teacher Notes: The objective of this lesson is for students to engage in the initial stages of the creative process (challenging/inspiring or exploring/experimenting) and use the elements of dance and choreographic forms to generate ideas and create dance phrases/choreography inspired by the theme in the video/transcript.
Introduction:
- Share the video Nature Is Speaking – Penélope Cruz is Water by Conservation International with the class.
- Use the following discussion questions to discuss the main ideas and messages of the video:
- How does water perceive itself? Does it explicitly or implicitly express certain emotions?
- How does it describe its relationship with humans? What do you think it wants from them?
Lesson:
- Explore how elements of dance and choreographic forms/structures/devices could be used to represent the ideas/messages being communicated in the video/transcript, using the following discussion questions:
- How might a dancer use the elements of dance (body, energy, relationship, space, and time) to convey specific parts or the overall message in the video/transcript?
- Are there certain choreographic forms/structures/devices (canon, unison, accumulation, inversion, retrograde, etc.) that would help enhance the narrative or meaning?
- Divide your class into smaller groups and challenge them to create dance phrases for parts/or the entire video. You may choose to use the video or the narration as ‘music’ (perhaps with specific attention to the rhythm and cadence of the spoken words), select an alternative instrumental track, or challenge students to this without music at all.
Follow Up Activities:
- Students can engage the revising/refining stage of the creative process by presenting their work to their peers for feedback (positives and constructives).
- Students can present/perform their work in front of the class.
- Students can write a response to the video with their pledge to water (Potential prompt: People are Speaking: Water – What is the people’s promise to water?) and use it as their stimulus for their own dance creation to an instrumental track of their choosing. *Ideally, this extension activity is supported by additional resources on how humans can help protect water.