Gogue Center Performance Study Guide: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

PERFORMANCE STUDY GUIDE GRADES 6—12

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

The Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University engages audiences across the university, the state of Alabama and beyond with curated arts experiences that inspire, enlighten and unite.

Our annual K–12 School Performance Series provides opportunities for students to enjoy exclusive performances by some of the most talented and accomplished artists from around the world. Prior to each K–12 school performance, teachers receive a study guide containing details about the performance, artist and company, supplemental information about the art form and its history, and grade-appropriate activities designed to spark conversation and exploration in the classroom.

To learn more about education and engagement initiatives at the Gogue Center, visit goguecenter.auburn.edu/education. produced by Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University 910 South College Street Auburn, Alabama 36849 k–12 school performance series contact Andrea Jarmon, D.M.A. Education Coordinator telephone: 334.844.7371 email: gpac_education@auburn.edu

© 2024 Auburn University

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater PERFORMANCE STUDY GUIDE GRADES 6—12

Yannick Lebrun, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater photo: Dario Calmese

Table of contents Where will we go?

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7

Why we go to the show

Going to the Gogue Center ¦ 7

Black History & Alabama ¦ 35

Who Will You See Here? ¦ 7

Art ¦ 35

What Does the Audience Do? ¦ 7

Music ¦ 35

Acoustics: The Science of Sound ¦ 9

Dance ¦ 36

Who to know at the show

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35

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Literature ¦ 36 Science ¦ 36

Alvin Ailey, Founder ¦ 11

Education ¦ 39

Matthew Rushing, Associate Artistic Director ¦ 11

Civil Rights Movement ¦ 39

Judith Jamison, Artistic Director Emerita ¦ 12

Sports ¦ 39

Contemporary African American Choreographers ¦ 13 ACTIVITIES

What to know for the show

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14

Customs, Cultures & Social Forces ¦ 14

Creating a Collage

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Responding to Dance

Introduction to Dance ¦ 16

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44

worksheet: First Impressions

The Five Elements of Dance ¦ 18

worksheet: Body

What Is Modern Dance? ¦ 22

worksheet: Action: Locomotor

Dance Pioneers ¦ 22

Revelations ¦ 25

worksheet: Space

Spirituals ¦ 26

worksheet: Time

and Nonlocomotor Movement

worksheet: Energy

ACTIVITIES ..........................................................................................

20

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28

Exploring the Elements of Dance Responding to Spirituals Examining Spirituals

40

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worksheet: Coded Lyrics

30

worksheet: Analysis, Interpretation

and Evaluation

Analyzing Revelations

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What to do after the show

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52 54

ACTIVITIES Reflecting on Revelations

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54

Moving in Reflection

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55

worksheet: Revelations

Online resources Credits ¦ 58

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The Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University

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Where will we go?

What Does the Audience Do? Alabama Course of Study  GMu3-5.15  GMu6-8.14

GOING TO THE GOGUE CENTER The Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center, otherwise known as the Gogue Center, is located on the campus of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama.

The Gogue Center houses the 1,200-seat Woltosz Theatre. The theatre was built with exceptional acoustics so that it is possible to hear well from every seat.

National Standards  MU:Pr6.1.3-8b

The audience is an important part of the performance. Without the audience, who would watch the performers? Who would clap and sing along and appreciate what the artists bring to the stage? When you are a member of an audience at the theatre, there are a few things to know about what to do and what not to do.

WHO WILL YOU SEE HERE? Ushers These are the people who will greet your bus, lead your class into the building and help you find your seat. Be sure to say “hello!”

Sit in your seat and look around, but please keep your feet toward the ground.

Stage Crew These are the people who work backstage, so you won’t see them in the lobby, but you might see them before or after the performance, and sometimes, they even come on stage during the performance to move things.

Listen and watch, but do not talk.

Lighting & Sound Operators These are the people who control the lighting and the sound for the performance. You may see them in the middle of the auditorium at the big sound board or in the back of the auditorium in the booth.

Sometimes, the spotlight operators are in the back way above your head.

Performers These are the people on the stage who may be dancers, musicians, singers, actors or acrobats.

It is their job to communicate using their bodies, instruments and voices.

Audience Members This includes you, your classmates, and other students and teachers from around the state of Alabama and maybe even Georgia.

Have a camera or phone? Please turn it off.

The performers will take to the stage, and we know they will engage. You can laugh, you can sing, you can get up and dance, but just make sure that you give them all a chance!

VO! B RA

NK THA U! YO

When the song is done, or the show comes to an end, make sure that you give the performers a hand! Applause is the way that we can say thank you for all that they did today!

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Walter Stanley and Virginia Katharyne Evans Woltosz Theatre

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Acoustics: The Science of Sound Alabama Course of Study Standards  SC1.1 National Standards  NS.K-4.1  NS.5-8.2

Acoustics is the study of sound and how that sound reacts in spaces, particularly rooms and buildings. What is sound? Sound is vibration. That vibration travels through the air and into our ears where we hear it.

Vibration begins through movement—for example, strumming a guitar string. That vibration creates a sound wave. In a theater or concert hall, acoustics are important so that everyone can hear the performers.

There are two ways that acoustics are controlled. The first, reverberation, is controlling how sound waves bounce off surfaces, like walls and floors. Hard surfaces cause more reverberation and make spaces louder. The second way, absorption, is the opposite of reverberation. Soft surfaces absorb sound waves and make rooms quieter.

Let’s see if we can figure out which of these materials cause reverberation and which cause absorption of sound: • • • • • •

Tile Carpet Marble Curtains Cushions Wood

The controlling of reverberation and absorption of sound waves is how acoustics are controlled in the Woltosz Theatre.

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Alvin Ailey, Carmen de Lavallade and company members in Alvin Ailey’s Blues Suite

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Who to know at the show ALVIN AILEY, FOUNDER Alvin Ailey was born on January 5, 1931, in Rogers, Texas. His experiences of life in the rural South would later inspire some of his most memorable works. He was introduced to dance in Los Angeles by performances of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Katherine Dunham Dance Company, and his formal dance training began with an introduction to Lester Horton’s classes by his friend Carmen de Lavallade. Horton, the founder of one of the first racially integrated dance companies in the United States, became a mentor for Ailey as he embarked on his professional career. After Horton’s death in 1953, Ailey became director of the Lester Horton Dance Theater and began to choreograph his own works. In the 1950s and 60s, Ailey performed in four Broadway shows, including House of Flowers and Jamaica. In 1958, he founded Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to carry out his vision of a company dedicated to enriching the American modern dance heritage and preserving the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience. He established the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (now The Ailey School) in 1969 and formed the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble (now Ailey II) in 1974.

Ailey was a pioneer of programs promoting arts in education, particularly those benefiting underserved communities. Throughout his lifetime he was awarded numerous distinctions, including the Kennedy Center Honor in 1988 in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to American culture.

In 2014, he posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, in recognition of his contributions and commitment to civil rights and dance in America.

When Ailey died on December 1, 1989, The New York Times said of him, “you didn’t need to have known [him] personally to have been touched by his humanity, enthusiasm, and exuberance and his courageous stand for multi-racial brotherhood.”

MATTHEW RUSHING, ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Matthew Rushing was born in Los Angeles, California. He began his dance training with Kashmir Blake in Inglewood, California and later continued his training at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. He is the recipient of a Spotlight Award and Dance Magazine Award and was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He was a scholarship student at The Ailey School and later became a member of Ailey II, where he danced for a year. During his career, Rushing has performed as a guest artist for galas in Vail, Colorado, as well as Austria, Canada, France, Italy and Russia. He has performed for presidents George H. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as at the 2010 White House tribute to Judith Jamison. During his time with the company, Rushing has choreographed three ballets: Acceptance In Surrender (2005), a collaboration with Hope Boykin and Abdur-Rahim Jackson, Uptown (2009), a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance, and ODETTA (2014), a celebration of “The queen of American folk.” In 2012 he created Moan, which was set on Philadanco and premiered at The Joyce Theater. Rushing joined the company in 1992 and became rehearsal director in June 2010.

In January 2020, he succeeded Masazumi Chaya as associate artistic director.

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JUDITH JAMISON, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR EMERITA Judith Jamison joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965 and quickly became an international star. During the next 15 years, Ailey created some of his most enduring roles for her, most notably the tour-de-force solo Cry. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, she appeared as a guest artist with ballet companies across the world, starred in the hit Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies, and formed her own company, The Jamison Project. She returned to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1989 when Ailey asked her to succeed him as artistic director. In the 21 years that followed, she brought the company to unprecedented heights—including two historic engagements in South Africa and a 50-city global tour to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary. Jamison is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, among them a prime-time Emmy Award, an American Choreography Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, a National Medal of Arts, a “Bessie” Award, the Phoenix Award and the Handel Medallion. She was also listed in “The TIME 100: The World’s Most Influential People” and honored by First Lady Michelle Obama at the first White House Dance Series event. As a highly regarded choreographer, Jamison has created many celebrated works, including Divining (1984), Forgotten Time (1989), Hymn (1993), HERE...NOW. (commissioned for the 2002 Cultural Olympiad), Love Stories (with additional choreography by Robert Battle and Rennie Harris, 2004) and Among US (Private Spaces: Public Places) (2009). Jamison’s

Judith Jamison in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations

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autobiography, Dancing Spirit, was edited by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and published in 1993.

In 2004, under Jamison’s artistic directorship, her idea of “a bigger place,” the permanent home for the Ailey company, was realized and named after beloved chairman Joan Weill. Jamison continues to dedicate herself to asserting the prominence of the arts in our culture, and she remains committed to promoting the significance of the Ailey legacy— using dance as a medium for honoring the past, celebrating the present and fearlessly reaching into the future.

Contemporary African American Choreograhers The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has been fertile ground for nurturing contemporary African American choreographers. Some of them have produced their first works for the company, while others have brought highly developed styles to the Ailey repertory. The passion, political statements and dazzling physicality of Bill T. Jones have made him one of the most important contemporary choreographers. Ronald K. Brown melds modern dance vocabulary with elements of African dance in a choreographic voice notable for its deep feeling. Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, with her strong commitment to creating a community of artists working within a neighborhood community, challenges the Ailey dancers to explore social issues and gender roles. Donald Byrd mixes classicism with a love of jazz to produce provocative choreographic statements. Camille A. Brown (right) is a prolific choreographer, reclaiming the cultural narrative of African American identity through her works. Jamar Roberts, Ailey’s first resident choreographer, creates daring-yet-delicate depictions of the Black experience in America. These choreographers are providing the next chapter in the rich history of African American contributions to American dance.

AAADT company members in Jamar Roberts’ Ode

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What to know for the show CUSTOMS, CULTURES & SOCIAL FORCES The African American influence is exhibited in every aspect of American dance—including social, Broadway theater, street and modern dance. This influence is rooted in West African dance and the role it plays in African society.

Dance, particularly in West African communities, is a natural part of life. Each child attends ritual and recreational events, singing and dancing along with the rest of the community. The view of dance as a necessary, respected art is woven into the heritage of African Americans. To this day, African dance in America educates, entertains and expresses historical, cultural and social ideologies.

African American influences in social dance were felt in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in dances such as the Cake Walk, Charleston and Lindy Hop. In addition, the development of jazz dance and tap by African Americans paralleled the rise of jazz music and influenced American musical theater. During this time, racial barriers made it difficult for African Americans to train or perform in more established dance forms, particularly classical ballet; however, in modern dance, America’s indigenous dance, these barriers were not as pronounced. Some modern choreographers, including Ana Sokolow and Lester Horton, employed multiracial casts of dancers. In fact, Horton trained the young African American dancer Alvin Ailey, who would later become a major figure in American dance.

Ailey moved freely between modern dance and ballet in his choreography, making dances for major ballet companies in addition to those for his own company. He was also one of the first modern dance company directors to acquire a repertory, adding to his own dances the works of dance pioneers Lester Horton, Glen Tetley, Katherine Dunham, Donald McKayle, Pearl Primus and Talley Beatty, among others. Ailey aspired to teach a

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The view of dance as a necessary, respected art is woven into the heritage of African Americans. To this day, African dance in America educates, entertains and expresses historical, cultural and social ideologies. mass audience through dance, and his work has greatly broadened the appeal of concert dance, drawing new dance audiences in large numbers. In 2008, a U.S. Congressional resolution designated the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as “a vital American cultural ambassador to the world,” one that celebrates the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance heritage. Today, the company continues Ailey’s mission by presenting important works of the past and commissioning new ones.

Dogon masked dance ceremony Mali, West Africa

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INTRODUCTION TO DANCE Dance is a performing art in which the body is moved in a rhythmic way, most often to music. Dance can be prescribed or improvised and is often used to express an emotion, idea or story. The category of dance is determined by its choreography, type of movement, or when and where it originated.

Here is some vocabulary that will help in learning more about the art of dance:

Theatrical dance is a type of performance presented to an audience. It may include a story, costumes, scenery and/or musical interpretation. Some examples of theatrical dance are ballet, modern and jazz.

Beat The rhythmic pulse of the music and/or the movement.

Participatory dances are folk dances, social dances and group dances in which people participate rather than watch.

Some examples of participatory dance are line dancing, square dancing and partner dancing.

Accent A way to give emphasis. In dance, a way to give emphasis to a particular movement.

Choreography The process of creating movement sequences for dancers; it can also describe a specific dance work.

Choreographer The person who creates the choreography.

Duration The length of time something lasts. In dance, it is the length of time a movement lasts.

Levels The height of the dancer in relation to the floor. For example, a kneeling dancer would be low-level, a standing dancer would be mid-level and a leaping dancer would be high-level.

Locomotor A type of physical movement that involves travelling from one place to another. Some examples are walking, running, leaping, hopping, jumping, skipping, sliding and galloping.

Non-locomotor A type of physical movement that is fixed in one place. Some examples are bending, twisting, turning and stretching.

Phrase A short series of connected movements that have a sense of rhythmic completion.

Shape The form created by the body’s position in space, such as open/closed, symmetrical/asymmetrical and angular/curved.

Tempo The speed or the pulse of the music or the movement.

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Samantha Figgins, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater photo: Dario Calmese

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THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF DANCE Asking the questions “Who?” “What?” “When?” “Where?” and “How?” are helpful when learning about a new subject.

For this lesson on the elements of dance, we ask the questions: Who is doing what? Where? When? And how?

The answers are: The dancer moves through space and time with energy.

We can then break this down into five specific elements: •

body

•

action

•

space

•

time

•

energy

The acronym for remembering the five elements of dance is B.A.S.T.E. These five elements are typically intertwined and can be hard to separate from one another. However, it is important to understand each element individually to better interpret the art form of dance. body: refers to who moves. The dancer moves their body.

This movement can be of body parts like the head, the neck, the arms, the fingers, the torso, the legs, the feet and the toes, or it can be of the whole body through creating shapes. Some shapes that the body can create through movement are curves, angles and lines. The dancer also uses their muscles, breath and balance among other body systems. action: refers to what the dancer is doing. This can be any movement in the act of dancing, including locomotor and non-locomotor movement. Locomotor movement travels from one place to another, while non-locomotor movement remains in place.

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time: refers to when the dancer moves. This includes duration, tempo, beat and accent. Duration indicates how long or brief the movement is. The tempo determines how fast or slow the movement is. The beat can be steady or uneven and refers to the movement, not the music. Accents in the movement can happen singularly or multiple times. All these things can be dictated by the music, but do not have to be. space: refers to where the dancer moves. This includes the components of dance involving direction, levels, shapes and design. It can also refer to the space the dancer occupies, including all levels, planes and directions both near and far from the body’s center. Additionally, it can refer to the dancer’s focus, whether inward or outward. energy: refers to how the dancer moves. This includes the degree of muscular tension and energy used to move; for example, heavy/light, sharp/smooth and tense/relaxed.

It can also refer to the quality of the dance, whether it is aggressive, timid, wild or languid.

The Elements of Dance Ask 

Who?

What?

Where?

When?

How?

Answer 

A dancer

moves

through space

and time

with energy

b.a.s.t.e.

body

action

space

time

energy

Body Part(s)

Locomotor

Direction

Duration

Tension

Head Neck Shoulders Arms Hands Fingers Legs Feet Toes

Walk Run Skip Crawl Roll Leap Slide Hop Traveling turn Jump

Forward Backward Upward Downward Sideways Diagonally Linear Rotating

Brief Long

Tight Loose

Body Shape(s)

Non-locomotor

Level

Tempo

Attack

Rounded Twisted Angular Linear

Bending Non-traveling Turn (pirouette) Stretching Twisting

High Mid Low

Fast Slow

Sharp Smooth Sudden Sustained

Body System(s)

Focus

Beat

Force

Muscles Bones Breath Balance Reflexes

Inward Outward

Steady Uneven

Strong Gentle

Accent

Weight

Single Multiple

Heavy Light

Flow Bound Free

Quality(s) Vigorous Languid Furious Melting Light Wild Proud Sudden Sustained Smooth Timid Sharp

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EXPLORING THE ELEMENTS OF DANCE Alabama Course of Study Standards  AE17.D.6–12.15  AE17.D.6–12.16  AE17.D.6.1 National Standards  NA–D.K-4.1  NA-D.K-8.4

OBJECTIVE

PROCEDURE

By completing this activity, students will:

To complete this activity, follow these steps:

• •

1.

Analyze elements of dance Create movement with the body

MATERIALS For this activity, you will need the following items: • • •

“The Elements of Dance” chart on page 21 Technology to play videos Space to move

dance 1

Giselle The Royal Ballet; Opus Arte Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Conducted by Boris Gruzin X https://aub.ie/giselle

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Watch these two videos of different styles of dance and evaluate them using the chart on page 21. Discuss each element using language from the chart. For example, discuss all the ways in which a dancer moves (action) and the directions, levels, and focus of each of those different types of movements (space). Take a look at the different parts of the body the dancer uses and what type of movement (action) each part of the body creates. Examine the duration, tempo, beat, and accents used by the dancer and what type of energy is required. Be specific. Now compare the two to one another. What similarities can be found? What differences?

dance 2

Syncopated Ladies + Formation + Beyoncé Syncopated Ladies by Chloe Arnold Directed by Alex Chaloff X https://aub.ie/syncopated-formation

2. After students have learned “The Elements of Dance,”

to a new shape on the middle level, and in four counts move in a sharp way to a new shape on the high level.

teachers may facilitate a time of experimentation with movement so that students can experience the Elements of Dance in their bodies.

Can you name the elements of dance that you used?

(Space-general space; direction-skipping forwards and backwards, walking straight pathway, changing direction, level-making shapes on the low, middle, and high level; time-making different shapes in eight counts and four counts; energy-changing shape in a sharp way.)

Students can start at their desk or seat, in their own personal space, and teachers can prompt them in the following ways as they choose: •

In your personal space (the space directly around you), make the shape of a circle with your arms. Now make it as big as you can, now make it as small as you can. Can you take the circle above you, behind you, to the side of your body? Starting from a neutral position (just casually standing), can you make a circle as slow as you can? Now as fast as you can?

Can you name the elements of dance that you used?

(Space-size of circle; direction-above, in front of, behind and to the side of your body; time-tempo, making the circle as slowly and quickly as possible.)

•

In general space (the space in the entire classroom), walk a straight path, being careful not to bump into a friend.

Notice where you are walking; stop, change direction, (repeat as much as you would like). Now stop and make a shape and freeze. Now melt slowly into a different shape, facing a new direction. Now skip a zig-zag pathway. Now go backwards. Now slide on a sideways pathway. Freeze in a shape on the ground (low level). Now move in eight counts

•

Shape Tempo: Start in a low shape on the ground. You have 12 counts to move, using your choice of energy (e.g., heavy, melting, sharp, smooth, sudden, sustained, and fast/slow tempo) from low level, through middle level and all the way to high level, ending in a shape on the high level. You then have 12 counts to end in a shape on the low level. Repeat this using eight counts up and eight counts down; four counts up and four counts down; two counts up and two counts down; and one count up and one count down (this looks like jumping, it’s fast!) Depending on the space, you can do this activity in self space or general space.

Can you name the elements of dance that you used?

(Space-level change, shapes, direction; Time-fast/slow tempo; Energy-moving in different ways from low to high level shapes.)

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What is modern dance?

Modern dance is style of theatrical dance that was developed in the United States and Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It evolved as a rebellion against the traditional style as well as the traditions of classical ballet. Modern dance emphasizes freedom of movement and expression and celebrates improvisation. With that freedom of movement and expression, choreographers may use elements from several styles of dance or even choose to focus on one specific movement like the contraction of the torso.

Modern dance does not involve one established technique like ballet. Instead, each pioneer of the art form created their own language and technique around their personal expressive style.

Rather than pointe shoes, modern dance is frequently performed with bare feet. Instead of tutus, modern dance uses costumes that are less constrictive.

Today, modern dance is still evolving as new choreographers continue to add to the art form’s ever-expanding vocabulary of movement and expression.

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DANCE PIONEERS These dancers paved the way for the future of American dance.

Lester Horton (1906–1953) was a West Coast choreographer and visionary teacher who served as Alvin Ailey’s early teacher and mentor. Horton combined elements of Japanese theater, Native American ritual and mythology with an earthy, powerful style of movement.

His studio was open to dancers of all colors and ethnic backgrounds. His pupils also included the distinguished African American dancers Carmen de Lavallade and James Truitte. He created the Horton technique which explores the many ways in which the body can move. He named these movements Studies. Some of the Studies are for balance, some are to fortify (strengthen) and some are to work on the swinging action of the body. In the Horton technique, the dancer tries to use as much space as possible: turning, bending and jumping sideways, backward and even upside down. The shapes created are clear and linear. The quality of the movement is lyrical, powerful and energetic. The Horton technique portrays a dynamic beauty.

Katherine Dunham (1919–2006) was the first dancer/ choreographer to organize a Black concert dance company and seriously explore African American folklore.

A noted anthropologist for her studies in the Caribbean and Haiti, Dunham was also a consummate theatrical artist. She organized her company in the late 1930s, when dance performance opportunities for artists of color were limited. Dunham’s company performed throughout the United States and Europe with her highly successful blend of folk material, ballet and modern dance. She choreographed for films and Broadway in the 1940s.

Dr. Pearl Primus (1919–1994), probably the finest American scholar of African dance, trained first as a modern dancer, then later in life earned a Ph.D. in anthropology. She devoted her life to studying and performing the dances of Africa and, ironically, was asked by the governments of Ghana and Liberia to return to Africa to help preserve African culture. A spectacular dancer known for her jumps and percussive high energy, Primus is also remembered for her eloquent choreographic statements on race.

horton

primus

beatty dunham

Talley Beatty (1923–1995), a veteran performer with Katherine Dunham’s troupe, has had his choreography in the repertory of many companies. Some of Beatty’s powerful dances, such as The Road of the Phoebe Snow, deal with issues of race, while others like Congo Tango Palace draw on rhythm and kinetic high energy. Several Beatty works have been performed by the Company, including Stack-Up and Toccata.

Donald McKayle (1930–2018), a student of Lester Horton, emerged as a gifted choreographer who has worked with modern dance companies, on Broadway, in television and in theatrical revues. He has also received five Tony Award nominations for his Broadway choreography.

Several of his works show his brilliant theatricality.

Games is based on urban children’s games, Rainbow Round My Shoulder depicts a prison chain gang, and District Storyville recreates the beginnings of jazz in New Orleans. McKayle’s choreography is a staple of the Ailey repertory, and he choreographed for other major companies and productions. He was on the faculty at UC Irvine, Connecticut College, Sarah Lawrence College and Bennington College. He received an honorary Ph.D. from the College of Arts, and in 2009 he received an honorary Ph.D. from Juilliard in recognition of his contribution to dance.

mckayle

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cole

graham

Jack Cole (1911–1974) began his career with Denishawn (the school and company of Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn). His early training was in ballet and modern dance. Cole also studied India’s bharata Natyam dance, which influenced his personal jazz style, emphasizing isolations, quick directional changes and long knee slides. He began performing in Broadway shows in 1933 and then went on to create choreography for Broadway, films and television during the 1940s and through the 1960s. Cole’s choreography for Hollywood movie musicals remains as treasured artifacts of his creative output. He brought the syncopated rhythms of jazz music, the roots of tap dance, and the influence of his training in modern dance together to create a new form. Cole inspired many younger choreographers, including Alvin Ailey. Revered by dancers, the Cole legacy has been continued through the work of Bob Fosse, Gwen Verdon, Matt Mattox and Michael Bennett. Alvin Ailey also valued Cole’s work and was inspired to use the jazz dance style in many of his ballets.

Martha Graham (1894–1991) was an American modern dancer and choreographer who created the Graham technique. This dance technique is based on the principle of contraction and release. Its movement, which is similar to the act of breathing, creates a current of energy through the body—the back appears rounded in a contraction and the chest is lifted in a release, the movement itself dramatic and expressive.

AAADT company members in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations photo: Paul Kolnik

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REVELATIONS Created in 1960 when Alvin Ailey was 29, Revelations has become his most well-known piece and one of the company’s most-performed dances.

It has been seen by millions of people all over the world, the most of any modern dance work.

Revelations was performed at the White House for the inaugurations of presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton and was part of the Opening Ceremonies at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

Using African American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues, Ailey’s Revelations fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.

More than just a popular dance work, it has become a cultural treasure, beloved by generations of fans. Seeing Revelations for the first time or the hundredth can be a transcendent experience, with audiences cheering, singing along and dancing in their seats from the opening notes of the plaintive “I Been ’Buked” to the rousing “Wade in the Water” and the triumphant finale, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.”

Ailey said that one of America’s richest treasures was the African American cultural heritage— “sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful.” This enduring classic is a tribute to that tradition, born out of the choreographer’s “blood memories” of his childhood in rural Texas and the Baptist Church. But since its premiere in 1960, the ballet has been performed continuously around the globe, transcending barriers of faith and nationality, and appealing to universal emotions, making it the most work cole widely seen modern dance graham in the world.

Revelations is divided into three distinct sections, each featuring music by various artists: 1.

“Pilgrim of Sorrow” •

“I Been ‘Buked” (Hall Johnson)

•

“Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” (James Miller)

•

“Fix Me, Jesus” (Hall Johnson)

2. “Take Me to the Water” •

“Processional/Honor, Honor” (Howard A. Roberts)

•

“Wade in the Water” (Howard A. Roberts)

•

“A Man Went Down to the River” (Ella Jenkins)

•

“I Wanna Be Ready” (James Miller)

3. “Move, Members, Move” •

“Sinner Man” (Howard A. Roberts)

•

“The Day Is Past and Gone” (Howard A. Roberts and Brother John Sellers)

•

“You May Run On” (Howard A. Roberts and Brother John Sellers)

•

“Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham” (Howard A. Roberts) take a look Click here to view a preview of Revelations.

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SPIRITUALS The musical compositions featured throughout Revelations are spirituals, a type of folk song created by enslaved Africans and their enslaved descendants in the United States between 1619 and 1860. Though rooted in biblical themes and derived from European hymns, spirituals were heavily imbued with elements of African culture.

When enslaved people were first introduced to Christianity, many wanted to keep their own beliefs and traditions. Over time, however, some began to see their own lives and struggles reflected in the stories of the Bible. Spirituals served as a source of hope and offered slaves needed strength to overcome their adversities. These songs were passed down through oral tradition for generations and recount stories of life, death, faith, hope, escape and survival. Abolitionist and statesman Frederick Douglass described spirituals as “telling a tale which was then altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones, loud, long and deep, breathing the prayer and complaint of souls boiling DOUGLASS over with the bitterest anguish.

Every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains…

Those songs still follow me, to deepen my hatred of slavery, and quicken my sympathies for my brethren in bonds.” Spirituals were songs of sorrow and songs of joy. Today they have evolved into gospel tunes, hymns and even art songs and are performed regularly on the concert stage.

There are two types of spirituals: 1.

Sorrow Songs This type of spiritual is generally slow in tempo and expresses the heavy burden of slavery and the hope of a better future.

2. Jubilees These spirituals are more upbeat songs with biblical themes that celebrate victory and joy.

Spirituals are often sung in a call-and-response format in which the leader improvises a line and the group responds with a refrain or by repeating the line the leader sang. Some other elements of spirituals that are clearly influenced by African music include polyrhythms, blues notes, repetitions of rhythmic figures, off-beat phrasing, body percussion and intense emotion.

Spirituals often celebrate heroes of the faith. Arts scholar, John Lovell Jr. said, “If God could work with these men, he could also work with a slave.” Nearly all the biblical heroes mentioned within the spirituals were involved LOVELL with upheaval and revolution: Moses, Daniel, David, the Hebrew children, Samson, Joshua, Elijah, Gideon, Jesus and Paul.

These stories of deliverance from oppression or victory over an oppressor resonated deeply with the enslaved.

Spirituals served four main purposes for the slaves: 1.

Work Slaves would sing spirituals as they worked to help with the tediousness of their days and establish a rhythm for whatever they were doing.

2. Worship Spirituals were a part of religious ceremony for slaves.

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3. Entertainment After a long day of work, spirituals sung in communion could be a way to relax and renew.

4. Code Songs Through coded messages, spirituals allowed the enslaved to convey messages of hope or even instructions for escape. Abolitionist and Underground Railroad operative, Harriet Tubman is said to have used “Go Down, Moses” to alert slaves that she was close and able to help those who TUBMAN wanted to escape. “Steal Away” could be used as an invitation to a secret meeting but was also used by some rebellion leaders as a call to action. One of the most wellknown spirituals, “Wade in the Water,” was used to let those escaping know to get into bodies of water to help throw hunting dogs off of their scent. Spirituals also reflect a deep sense of community and serve as a way to encourage one another.

bondage. Egypt and Babylon are the American South, with Hell being the Deep South. Pharaoh depicts the slave owner. The River Jordan is the Ohio River, or any body of water needed to cross to find freedom in the North, and chariots, wheels, shoes and trains all represent escape.

In summary, spirituals served multiple purposes: 1.

To give the community a true, valid and useful song for work and worship.

2. To keep the community invigorated.

3. To inspire the uninspired individual.

4. To enable the group to face its problems.

5. To comment on the slave situation.

6. To stir each member to personal solutions and a sense of belonging in a confusing and terrifying world.

7. To provide a code language for emergency use.

The lyrics of spirituals use imagery and symbolism to draw parallels between Biblical stories and the modern world. Moses’s escape from Egypt represents deliverance from

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RESPONDING TO SPIRITUALS Alabama Course of Study Standards  SS10.5.11  SS10.9.10  SS10.10.12  ELA21.6-8.R1  ELA21.6.23  ELA21.7.13  ELA21.7.31  ELA21.8.12  ELA21.9-12.R3  ELA21.9-10.8  ELA21.9-10.13  ELA21.11-12.10  AE17.6.1  AE17.VA.6.12  AE17.VA.14  AE17.VA.8.3  AE17.VA.9-12.1 National Standards  NL-ENG.K-12.3  NL-ENG.K-12.9  NSS.USH.5-12.5  NA-VA.5-8.3  NA-VA.5-8.5  NA-VA.9-12.5

OBJECTIVE

•

After posting the drawings, have students do a “gallery walk” around the room.

•

Hand out small sticky notes to students and ask them to do another “gallery walk.” This time, ask students to suggest titles for the drawings, which they can write on the note and place near the drawing. (Set some ground rules!)

•

After students read the suggested titles, play the song again and ask them to write down words connected with the history and culture of spirituals that come to mind when they listen to the music.

3.

Creating a poem inspired by the spiritual:

By completing this activity, students will: • • •

Learn what spirituals are Learn why spirituals are important to American history Be able to discuss some common themes in spirituals

MATERIALS For this activity, you will need the following items: • • • • • •

Technology to play recordings Pen/pencil Paper Art materials for creating art inspired by the music Space to hang art for gallery walk Sticky notes

•

Ask students to choose up to five words from the ones they’ve written or received as title suggestions.

•

Ask students to create a short poem or haiku using these words.

•

Share some of the poems.

•

BONUS ACTIVITY: In groups, have the students choose a poem and create gestures, poses and eventually large movements to express words or phrase in the poem.

PROCEDURE To complete this activity, follow these steps:

1.

Remind students that spirituals were part of the inspiration Alvin Ailey had to create Revelations and that spirituals are still performed today both because of their historical significance and because they convey strong human emotions.

2. Student response: •

Play a recording of one of these spirituals in class.

X “Wade in the Water” (Moses Hogan Singers) X “Ain’t Dat Good News” (Moses Hogan Singers) X “Elijah Rock” (Moses Hogan Chorale) X “Steal Away to Jesus” (Fisk Jubilee Singers) X “Walk Together, Children” (Fisk Jubilee Singers)

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•

Ask students to listen to the music once, just to hear it.

•

Play the piece again and ask students to write words describing the emotions the song makes them feel or think about.

•

Ask students to share with a partner or the class some of the words.

•

Repeat the song and ask students to draw a picture inspired by the music.

“Take Me to the Water,” Revelations Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater photo: Paul Kolnik

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EXAMINING SPIRITUALS Alabama Course of Study Standards  SS10.5.11  SS10.9.10  SS10.10.12  ELA21.6-8.R2  ELA21.6-8.4  ELA21.9-12.R2  AE17.MU.2-5.16  AE17.6-12.14 National Standards  NL-ENG.K-12.3  NL-ENG.K-12.9  NSS.USH.5-12.5  NA-MU.5-8.8  NA-MU.5-8.9  NA-MU.9-12.8  NA-MU.9-12.9

OBJECTIVE By completing this activity, students will: • • •

Understand the concept and historical context of spirituals Discover the meaning of the secret messages found in the lyrics of spirituals Read and listen to spirituals

For this activity, you will need the following items:

• •

Copy of spiritual texts Technology to watch/listen to the spirituals “Coded Lyrics Worksheet” on page 32 (completed example on page 33) Pen/pencil Paper

PROCEDURE To complete this activity, follow these steps:

1.

As a class, examine “Go Down Moses.” a. Read the lyrics of “Go Down Moses” aloud. b. Listen to “Go Down Moses.” c. Pass out the “Coded Lyrics Worksheet” and discuss, as a class, the imagery/hidden messages found in the text.

“Go Down Moses” “Go Down Moses” is a spiritual based on biblical verses, but, like many African American spirituals, it is full of the imagery of freedom for the slaves.

When Israel was in Egypt’s Land, Let my people go.

Oppressed so hard they could not stand.

Let my people go.

Go down, Moses, way down in Egypt’s Land, Tell old Pharaoh, let my people go.

Egypt’s Pharaoh stood for the slave master. Moses may have brought to mind Harriet Tubman, one of the most well-known conductors of the Underground Railroad who repeatedly went “down to Egypt land” (the South) to help more than 300 slaves escape northward to freedom. “Go Down Moses” was one of the first spirituals to become known by a white audience. It was published in the National Anti-Slavery Standard newspaper in 1861.

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a. Watch the video telling the story, “Following the Drinking Gourd.” b. Listen to “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” c. Discuss, as a class, the imagery/hidden messages found in the text.

“Follow the Drinking Gourd”

MATERIALS • • •

2. As a class, examine “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”

X Yannick “Go Down Moses” PHOTO: Lebrun in Alvin Ailey’s For ‘Bird’ - With Love

by Dario Calmese

“Follow the Drinking Gourd” was a song of the Underground Railroad, a network that helped slaves escape to freedom in the North. In the song, the “drinking gourd” was code for the Big Dipper constellation.

Additional code words in the song described signposts on the escape route out of Alabama and Mississippi.

X “Follow the Drinking Gourd” “Follow the Drinking Gourd” is widely believed to have helped direct slaves escaping northward. Traveling alone under the cover of darkness, they followed the North Star or the moss on trees. The song was supposedly used by an Underground Railroad operative to encode escape instructions and a map. The “drinking gourd” possibly refers to the Big Dipper constellation whose stars at the end of the “pot” point to the North Star. Or they could refer to the Little Dipper which holds the North Star at the end of its handle. The first verse instructs the traveler to begin the journey around the winter solstice when “the sun comes back” to the northern hemisphere. The “old man” perhaps is a reference to an abolitionist who supposedly marked the trail, or it could represent any conductor of the Underground Railroad. The riverbank verse purportedly refers to the Tombigbee River, which stretches from Tennessee to the Gulf of Mexico. From there travelers follow the Tennessee River until it joins with the “great big” Ohio River. After completing that crossing, preferably in the winter when the river was frozen, people would be waiting on the other side to “carry you to freedom.”

X The Story of “Follow the Drinking Gourd”

Fisk Jubilee Singers photo: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

3. Have students individually examine “Steal Away to Jesus,” “Wade in the Water,” and “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel.” a. Have students read the lyrics of each song. b. As a class, listen to each song. c. Have students explore the imagery/hidden messages found in the text in small groups. Assign one group to each spiritual. Have each group present what they found in their text.

“Steal Away to Jesus” Steal away, steal away, Steal away to Jesus Steal away, steal away home, I ain’t got long to stay here.

My Lord, He calls me, He calls me by the thunder; The trumpet sounds within my soul: I ain’t got long to stay here.

Green trees are bending, The sinner stands a-trembling The trumpet sounds within my soul: I ain’t got long to stay here.

My Lord , He calls me, He calls me by the lightening; The trumpet sounds within my soul: I ain’t got long to stay here.

X “Steal Away to Jesus” “Wade in the Water” Wade in the water Wade in the water, children Wade in the water God’s gonna trouble the water

See that host all dressed in white God’s gonna trouble the water The leader looks like the Israelite God’s gonna trouble the water See that band all dressed in red God’s gonna trouble the water Looks like the band that Moses led God’s gonna trouble the water If you don’t believe I’ve been redeemed God’s gonna trouble the water Just follow me down to Jordan’s stream God’s gonna trouble the water X “Wade in the Water “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?”

Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel Deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel?

Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel And why not every man?

He delivered Daniel from the lion’s den Jonah from the belly of the whale And the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace And why not every man?

The moon runs down in a purple stream The sun refused to shine Every star did disappear Yes, freedom shall be mine!

X “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?”

Additional spirituals for further study: X “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” X “Good News, The Chariot’s Coming”

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Date

Name

Coded Lyrics Worksheet Lyrics

32

Literal Meaning

Coded Meaning

Date

Name

Coded Lyrics Worksheet Lyrics

Literal Meaning

Coded Meaning

When Israel was in Egypt’s land,

The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for hundreds of years.

Israel represents the slaves and Egypt represents the South.

Let my people go.

Free the Israelites.

Free the slaves.

Opressed so hard they could not stand,

The Israelites were held in bondage and were treated poorly and struggled.

The slaves were held in bondage and faced horrible treatment and conditions daily.

Let my people go.

Free the Israelites.

Free the slaves.

Go down, Moses, way down in Egypt’s Land,

Moses led the Israelites from Egypt.

Moses represents Harriet Tubman going South and leading slaves to freedom.

Tell ole Pharoah, to let my people go

He asked Pharoah to release them many times and eventually led them to freedom.

Tell the slave master or owner to free their slaves.

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Statue of W.C. Handy Wilson Park, Florence, Alabama

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Why we go to the show BLACK HISTORY & ALABAMA Famed historian Dr. Wayne Flynt said, “In my not-sohumble opinion, the state of Alabama has produced an unparalleled number of distinguished African Americans. Measure culture anyway you please— popular or elite; folkish or institutional; art; music, literature; education; leaders of the modern Civil Rights Movement; sport—and Alabama’s heritage sustains my argument.”

Art Bill Traylor was a self-taught artist from Lowndes County, Alabama. He was born into slavery in 1853 and worked as a sharecropper after emancipation.

He moved to Montgomery in 1929 and several years later found himself homeless. At the age of 85, while spending his days on the streets, he took up drawing.

A local artist by the name of Charles Shannon happened upon Traylor and began to regularly visit him to see his progress, eventually providing him with various art supplies. In 1940, Shannon created the first art exhibit of Traylor’s work entitled Bill Traylor: People’s Artist. There was another art show in New York in 1942, but neither show resulted in a sale. Bill Traylor died in 1949. Charles Shannon remained a champion of Traylor’s work throughout his life. In 1974, he brought all of Traylor’s work out of storage and reorganized everything into categories.

It was at this time that interest in Traylor’s art began to grow. In September of 2018 through April of 2019, the Smithsonian held, Between Worlds: The Art of Bill Traylor, the largest exhibition of his artwork to date and the first retrospective ever of an artist born into slavery.

Music W.C. Handy was born William Christopher Handy in Florence, Alabama in 1873. His father was a pastor in Guntersville, Alabama and not a supporter of Handy’s interest in playing music. Unbeknownst to his family, Handy purchased a guitar and worked to teach himself how to play. Upon discovery of the guitar, his father made him get rid of it, but did allow him to take organ lessons. Instead, young Handy secretly joined a band and purchased a cornet from a classmate.

Handy worked as a touring musician, music professor, composer and publisher. Known as the father of the blues, his first hit was “The Memphis Blues.” He is credited with integrating the blues characteristics into ragtime music. Later in his career, Handy worked to preserve the history and development of the blues with his book, Blues: An Anthology—Complete Words and Music of 53 Great Songs. This publication serves as an early attempt to record, analyze and describe the blues as an integral part of the South and the history of the United States, and is a very important piece of our musicological history. Handy died in 1958 and over 25,000 people attended his funeral in Harlem with another 150,000 mourners gathered in the streets outside.

Additional Alabama musicians for further study: •

Erskine Hawkins Band

•

Nat King Cole

•

James Reese Europe

Additional Alabama artists for further study:

•

Avery Parish

•

Thornton Dial

•

Lionel Ritchie

•

Charlie Lucas

•

Jimmie Lee Sudduth

•

Mose T

•

Lonnie West

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Dance

Science

Amy Hall Garner is a native of Huntsville, Alabama, and a graduate of The Julliard School. Her work has been praised internationally and commissioned

by Ailey II, ABT Studio Company, Collage Dance Collective, The Juilliard School, The Ailey School, Barnard College, The University of the Arts, Columbia Ballet Collaborative, Point Park University and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Recently, she has received virtual commissions from BalletX, Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Guggenheim Museum’s Works & Process Digital Series, ABT Studio Company and a dual company collaboration between the Paul Taylor Dance Company and Miami City Ballet. She personally coached Grammy Award winner Beyoncé, providing additional choreography for The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. Theatrical choreography credits include: The Color Purple (Milwaukee Repertory Theater) and Invisible Thread, associate choreographer (Second Stage Theater). In 2018, she was selected to participate in Alvin Ailey’s New Directions Choreography Lab supported by the Ford Foundation. Garner was one of the first recipients of the Joffrey Ballet’s Choreography of Color Award (now titled Winning Works). Garner is an adjunct professor at New York University’s New Studio on Broadway at Tisch School of the Arts.

Mae Jemison became the first Black woman in space in 1992 as a mission specialist on the Endeavor space shuttle. Born in Decatur, Alabama, in 1956, Jemison had discovered her interest in science and space travel at an early age. In addition to her passion for science, Jemison was also an avid dancer. She graduated high school early and enrolled at the age of 16 at Stanford University, where she earned a degree in chemical engineering as well as African and African American studies. She also continued to dance and struggled to choose between pursuing a career as a dancer or attending medical school. Her mother encouraged her to continue on to medical school and she attended Cornell University. While in New York, she also took classes at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Upon completing medical school, Jemison worked in Los Angeles as a physician before joining the Peace Corps in 1983. She was responsible for the medical needs of Peace Corps volunteers in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Jemison applied to NASA in 1985 but had to reapply in 1987 after the Challenger disaster halted the space program. She was selected from 2,000 applicants for one of the 15 spots in NASA Astronaut Group 12. She flew her only space mission from September 12–20 in 1992, orbiting the Earth 127 times. She took an Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater poster with her to space. After leaving NASA, Jemison started The Jemison Group consulting firm and the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence, which has a particular focus on youth and education. She has been a professor at Dartmouth and Cornell, has written several books and has been an active public speaker.

Additional Alabama dancers for further study: •

Cornelius Carter

•

Foye Dubose

Literature Born in Notasulga, Alabama, in 1891, Zora Neal Hurston grew to become a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Her book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is considered one of the great American novels.

Additional Alabama writers for further study:

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•

Ralph Ellison

•

Albert Murray

•

Margaret Alexander Walker

Additional Alabama scientists for further study: •

George Washington Carver

•

Lonnie Johnson

•

Percy Julian

•

Jennie Patrick

Dr. Mae C. Jemison

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Willie Mays (left) and Roy Campanella

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Education Tuskegee University is a private, historically Black land grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded in 1881. The first head of the school was Booker T. Washington. Washington was responsible for purchasing 100 acres of land from a former plantation to build the school. He led Tuskegee until 1915. During that time, he continued to expand the idea of education for Black students against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South.

His work began to attract more attention from scholars like George Washington Carver as well as philanthropists interested in financially supporting the “industrial” education being offered at Tuskegee.

His relationship with Sears, Roebuck and Company leader, Julius Rosenwald, led to huge financial support for Tuskegee as well as other rural schools across the South that were planned and built by Tuskegee students and graduates. Rosenwald also joined the board of directors at the school. By the time of his death in 1915 at the age of 58, Washington had secured over $1.5 million for the Tuskegee University endowment. To this day, Tuskegee University is consistently ranked among the top of historically black colleges and universities.

Additional Alabama educational institution for further study: •

Lincoln Memorial School (Juanita Abernathy, Coretta Scott King and Jean Childs Young)

Civil Rights Movement Known as the “first lady of civil rights” and the “mother of the freedom movement,” Rosa Parks was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1913. While she was not the first person to resist bus segregation, she is certainly the most well-known. On December 1, 1955, Parks refused to vacate her seat for a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This act of civil disobedience inspired the Montgomery bus boycott which lasted for more than a year. The ensuing legal case from her arrest led to the court decision that bus segregation was unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment. She became an icon of the civil rights movement and worked with

other leaders to fight against racial segregation in America.

Additional Alabama civil rights leaders for further study: •

Ralph David Abernathy

•

Fred Gray

•

Martin Luther King Jr.

•

John Lewis

•

E.D. Nixon

•

Jo Anna Robinson

•

Arthur Shores

•

Fred Shuttlesworth

Sports Considered one of the greatest to ever play the game of baseball, center fielder Willie Mays was born in Westfield, Alabama, in 1931. He was signed by the New York Giants in 1950 and was named Rookie of the Year in 1951 after hitting 20 home runs and helping lead the Giants to the pennant. In 1954, he was named MVP of the National League and led the Giants to a World Series title. He ended his career in 1973 with the New York Mets following another World Series trip. He served as a coach for the Mets until 1980 and later returned to the Giants organization as a special assistant to the president and general manager. His 24 All-Star appearances tie him for the second most in the history of baseball.

His lifetime batting average was .302, with 3,382 hits, 660 home runs, 1,903 runs batted in, and 338 stolen bases.

Additional Alabama sports icons for further study: •

Hank Aaron

•

Bo Jackson

•

Carl Lewis

•

Joe Louis

•

Willie McCovey

•

Jesse Owens

•

Satchel Paige

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CREATING A COLLAGE Alabama Course of Study Standards  SS10.4.10  SS10.4.14  SS10.11.2  SS10.11.5  SS10.11.6  SS10.11.14  ELA21.6-8.R3  ELA21.6.11  ELA21.6.22  ELA21.7.24  ELA21.8.23  ELA21.9-12.R4  ELA21.9-10.22  ELA21.11-12.25  AE17.VA.6-8.3  AE17.VA.8.5  AE17.VA.9-12.1 National Standards  NA-VA.5-8.1  NA-VA.5-8.3  NA.VA.9-12.1  NL-ENG.K-12.8

OBJECTIVE

5. Provide as many varied materials as possible to allow students creative freedom.

By completing this activity, students will: •

Create a unified artwork that uses multiple mediums and collage elements to represent their research and what most inspired them

6. Remind students of some things to consider when creating a collage:

MATERIALS For this activity, you will need the following items: • •

• •

Access to technology or library for research Collage materials: choose a variety of textures and mediums to have available, including construction paper, tissue paper, poster board, magazines, newspapers, glue, glitter, textiles, markers, pens, paint, tape, photographs, canvas, etc.

Pen/pencil Paper

7.

•

Choose the right materials

•

Select cohesive colors

•

Add depth and layers

•

Experiment with textures

•

What is the message?

Allow students ample time to complete their inspired collages.

8. Have students title their collages and create a display that includes the title, the Alabamian it represents, and the artist.

PROCEDURE To complete this activity, follow these steps:

1.

Have students choose one of the Alabamians mentioned in the “Black History and Alabama” lesson who inspires them and makes them curious. They may also choose someone who was not mentioned in the lesson if they are associated with Alabama.

2. Have students conduct further research on their chosen Alabamian.

3. Ask students what they find inspiring about their chosen

Alabamian and have them brainstorm words or images that they would associate with their chosen Alabamian.

4. Tell students that they are going to create a collage

that expresses the essence of the person they have researched, particularly focusing on what inspires them the most. If the students are unfamiliar with what a collage is, take a moment to explain that a collage is a piece of art that is created by arranging and attaching a variety of materials onto a single surface. The piece should represent a theme, idea, person or message. In this instance, the collage will represent the person that they have researched and what they find most inspiring about them.

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Share your students' colorful creations with us.

We'd love to see the masterpieces your talented students create. Send us a photo of their drawings and collages. Be sure to include each student's name, age, grade and school with your submission. You can send all images to the Gogue Center via email at gpac_education@auburn.edu.

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Jacquelin Harris, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater photo: Dario Calmese

RESPONDING TO DANCE Alabama Course of Study Standards  AE17.D.6.15  AE17.D.6.17  AE17.D.6.21  AE17.D.7.16  AE17.D.7.17  AE17.D.7.18  AE17.D.8.16  AE17.D.8.17  AE17.D.8.18  AE17.D.9-12.16  AE17.D.9-12.17  AE17.D.9-12.18 National Standards  NA-D.5-8.3  NA-D.5-8.4  NA-D.9-12.3  NA-D.9-12.4

OBJECTIVE

3. Pass out the Dance Response Guides found on pages 45–51.

By completing this activity, students will: • •

Demonstrate knowledge the elements of dance during a live performance Analyze movements of professional dancers during a live performance

MATERIALS

4. Instruct the students that they will complete these guides referencing what they see at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performance. Have them familiarize themselves with the questions prior to attending the performance.

5. Allow students to bring the guides with them to the

performance so that they can jot notes and impressions if they would like.

For this activity, you will need the following items: • •

Dance Response Guides Pen/pencil

6. Encourage first impressions. Allow students to reflect on their immediate responses to the dance.

PROCEDURE To complete this activity, follow these steps:

1.

Complete the lesson “The Elements of Dance” on page 21, along with the “Exploring the Elements of Dance” activity on page 22.

2. The questions in these worksheets are meant to guide

student observations and responses. The questions can be assigned to individuals or to groups. You should limit the number of questions assigned to any student or group of students to allow for more in-depth answers. You may ask each individual or group to compile their responses and report to the class, or you may wish to have them compose written responses.

44

7.

Encourage students to watch carefully but do not expect them to notice everything. Encourage the students to be active rather than passive audience members by urging them to stay engaged with the performance as they contemplate the questions they have been tasked with answering.

DANCE RESPONSE GUIDES Name

Date

First Impressions How did the performance begin?

What were some of your first impressions or feelings at the beginning of the dance?

What did you notice most as the dance continued?

Did you have a favorite dancer? Which one and why?

Did you notice aspects other than the dancers’ movements, such as costumes, scenery, music, or lighting? What did you notice?

45

DANCE RESPONSE GUIDES Date

Name

Body What did you notice most about the way the dancers moved their bodies?

What parts of their bodies did the dancers use? Did they use some parts more than others?

Did the dancers enter and exit the stage together or at different times?

Did the dancers ever do the same movements at the same time (move in unison)? When?

Did the dancers dance close together, far apart or both? Did the dancers touch; for example, did they link arms or hands, or swing or lift one another?

46

DANCE RESPONSE GUIDES Name

Date

Action: Locomotor and Nonlocomotor Movement What do you remember most about the movements of the dancers?

What locomotor movements did you see in the dance?

What non-locomotor movements did you see?

How did the dance combine locomotor and non-locomotor movements?

Did the movements seem to go with the music? Why or why not?

Did these movements remind you of other kinds of movements you have seen in everyday life or in sports? How were they similar?

47

DANCE RESPONSE GUIDES Date

Name

Space What did you notice most about the use of space in the dance?

What levels were used in the dance? Did the dancers change levels? Were there many lifts?

What shapes did the bodies of the dancers make (individually and/or as a group)? Were the shapes symmetrical or asymmetrical?

What floor patterns did the dancers make as they traveled through space? What pathways did they take? In what directions did they move?

Did the use of space help make the dance interesting or convey an idea or feeling? How?

Where were your eyes drawn when you watched the dance? Why? On what were the dancers focused (e.g., looking in the direction of the movement, changing focus as they moved)?

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DANCE RESPONSE GUIDES Date

Name

Time What did you notice most about the use of time in the dance?

Was the dancing fast, slow or medium? Did the tempo change or stay the same during the dance?

What rhythms did you notice?

Was the tempo of the movement always the same as the tempo of the music? If not, how did they differ?

Did the use of tempo and rhythm help make the dance interesting or help convey an idea of feeling?

How?

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DANCE RESPONSE GUIDES Date

Name

Energy What words would you use to describe the energy of the dancers and the dance (e.g., heavy, light, sharp, smooth, tense, relaxed, flowing)?

Did the dancers maintain the same energy throughout the dance or did it change? If it changed, when and how?

Did different dancers use different energies?

Was the energy of the movement similar to or different from the energy of the music? Explain.

Did the energy or force help make the dance interesting or convey an idea or feeling? How?

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DANCE RESPONSE GUIDES Date

Name

Analysis, Interpretation and Evaluation Does this dance have a clear beginning, middle and end?

This dance is inspired by a story, did it tell a story? If yes, what is the story?

Does this dance convey a feeling, mood or idea? What is it?

Does this dance have a theme? What is it and how is the theme different from telling a story?

Did the use of the elements of dance help tell the story or convey the mood or theme? How?

What was the meaning of the dance to you?

Did you like the dance? Why or why not?

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ANALYZING REVELATIONS Alabama Course of Study Standards  AE17.D.6.15  AE17.D.6.17  AE17.D.6.21  AE17.D.7.16  AE17.D.7.17  AE17.D.7.18  AE17.D.8.16  AE17.D.8.17  AE17.D.8.18  AE17.D.9-12.16  AE17.D.9-12.17  AE17.D.9-12.18 National Standards  NA-D.5-8.3  NA-D.5-8.4  NA-D.9-12.3  NA-D.9-12.4

OBJECTIVE

•

Falling to the Floor in Grief and Despair These occur in three different segments of the dance.

When do they happen and what do you think they represent?

•

Rising into the Air in Hope In “Fix Me,” one woman is so overcome with despair she faints twice, but in the end, she ascends toward the sky as if on wings.

•

Looking for a Place to Hide In the section “Sinner Man,” some of the dancers try to hide. Who do you think they represent? What feelings did you experience while watching the dance?

•

A Man and a Woman Clear Away Evil Spirits Why do you think they are doing this? What props do the dancers use to accomplish their task?

•

Three People Walk into a River How do you know they are in water?

•

A Man Crawls on the Floor in Determination What do you notice about the way he moves? What else do his gestures convey?

•

Several Women Carry on Stools Where are they? What are they doing? What emotions are they showing at this time?

•

The Women Playfully Chastise the Men What gestures do they use to do this?

•

Men Carry the Stools Why might they do this?

•

The Company Is Swept Away in Joy Describe how the dancers portray this emotion.

By completing this activity, students will: •

Demonstrate an understanding of some of the specific dance gestures from Revelations

•

Express how specific elements of Revelations stood out to them and why

MATERIALS For this activity, you will need the following items: •

List of examples of movements to watch for in Revelations

PROCEDURE To complete this activity, follow these steps:

1.

Discuss with students that Revelations is a suite of dances that tells the story of a community of people through vignettes composed of large and small groups, trios, duets and solos. Concepts such as oppression, dignity, hope and determination, and emotions like sorrow, anger, fear and joy, are embodied and expressed through human movement.

2. Discuss with students the specific dance gestures and

movements from Revelations listed below. Ask them to see if they can recognize some of the following moments as they watch the performance and identify the emotions or themes. As everyone has a unique frame of reference, a particular moment may say something different to you than to other people. Have your students make note of which scenes particularly stand out to them in order to spark a class discussion following the performance.

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•

The “Bird” Pose How many times did you see it performed as a group in “I Been ‘Buked?” In various sections of Revelations, a similar movement is done. Look for the “bird” pose repeated throughout the dance.

•

Praying Movements Notice the number of different ways praying takes place in Revelations. Think about how it is portrayed and why and where it is done. Students can also share through movement or drawing.

3. After the performance, make sure to have a class

discussion about what the students saw, or have them write a response answering some of the listed questions.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations photo: Paul Kolnik

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Khalia Campbell, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater photo: Paul Kolnik

What to do after the show REFLECTING ON REVELATIONS In reflection, take a few moments to answer the following questions on a sheet of paper:

1.

What shapes did you see in the performance?

2. How did movement, costume, music and lighting convey the meaning of the dance?

3. How did the dancers use the elements of dance in the

performance? How did the elements of dance impact your viewing of the show? For example, did the use of tempo make you experience the mood differently? Did the use of shapes and size and type of movement make you experience the emotion of the piece?

4. What surprised you as you watched the performance?

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MOVING IN REFLECTION Alabama Course of Study Standards  AE17.D.6.1  AE17.D.6.2  AE17.D.6.3  AE17.D.6.7  AE17.D.6.8  AE17.D.6.9  AE17.D.6.15  AE17.D.9-12.1  AE17.D.9-12.2  AE17.D.9-12.3  AE17.D.9-12.7  AE17.D.9-12.8  AE17.D.9-12.9  AE17.D.9-12.15  AE17.D.9-12.17  AE17.D.9-12.19 National Standards  NA-D.5-8.1  NA-D.5-8.2  NA-D.5-8.3  NA-D.5-8.4  NA-D.9-12.1  NA-D.9-12.2  NA-D.9-12.3  NA-D.9-12.4

OBJECTIVE By completing this activity, students will: •

Explore what they saw at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performance and how it made them think

•

Move using things they learned from the performance as well as the elements of dance

3. Tell students to imagine what they can create using these shapes or movements.

•

Divide the class into groups of three-to-five students.

•

Instruct each group to choose three shapes or movements from the board.

•

Encourage them to explore putting the three shapes or movements together in a different way—vary the order, how they connect from one to the other—to create a movement phrase.

•

Encourage students to consider the story they want to tell through their movement phrase.

•

Once the groups have chosen their shapes or movements and the order in which they will be performed, ask them how the elements of dance can help them coordinate everyone in the group to perform together. Students do not have to perform in unison, and everyone does not have to perform every shape or movement. All three shapes or movements must be represented in a creative way using the elements of dance, but what that looks like is up to you.

MATERIALS For this activity, you will need the following items: •

A whiteboard or something similar

•

Dry erase markers

•

The list of Revelations movements on page 52

PROCEDURE To complete this activity, follow these steps:

1.

After returning from seeing the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performance, ask students what they saw.

Have them describe or demonstrate a shape or movement that they saw on the stage. Write down these shapes and movements on the board, giving each a descriptive name that will help identify them later.

•

Collect at least five shapes or movements.

2. Ask students to think about a particular shape or

movement. How do they connect with it? What about the shape or movement made it stand out for them?

•

More than one student may connect to the same shape or movement for different reasons, explore that.

4. Each group should perform their movement phrase for the class.

•

You can select a spiritual or other piece of music to use.

•

You could have students create a spoken word accompaniment.

•

You may choose to have students perform a cappella.

5. After each performance, pause and ask: What did you see?

What do you think about that? What does it make you wonder about?

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BONUS ACTIVITY: For older or more advanced students, consider the following adaptation.

1.

After completing step 1 of the activity, ask the question of step 2 and then have the students complete a 10-minute free write in response. Tell them to describe as much as they can about how the shape or movement made them feel or think.

2. After the 10 minutes, have the students underline three

words or phrases in their writing that stand out to them.

3. Ask the students to create a shape or movement that reflects each word or phrase. (There should be three shapes or movements.)

4. Have the students take those three created movements

5. Once they have identified the order of movements

within their phrase that works best for them, ask them to rehearse and explore how to vary their phrase using the elements of dance.

6. Now, have them go back to their writing and edit it down

to two-to-three sentences that best embody the story they wish to tell in their movement phrase.

7.

For their performance, they may either choose to recite their sentences while they perform or assign someone to read it while they perform their movement phrase.

8. After each performance, pause and ask: What did you see?

What do you think about that? What does it make you wonder about?

and the one Ailey shape or movement and combine the four into a movement phrase. Encourage them to experiment with the order (e.g., sequential, non-sequential, etc.).

Sarah Daley-Perdomo, Khalia Campbell and Samantha Figgins, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater photo: Dario Calmese

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Date

Name

Revelations Directions: Alvin Ailey’s masterpiece ballet Revelations premiered in 1960. The work represents an important part of American culture. Think of words that you associate with Revelations and Alvin Ailey’s legacy. Write words that begin with each letter of the word “revelations.” Come up with as many words as possible for each letter. Begin the exercise by asking “What does Alvin Ailey mean to me?”

R [for example] Regal, Refined, Raucous, Radiant, Raw, etc.

E V E L A T I O N S 57

Online resources If you would like to continue to learn and explore, here are some resources that might be helpful.

X https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-foreducators/classroom-resources/lessons-and-activities/ lessons/6-8/elements-of-dance/ X https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-foreducators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/ media/dance/do-you-wanna-dance/ X https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/Arts/Guide-to-K12Program-Development-in-the-Arts/Dance-Glossary.pdf X https://www.elementsofdance.org X https://education.ket.org/resources/dance-glossary/ X https://www.alvinailey.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/ Resource%20Guide%20for%20Educators%202022%20 updated%20%281%29_0.pdf X https://calperformances.org/learn/k-12/pdf/2008/Alvin_ Ailey_Study_Guide_0809.pdf X https://www.vafest.org/media/3uopvk5w/alvin-aileyeducation-guide.pdf X https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-foreducators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/ media/dance/alvin-ailey--revelations/ X https://alafricanamerican.com X https://alafricanamerican.com/beyond-the-book-honoreearchives/alabamas-african-american-history-fromstatehood-to-the-present/

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CREDITS All images featured in this performance study guide are wholly owned and copyrighted by their respective copyright holders and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended. The Gogue Performing Arts Center does not claim ownership of any images unless explicitly stated otherwise. If you have concerns about the use of any image included herein, please contact us immediately.

For a list of additional image sources and credits, please contact our Department of Communications and Marketing by telephone at 334.844.7234 or via email at jaosborne@auburn.edu.

The Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University serves students and educators across the state of Alabama and beyond with its annual K–12 School Performance Series.

These high-quality and transformative arts experiences are further enriched with performance study guides that provide meaningful cross-curricular connections.

Developed by our Department of Education and Engagement, in collaboration with the Gogue Center Curriculum Council, each performance study guide contains information about the featured performing artist(s) or company, the art form, and relevant, grade-appropriate lessons and activities designed to help incorporate academic and arts standards into the classroom.

Our sincerest thanks to the members of the 2023–24 Gogue Center Curriculum Council.

2023–24 Gogue Center Curriculum Council Laurin Beard Elementary Art Lee-Scott Academy Lee County Private Schools Stacey Blakemore Secondary ELA & Art Oak Mountain High School Shelby County Schools Abbie Gaston Elementary (3–5) Creekside Elementary School Auburn City Schools Dr. Rebecca Hendrix Elementary Enrichment Specialist Retired Opelika City Schools Kewana Long Kindergarten Vaughn Road Elementary School Montgomery County Schools Anna Mungenast Math Lee-Scott Academy Lee County Private Schools Alison Starr Science Lee-Scott Academy Lee County Private Schools Mary Elise Thornton Secondary ELA Booker T. Washington High School Montgomery County Schools Dr. Marcia Webb Elementary Enrichment Specialist/Adjunct Professor Retired/Auburn University Auburn City Schools

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cover: Constance Stamatiou, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater photo: Dario Calmese

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