Kindur (Icelandic Sheep)

LE Lower Elementary | Performance Guide

Kindur (Icelandic Sheep) The quest for food causes Icelandic sheep to travel great distances weathering dramatic seasonal changes. Kindur showcases the extraordinary beauty of the natural world of Iceland— glaciers, northern lights, geysers, waterfalls—and their impact on the humblest of animals. Using sensors and motion capture technologies, two dancers and a singer tell a story of the seasons with breathtaking scenery and visual effects, where sound and image magically interact.

Photo credit: TPO

Learning Standards: Oral and Visual Communications; Social Studies – Geography – Interaction of People and the Environment; Visual Arts; Theater; Music and Dance.

Ready, Set, Show!

Photo credit: TPO

About the Artists and Art Form

Kindur Scenes

Teatro di Piazza D’Occasione (TPO) is an Italian company that has created visual theater for children for the past 28 years. The company explores new ways to use technology with dance, music, visual art and poetry.

Their design for Kindur creates a unique scenic space. The set structure includes a projection on a large vertical screen at the back of the playing space. A “carpet” on the floor is a technologically responsive surface on which dancers dance, students walk and light is projected. The interactivity of the performance is accomplished with sensory optics. Infrared video cameras and sensors detect movement and the computer then projects specific images on the dance floor and walls. Images of the grasslands, outlines of the sheep pens and the ethereal aurora borealis are projected on the screen.

Each scene of the performance describes an aspect of sheep life in Iceland. Ask student to read for information to prepare for the performance. Their experiences in the performance will support their understanding of the text. > A Flock of Sheep – Many sheep live on the island of Iceland.

Vikings brought sheep to Iceland a thousand years ago. The word for sheep in Iceland is kindur. > The Sheep Pen – Sheep gather in a pen shaped like a wheel. Sheep follow their leader. Leader sheep guide the flock from a pasture to the sheep pen. > The Wind – Iceland has two seasons, winter and summer. The winter wind is strong and cold. The summer wind is cool and wet. > The Snowy Winter – Sheep grow wooly coats in winter. Snow falls on the sheep in winter. The sheep’s thick coat keeps them warm during the snowy winter. > The Aurora Borealis – (pronounced “uh-ROHR-uh Boor-ee-ALiss” ) Northern Lights are known as the aurora borealis. The lights in the sky are green and white. The colors of the Northern Lights shimmer and change as the atmosphere changes. > The Spring – Spring is a season of plant growth in Iceland. One fourth of the island is covered with growing plants. Sheep feed on the plants and grasses that grow in the spring. > The Journey Across the Island – Sheep make a journey across the island. They walk by icy mountains, hot volcanoes and rushing streams. Sometimes they can see the Atlantic Ocean. > The Trolls – Trolls are characters in many folk tales of Iceland. In stories trolls are huge, strong and ugly. Trolls do nice things for people who do nice things for them.

About the Sheep and Iceland

The Icelandic sheep is one of the world’s oldest and purest breeds of sheep and were brought to Iceland by the Vikings. Highly intelligent and displaying special alertness, these sheep came to be known as the leader sheep as they often helped farmers manage other sheep on the pasture. Icelandic sheep are medium sized; ewes (females) average 130160 pounds while rams average 180-220 pounds. They are short legged and stocky and their face and legs are free of wool. When they have their thick coat of wool, they can easily survive a harsh, cold winter.

About the Story

TPO explores new ways to use technology with dance, music, visual art and poetry. Kindur tells the story of the adventures of sheep in Iceland in a sequence of scenes. The subject of each Kindur scene is listed on the right.

Kindur (Icelandic Sheep) / Performance Guide

Pre and Post-Performance Activities Making Predictions

Moving in a Flock

Making Connections

Each season brings with it different

Sheep move in a flock. When the leaders

Read about Icelandic sheep online or in

weather patterns. In summer, the weather

turn in one direction, the rest of the sheep

your library. Compare sheep brought to

is sweltering hot, air is humid like the

follow. The followers trust that the leaders

Iceland by the Vikings to other animals like

bathroom after a hot shower, and there are

will take them where they need to go. When

pigs and horses that were brought to North

soft breezes. Describe the weather during

a flock is moving, it appears as if all the

America by Spanish Explorers. Horses that

each season. Make sure to use adjectives

sheep are connected. What other animals

escaped became the wild mustangs that

and similes. Predict how you think the

move as flocks? When do humans follow as

migrated across the Great Plains. Pigs

dancers in Kindur will move to show the

a flock? How do participants in a flock or

became the wild razorback hogs that lived

weather in each of the seasons.

other group communicate without talking?

in Arkansas before it became a state in

What books, movies, music does this type

1836. Discuss things that are the same

of relationship remind you of? Where do you

and things that are different between kindur

see this kind of following happening in the

(Icelandic sheep) and razorback hogs. How

world around us?

does knowing about Icelandic sheep help us learn about animals in Arkansas? Why is it important to learn about animal habits and habitats around the world?

Post-Performance Activities Creative Assessment Imagine that you own a travel agency and want to encourage people to travel to Iceland. Create a travel brochure. In it, describe what tourists will see (the landscape), what they can do (climb mountains, whale watching, etc. ) and what they will eat. Tell your customers about the history of Iceland and the mystery of the Trolls.

After you design your brochure, present the information to the class. Visit these travel sites to help get you started on your project: > www.visiticeland.com > www.frommers.com/destinations/iceland Photo credit: TPO

> www.lonelyplanet.com/iceland > http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/ iceland-guide/ > www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3396.htm > www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/icelandic/index.htm

schools@waltonartscenter.org / www.waltonartscenter.org

Volume 8 Number 13 Colgate Classroom Series performances help students meet Arkansas Learning Standards.

Photo credit: TPO

Reflect and Assess After the Performance Using partners, have students consider each question, record their answers and then share their responses with the rest of the class.

Learn more at: www.waltonartscenter.org

>What did you think about Kindur? What part(s) of the production do you remember? What questions do you have? >Describe the characters in Kindur. Who were they? What were they doing? Why? >What did you already know about Iceland and Icelandic Sheep before the performance? What do you know now?

Learning at Walton Arts Center

>If you were in the performance of Kindur, how would you play each of the

Laura Goodwin, VP Learning & Engagement

characters? Why would you perform them that way?

Dr. Patricia Relph, Arts Learning Specialist

>How did the set help tell the story? What sounds did you hear?

Katie Lamar, Schools Concierge

>How did the performance make you feel?

Dianna Blaylock, Learning Coordinator

>What moment in the play do you remember most?

Carley Tisdale, Learning & Engagement

>Write a description of that moment for someone who was unable to experience

Intern

the performance.

Performance Guide Contributors:

>What questions do you have for the artists?

Kassie Misicwicz, Artistic Executive Director Learn More Online

Trike Theatre.

Learn more about TPO and see a video of Kindur at www.tpo.it

Molly Carroll, Learning & Engagement Intern

Learn more about arts in education at The Kennedy Center’s free digital learning platform, the ArtsEdge website: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org

Walton Arts Center 2010-2011 Learning programming is generously supported by these funders, sponsors and benefactors:

Education Benefactors: Ted & Leslie Belden

Mark & Lynn Richards

Colgate-Palmolive

Dr. J.B. & Rachel Blankenship

Mary Lynn Reese

David & Tina Bogle

The Rose Family

Education Grantors:

Crayola®

Coleman & Shirley Peterson

Edy’s Grand Ice Cream

Arkansas Arts Council

Joel & Lynn Carver

Jeff & Eileen Schomburger

J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc.

Donald W. Reynolds

Carolyn & Nick Cole

Jack & Mechelle Sinclair

Lori Cunningham

David & Candace Starling

Michael & Susan Duke

Jerry & Brenda Walton

Joanie & Jon Dyer

Jim & Lynne Walton

Malcolm & Ellen Hayward

John & Kitten Weiss

Kimberly-Clark Bio-Tech Pharmacal, Inc. Prairie Grove Telephone Co. Procter & Gamble

Foundation The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Mid America Arts Alliance/

Pruitt Tool Company

National Endowment

Johnelle Hunt

Shipley Motor Co.

for the Arts

Fred & Yvonne Ley

Season support provided by

Andy & Mary Murray

Walmart / SAM’S CLUB

Tyson Foods, Inc.

Walmart Foundation

Pat Parsons

Kindur (Icelandic Sheep) / Performance Guide