note: to printout, place your mouse anywhere in the body of text, right-click and select 'print.'

CONNECTICUT BALLET

PRESENTS

THE WORLD OF DANCE

A UNIQUE DANCE PROGRAM EXAMINING

CLASSICAL AND FOLKLORIC DANCE FORMS

FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

Narrator:

BRETT RAPHAEL
Artistic Director
Connecticut Ballet

THE WORLD OF DANCE program introduces students to a wide range of dance forms, exposes them to the diversity of world music and dance, and allows them to interact with dancers and musicians in a stimulating assembly program format.

Traditional western dance forms of ballet, jazz, tap and hip-hop are fairly standard fare on television and in other media. The dance forms of indigenous peoples are rarely presented by the media, much less as the universal, cross-cultural phenomenon they represent. In THE WORLD OF DANCE assembly, we present dance as a ‘cultural mirror’ for students to consider their own ethnic diversity and help them to honor one another’s unique cultural make-up.

The 2006 WORLD OF DANCE artists are:

PENIEL GUERRIER - Afro-Haitian Dance

NEELIMA BERI -East Indian dance

SUE BROTHERTON & BRITTANY BEACHAM- Irish/Scottish dance

LOUIS FAN FAN DAMAS - Haitian drumming      

EDITH ORTIZ - Peruvian/Mexican dance

CARINA POLVERIGIANI - Argentinian malambo

______________________________________________________________________________

 

‘THE WORLD OF DANCE’ BACKGROUND PAGES

ARGENTINIAN

Argentina is the second largest country in South America (after Brazil). It has a total of 2,766,890 square kilometers. It is surrounded by five other countries: Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. Argentina experiences all four seasons. It possesses some of the world’s tallest mountains, expansive deserts, and impressive waterfalls, with the diversity of the land ranging from wild, remote areas in southern Patagonia to bustling metropolis of Buenos Aires in the north. It has a population of 39,537,943 inhabitants (July 2005). Its ethnic groups consist of white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97% mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry), Amerindian, or other non-white groups = 3%. The official language in Spanish, but some minorities speak Quechua and other indigenous languages. The main religion is Roman Catholicism.

The malambo is an Argentinian folk dance originally performed by gauchos (men who work the cattle) by making foot movements in a small space. It is now practiced by both men and women. The malambo (the national dance of Argentina) came out of the Pampas region of Argentina in the 1600s. Its zapateo (foot stamping) movements derived from Spanish influences. The zapateos are performed by an individual to the music of a guitar or bombo drum. The malambo is both vibrant and full of energy. With the passage of time came the incorporation of boleadoras, leather balls attached with leather ropes used to capture livestock in the fields. However, in the malambo, a boleadora with two balls is used.

HAITIAN

Haiti is one of the major nation-states of the Caribbean. It shares an island with the Dominican Republic and was formely Hispanola. Tainos people inhabited the island until the Spanish conquest all but annihilated them and their culture. After the Tainos vanished, the Spanish enslaved people from the West African coast and the Congo Basin to work in the colony. Uprisings were frequent, and many people ran off into the mountains to maroon (refugee) havens. In 1791, after the western part of Hispanola had been under French domination for one hundred years, the Africans rose up to overthrow the French. They declared independence in 1804 and renamed the country, ”Haiti-Taino” for “mountainous land." The Haitian revolution is the only successful slave revolution in modern history. Haiti became the second free nation in the America (after the Unites States ) and the world's first black republic.

Music and dance are performed for the purpose of calling the spirits. When spirits come to the congregation through possession, they speak to the congregants, give advise, and share meal that the faithful have prepared for them. Each nation of spirits has its own dance, and each dance is accompanied by its own set of drum patterns and its own repertory of songs. Ibo, for example, a dance of the Ibo nation of Nigeria, expresses the pride and majesty of the Ibo people, who preferred death to enslavement. One of the characteristic dance movements depicts men and women breaking the chains of slavery.  Therefore, Mr. Guerrier’s dance in the ‘World of Dance’ program celebrates the liberation of the slaves.

In the ritual and folkloric performance styles of Haitian vodou (“voodoo”), there are three forms: Rada, Kongo, and Petro, each standing for the different ‘nations’ which made up the African-derived pantheon. Within this system, there are thirty-three rhythms with more than a hundred variations representing different regional styles.

Like the very nature of vodou itself, Haitian dance stands for tolerance, respect for our brothers and sisters and the natural world we live in.

INDIAN

The Six Major Indian Classical Dance Styles:

BHARATANATYAM

Origin: the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu

General Characteristics: dynamic, earthy, precise

Movement Characteristics: bent knees (patterned after ancient sculptures), emphasis on hand movements (used to convey moods and expressions)

Concept: The body is visualized as two triangles – one above and one below the torso, based on a balanced distribution of body weight and firm positions of the lower limbs.

KATHAK

Origin: northern India

General Characteristics: ankle bells, mimetic dance

Movement Characteristics: straight legs, intricate footwork set to complex time cycle, rapid pirouettes, statuesque poses

Concept: Kathak literally means storyteller; historically, song and dance was used to embellish the narration of myths and normal stories. Today the storytelling aspect is less prominent in favor of abstract rhythm movement.

Note: Ms. Beri performs the Kathak style of Indian dance.

KATHAKALI

Origin: the state of Kerala in southwestern India

General Characteristics: intricate makeup, elaborate masks and costumers; huge skirts and headdresses; drums and vocals

Movement Characteristics: explosive movements, intricate communication through hand gestures, rigorous footwork

Concept: Katha means story and kali means act or play, so performers direct characters from ancient scriptures and Indian epics, Kathakali was originally performed only by men, with female characters played by men, but in recent years, women have began to dance Kathakali.

KUCHIPUDI

Origin: the village of Kuchipudi, in the Krishna district now known as Andhra Pradesh in southeastern India

General Characteristics: simple costumes and makeup (except important characters, who wear ornaments and jewelry), violins and clarinets

Movement Characteristics: movements are designed to reveal character

Concept: Kuchipudi was originally performed by men of the Brahmin community (the highest caste in Hinduism). Now the bulk of its practitioners are women.  A combination of dance, gesture, speech and songs, Kuchipudi is intended as a dance drama with characters. There are no solo performers in Kuchipudi.

MANIPURI

Origin: the state of Manipur in northeastern India

General Characteristics: simultaneously tender and energetic; swaying, hypnotic feel; drums; gossamer veils and mirrored cylindrical skirts

Movement Characteristics: slow sinuous, undulating arm movements that flow into the fingers; gentle pressing of the feet; constant striving for balance; circular movements

Concept: Manipuri is based on a legend that states that when God crated Earth, it was lumpy, so the seven Lainoorahs (female deities) pressed gently with their feet to make it firm and smooth.

ODISSI

Origin: the eastern Indian state of Odissa; temple dances of the devadasis (temple dancers).  Because the artform nearly suffered extinction during the British colonization, modern Odissi dance is a reconstruction

General Characteristics: curvaceous; similar in mood and expression to Bharatanatyam; soft and lyrical; graceful

Movement Characteristics: soft, flowing movements express specific moods and emotions

Concept: Thought to be the oldest surviving Indian dance form, Odissi is exclusively religious and based on love of and devotion to God.  The body divided into three parts: head, bust and torso.

PERUVIAN

Peru ranks amongst the world’s great centers of ancient civilization.  Peru is located in the west central part of South America and is a country of geographical and cultural contrast.  Peru is the 19^th largest country in the world and is bordered on the north by Ecuador, to the south by Chile and Bolivia, to the east by Columbia and Brazil and to the east by the Pacific Ocean.  Peru is a diverse country due to the climatic, natural and cultural variation of its regions, which include coast, sierra and jungle.

Peru is populated by over 23 million people, largely descendents of Spanish settlers, African Slaves, native Inca and pre-Inca cultures.  Today there are three national languages: Spanish, and the native Quechua and Aymara, reflecting the native Indian and Spanish roots that cultivate modern Peruvian society.

Peru includes three main geographic areas:

The Costa is a semiarid plain along the Pacific Ocean on the west.  It covers only 10% of the country.  The capital of Peru is located there in Lima.  Even though the coast lies beside the ocean, the region is dry and cool.

The Selva (jungle) consists of mountain slopes to the east of the Andes and the rainforest of the Amazon Basin.  It covers nearly three-fifths of the country.  Native tribes settle along the waterways.

The Sierra or the Andes Mountain range of Peru divides the coast from the Amazon Jungle where the mystery and intrigue of the ancient Inca Empire still lies.  The Machu Picchu ruins remained undiscovered beneath dense foliage for thousands of years until 1911.  The Andes of Peru is still home to millions of highland Indians who speak the native tongue of Quechua.  The Conquistador legacy truly never “conquered,” but melded and blended with the native Indian culture to create a greater beauty now known as contemporary Peruvian society.

Population: 23 million, approximately 7 million live in the greater Lima, Peru area.

Education and Literacy: A three-level, eleven-year education system based on reforms made after the 1968 revolution.  First a preprimary level is available for children up to six years of age.  A free, six-year primary education at second level (compulsory) is available for children between six and fifteen years of age.  A five-year secondary education begins at age twelve. In 1990, only 58.6 percent of the school-age children attended school.  At this time, Peru had twenty-seven national and nineteen private universities, all government-regulated and recipients of public funding.  The estimated literacy rate in Peru is 85%.

Religion: Peru is predominantly Roman Catholic (92.5%).  Protestantism, including Mormonism has grown rapidly among urban poor and some tribes, although accounting for only about 4.5% of Peruvians in 1990.  Other denominations include the Anglican Communion; the Methodist Church; and the Bahai Faith.

Official Language: Spanish.  Quechua and Aymara are spoken by the highland Indians

Ethnic Groups: Native American, 45%; Mestizo, 37%; white, 15%; black, Asian and other, 3%

Afro-Peruvian History and Music

African slaves were brought over to the Spanish colony of Peru in the 16^th century to work mainly in the gold and silver mines of the high Andes.  However, their physique was not suited to the high altitude and they died by the hundreds.  The Spanish or Creole (descendants of European settlers in Latin America) masters sent them to work in the milder climate of the desert coast, where they labored in the large haciendas or private farms.  It was in their small huts, on the packed dirt floors of the courtyards overrun with animals, and in the fields of cane and sugar cane that Afro-Peruvian music, song and dance were born.

The beginnings of slavery in Peru were different from the rest of the Americas.  Although in Brazil or Central and North American countries it was common to import large groups of slaves from the same African tribe, only small and geographically dispersed ethnic groups were brought to Peru.  This was meant to discourage rebel movements around the tribal chiefs, and as such, made almost impossible the preservation of communal traditions.  Without a common language or tribal authority to remind them of their roots, Peruvian slaves were progressively integrated into the culture and language of their new country.  As a result, Afro-Peruvian music is a unique blend of Spanish, Andean and African traditions.

Centuries old, this music started to gain recognition in Peru about 40 years ago and it has become more popular in the last 25 years.  It was born in the coastal barrios (suburbs) and towns and was reconstructed and resurrected thanks to the work of a few artists and historians.  Because the Africans were forbidden to play their own instruments, percussion instruments developed out of the simplest household appliances; spoons, kitchen chairs, table tops, boxes, handclaps. In the 20th century, we saw the creation of the cajon as a specific instrument.

The cajon, is a wooden-box in which the player sits on to play, it is thought to have originated in Peru.  The cajon is made out of hardwood with the front cover being a very fine layer of plywood.  The cajon has an open circle cut at the back of the instrument.  The player sits and plays two main stokes as well as a few other variations.  The main two strokes consist of the tone of the box which is played with the full palm of the middle of the “head” (this stoke is usually a bass or palm sound on a variety of African derived hand drums found around the world) and the slap which is played on a edge of the “head” of the instrument (this sound is also part of the technique used in many hand drums around the world).

Other percussion instruments found in the traditional styles include the cajita and the quijada.  The cajita is a small wood box played with a stick in the right hand while the left hand opens and shuts the top in rhythmic time.  The quijada is a donkey’s jaw that is played by striking the wide part of the jaw with the fist to obtain a rattle sound (an instrument call a vibraslap is a copy of this instrument), and is also scraped with a thin stick. 

Some of the popular Peruvian rhythms include the marinera, lando and the festejo.

SCOTTISH/IRISH

Seann Triubhas (“shawn trews,’ or old trousers) is a Highland dance that celebrates the right to wear the kilt. The English made it illegal for Scottish people to wear their national costume, the kilt. After an uprising in 1745, called the Jacobite Rebellion, Scottish people won back the right to wear the kilt. There are fifteen original steps in Seann Triubhas, and all dancers learn these same exact steps. In a Highland dance competition, dancers perform the same steps and are measured against a standard. You can see a strong ballet influence in Highland dance as well.

Unlike Highland dance, where steps are written down, in Irish dance each school creates its own version of the ‘hornpipe,’ a dance performed with hard shoes. They are judged for creativity and technique. Irish hardshoe is related to other percussive dances such as clogging, flamenco and tap dance.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Neelima Beri learned Kathak from Guru Munna Shukla in New Delhi, India.  She was a recipient of the Government of India scholarship for Kathak dance.  Neelima performed in various dance dramas organized by her school, Kathak Kendra.  Since coming to the United States, she has also performed in the Chicago area and Springfield, Illinois.  Before moving to Darien, CT in June 2000, Neelima taught at Kathak Dance Center in Naperville.

Brittany Beacham began ballet/tap at age four. She started Irish dancing at Coogan’s School at age eight, but continued ballet for five more years. When she was ten, she won the New England Regional Irish Dance Championships for Traditional Set, and she has been dancing at an national level since. Brittany has also been a student teacher for Brenda Coogan for five years. She teaches the two advanced level classes and also teaches privately. She is 16, a junior in high school, is a member of the National Honor Society and currently ranked # 2 in her class at Enrico Fermi High in Enfield.

Peniel Guerrier is originally from Haiti. Peniel began dancing in the group, Tamboula D’Haiti under Professor Herve Maxi. He subsequently danced with the National Theater for eight years, pursuing his studies in the L’Ecole Nationale des Arts and dancing with Madame Odette Wilner’s company, Baoulou. He has taught and performed throughout the United States, and is a master dancer, drummer, and choreographer. He serves on the faculty of Djoniba Dance Center in New York City.

Damas Fan Fan Louis is from Port au Prince, Haiti. He is a master drummer and accompanist who performs with many Haitian and West African ensembles in New York City.

Edith Ortiz, a native of Lima, Peru, is a dancer of Latin folklore, including South American, Caribbean, and Central American themes. Her uniqueness lies in her ability to mix the style of her native land with other Latin dance styles. A resident of Stamford, she has recently returned from a U.S. tour with Alejandra Dondines and Dancers of the Americas troupe. A soloist and choreographer, she performs regularly with the Ballet Folklorico Alma Solana, helping her fulfill her lifelong work in traditional Latin dance. 

Carina Polverigiani is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was trained in classical ballet and folkloric dances from Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. She has studied flamenco with Jose Molina in New York and has performed with the Alexander Dondines Folkloric Dance Company across the United States. From 1994-1997, she performed at numerous festivals in her native Argentina.
 

Major Themes and Expected Outcomes

Connecticut Ballet's assemblies and performances for young people are based
upon the following themes:

1) Dance informs us about the culture and traditions of the people who create and perform it.

2) Dance does not occur simply in a performance setting, but rather springs from the events, emotions and gestures of everyday life, and fills many functions:

-It can erupt spontaneously for fun.

-It expresses feelings.

-It can tell a story.

-It can be a means of education.

-It marks certain ritual moments, both religious and social.

-It reaffirms a community's sense of identity.

3) Dance and culture are a continuum, in which tradition is a living legacy, still shaping today's folk and popular dance and music forms.

It is our expectation that those who attend the performance will begin to be able to:

-identify the connections between dance and everyday life

-discuss the many functions of dance in society

-appreciate the complexity of each distinct cultural heritage

-learn to recognize varied gestures and movements which spring from each culture's roots

How to Look at Dance (and Listen to the Music)

These questions suggest a general framework for appreciating dance in unfamiliar forms, and for eliciting responses based on immediate observations and perceptions. The aim is not to guess "facts." It is, rather, to discover the emotional content inherent in the dance and music, and the ways in which those emotions are communicated; and to understand, from the way the dance itself looks, and the music itself sounds, some aspects of their socio-cultural context.

What...

— are the movements and gestures like? (fast, slow, repetitious, changing?)

— parts of the body are used most? (arms, shoulders, back, hips, pelvis, legs?)

— kinds of postures and movements do you see? (fluid, straight, jagged, angular, curved, heavy, floating? mostly upper-body? mostly lower-body?)

— mood do their movements create? (playful, solemn, aggressive?)

— is the accompanying music? (what instruments? voices? fast, slow?)

The Cultural Language of Dance

Each of these dance traditions carries with it certain "signature" rhythms, gestures, steps and ways of moving the body. Some characteristics are shared by more than one tradition.  To help you recognize these features as you watch the Connecticut Ballet program, here is a brief guide:

European:

torso: "single-unit" or "unarticulated": the upper body moves as one unit

arms: curving

feet: agility, sideward foot-crossing, toe-pointing, forceful beat of heels and soles of shoe

American Indigenous:

torso: "single-unit or "unarticulated": see above

feet: lifting feet from ground in alternating stamping (feet bare or lightly shod); sometimes intricate footwork

arms: straight strokes

African:

torso: 'multi-unit' or 'articulated': parts of upper body (back, shoulders, pelvis, hips) move independently of each other

arms: curving

feet: sliding along the ground; alternatively, exuberant jumps and leaps

general: percussive (drums, stamping, clapping); dominant rhythm is 6/8; polyphony and cross-rhythms are common

These general cultural characteristics of dance have been usefully codified by the Association of Cultural Equity into a system of "Choreometrics."

Attending a Live Dance Performance

Attending a live performance is not the same as listening to a recording or watching television at home. Discuss with your students the nature of a live performance.

1. Name a few live performances that people attend (rock concerts, baseball and football games, opera, etc.).

2. What is the difference between live and recorded performance?

3. Can a live performance ever be repeated exactly? Why or why not?

4. What is the role of an audience member? (Courtesy to fellow audience members, applause to show appreciation.)

5. Is an audience member a participant in a live performance? How?

6. Have you ever performed for an audience? How did it make you feel?

General Guidelines for Audience Behavior

Before the performance:

After you are seated, it is appropriate to talk quietly to the person next to you until the performance begins.

If you need to use the restroom, do so before the performance.  Make sure you are back in your seat in time for the beginning of the performance.

How to let performers know you are enjoying the performance:

Watch closely and listen quietly. If you can hear the performers, they can also hear you - talking, crinkling paper, and so on - and it will distract them from their performance. Encourage them to do their best by being attentive.

If something on stage is meant to be funny and you enjoy it, laugh if you want.  If something on stage is meant to be serious, but for some reason you find it funny, do NOT laugh out loud. You may ruin the moment for many other people.

World of Dance - Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Sue Brotherton - Irish/Scottish Dancer

When you dance, do your feet ever hurt? When I first started, my feet would get very tired. It's hard to dance on your toes for a long time. But now I have callouses on my toes, and they are tough! When I get new shoes, it takes a little while to break them in so they become comfortable.

When did you start dancing? How many years did it take you to learn? Were you good when you started? I started dancing when I was in college, to have some fun in addition to my studying. It took me three years to learn Scottish Highland dance, but I've studied Irish dancing more than ten years, in Hartford, Stamford, and Philadelphia! I was not too good when I started dancing, but I practiced a lot because I wanted to be good, and slowly everything became easier for me.

How did you learn the steps? How many days a week do you practice? You learn by watching the example of your teacher closely, and then practicing at home for an hour or more every day. For the kicks and clicks I did, you start with small movements, and slowly work up to bigger ones; this helps you learn to get your balance and timing.

Do you do a lot of dances? Is there a different way to stop dancing in a song? I can do six Highland dances and many Irish dances. The nice thing about Irish dancing is I can make new dances, and I can do whatever moves I want and stop in the music however I want. Clapping is a good way to get the audience involved, so I like it. I also like to take a small break, so I don't get too tired!

Do men still wear kilts? Does everyone? Do you play the bagpipe? Men wear kilts, especially for important occasions. Maybe you have seen a photo of Prince Charles in a kilt. Women wear kilts, but when they get dressed up, they wear long dresses. I don't play the bagpipe.

Ase Kariamu - African Drummer

Do you play different kinds of drums? I play drums and congas. I don't play a drum set like one finds in rock and roll bands. My first instrument was the flute.

How did you learn to play? I learned by playing with other drummers. They teach you different styles and rhythms. With practice, your hands become stronger and you can play very fast. I was born with a talent to play, and if you are born to play, it is easy to play, because it is in your blood.

How did you make the djembe? First you carve the wooden base, and then you paint it. Then you put the skin on, and pull it against the top of the drum with the string. You have to tighten the string several times over the next few days as the skin stretches. It takes 3-4 days for the skin to be ready.

Does everyone in Africa have a name like yours? Like American Indian tribes, in Africa, each child is given a name which signifies something important to a family or tribe.

Are you a chief from where you come from? No, but in West Africa, each tribal group has chiefs who help lead the people. Some of them also play drums and dance on special occasions.

TEACHERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO DO CLASSROOM PREPARATION HAVING TO DO WITH MULTI-CULTURALISM AS REFLECTED IN THE ART, MUSIC AND DANCE OF THE WORLD'S PEOPLE'S.

Excellent Bibliographic Reference:

DANCING: The Pleasure, Power, and Art of Movement
by Gerald Jonas (Harry N. Abrams, Publishers, 1992)

All the participating artists are associated as faculty/staff of Connecticut Ballet in Stamford or are guest artists for this special "World of Dance" program.

The program will last 50 minutes including a question-and-answer period to close the program. Students are encouraged to write and/or make drawings or paintings in response to the program.  Connecticut Ballet will respond directly to any such correspondence, be it class or individually.

For further information, please call or write:

Connecticut Ballet
20 Acosta Street
Stamford, CT 06902

203-964-1211
203-961-1928(Fax)

ctballet@ix.netcom.com