nutcracker education guide
TRANSCRIPT
Nutcracker Education Guide
Table of Contents
Pg.1:TitlePagePg.2:TableofContents Pg.3:WelcomeEducator,TheateretiquettePg.4:BalletTermsandPositionsPg.5-6:NutcrackerBalletStoryandMusicPg.7-9:StudentActivitiesPg.10:CastListPg.11:AboutMNConservatoryfortheArts
Pg.12:Resourcesandfurtherreferences
Dear Educator, Thank you for making arrangements for you and your students to join us for Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, Dance Repertory Company’s production of The Nutcracker! Our dancers will bring the classic holiday tale to life through a beautiful, dancing, sets, props and costumes. We hope that you will enjoy both your experience in the audience and the discussions and activities you are able have in your classroom after. This production will run approximately 50-60 minutes and is designed for students that are kindergarten and up. Included is information about the production, fun activities, and theatre etiquette that we hope you will find useful. We hope to see you back in the Page Theatre on April 19th for our spring dance concert Deeply rooted dance: celebrating our connections. Creatively Yours, Jamie Schwaba (Managing Director) Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts
Clara ’s Theater Etiquette Be sure to review with your students
• Donotbringanyfood,drink,orgumintothetheater
• Pleasedonotallowyourstudentstobeadistractiontootherstudentsorourperformers
• Besuretoaccompanyanyofyourstudentstotherestroom
• Turnoffallcellphonesandpagersduringtheperformance;theyinterferewiththemicrophones
• Allcamerasandvideoequipmentareprohibitedduetothesafetyofourperformersandcopyrightlaws.
Dance Terms
Have your students repeat after you
Learn the five positions of Ballet with the
Sugar Plum Fairy
• Dégagé(de-gah-je):Shiftingweightfromonefoottoanother
• Bourrée(boo-reh):Seriesofsmall,faststepsexecutedwiththefeetveryclosetogether
• Adagio(ah-dah-jee-oh):Anydancetoslowmusic
• Allegro(Ah-le-grow):Adancewithafastormoderatetempo
• Pirouette(Peer-oh-et):Acompleteturnofthebodyexecutedononeleg
• Plié(plea-yay):Thebendingofthekneesinanyofthe5positions
• Bravura:Flashy,showystyleofdance
The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet
(What you see and hear on stage) PartyScene
Clara’s family is hosting a Christmas party. Look for Clara’s mysterious godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer. He wears a black cape and entertains everyone with his life size, dancing dolls. Presents are given to the children, but Drosselmeyer gives Clara a Nutcracker. Watch her dance with her friends and her brother and his friends gallop around on their toy horses.
BattleSceneClara runs onstage looking for her Nutcracker. Instead, she finds a battle between her brothers’ toy soldiers and an army of mice, now all life size. The Nutcracker has also become life size. He fights the Rat King. The Rat King almost wins the battle, but Clara saves them by throwing her shoe at him.
LandofSweetsAfter the Mouse King falls, and the nutcracker turns into a handsome prince. To thank Clara for saving his life, he brings her with him to his Kingdom, the Land of Sweets. Clara and the prince are greeted by the Sugarplum fairy, and entertained by several dance performances including the Russian Dance, the Arabian Dance, the Chinese Dance, Marzipan, Mother Ginger, and the Waltz of the Flowers.
ChristmasMorningOn Christmas morning, Clara awakens under the Christmas tree, still holding her beloved nutcracker. She thinks about the mysterious events that happened during the night and wonders if it was all just a dream.
Music and Dance Excerpts
Clickonthephotoformusicanddanceexcerptsfromour2014Production.Usethecontenttodiscussquestionslikethesewithyourclass.
Clip1:Russian
Isthepiecefastorslow?Happyorsad?Whatsortsofmovementsdothedancersmake?Whatinstrumentsdoyouhear?Strings?Tambourine?
Clip2:MotherGinger
Isthispiecefastorslow?Happyorsad?Canyouhearslowandfastsections?Howisthemusicdifferentthanthefirstclip?Whatinstrumentsdoyouhear?
Clip3:SugarPlumFairy
Isthispiecefastorslow,happyorsad?Arethereslowerandfastersections?WhatdoestheSugarPlumFairydointhefastsections,whatdoesshedointheslowsections?
OtherQuestions:
Whatpieceisyourfavorite?Whichdancewouldyouliketolearn?HowdoesTchaikovskyuseinstrumentstocreatefolksoundingmusic(firsttwoexamples)andclassicalsoundingmusic(thirdexample)?
Name:_______________________________ Date:_____________
Nutcracker Word Search
Y K K I V J F R T Q I B Y R P
T C L A R A F A S D P R E X B
A H W Z N J R F Z L A Y M M W
K S E X O U I Y P E E L D N I
I F Y B D C T Y W M V D O N R
N P H A R C Z C L X H E A O Q
G U N L S B E E R L F T R T I
T M U L X U S J I A C X H X Q
E O H E U S G W G K C J C O Y
U T Z T O S V A B R F K D J U
S T Y R Z W W L R B Q D E H B
K S D O F E M C K P J T Y R R
G E R G S E H M C O L U K P H
D G D H O T O H L U X U Z E C
V D B S O S I X Q N P G M N P
NUTCRACKER CLARA
DROSSELMEYER FRITZ RAT
KING SWEETS
SUGARPLUM
Copyright©2010bySallyLeeBooks.Allrightsreserved
Who is in the 2016 Cast and what school do they attend: Bluffview: Alona Steinberg Carmelle Meyer Keeli Meyer Elizabeth Hinz Nadia Hocum Emi Holey Ruthie Civettini Claire Ellings Hannah Ellings Beatrice Sanders Cotter School: Maren Stewart Anna Mae Engel Zoey Aune Nathan Graff Jefferson Elementary Megan Stoltman Theodore Stoltman Erin Miller Payton Kammerer Ava Amann Gavin Slavey St. Stan’s Evelyn Swenson Charlotte Lemmer Lilia Civettini Emmie Dammen Macy Donnenwerth Erica Beckman Kathleen Bowey Maddie Lemmer Eomji Errthum Anna Piechowski W-K Elementary Salome Tolraisas Jocelyn Mehling Winona Middle School Isabella Uribe Heidi Langowski Nolan Livingston Mattie Kreisel Abi Ellenburg Max Uribe Ella Skranka Isabell Livingston Deja Foster
Winona Senior High School: Lucy Wilfahrt Megan Lynch Abbey Kline Jasmine Albrecht St. Matthew’s: Victoria Schroeder Madison Elementary: Elina Skranka Azure Davis-Ripley Elsa Heinrichs Olivia Nelson Meadowview Intermediate (Sparta): Celia Olbert St. Martin’s: Lilianna Herber Jolie Hill Riverway Learning Community: Eileen Bowey St. Mary’s Primary School: Shola Adekola Lewiston/Altura: Ryann Leibfried Cochrane Fountain City High School: Emily Strom Lakeview Montessori (Sparta, WI) Elara Koopman Homeschool: AshleighCampbell HalliDavis AidanIndahl KyleeIndahl IsaacMeinke JustineMeinke PestonMeinke EliseModjeski MakarahOlcott LauraSchleich
Ridgeway Community School: Amy Remoticado Lakeside Lutheran High School (Lake Mills) Serena Leis Sheena Frericks Saint Mary’s University: Kate Alley Kyleigh Chandler Annabeth Kerr Anna Nungester Karly Lunda Mara Schumacher Abigayle Wishy Winona State University: Silvia Krzmarzick Community Members: Richard Moore Autumn Herber Joshua Kreisel Mike Scheich Toni Meinke Loni Meinke Heidi Ryan Chris Livingston Danielle Schleich Natalie Schleich Allie Staiert Amy Uribe Markeith Wherry
About MN Conservatory for the Arts
Our Mission
TheMinnesotaConservatoryfortheArts(MCA)existtoprovidequalityartseducationandperformancebynurturingandencouragingartisticexpressioninchildrenandadults.Ourservicetothecommunityrangesfromrecreationaltopre-professionalperformingandvisualartscurriculumandprogrammingdesignedtoprovidephysicalandaestheticbenefits.
For Teachers and Schools
TheLettheMinnesotaConservatoryfortheArtsbringyourclassroomorschoolprojecttolifeusingthemagicofthearts.MCAhasatalentedandexperiencedteamofinspiringteachingartistswhocanbringdance,music,theatreorvisualarttoyou.Wehaveworkedwithphysicaleducationinstructorsondanceunits,withEnglishteacherstobringliteraturetolifeorPTA’sjusttoofferafunartsactivity.Wanttotakealittlefieldtrip?StudentswillneverforgetaworkshopatMCA’shome,thestate-of-the-artValenciaArtsCenter.Residenciescanrangefromaone-dayworkshoptoanon-goingcumulativeproject.IfyouwouldliketoarrangeanMCAresidencyorformoreinformationpleasecontactJamieat:[email protected]. Pleasealsonotethatifyouknowofstudentwhowouldbenefitfromparticipationinourprograms,wedoofferscholarshipstoensurethattheartsareaccessibletoeveryone.
Join us for a class or an upcoming event at MCA
November13………………………………………….SugarPlumFairyTeaParty
November19………………….StorytimeatWinonaPublicLibrary(FREE)
November26…………DramaWorkshopatLaCrosseChildren’smuseum*
November30–December4.................................NutcrackerPerformances
December5...................................................Mini-mesterDanceSessionStarts
January7.......................................................2ndAnnualMCAFree-4-All(FREE)
January21…………………………………………………………………DRCAuditions
*(FreewithMuseumAdmission)
Resources : Positions:http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-88149/Ballet-dancers-use-five-basic-positions-of-the-feet-andDanceterminology:http://www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/dance_terms.htmhttps://www.orthopt.org/downloads/PAglossary.pdfNutcrackerColoringSheets:http://dinokids.org/03-coloringBarbie/003-coloringBarbie-nutcracker-09.htmhttp://www.leepublishing.net/toybox.htmlPreparedbyHannahNagel&MinnesotaConservatoryfortheArts,2016.Contact Us: MinnesotaConservatoryfortheArts1164W.HowardSt.(10th)Winona,MN55987Phone:507-453-5500Email:[email protected]:www.mnconservatoryforthearts.orgFollowusonFacebook,Twitter,orInstagramforyourdailydoseofthearts!