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A Midsummer Night's Dream

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A Midsummer Night's Dream EDUCATION RESOURCE Education rnzb.org.nz facebook.com/nzballet THE VODAFONE SEASON OF NATIONAL SPONSOR SUPPORTED BY MAJOR SUPPORTER SUPPORTING EDUCATION CONTENTS Curriculum 3 Ballet based on Shakespeare’s play 4 A Midsummer Night’s Dream ‘Shakespeare’s comic (world premiere) 5 The story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream 7 masterpiece of love, A brief synopsis for the classroom 7 Mendelssohn’s music for A Midsummer mistaken identities Night’s Dream 8 and magical mayhem A new score for a new ballet 9 A Midsummer Night’s Dream set and has been the source of costumes 11 Q & A with set and costume designer inspiration for artists of Tracy Grant Lord 13 Introducing lighting designer Kendall Smith 15 all genres for centuries. Origin of the fairies 16 My aim is to create A Midsummer Night’s Dream word puzzle 17 Identify the characters with their something fresh and emotions 18 Ballet timeline 20 vibrant, bubbling with all Let’s dance! 21 Identifying the two groups of characters the delight and humour through movement 23 that Shakespeare offers Answers 24 us through the wonderful array of characters he conjured up. As with any great story I want to take my audience on a journey so that every individual can have their own Midsummer Night’s Dream.” LIAM SCARLETT 2 CURRICULUM In this unit you and your students will: LEARNING OBJectives FOR • Learn about the elements that come Levels 7 & 8 together to create a theatrical ballet experience. Level 7 students will learn how to: • Identify the processes involved in making a • Understand dance in context – Investigate theatre production. and evaluate the effects of individual, social, cultural, and technological influences on the development of a variety of dance genres Curriculum links IN THIS and styles. • Develop practical knowledge – UNIT Extend skills in the vocabulary, practices, Values and technologies of selected dance genres Students will be encouraged to value: and styles. • Innovation, inquiry and curiosity, by thinking • Communicate and interpret – Analyse, critically, creatively and reflectively. explain, and discuss aspects of performance • Diversity, as found in our different cultures and choreography in a range of dance and heritages. works. • Community and participation for the common good. Level 8 students will learn how to: • Understand dance in context – Investigate, analyse, and discuss the features, history, KEY comPetencies issues, and development of dance in New Zealand, including the contribution of • Using language, symbols and text – selected individuals and groups. Students will recognise how choices of • Develop practical knowledge – language and symbols in live theatre affect Extend and refine skills, practices, and use people’s understanding and the ways in of technologies in a range of dance genres which they respond. and styles. • Relating to others – Students will develop • Communicate and interpret – Critically the ability to listen actively and share ideas analyse, interpret, and evaluate the artistic regarding theatrical ballet performances. features and the communication of ideas in • Participating and contributing – students a range of dance works. will be actively involved in their cultural community, understanding the importance of creative environments. • Thinking – Students will reflect on their NCEA own thinking and learning after the personal A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the use of experience of attending a live theatre show. this resource, is ideal for NCEA Dance teachers and students who are learning to analyse and appreciate a dance performance. 3 BALLET BASED ON SHAKESPEARE’S PLAY Shakespeare was undoubtedly the greatest A MIDSUMMEr Night’S DREAM playwright ever. He wrote 38 plays, most of as A ballet – develoPED IN which are still performed all over the world, 1962 often. Among his most famous plays are: A Midsummer Night’s Dream was Hamlet choreographed into a two-act ballet by the Othello famous choreographer George Balanchine, Macbeth and set to Felix Mendelssohn‘s music. In was King Lear premiered by the New York City Ballet in New The Tempest York in 1962. It was Balanchine’s first original A Midsummer Night’s full-length ballet Dream Romeo and Juliet Twelfth Night QUIZ TIME ? WHat DID YOU LEARN? 1. Name six other plays written by Shakespeare. Born in 1564, Shakespeare died in 1616, at only 52. He produced most of his great works over a 24 year period. Shakespeare is considered a genius – still the best known playwright ever. Not bad 400 years later! A MIDSUMMEr Night’S DREAM – THE PLAY A Midsummer Night’s Dream is Shakespeare’s most famous comedy. It was written around 1595. It was Shakespeare’s first play about marriage. It was probably written to be the light entertainment at a wedding. The title of the play refers to the night of June 24, the shortest night in the Northern Hemisphere. 2. Around which year did Shakespeare write In Shakespeare’s day, it was celebrated with the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream? festivals, singing and dancing. In earlier times, people thought Midsummer’s Night was a time of magic, when fairies cast spells and strange 3. Which choreographer first created a ballet things happened. based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream? 4. In which continent was it premiered? 4 A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (WORLD PREMIERE) CHOREOGRAPHY: LIAM SCARLETT MUSIC: FELIX MENDELSSOHN SET & COSTUME DESIGN: TRACY GRANT LORD LIGHTING DESIGN: KENDALL SMITH At The Royal Ballet, he also created gala works including Jubilee Pas de Deux (2012) for Her Majesty The Queen as part of the Extraordinary World Gala, a Grand Defile with members of The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet for the IOC Gala and Summertime (2015) for the Life Reimagined gala. He was a member LIAM Scarlett of the Jury for the 1st Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition in 2011, Liam Scarlett (29) is one of world’s most and created two Variations for the RAD Genee sought-after choreographers. The Royal International Ballet Competition in 2010. New Zealand Ballet commissioned him to choreograph this exciting new production of He then went on to create and design A Midsummer Night’s Dream. ballets worldwide. He has created works for American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Liam Scarlett started his career as a Royal San Francisco Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Ballet dancer in 2005, and rose to become one Norwegian National Ballet, English National of the top dancers of the company. In 2012, he Ballet, BalletBoyz: The Talent, K-Ballet and retired from dancing and was appointed as the Miami City Ballet. first Artist in Residence with the Royal Ballet. There he created his major full-length work, This is his first commission for the Royal New Hansel and Gretel, in 2013. His other major Zealand Ballet, and he is also currently working achievements at the Royal Ballet included: on a new full length version of Frankenstein Few Things Are (2005) for The Royal Ballet in co-production with San Vayamos al Diablo (2006) Francisco Ballet. Despite (2006) Of Mozart (2008) Consolations and Liebestraum (2009) Asphodel Meadows (2010) Sweet Violets (2012) The Age of Anxiety (2014) FUN FACT A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been the inspiration of at least six ballets including, The Dream by Sir Frederick Ashton, to music by Mendelssohn. It was premiered by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1964. 5 REHearsals WITH LIAM Scarlett AND RNZB dancers Photo: Ellie Richards 6 THE STORY OF A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’s DREAM A BRIEF SYNOPSIS FOR THE CLASSROOM CHaracters SYNOPSIS Act I Oberon – King of the fairies Titania – Queen of the fairies In a forest clearing, under a moonlit night sky, Titania Puck – apprentice to Oberon and Oberon quarrel over who will take a changeling Bottom – a young rustic boy found sleeping in the wood. Titania eventually takes the infant. In his rage Oberon calls his apprentice Helena – in love with Demetrius Puck, and sends him to search for a magical flower. Demetrius – in love with Hermia Hermia – in love with Lysander When the flower is sprinkled into the eyelids of a Lysander – in love with Hermia person sleeping, it causes the sleeper to fall in love Cobweb – a fairy with the first creature he or she sees upon awakening. Mustardseed – a fairy Oberon plans to use this on Titania in revenge. Peaseblossom – a fairy Moth – a fairy Meanwhile, four explorers have entered the forest Fairies, rustics, changeling boy searching for exotic specimens. A complicated love triangle ensues: Helena pines for Demetrius, who is in turn infatuated with Hermia, who is happily coupled with Lysander. When he sees this, Oberon orders Puck to resolve this situation by using the magic flower to make Demetrius fall in love with Helena. However, Puck confuses the two men, and gives the potion to the wrong one, causing even more trouble. Titania awakens under the flower’s spell, and falls in love with the rustic Bottom, whom Puck has Oberon transformed into a donkey. Oberon spies on the couple, taking great pleasure in Titania’s humiliation. She doesn’t know he is watching. Act II When he realises Puck’s mistake with Demetrius and Lysander, Oberon is furious. He sets about punishing Puck and resolving the mess. Lysander goes back to loving Hermia and Demetrius finds love with Helena. Titania Bottom is turned back into a man and, as the night draws to a close, Titania and Oberon resolve their differences. They gently return the sleeping changeling boy to where they found him, and to his own Puck midsummer night’s dreams. 7 MENDELSSOHn’S MUSIC FOR A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’s DREAM FELIX MendelssoHN (1809 – 1847) Felix was born in Hamburg, the second of and incidents from the play. Light, scurrying four children born into an affluent, highly motifs are linked to the fairy kingdom, while cultured Jewish family.
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