Jazz Rhythm-Generated

Created by Veronica Boccardo 2017

Rhythm-Generated Jazz Class (3-day Lesson).

Overview & Context

WHO are the learners? High school students Age range: 15 - 18 Skill level: Advanced

WHAT, WHERE, WHEN – Context:

Type or Genre of class: Jazz class

Location / Situation: Dance studio In cedar Ridge HS

Learning Trajectory: When does this class occur in the trajectory of a sequence of classes or term? What do you know about what student have had prior? Is there an overarching trajectory? What questions do you have?

Length of the class; pacing for time available: 3 sections

Day 1: Introduction into history and jazz origins

Day 2: African technique class based on rhythm

Day3: Technique class into technology integrated activity

WHY Teaching Philosophy: Cultural responsive education: going beyond the movement and understanding where Jazz originally came from, how the importance of rhythm stays the same, and how Jazz has branched out through time.

WHAT - Content & Scope: Identify the following based on the goals and culminating outcomes of the class, i.e. culminating combination or experience.

Overarching Goal(s): Students will know the roots of Jazz origins and how they have evolved into different styles

Concept/Theme/Focus: Students will explore how rhythm and polyrhythms can affect the relationship between music and dance

Vocabulary: List specific vocabulary important or the focus for this lesson. Staccato Syncopation Polyrhythm

WHAT - Equipment and Materials (include bibliography of references): List

Stage 1: Identify Desired Results - WHAT

See National Core Arts Standards in Dance for examples Created by Veronica Boccardo 2017

Enduring Understanding Essential Question

Where did Jazz originate from? How is the rhythm in African dance similar or different from our modern day Jazz?

Student Learning Standards:

TEKS NCAS-Dance

• 117.306 Dance, Level I c4. Historical and • HS Accomplished DA:Cr1.1.I.a Explore a Cultural relevance: (a) perform the variety of stimuli for sourcing movement to characteristics of dances from several diverse develop an improvisational or cultures or historical periods. choreographed dance study. Analyze the • Level I: C5 Critical evaluation and response. process (c) Identify relationships between dance and • HS Accomplished DA:Pr4.1.II.b Perform other content areas (musical rhythms). dance studies and compositions that use • Level II: c4. Historical and cultural time and tempo in unpredictable ways. Use relevance. (d) interpret historical and cultural internal rhythms and kinetics as phrasing dance forms using technology tools. Dance “in the moment.” • Level III c3 Creative expression: performance. • HS Accomplished DA:Re.7.1.Ib. Analyze the (b) execute a wide range of dynamics in quality use of elements of dance in a variety of genres, movement styles, of cultural movement practices within • Level III c4 Historical and cultural relevance. (c) its cultural context to communicate intent. Use create and experiment with dance in various genre-specific dance terminology media and content areas • HS Accomplished DA:Cn11.1.IIa. Analyze • Level IV c2 Creative expression: artistic dances from several genres or styles, process. C2 (a) create and improvise [and set] historical time periods, and/or world dance dance studies using original movement based forms. Discuss how dance movement on theme and variation to successfully characteristics, techniques, and artistic communicate an idea criteria relate to the ideas and perspectives of the peoples from which the dances originate.

Student Learning Outcomes: Determine 2-4 specific learning outcomes for the lesson. Consider:

Psychomotor What are key physical skills? Learners will be able to…

Learners will be able to

Cognitive Use Blooms taxonomy and action verbs to identify key objectives for knowledge and understanding? Learners will…

Affective What behaviors, attitudes and interactions? Learners will…

Aesthetic What objectives for expression, value or appreciation? Learners will… Goals: • Students will be able to create rhythm-generated choreography from jazz’s origins in African roots • Students will know where Jazz dance genre primarily originated from

Created by Veronica Boccardo 2017

Objectives: • Students will understand the connection between music and movement • Students will demonstrate skills in rhythm-based movement • Students will experience how community affects rhythm

Stage 2: Determine evidence of learning

HOW - Assessment: Identify and align assessments with student learning outcomes above.

Pre-Assessment – “How would you describe what Jazz is to you?” Formative – Teacher observes the learner’s skill to pick up rhythm through the use of upper body articulation, foot work, and sense of grounded-ness. Summative – Culminating activity with technology integrated aspect and post-reflection (learner demonstration, application, and analysis)

Created by Veronica Boccardo 2017

Day 1: INTRODUCTION, PRESENTATION OF PROBLEM/THEME (7E: Elicit, Engage)

Introduce the class: rhythm-generated and influenced jazz style. “Before we look at the specifics of what rhythm-generated dance style is, we should think of Jazz dance as a giant tree. A tree has roots, a trunk, and branches, as does jazz dance. The roots of jazz dance are African, particularly West African. Enslavement forced huge numbers of West Africans to the United States, along with their music and dance. Later on, this transformed Africans into African-Americans and evolved dance which was influenced by the different tribes and countries, restrictions imposed upon slaves regarding dance and music, and incorporation of European-based movement observed on the plantation. Before and after Emancipation, there were exchanges among dancers of African and European origins. All these roots created the “Jazz age” of early 1900s. Vernacular Jazz refers to “Authentic Jazz’ that we know of. Such as the Charleston and the lindy hop. But for today we will focus on the main roots before we skip ahead of ourselves.”

Created by Veronica Boccardo 2017

Social Elements

Community – the circle Vocal encouragement Joyousness Call-and-Response Interaction between musician and dancers

Kinetic Elements

Use of the flat foot Bent hip, knee, and ankle joints Articulated, inclined torso Body part isolations Grounded-ness Improvisations

Ethnic Groups by Region: • Senegambia region – wolof, fula, Mandika • Sierra leone – temne, mende • Gold coast – akan, fon, mande, kru • Bight of berlin – Yoruba, ewe, fon, allada, mahi • West central Africa – kongo, Mbundu • Mozambique – macua/Malagasy

- Taken from “Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches” by Lindsay Guarino and Wendy Oliver -

Talk about musicality: “Do we know what staccato means musically?” Staccato – consistent rhythms Syncopation – on the offbeat (i.e. “we will rock you”) Polyrhythms – making use of more than one rhythm simultaneously Concept: grounded body generating rhythm from inside out. Relaxing the joints of the body, improvisation, high-contrast dynamics, and affirmation of the collective group.

“Considering how rhythm affects the body is a crucial part of African roots because back then, the live performance between the musician and dancer was a vivid dialogue which created non-verbal language”

Evolution of how Jazz slowly formed: *Dependent on time-frame the class is set up* Buck dance, Juba (stamping of the body and feet) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1L1TXVJWIk The Juba dance was a series of animated and high-kicking dance moves by Africans enslaved on plantations in the American South, so some of the dance steps of Mandiani (West African dance) are used here. Juba referred to Created by Veronica Boccardo 2017 making music with your body, such as clapping, patting your hip, thigh, chest, etc. Juba also referred to the undesirable slop and the accompanying song speaks out against the food conditions.

Pigeon Wing, Buzzard lope, Turkey Trot, Snake Hips, Fish tail, Fish Bone, camel back (imitation of other living things) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U4ww-MmAY4

Cakewalk, Ring shout, water dances (commemorative and religious) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QifiyNm6jG4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3gr1ghQExs A shout or ring shout is an ecstatic, transcendent religious ritual, first practiced by African slaves in the West Indies and the United States, in which worshipers move in a circle while shuffling and stomping their feet and clapping their hands.

Work Songs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa3OFegE6M4

WARM-UP (7E: Engage)

Jump Rhythm dance project (present-day) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxTjarIy5H8 After watching the video (around 5:15) ask the students to create a circle in the room. We will now create our own polyrhythm using only our bodies to make noises. Since we must create rhythms that simultaneously layer each other we should start with something easy and build up from there. The rules are to either clap, stomp, slap, voice, or make a non-syllable sound that can work as a base. The goal of this activity based from the video previously watched has to do with building community in this class just like African villages did in their culture. Whether to celebrate a birth, a death, or a welcoming, we will celebrate our community through making music with the body.

Day 2:

Warm-up activity: Start with the same warm-up activity as done in the last class to create familiarity and cohesiveness among the lesson plan today.

Created by Veronica Boccardo 2017

ELABORATION: (7E: Elaborate)

Yoruba-based, African exercises inspired rhythmic movements:

• Undulations to “Drum Work” o Full torso/ spine articulation • Arm Swings to “African Drums” o Torso: Spine & rib articulation • Scapula work to “Night Drums” • Tendu extended portion to “Djembe Djembe” o Feet articulation • Shoulder exercise – chunk-a-noo – taxi – elephant arms to “African Drums” • Rond de Jambe exercise to “African Waltz” • Harvest - Weight shifts – chunk-a-noo – arches to “Drum Work” Formative Assessment: Meaning making that derives primarily from rhythm

Day 3: *Take time in class to fully-detail the technique characteristics and artistic intent of center work*

Yoruba-based, African exercises inspired rhythmic movements:

DEVELOPMENT (7E: Explain)

Using the Ipads, students will download the application called “AfroLatin” which is free to purchase on the app store. Once the application opens, we will start playing with the app which creates different types of rhythms using congo, maracas, cow bell, among other similar instruments which we will play with in the following activity: Created by Veronica Boccardo 2017

EXPLORATION (7E: Explore)

Step 1. Create a new rhythm on the app that you like and is easy to follow Step 2. Once you have finished creating the rhythm you will listen to it Step 3. Students will now create a phrase of four 8-counts using movement that is related to the dance genre style that we have been working on for the past two classes. Depending on the size of the class, we will make pairings, groups of three, or if small, make solos based off their own rhythm creations from the AfroLatin application.

CHECKLIST: • Polyrhythms • Easy to read beats • Complete phrase of four 8-counts • Need to use movement related to genre of dance

CULMINATION / SHARING: (7E: Evaluation)

Step 4. Once finished, we will present to each other what we have come up with Employing dance etiquette, students will observe their own peers perform and applaud them with respect as well as support and cheer on each other’s creativity.

ENDING THE LESSON: (7E: Extend) Inquiry questions to create a discuss with the class:

• Where do you see these movements occur in the world around you? • What is something you enjoyed in the past three classes? • How is Jazz dance tied to African roots? • Why is Rhythm important to Jazz Dance? Summative Assessment: Observation and description of created dances and reflection

End of Rhythm-generated Jazz lessons Created by Veronica Boccardo 2017

“Next time, we will move on to jazz dance involving Afro-Caribbean style…” (To be continued…)