kouy até

Assane k o u y a t é

A Journey Through

Educational Programming K - 1 2

Inquiries & Booking: E: [email protected] P: 404.861.0775

@kouyatejeli koufoy SarahAssane c h e f / f o o d w r i t e r / b l o g g e r od w w w . f o o d p h . c o m até Pk ao lu ey sa o t n é

table of contents

1.About the Artist & Overview

2.Curriculum

3.Connections

4.Standards (examples)

w est africa

Map Credit: Nations Online Project kouy Assane A J o u r n e y T h r o u g h W e s t A f r i c a até k o u y a t é

about the artist o v e r v i e w

Lassana ‘Assane’ Kouyaté was born and raised West African culture is displayed in everyday in , West Africa, of a family line life through many traditional art forms such originating in . are the poets, as music, dance, art, sports, clothing and history tellers, keepers and oral transmitters food. Exposing students to the beauty of of West African cultural traditions. these traditional art forms creates a lasting connection to our vast cultural history. He traveled the world as a lead choreographer and dancer with Le Ballet With Assane's program, 'A Journey Through National du Senegal and Ballet Sinomew, West Africa,' students will… touring internationally throughout Africa, Europe, Asia, North and South America. Explore West African instruments, tools & resources that influence artistic In Atlanta, Kouyaté is artistic director of expression several traditional arts projects, established Analyze the characteristics of traditional with the goal of preserving West African rhythms, dance, music & song from culture, and which have been funded by diverse West African cultures, in Fulton County Arts and Culture and The City particular, the Manding culture of Mali, of Atlanta, Office of Cultural Affairs. Senegal & Discover how West forms are Kouyaté is an influential master teacher of an important part of ceremonies and techniques using cultural arts to empower mark the experience of a person’s life, individuals in community development. teach social values, depict stories and history of the community. A J o u r n e y T h r o u g h W e s t A f r i c a koufoy SarahAssane c h e f / f o o d w r i t e r / b l o g g e r od w w w . f o o d p h . c o m até Pk ao lu ey sa o t n é

CURRICULUM

The program includes one or a combination of the following Learning Activities

Learning Activity I Traditional West African Dance Students will... Participate in warm-up activities that focus on rhythm, coordination, emphasizing stamina, muscle tone and basic technique; exercises that improve flexibility and teach balance Model and perform simple movement patterns, skills, techniques, styled dance steps and sequences, gradually advancing to the performance of complex dance phrases. Strive to develop unique interpretations of the movements that showcase their own style and creativity.

Learning Activity II Traditional West African Song Students will... Learn West African singing techniques and songs depicting celebration, birth, marriage, rites of passage and love. Develop an awareness of how song traditions work hand in hand with dance movement as a means of expression and communication.

Learning Activity III West African History Students will... Learn the history of each dance, drum and song as well as the social context of its performance. Through storytelling and demonstrations, learn about traditions e.g. the role of griots, food, dress, language, etc., of some West African tribes (in particular the Manding). Learning the historical heritage contributes to students’ understanding of how art forms function in diverse societies. A J o u r n e y T h r o u g h W e s t A f r i c a koufoy SarahAssane c h e f / f o o d w r i t e r / b l o g g e r od w w w . f o o d p h . c o m até Pk ao lu ey sa o t n é

CURRICULUM

The program includes one or a combination of the following Learning Activities

Learning Activity IV Drum Talk: Students will... Learn about different types and some popular drums of West Africa - djembe, dun duns (dundunba, sangban & kenkeni), sabar & krin. Be instructed on how to play traditional drums: learn different beats and understand the multi-layered rhythms that compel dancers to move. Learn the role of the lead or master drummer who mediates between the drummers and dancers. They will understand the “call” and “response” musical dialogue between master drummer and the rest of the drummers in the ensemble.

Learning Activity V *For residency program only Choreography/Course end performance: Students will... Be instructed on stage performance arrangements and village style movements and how it communicates meaning. Identify elements of choreography and apply the knowledge, skills, and techniques of traditional West African forms in their own creative live presentation. Extension: If time permits and for an additional fee, students will also have the opportunity to work on props, costumes and body art to further heighten the affective power of their performance.

**NOTE: The residency program virtual offering may include introduction to a bonus instrument including the tama or talking drum, ngoni (precursor to the banjo), (21-string harp-like instrument) or balafon (precursor to the xylophone). A J o u r n e y T h r o u g h W e s t A f r i c a koufoy SarahAssane c h e f / f o o d w r i t e r / b l o g g e r od w w w . f o o d p h . c o m até Pk ao lu ey sa o t n é

CONNECTIONS

Assane Kouyate believes that art and culture are connected in many different ways. A few of those ways are described below. For each example of how art and culture are connected, have your students:

1.Think of ways that they have seen or experienced the examples in their own lives; 2.Discuss new examples that they learned from the performance.

Music Music connects people to history and culture

Essential Question: Can you think of any examples where music connects people to their history and culture?

Physical Education Physical activity: motor skills and movement patterns are important for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction

Essential Question: Can you think of any examples of how you or someone you know has improved their health, enjoyment, self-expression or social interaction through physical education or movement?

Art Art is a means of self-expression that reflects history and culture, as well as shapes it

Essential Question: How do you express yourself through art? Find an example of a work of art that you believe reflects history and culture and discuss it with a friend.

Dance Dance can communicate ideas and feelings, and has been used as a form of communication in various cultures throughout history.

Essential Questions: How have you ever seen dance used as a form of communication? How did the workshop and people from West Africa use dance as a form of communication? A J o u r n e y T h r o u g h W e s t A f r i c a koufoy SarahAssane c h e f / f o o d w r i t e r / b l o g g e r od w w w . f o o d p h . c o m até Pk ao lu ey sa o t n é

CONNECTIONS

Social Studies Geography and location (where people live) affects a society’s economy, culture and development.

Essential Questions: How does living in Georgia (or in the United States, near the ocean, near the mountains, in a city) affect our society’s economy, culture and development? How did geography affect people in West Africa?

Family and community customs and celebrations are part of a diverse American society

Share your family’s and community’s customs and celebrations with your classmates and discover how diverse your classroom is. How many different cultures and customs are there?

English Language Arts Stories and folktales contain lessons and morals

Essential Question: Share some examples of folktales that you know and see if you and your classmates can discover the lessons being taught. Discuss why you think this is a good lesson (if you do), and if it is still relevant today. What lessons do you think are important for today’s youth? Create a new folktale that teaches a lesson to children in Atlanta (or other city in Georgia).

Technology Technology can present new possibilities for the arts, as well as challenges

Essential Questions: Can you give an example of how technology creates new possibilities for the arts? Can you think of any ways that technology might cause challenges for artists? How does Mr. Kouyate use technology in their dance and music? A J o u r n e y T h r o u g h W e s t A f r i c a koufoy SarahAssane c h e f / f o o d w r i t e r / b l o g g e r od w w w . f o o d p h . c o m até Pk ao lu ey sa o t n é

s t a n d a r d s - s a m p l e

Developed with the purpose of an integrated curriculum, this program will cover a variety of standards. Customized programming to match your school’s curriculum areas or performance standards is also available. Please connect for more details.

Examples of grade applicable Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) are outlined below:

Visual Arts VA1.CR.3 – VA2.CR.3: Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two- dimensional art. VA1.CN.1 – VA2.CN.1: Investigate and discover the personal relationships of artists to community, culture, and the world through making and studying art VA1.CN.2 – VA2.CN.2: Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art.

English Language Arts ELAGSE1RL2: Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson ELAGSE1W8: With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. ELAGSE2SL1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about [grade] topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups; ELAGSE3SL3: Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.ELAGSE4SL3: Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points. ELAGSE5L3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. ELAGSE1SL4: Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly ELAGSE2RL2: Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral. ELAGSE2RL9: Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g. Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures. A J o u r n e y T h r o u g h W e s t A f r i c a koufoy SarahAssane c h e f / f o o d w r i t e r / b l o g g e r od w w w . f o o d p h . c o m até Pk ao lu ey sa o t n é

s t a n d a r d s - s a m p l e

Music ESGM1.CN.2 – ESGM2.CN.2: Connect music to history and culture. ESGM1.PR.2 – ESGM2.PR.2: Perform a varied repertoire of music on instruments, alone and with others ESGM1.RE.3 – ESGM2.RE.3: Move to a varied repertoire of music, alone and with others

Social Studies SSKG1: Describe the diversity of American culture by explaining the customs and celebrations of various families and communities. SSKG2: Explain that a map is a drawing of a place and a globe is a model of Earth. SS1G3: Locate major topographical features of the earth’s surface. a. Locate all of the continents: North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Antarctica, and Australia. SS7G4: Analyze the diverse cultural characteristics of the people who live in Africa. SSSocC1: Explain the development and importance of culture. SSSocC2: Evaluate how cultures evolve over time. SSWG2: Evaluate how the physical and human characteristics of places and regions are connected to human identities and cultures. SSWH6: Describe the diverse characteristics of early African societies before 1500 CE/AD a. Describe the development and decline of the Sudanic kingdoms (Ghana, Mali, Songhai); include the roles of Sundiata, and the pilgrimage of Mansa Musa to Mecca.

Fine Arts - Dance ESDK.CN.1 – ESD5.CN.1; MSD.CN.1; DHSAR.CN.1; DHSWDF.CN.1: Understand and demonstrate dance throughout history and in various cultures. ESDK.CR.2 – ESD5.CR.2; MSD.CR.2; DHSAR.CR.2; DHSWDF.CR.2: Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication. ESDK.CR.1 – ESD5.CR.1; MSD.CR.1; DHSAR.CR.1; DHSWDF.CR.1: Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process. ESDK.PR.2 – ESD5.PR.2; MSD.PR.2; DHSAR.PR.2; DHSWDF.PR.2: Understand and model dance etiquette as a classroom participant, performer, and observer. ESDK.CN.3 – ESD5.CN.3; MSD.CN.3; DHSAR.CN.3; DHSWDF.CN.3: Identify connections between dance and other areas of knowledge. ESDK.PR.4 - ESD5.PR.4; MSD.PR.4; DHSAR.PR.4; DHSWDF.PR.4: Understand and apply music concepts to dance. A J o u r n e y T h r o u g h W e s t A f r i c a koufoy SarahAssane c h e f / f o o d w r i t e r / b l o g g e r od w w w . f o o d p h . c o m até Pk ao lu ey sa o t n é

s t a n d a r d s - s a m p l e

Physical Education PEK.1 – PE5.1: The physically educated student demonstrates competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns. PEK.2 – PE5.2: The physically educated student applies the knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics related to movement and performance PEK3 – PE5.3: The physically educated student demonstrates knowledge and skills to help achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness. PEK.5 – PE5.5: The physically educated student recognizes the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction.

Math (activate prior knowledge / discussion of masks & costumes used in some West African cultures): MGSE1.G.2: Compose two-dimensional shapes (rectangles, squares, trapezoids, triangles, half-circles, and quarter-circles) or three-dimensional shapes (cubes, right rectangular prisms, right circular cones, and right circular cylinders) to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape. MGSE2.G.1: Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces.11 Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.