African Dance

Programme Resource Kit prepared by Harbourfront Centre School Visits Educators

School Visits Programme Grades 4-8, 9-12

Welcome to Harbourfront Centre!

Thank you for choosing to visit Harbourfront During this visit, your students will learn the Centre! We offer programmes that are routes and rhythms of African Dance. interactive and fun, and that appeal to a variety of learning styles. African dance refers mainly to the dance of Sub-Saharan , and more appropriately Harbourfront Centre is an innovative, non-profit African dances because of the many cultural cultural organization which provides differences in musical and movement styles. internationally renowned programming in the These dances must be viewed in close arts, culture, education and recreation, all connection with African music , as many within a collection of distinctive venues in the African languages have no word to define heart of Toronto's downtown waterfront. music. These dances teach social patterns and We trust that you will enjoy your stay with us, values and help people work, mature, praise or and that we will see you again in the future, criticize members of the community while whether for another school visit, or for one of celebrating festivals and funerals, competing, our many other exciting events. reciting history, proverbs and poetry; and to encounter gods. The Structure of Your Visit The lesson at Harbourfront Centre will focus When you arrive at Harbourfront Centre, you primarily on African rhythm and Gumboot will be greeted by one of our representatives. Dance from . Gumboot (or At this time, payment will be taken care of. isicathulo) is a contemporary dance form that is You will then be introduced to your instructors performed by dancers wearing Wellington for the day, and taken to your “classroom.” boots. In South Africa these are more Your class will then receive a brief introduction commonly called gumboots . to Harbourfront Centre and then your program will begin. The boots may be embellished with bells, so How to use this Kit that they ring as the dancers stamp on the ground. This sound would be a code or a This kit has been created to compliment our different calling to say something to another program and give you an opportunity to extend person a few distances away. It was used as your c lasses’ learning across the curriculum. their language in the mining grounds since This kit includes: miners were not permitted to talk. The dance is very popular and performed all over the world. Pre-Visit Activities: The pre-visit activities are Some believe it to be the root of the popular useful for activating your students’ prior contemporary dance called Step or Stomp. knowledge of the topic of your visit. They will introduce your class to some of the topics that will be covered in order to make some of the discussions even richer.

On-Site Assessment Tools: During your visit you will have the opportunity to stand back and observe your students. We have provided some tools here to help you assess their learning.

Post-Visit Activities: These activities will give you the opportunity to capitalize on the excitement that your students will feel towards the topics explored during their visit to Harbourfront Centre. The activities will make a number of cross-curricular connections, and will provide further opportunity for assessment.

Links to Learning: This section will provide you with a variety of resources that will be helpful to you should you decide to continue exploring the topics covered in your visit. Pre-visit Activities

The following lessons are for use before your visit to Harbourfront Centre. The intention of these lessons is to activate the prior knowledge of your students and to briefly introduce some of the ideas that will be covered during your session. These activities, of course, are not mandatory, but will enrich the discussions that your students will engage in with our instructors, and the overall Harbourfront Centre School Visits experience.

Activity #1

Overview

Students will use “think/pair/share” to activate prior knowledge.

Curriculum Links

• Arts – Drama and Dance – Knowledge of Elements • History • Language - Media Literacy – Understanding Media forms, Conventions, and Techniques.

Materials needed

• Individual KWL chart • Larger KWL chart prepared on chart paper • Post-it notes

Activation

1. Explain to students that during your field trip to Harbourfront Centre, they will be exploring various rhythms through African Dance. 2. Ask students where they might have seen African or African influenced dance before or if they can name any of the popular styles or regions of origin. 3. Distribute KWL Chart. Ask students to think individually about what they think they know about African Dance. See if, with in this thought process, they can figure out what and where the dances are from. They can write a few ideas in the K (or Know) section of their chart. They may also write some questions they have in the W (or What I am wondering) section of their chart at this time.

Group Work

4. After students have had some time to get their own ideas down, have them pair up with another student to share what they know, and what they are wondering. They may wish to add to their ideas after a discussion. 5. Ask the pairs to write down one or two of their most important ideas on post-it notes, as well as one or two of their questions. 6. As a whole class, have pairs present their ideas and questions and add them to the larger class KWL chart.

Closing

7. Explain to the class that during their visit to Harbourfront Centre they will learn how to make rhythms with their hands and with their feet and that African dance cultures are heavily based on rhythm. 8. Explain that there are many sub categories of African dance because they evolved throughout communities and events over a long period of time. Sometimes, like in the case of Gumboot, the dances developed because of a social political issue. 9. With the help of the students, arrange the post-it notes into categories. When organized in this fashion, students will see which areas they have the most knowledge about, and which elements they know less about. At this time, more specific questions can be added to the “W” section.

Extension

• After your visit to Harbourfront Centre, students can reflect on their learning by completing the L” (or what I learned) section of their KWL chart.

Assessment

• KWL chart will indicate what the students already know, and when completed, can be used to assess if they have grasped the topics discussed during your visit.

Activity #2

Overview

Students will research the history and community of a sub dance style (example: Gumboot). Encourage them to find dance groups on the internet. They can create a context for their visit to Harbourfront Centre.

Curriculum Links

• Arts – Drama and Dance – Critical Thinking • History • Language – Reading – Reading for Meaning - Variety of Texts, Etc. • Langauge – Writing – Developing and Organizing Content – Research

Materials Needed

• Research organizer sheet • Computer lab or ability to display online materials for all students to see.

Activation

1. Explain that African dance has a place or country of origin, in some cases families or tribes. 2. Ask students if they know any current dance groups that perform an African dance styles. Encourage students to share even if they are not sure, as there will be an opportunity to examine any misconceptions they may have. Record their answers on chart paper.

Research

3. Present students with the research organizer sheet. Allow them time to add the artists they suggested to the list provided. 4. Go over the various portions of the sheet. Explain that students will use the internet to find information about African artists and/or groups. See the Links to Learning section for useful links that can be posted for students to use. 5. Allow time for students to explore and search for information about the various artists.

Closing

6. Explain to students that they will now reflect on the information that they have found, using the sections at the bottom of the page. Allow them some time to think about what they have learned and write some notes. 7. Have the students share some of the information that they have found about the artists and the feelings/opinions they had about them.

Assessment

• Written work can be collected and assessed to ensure students are able to: search for and find relevant information, summarize information, think critically about the information that they find on the internet.

Modifications

• If computers are not available for each student, they may work in pairs or the teacher can present the information and have student take notes while this happens.

African Dance Name: ______Date: ______

K W L What do you know already? What are you wondering ? What did you learn ?

Dance Research

Name: ______Date:______

Canadian Artists:

• Coba- Contemparay African Dance • Ballet Creole – African Dance • Black Ice – Stomp Group

Artist: Artist: Artist:

Art form: Art form: Art form:

Interesting Facts: Interesting Facts: Interesting Facts:

Observations/Opinions

- What did you learn about African culture? - What are your opinions about African Dance? - Did you have any misconceptions?

On Site Assessment Tools

The following rubric and recording device provide you with an opportunity to observe and assess the participation level of your students during your visit to Harbourfront Centre. This rubric is intended for the discussion and dance portion of your visit, but can also be used throughout the other activities if you wish.

Participation Recording Scale

Student’s Name: Date:

Judgment Criteria Achievement Level

Interaction in 1 2 3 4 Group discussion

Participation in 1 2 3 4 Dance Activity

Listening Skills 1 2 3 4

Student’s Name: Date:

Judgment Criteria Achievement Level

Interaction in 1 2 3 4 Group discussion

Participation in 1 2 3 4 Dance Activity

Listening Skills 1 2 3 4

Participation Rubric

Criteria Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

never able to rarely able to responds responds Interaction in respond to direct respond to occasionally to frequently to Group discussion questions; never direct questions; questions; questions; volunteers point rarely occasionally routinely of view volunteers point volunteers point volunteers point of view of view of view

never a willing rarely a willing often a willing always a willing Participation in participant, often participant, participant; acts participant; acts Dance Activity acts occasionally appropriately appropriately inappropriately acts during inappropriately

Student does Student does Student listens student listens Listening Skills not listen when not listen when when others when others others talk, and others talk, and talk, and often talk, and always follows few of the sometimes follows the follows instructor’s follows the instructor’s instructor’s directions. instructor’s directions directions directions

Post-Visit Activities______

The purpose of these activities is to extend on the learning that took place during your visit to Habourfront Centre. They are a great opportunity to capitalize on the excitement and passion that your students are likely feeling about the topics they have experienced. Here you will find some structured activities, as well as extension ideas.

Activity #1

Overview

Students will use the knowledge they gained about African dance, styles and culture and analyze the difference between the styles and yet how they are connected.

Curriculum Links

• Arts – Music/Drama and Dance – Critical Thinking • History • Language – Writing – Research • Language – Writing – Point of View • Langauge – Media Literacy – Purpose and Audience • Langauge – Media Literacy – Interpreting Messages • Langauge – Media Literacy –Point of View

Materials Needed

• Venn diagram • Research Materials (ideally internet access)

Activation

1. Discuss each culture and what it felt like to dance and create rhythms in these styles with your students. What were some of the issues that came up in discussion during your trip to Harbourfront Centre? 2. Focus discussion on the origin of the many styles and how they evolved.

Comparison

3. Explain that there are similarities in all forms of dance since dance is based on four elements (space, time, force and body). 4. Students may have some of their own connections in this regard and should now be given the time to explore them. 5. Students should be instructed to use the provided venn diagram to compare the message and movement that each artist or dance style they are presenting. What is different and what is similar about each one. Student can use internet research, particularly You Tube videos, but be sure to monitor the materials, as some may not be appropriate.

Closing

6. Have students share their findings. 7. Have students write a reflective paragraph explaining their opinion about the varying styles of African dance and whether or not they portray a message of some sort. Assessment

• Assess venn diagram for ability to compare two artists and for understanding of concepts • Assess written paragraph for understanding of concepts discussed.

Further Extension of Learning

Routine Assignment

• It's now possible for students to learn more dances. • After students have become more comfortable with the style, a final project could be created by asking the students to learn a dance they have discovered online. Complete or create a routine and add music and costumes.

Research Project

• A research project can be created based on several topics discussed during your visit. This can be an individual, paired, or group project. • First, as a class, distinguish the topics that could be covered. Below is a list of suggested topics:

-History of Gumboot Dance -Key dance figures and how they continue to popularize African dance -Key figures and pioneers in Contemporary African dance -Similarities between dance artists -What current dance styles reflect styles of the past

• Students can then form groups based on interest, or they can form groups and then choose a topic. • Presentation could include a poster or research paper (or both), and depending on the topic either a demonstration by the group (e.g. learn a few moves using You Tube tutorials and teach the class) or use some form of media to present the class with an example.

African Dance

Name: ______Date:______

What Did you Notice?:

 Links to Learning

Internet

YouTube < www.youtube.com > A great source for everything dance!

Some Suggested You Tube Links:

COBA: http://www.cobainc.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkh0z98wMqo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbrlOKFbCFg&feature=related

Black Ice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF74FAGbkoo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_TwZbZGOic&feature=related

Ballet Creole: http://www.balletcreole.org/

Black Umfolosi : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnAxhQk4drM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRNsPUa82WQ&feature=related

Drakensberg Boys' Choir School : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaWuYGG-CFM&feature=related

African Dance Canada Online: http://www.yorku.ca/aconline/dance/groups.html

Kotou Danse: http://www.spiritdancemove.com/

Wikipedia < http://en.wikipedia.org > Free encyclopedia entry outlining the history of African Dance.

Dance Ontario http://www.danceontario.ca/

Dance Umbrella of Ontario http://www.danceumbrella.net/

African Dance Dance Purpose Country/Tribe of Origin Adowa - Ghana / Ashanti Agbaja - Ghana / Ewe Agwara Courtship / Alur Akogo Courtship Uganda / Iteso Amaggunju - Uganda / Buganda Ambas-i-bay Celebration Bakisiimba Celebration Uganda / Buganda Celebration Cameroon Bwola Celebration Uganda / Acholi Coupé-Décalé Celebration Cote D'Ivoire Ding Ding - Uganda / Acholi Ekitaguriro - Uganda / Banyankole Ekizino Courtship Uganda / Bakiga Entogoro Courtship Uganda / Bunyoro Gaze - Uganda / Lugbara Gombey Harvest Celebration Congo (DRC) Lamban Celebration Guinea, Senegal, Larakaraka Courtship Uganda / Acholi Celebration Cameroon Mapouka Ceremonial Cote D'Ivoire Mwaga Courtship Uganda / Bagisu () Courtship Congo (DRC) Owaro - Uganda / Samia-Bugwe Sabar Celebration Senegal/ [Wolof people] Sunu Wedding Guinea, Mali / Mandinka Tamenaibuga Friendship Uganda / Basoga Celebration Cote D'Ivoire