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InsIde the show/Company • Closer look • where In the world

InsIde the art Form

CreatIvIty page: make your own tap shoes

EN ROUTE AFTERBEFORE BEYOND

makIng ConneCtIons to learnIng standards New Victory School tool Resource Guides align with the Common Core State Standards, New York State Learning Standards and New York City Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts. We believe that these standards support both the high-quality instruction and deep engagement that The New Victory Theater strives to achieve in its arts education practice.

what Is “InsIde” FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW!?

INSIDE

inside |

This section is part of a full New Victory® School toolTM Resource Guide. For the complete guide, including information about the New Victory Education

Department check out: newvICtory.org/sChooltools

FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW!

COMMON CORE

Speaking and Listening: Standard 1; Standard 3; Standard 4; Standard 6Language: Standard 1

NEW YORK STATE STANDARDS

The Arts: Standard 1; Standard 4English Language Arts: Standard 1; Standard 4

BLUEPRINT FOR THE ARTS

Theater: Developing Theater Literacy; Making ConnectionsVisual Arts: Art Making; Making Connections

INSIDE provides teachers and students with a behind-the-curtain look at the artists, the company and the art form of this production. Use this resource to learn more about the artists on the New Victory stage, how far they’ve traveled and their inspiration for creating this show. In addition to information that will enrich your students’ experience at the theater, you will find a Creativity Page – a handout to build student anticipation around their trip to The New Victory.

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INSIDEBEFORE EN ROUTE AFTER

Closer look at FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW!

where In the world Is FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW! From?

• All the dancers in FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW! met as kids in the Minneapolis area of Minnesota.

• The company Rhythmic Circus’ inspiration for FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW! is to “change the mind of anyone who believes that dreaming, by nature, is an act of someone who isn’t awake.”

• FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW! is a blend of several different art forms, including live funk music (singing and beatboxing included!), tap, and a little physical comedy.

• The dance troupe and the live band that perform together in FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW! joined forces when they met at a talent show.

• Rhythmic Circus has been touring FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW! all over the world since 2009. This has taken them as far as China!

Home-grown hoofers from Minneapolis hit the road with a trunk full of tap shoes, funky costumes and a big brass band, ready to burst onto the New Victory stage with FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW! "Heatbox," the human beat box, joins the swingin' seven-piece Root City rockers to accompany each tap, shuffle and stomp with a clang, riff and refrain. It's easy to see why this troupe was a 2012 winner of an Edinburgh Festival "Spirit of the Fringe" Award. In this joyous parade of genre-hopping music and hard-hitting percussive dance, you and your students will be jumping out of your seats and moving to the beat!

• After New York and Chicago, Minneapolis has the third largest theater-goer population in the US.

• Minneapolis is home to the famous Mall of America - it’s the size of 78 football fields!

• Minneapolis has a greater number of golfers per capita than any other city in the US. Who knew?!

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

BEYOND

[ ]Tap Dancing + Live Funk + A Bongo-Playing Beat Boxer +

A Group of Friends from Minnesota with a Dream =

FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW!

InsIde the show/Company • Closer look • where In the world

InsIde the art Form

CreatIvIty page: make your own tap shoes

inside | FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW!

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INSIDEBEFORE EN ROUTE AFTER

tap is a form of dance in which the dancers’ shoes are used as percussive instruments. Tap is often associated with jazz music, and, as such, they share some common features like improvisation and call & response choreography. FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW! primarily features a blend of jazz tap and "Broadway" tap, which is more focused on showmanship and the way the dance moves look (while jazz tap is often concerned purely with the sound of the dance).

Funk musIC is a genre of music characterized by strong, driving rhythms, and a de-emphasis on melody and harmony. Funk’s main influences are generally considered to be soul, jazz, and R&B, and it came to prominence in the mid-late 1960s. Drums and bass guitar are often prominently featured, and are often backed up by electric guitar, organ/synthesizers, and a horn section of saxophones, trumpets, and trombones. FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW! features an onstage band of 7 members!

Prior to exploring FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW! with your students, find out what they know about dance, tap and funk.

Use the Prior Knowledge questions below, and the Creativity Page handout (next page) to get a sense of your students’ understanding of the art forms and themes in the show. You may be surprised by how much they already know, and in the process of exploring these areas, you’ll spark their curiosity about the show and enhance their anticipation for the trip. Have you seen a dance performance before? What was it like?

What is tap dance? Have you seen tap dancers on stage before? How do they move?

What is funk music? What kinds of instruments do you hear in funk?

FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW! is a dance performance, but there is also a live band on stage. Have you been to a concert before? What is different about hearing music live as opposed to on the radio or your iPod?

What’s your favorite kind of music? Does it use any of the same instruments as funk?

How do you think FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW! will combine tap and jazz to create a show?

BEYOND

InsIde the art Formwhat do your students know now?

InsIde the show/Company • Closer look • where In the world

InsIde the art Form

CreatIvIty page: make your own tap shoes

inside | FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW!

© The New 42Nd STreeT, INc.

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CreatIvIty page

Make Your own Tap ShoeS!MATERIALS:• 2 Small Paper Fasteners• 2 Wide Rubber Bands• 2 Washers with Small Holes in the Center• One Thin Marker/Pen

Once you’ve finished making your tap shoes... Hang on to the materials! You may want to use your new dancing shoes for the other activities your teacher has planned for you.

The dancers in FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW! use tap shoes to emphasize the sounds of their feet. Make your own tap shoes and join the fun!

1. Place a rubber band over the center of the washer.

2. With a pen or marker, draw a dot on the rubber band to mark the location of the washer’s hole.

3. Poke the paper fastener through the rubber band to secure the rubber band to the washer.

4. Slip the rubber band over the front of one of your shoes, arranging the washer so that it touches the ground right under the ball of your foot. Also slip the second rubber band over the back of the shoe, with washer under the heel of your foot.

5. Repeat this process for your other shoe—now you have your very own pair of tap shoes!