RAGAMALA DANCE COMPANY

Tuesday, March 5, 2019 12:30 p.m.

Welcome Home!Join us for the 2018-19 Season as we explore the themes of home, belonging and finding connections to one another through the arts. As we journey through this season of educational programming, take a moment to discover what home means to you.

From lesson ideas and professional development workshops to backstage tours, allow us to partner with you to provide students with exciting educational opportunities!

For questions contact the education sales department (920) 730-3726 or educationsales@foxcitiespac.com.

Welcome | 3

Standards | 4

About | 5

Lesson Plans | 6

In the Spotlight | 9

What’s Next | 12

My Journal | 13

Student Showcase | 15

Resource Room | 16

A note from our education series partner—Bemis Company

“The series provides a rich learning experience to thousands of students each

year. We hope that it enriches the growth of our young people and our community

by broadening our perspectives and increasing our passion for the arts.”

-Tim Fliss, SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, Bemis Company

Community Partner Grant Support

Marise Evadne Gustafson Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, Inc.

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When entering the Fox Cities Performing Arts

Center, remember to show respect for others by

waiting your turn and speaking quietly.

Remember that during the performance the live

performers can see and hear you. Even the

smallest sounds can be heard throughout the

theater, so it is best to remain quiet so everyone

can enjoy the performance.

Applause is the best way to express how much

you enjoyed the performance!

Important things to remember:

• Gum, beverages (including water bottles)

and food are not allowed in the theater for

Bemis Company Education Series

performances.

• Cell phones should be turned off and

stowed.

• Note that recording or taking photos in the

theater is strictly prohibited; however, photos

may be taken in the lobby.

• It’s a long way down – please do not drop

items off balconies. This study guide was created for you by the Education Team

as a part of The Boldt Company Beyond the Stage Education

program. To download copies of this study guide or to find

additional resources for this performance or view past study

guides please visit: www.foxcitiespac.com.

Questions about your show reservation? Contact our

education sales team at educationsales@foxcitiespac.com or

call (920) 730-3726.

ENJOY THE SHOW!

Be prepared to arrive early – You should plan on arriving to the

Center 30 minutes before the show. Allow for travel time,

parking and trips to the restroom.

Security – All bags entering the building are subject to search

and prohibited items will not be allowed. Teachers and

chaperones are discouraged from bringing bags, however,

necessary backpacks, or bags may be searched and tagged

before being allowed in the theater. We ask that students

leave their backpacks at school for Bemis Company Education

Series performances, however if students do bring them, they

are subject to search and will need to be checked at the

registration table in the lobby upon entry.

Know your needs – To best serve the needs of you and your

students, please indicate in advance if you have individuals who

require special services or seating needs upon making your

reservation.

Seating – Seating is based on a number of factors including

when the reservation is made, size of group, students’ ages and

any special seating needs.

To assist you in your planning, the key themes and the Wisconsin Academic Standards that are most

likely to connect with this performance are listed below.

KEY THEMES

• Culture

• Folk dance

• India

• World music

WISCONSIN ACADEMIC STANDARDS

ART AND DESIGN EDUCATION

• A.8.6: Students will identify ways in which art is basic to thinking and communicating about the world.

• B.8.1: Students will explore how artists and cultures throughout history have used art to communicated

ideas and to develop functions, structures and designs

• B.8.2: Recognize ways in which form, function, meaning and expressive qualities of art and design

change from culture to culture and artist to artist.

DANCE

• CRITICAL THINKING: Students will develop critical and creative thinking through their dance

experience.

• COMMUNICATION AND EXPRESSION: Students will understand the expressive power of dance as a

means of communication and understand that it is subject to multiple interpretations.

• APPRECIATION: Students will reflect upon and appreciate dance as an art form past and present.

MUSIC

• CONNECT: Students will relate prior knowledge and personal experience with music to cultural and

historical context.

• RESPOND: Students will critically interpret intent and meaning in order to evaluate artistic work.

SOCIAL STUDIES

• SS.BH3: Students assess the role that human behavior and cultures play in the development of social

endeavors.

• SS.Geog5: Students will evaluate the relationship between humans and the environment.

THEATER

• A.4.1: Attend a live theater performance and discuss the experience: explain what happened in the

play; identify and describe the characters; say what they liked and didn’t like; describe the scenery,

lighting, and/or costumes.

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Founded in 1992 and acclaimed as one of the Indian diaspora’s leading dance ensembles, Ragamala

Dance Company seamlessly carries the South Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam into the

21st century. Informed by the echoing past and the fleeting present, Artistic Directors Ranee and Aparna

Ramaswamy’s evocative choreography defies chronology. Ranee and Aparna—mother and daughter—

are proteges of the legendary dancer and choreographer Alarmel Valli, known as one of India’s

greatest living masters. They embrace the philosophy, spirituality, myth and mysticism of their heritage to

create not works of worlds—visceral, universal experiences that use Indian art forms to express their

contemporary point of view. They see the classical form as a dynamic, living tradition with vast potential

to convey timeless themes and present-day ideas.

Ragamala Dance Company has toured extensively, highlighted by performances at the Kennedy Center

in Washington, D.C., American Dance Festival in Durham, NC, Music Center in Los Angeles, CA, Getty

Center in Los Angeles, CA, Krannert Center in Urbana, IL, Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, Bali Arts

Festival in Indonesia and National Centre for Performing Arts in Mumbai, India.

Sacred Earth explores the interconnectedness between human emotions and the environments that shape

them. Performed with live music, dancers create a sacred space to honor the divinity in the natural world

and the sustenance we derive from it. Inspired by the philosophies behind the ephemeral arts of kolam

and Warli painting and the Tamil Sangam literature of India, Sacred Earth is a vision of the beautiful,

fragile relationship between nature and man.

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DANCE AROUND THE WORLD

OBJECTIVES

• To understand how dance is used to express culture and history

• To understand how dance is used to communicate stories, moods and feelings

• Work together to research the anthropology of a particular folk dance and to create a presentation about it

MATERIALS

• Internet access

• Library access or books about dance from different cultures and time periods

• CD/tape player (optional)

• Audio/visual equipment (optional)

• Materials to create props/scenery/costumes for presentations

PREPARATION

• Generate a list of various folk dances from different cultures and time periods. You should have one folk

dance for each small group of students. Write or print the name of each dance on a small slip of paper for

students to draw. Examples include:

• Bhangra

• Polka

• El Jarabe Tapatio

• Contra dance

• Cotton-Eyed Joe

• Salp’uri

• Ribbon dance

• Adzohu

• Irish jig

• Troika

• Generate a “Folk Dance Research Guide.” Include the following questions for students to answer about their

folk dance:

1. What does this dance look like? (include movements and costume)

2. What music traditionally accompanies this dance?

3. What culture and people traditionally perform this dance? Why?

4. When was this dance developed?

5. What was occurring in this place and culture during that time period?

6. Does this dance tell a story? If so, what?

7. What else about the history and/or culture does this dance express?

ACTIVITY

Students will be split into groups and each group will present on a different dance.

• During their presentation, students can perform the dance, show the dance on a video, play the music

that accompanies the dance or draw or act out what was happening in history that may have inspired

the dance.

• All presentations should provide the historical and cultural context for the dance and answer the

questions in the Folk Dance Research Guide.

• Each student should have a role in the final presentation.

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EVALUATION

• Student participation and engagement

• An increased understanding and appreciation of different cultures

• An increased understanding of how dance expresses history, tells a story and expresses moods and feelings

• Students’ working together to research and prepare presentations

CLOSING DISCUSSION

• Have students watching the presentations have a piece of paper out in front of them. They should write down

one thing they learned from the presentation and one question they still have regarding the dance/culture/etc.

• Encourage students to ask the group their question when the presentation is completed.

Source: www.sedl.org/afterschool/lessonplans/index.cgi?show_record=37

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KOLAM AND WARLI PAINTING

KOLAM

This Hindu belief, geometric designs created out of rice

flour, is placed in the entrance of houses in order to invite

Goddess Lakshmi into the household and drives away

unwanted evil spirits. Different kolams are attributed to

various deities. Kolams are applied daily to the houses

sometimes applied with rice paste (rice flour and water)

so the design doesn’t rub off as easily. Rice flour is used

for these designs because it provides food for ants and

other small insects.

WARLI PAINTING

This is an Indian art form dating back to 3000

B.C. These paintings are intricate geometric

patterns of everyday activities. This art form

also uses rice paste and is applied to the traditional red

ochre background by a bitten bamboo stick. The goal of the

paintings are to make the viewer think about being

environmentally conscious and finding the joy in the simple

things. These paintings want us to believe in harmony

between nature and man.

Sources: www.indian-heritage.org/alangaram/kolams/kolams.htm

www.craftsvilla.com/blog/warli-art-history-maharashtra/

WHAT IS CULTURE

OBJECTIVES

• Students will examine the complexity of culture

• Students will develop a working definition of culture

MATERIALS AND PREPARATION

• Handout Document: Who Am I? (Page 10 and 11)

• Chart paper and markers or chalkboard/whiteboard

• Create a chart with the following three columns:

• Elements of Culture

• Cultural Groups

• Importance of Culture

INTRODUCTION

• On a sheet of paper or the board, create a chart with the following three columns:

• Elements of Culture

• Cultural Groups

• Importance of Culture

• Begin the lesson by having students brainstorm a list of words and phrases that come to mind when they hear

the word “culture.”

• List these responses in the first column under “Elements of Culture.”

• Ask the students to identify the cultural groups that exist in their school community and write these responses in

the second column.

• Complete the chart by asking students to brainstorm the importance of culture and listing their responses in the

third column.

EXAMPLE

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ELEMENTS OF

CULTURE

CULTURAL

GROUPS

IMPORTANCE OF

CULTURE

Food Mexican American Shared history

Customs Southerner Traditions and

celebrations

Language Muslim Sense of belonging

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ACTIVITY

• Distribute the Who Am I? handout. Divide students into small groups and assign each group a scenario to

discuss from the handout.

• Reconvene the class and have each group report to the class their response to the discussion questions.

• After all the scenarios have been discussed, ask students to look back at the chart created. Give them an

opportunity to add ideas to chart’s columns from the introduction based upon what they have learned.

CLOSING DISCUSSION

• Conduct a class discussion about culture using the following questions as starting points:

• Is it possible for someone to belong to several cultural groups? Give some examples.

• If someone belongs to several cultural groups, what are some ways that he or she might determine his

or her primary culture? What are some instances when a person might feel the need to identify his or

her primary culture?

• Do you have to be born into a cultural group to understand the culture? Explain.

• How is cultural identity taught to people (e.g., family celebrations)?

• Is cultural identity “fixed”? If change is possible, what might cause a change?

• Are there instances when a discussion on culture or cultural heritage might be difficult for a person?

Explain (e.g., being adopted).

• Why is it important for people to have the opportunity to define their own cultural identity as opposed

to allowing themselves to be labeled by others as belonging to one group or another?

• Using the material discussed during this lesson, have students come together to develop a working definition of

culture. Post the definition in the classroom (the following definition of culture from the Anti-Defamation league

can be used as a guide: The pattern of daily life learned by a group of people. These patterns can be seen in

people’s language, art, customs, music, food, holiday celebrations and styles of clothing).

Source: www.adl.org/sites/default/files/documents/assets/pdf/education-outreach/ABSG-Secondary-Sample-Lesson.pdf

RANEE RAMASWAMY

Ranee Ramaswamy, the Founder, Artistic Director, Choreographer,

and a Principal Dancer in Ragamala, has been a master teacher and

performer of Bharatanatyam in the U.S. since 1978. Since her first

cross-cultural collaboration with poet Robert Bly in 1991, followed by

her founding of Ragamala in 1992, she has been a pioneer in the

establishment of non-Western dance traditions in Minneapolis and in

pushing the boundaries of Indian classical dance on the global scene.

Among her many awards are 14 McKnight Artist Fellowships for

Choreography and Interdisciplinary Art, a Bush Fellowship for

Choreography, an Artist Exploration Fund grant from Arts

International, two Cultural Exchange Fund grants from the Association

of Performing Arts Presenters, and the 2011 McKnight Foundation

Distinguished Artist Award. Most recently, Ranee was the recipient of

a 2012 United States Artists Fellowship, and was nominated by

President Barack Obama to serve on the National Council on the Arts.

Source: www.elsieman.org/artist-roster/ragamala-dance-company/

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Who am I? Worksheet

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Who am I? Worksheet

Don’t let this experience end with the drop of the curtain. Keep the conversation going with

your students and reflect on the performance that you just attended. Here are a few questions

to get the conversation started!

• What did you learn about culture from this performance?

• What was your favorite part of the performance?

• Which moment do you remember most from the performance? What was happening?

• How did the dancers use movement to influence location? Did costumes and/or lighting also

help with this?

• Describe the music you heard. How did the music add to the mood or help tell the story?

• If you were going to tell a friend about the performance, how would you describe it in one

sentence?

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Look closely at the picture above and answer the following questions in essay form:

• What colors are featured in this picture? Are they complimentary colors? Are there a lot of colors

used? How do these colors make you feel?

• How does the dancer’s movement compliment the pattern on the floor?

• What story or idea do you think is being communicated with the audience?

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After the performance, reflect on what you saw. Did you like it? Why or why not? Have you ever

seen a performance like this before? If yes, what were some differences? Would you see a

performance like this again?

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What was a light bulb moment that your students had?

What was something new they learned? Was it anyone’s

first time to the Center? We would love for you to share!

After your class attends the show we would appreciate

photos, letters, posters, cards, etc.—be creative! This is to

help us share with our partners what your students are

learning.

The Center’s education programs are not possible without the

support of our Annual Partners and grant funders. They enjoy

learning about the schools and students that participate in

the education programs so we would appreciate your help in

telling the story.

Items may be sent via email to agosz@foxcitiespac.com or

mailed/dropped off at:

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center

Attn: Amy Gosz

400 W. College Ave.

Appleton, WI 54911

Please note items will not be returned and will be shared

with our partners and/or displayed at the Center.

Thank you for your help in sharing the great work you are

doing in the classroom with our partners!

Fox Cities Performing Arts CenterEducation Department

400 W. College Avenue • Appleton, WI 54911education@foxcitiespac.com • (920) 730-3726

BOOKS

CULTURE

“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan)

“The God of Small Things” by Arundhati Roy (India)

“I Am Malala” by Malala Yousafzai (Packistan)

DANCE

“Appreciating Dance: A Guide to the World’s Liveliest Art” by Harriet Lihs

“Indian Classical Dance: Tradition in Transition” by Leela Venkataraman and Avinash Pasricha

WEBSITES

Example of a Kolam design

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma6Oz1eOi0o

For more information on Ragamala Dance Company

www.ragamaladance.org/

IndUS of Fox Valley

www.indusfoxvalley.org

The Kennedy Center Arts Edge-arts integration lessons

http://artsedge.Kennedy-center.org

This educator resource guide is created as part of The Boldt Company Beyond the Stage Education Program.

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