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BACKGROUND ACTIVITIES:
Activity One
The purpose of these activities is to provide background knowledge on ballet.
1. Ask the students what first comes into their minds when they hear the word "ballet."
2. Discuss the various elements that are used in the creation of a ballet.
Activity Two
1. Divide the class into small groups and ask them to visit American Ballet Theatre's Online Ballet Dictionary.
http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/index.html
2. Ask each group to choose three ballet terms and three ballet forms from the Web page and write a description of and/or illustrate each.
3. Provide time for the groups to share their terms and forms with the class.
4. Ask the students to identify as many of the ballet terms and forms as possible during the viewing of GREAT PERFORMANCES' THE NUTCRACKER FROM THE ROYAL BALLET.
5. After watching the program, ask the students to share where the forms and terms they chose were demonstrated in this production of the ballet.
STEPS:
Pre-Viewing Activities
The purpose of this activity is to introduce students to the story of "The Nutcracker."
Activity One
1. Involve the students in a class discussion about "The Nutcracker." (Find out what students know about "The Nutcracker," who has attended a performance, and what students want to know about it.)
2. Discuss the history of "The Nutcracker." Use this site to learn more about it: http://www.balletmet.org/Notes/NutHist.html.
3. Divide the class into small groups and assign each group one of the following sites that contain the story of "The Nutcracker":
http://www.pbs.org/gperf/shows/nutcracker/story.html
http://www.sfballet.org/performances/nutcracker/nutcracker_story.html
http://www.nutcrackerballet.net/html/nutcracker_story.html
4. Ask each group to visit the site and record details from the story.
5. After the groups have finished reading the story, meet as a class to discuss the characters, setting, and plot.
6. Ask the students to recall as many details as possible from the four versions of the story.
7. Record the information on chart paper.
Activity Two
The purpose of this activity is for students to become familiar with Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" score.
1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Provide the students with an opportunity to listen to a recording of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" score. You may obtain a copy of the recording from your school or local library or send your students to the following sites that contain selected tracks from the ballet:
http://www.nutcrackerballet.net/html/nutcracker_music.html
http://www.midiworld.com/mw_tchai.htm
3. Ask each group to choose five or six tracks that they want to hear and write the titles on a piece of paper.
4. Tell the groups to play the selections one at a time and ask group members to guess the title of the piece based on the mood of the music. After the piece has been played, ask students to spend several minutes discussing why they think the piece matches the title they chose. (Note to Teachers: Inform students that the purpose of this activity is to personalize the music from "The Nutcracker," not to compete for the highest number of correct answers.)
5. Tell group members to take turns being the person who selects and plays each piece.
6. After all of the selected pieces have been played, ask the students to spend several minutes discussing Tchaikovsky's score. The following are a list of possible questions:
- Which piece was your favorite? Explain.
- What kinds of images did the music evoke?
- How was the music written to evoke these images?
- How important is the role of music in ballet?
Post-Viewing Activities
Activity Three
The purpose of this activity is for students to discuss the sets and costumes from "The Nutcracker." Students will print cutouts of the characters and set from the ballet, included on this Web site, and use them to retell "The Nutcracker" to a student from a kindergarten or first-grade class.
1. After viewing the program, discuss how the characters, costumes, sets, and music work together to create "The Nutcracker." Students may choose to visit the following sites that contain photographs of different "Nutcracker" productions:
http://www.columbusyouthballet.com/Nutcracker/Photos/index.html
http://www.nutcracker.com/nut_photogallery.html
2. Break the class into groups of two and ask them to go to the Multimedia Presentations section of this Web site to download the character and set cutouts from "The Nutcracker."
3. Ask the groups to print the cutouts and then color and assemble the pieces.
4. Tell the students that they will use the cutouts to enact the "Nutcracker" story for members of a kindergarten or first-grade class. (They may choose to include music from the ballet in their presentation.)
5. Find a kindergarten or first-grade class for your students to visit and tell the story of "The Nutcracker."
Activity Four
The purpose of this activity is for students to synthesize what they have learned about "The Nutcracker" and write a letter responding to the first review of the ballet.
1. Read this quote from the first review of "The Nutcracker" featured on this site: http://www.ballet.co.uk/contexts/nutcracker.htm
"For dancers there is rather little in it, for art absolutely nothing, and for the artistic fate of our ballet, one more step downward."
2. Instruct the students to write a letter to the person who wrote the first "Nutcracker" review. Remind them to include examples of the story, music, dancing, costumes, and set designs in their responses.
3. Provide time for the students to volunteer to share their letter with the class.
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:
Activity One
Create a poster for "The Nutcracker" that would entice people to attend a performance.
Activity Two
Visit this five-step workshop on dance fundamentals and learn the steps.
http://raketik.com/workshop2/workshop.html
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