Storytelling Through Movement & Dance A Look at West Side Story Jessica Wilbert

Target student group: middle school to high school drama or dance students. Abbreviated lesson may be taught in a 55 minute block, or lesson may be extended over two days. Enduring Understandings students will understand that: Drama and dance art forms utilize physical expression to communicate plot, character, and motivation. Choreography is a tool used to aid in storytelling. change the face of theatre and dance. Essential Questions: How does using movement add to the telling of a story or the expression of emotion and motivation? Why do you think this is? Address the idea in theatre that we sing or dance when words are not enough. Why do you think that is? How do you relate that to your personal life? How can we express what is internal through the external? Seminal artists and works such as West Side Story helped to evolve and

MA Standards of Movement & Theatre Ed: Students will describe the purposes for which works of dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and architecture were and are created, and, when appropriate, interpret their meanings. Students will demonstrate their understanding of styles, stylistic influence, and stylistic change by identifying when and where art works were

created, and by analyzing characteristic features of art works from various historical periods, cultures, and genres. Students will demonstrate an understanding of dance as a way to express and communicate meaning. Students will describe and analyze their own dances and the dances of others using appropriate dance vocabulary. When appropriate, students will connect their analysis to interpretation and evaluation. Dance:

1.7 Demonstrate ability to work in a group to learn and perform sequences of movement and simple dances. 3.1 Observe, explore, and discuss how movements can show feelings, images, thoughts, colors, sounds, and textures. 3.4 Present dances or movement phrases and discuss how movement choices convey meaning. 3.9 Formulate and answer questions about how ideas are communicated through dance. Theatre:

1.4 Create characters through physical movement, gesture, sound and/or speech, and facial expression. 1.9 Use physical acting skills such as body alignment, control of isolated body parts, and rhythms to develop characterizations that suggest artistic choices.

Students warm up in a circle. [If working with a class for the first time, go around circle and learn names, do one movement to express how you feel about choreography & dance. Class repeats each name and movement.] Students transition to milling & seething, walking around and filling up the space. Give instructions to walk with different motivations: walk as though

youre really upset about something, as though youre about to see someone you really dont get along with, as though you are anticipating a confrontation. Return to circle. Brief discussion about Jerome Robbins as director and choreographer shows including On the Town, The King and I, The Pajama Game. Conceived, choreographed, and directed West Side Story in 1957.

Students watch a short clip from West Side Story (the number Cool). Discuss: What did you see happening in the story? What emotions did you see? How did you see those in their bodies? Divide class into three groups. Assign each a word (Crazy! Cool! Go!) featured in the Cool number and have students come up with a bold, energetic gesture to accompany the word. Students should compete to be the group with the most energy when they shout their word and do their gesture. Teacher conducts the student groups, and we rehearse with the appropriate section of Cool track from the West Side Story soundtrack.

Teach 32 counts of dance from the number. [Step ball changes forward x4, back x4, 10 low runs, jump over the log, hit pose of their choice.] Focus not on perfecting steps but keep the lesson moving quickly and focus on having fun and on the general energy (low body, contained energy, ready to explode on their final pose). Rehearse several times and then perform with music: the Crazy! Cool! Go! words/gestures in groups and go right into choreography. Students explore image and storytelling in groups. Depending on size of class, students can remain with their prior three groups, or count off to produce groups of about five students each. Each group receives a printed image or photograph taken from a version of West Side Story. Students create three after. Students do not have to represent or recreate the plot of West Side tableaux showing a moment before, the moment in the photo, and a moment

Story faithfully; they can discuss what they think could be happening in the
emotion and dynamic action. Share each groups tableaux with the class.

image and create their own story. Students should work to show heightened

Option to continue working: students then create a movement piece showing their three moments. They begin with their first frozen image, then the image comes to life and moves (no language), then they freeze in their second tableau, continue moving, etc. Instruct students to tell a non-verbal story with their bodies. Students can also use abstract movement think beyond simply acting out plot. Students can use dance movements but dont necessarily have to dance it. Play two or three sound clips (different recordings of songs from

West Side Story) and give students the option to have one of the songs as
pieces with class. Students circle up for unpacking:

soundtrack to their presentation. Students work in groups for 10 min, share

Share one thing you noticed, felt, or wondered about the film clip. Were you able to transfer some of what you saw on film to our short dance piece?

Share one thing you noticed, felt, or wondered about the tableaux (or moving tableaux) that you saw the other groups perform. In what ways were they able to convey plot, character, or emotion with just their bodies? Be specific about what you saw. Address the idea in theatre that we sing or dance when words are not enough. Why do you think that is? Do you see examples of this with theatre, film, music, music video, etc? Why do you think we tell stories/create art or entertainment in this way? Finish by going around the circle with a one-word check-in describing how students feel after the lesson.