2018-19 UMS LEARNING GUIDE ink Camille A. Brown ......02 Camille A. Brown & Dancers’ newest dance production ink is the final installation of Brown’s dance theatre trilogy about

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2 0 1 8 - 1 9 U M S L E A R N I N G G U I D E

inkCamille A. Brown

& Dancers

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Table of Contents

07 Why?09 Artist12 Art Form15 Performance

06LEARN

05THE DETAILS

04ATTEND

19 Being an Audience Member22 Arts Online23 Recommended Reading25 Writing About Live Performance with Your Students28 About UMS30 Credits and Sponsors

18 CONNECT

inkCamille A. Brown & Dancers

U M S S C H O O L D AY P E R F O R M A N C EJanuary 25

Friday, January 25 // 11 amPower Center

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7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S. O R G

Coming to your email Inbox!

Map and Driving DirectionsLogistical Details (drop-off/pick-up locations)Venue Information

Attend

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The Details

VENUE ADDRESS Power Center, 121 Fletcher St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBER734.764.2538

ARRIVAL TIMEBetween 10:30-10:50 am

TICKETSWe do not use paper tickets for School Day Performances. We hold school reservations at the door and seat groups upon arrival.

FOODNo food or drinks (including school lunches) are allowed in the theater.

ACCESSIBILITYWe aim to maximize accessibility at our performances and below are details regarding this performance’s points of accessibility. If you have further questions, e-mail [email protected] or call 734.615.0122.

The following services are available to audience members:• Wheelchair, companion, or other special seating• Courtesy wheelchairs• Hearing Impaired Support Systems

PARKINGThere is handicapped parking very close to the Power Center on Fletcher Street and in the parking structure behind the Power Center on Palmer Drive. The first three levels of the Palmer Drive structure have five parking spots on each level next to each elevator. There are a total of 15 parking spaces in the garage.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITYThe Power Center is wheelchair accessible and has 12 seats for audience members with special needs.

BATHROOMS ADACompliant toilets are available in the green room (east corner) of the Power Center for both men and women.

ENTRYThe front doors are not powered; however, there will be an usher at that door opening it for all patrons.

Camille A. Brown & Dancers

Learn

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7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S. O R G

L E A R N

Why?

Camille A. Brown is a prolific Black female choreographer whose mission is reclaiming the cultural narrative of African American identity. The rich aesthetic variety of Brown’s choreography — with influences ranging from ballet to hip-hop — fuels dance works that tap into both ancestral stories and contemporary culture to capture a range of deeply personal experiences.

In her 2015 TED Talk, Brown recounts her childhood passion for building with Legos. Brown tells us that “choreography and building have been at the center of my life for as long as I can remember.” As a young dancer, Brown attended the prestigious LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and

Performing Arts before earning degrees from the North Carolina School of the Arts and New York University. During her studies, Brown decided to focus on dance composition classes, where she learned to build her own dances. After graduation, she began rapidly receiving critical recognition of her work. She has received commissions from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Urban Bush Women, and Ballet Memphis, among others, and she has earned numerous awards and honors for her outstanding choreography.

Camille A. Brown & Dancers, the dance company committed to implementing and advancing Brown’s artistic vision, is a collaborative team of dancers and musicians that creates and presents performances, offers dance engagement activities, and investigates a multitude of historical, cultural, and social issues through the art of dance theatre. The company provides a platform for sharing and building understanding for the African American experience and fostering interaction among diverse communities in New York City and beyond.

In 2018-19, UMS presents Brown’s new work ink. The dance draws on historic and contemporary rhythms, rituals, and movements of the African Diaspora to reclaim African American narratives by showcasing their authenticity. Through self-empowerment, Black love, brotherhood, exhaustion and resilience, community, and fellowship, ink depicts the pedestrian interactions of individuals and relationships as grounds for accessing one’s innate super powers and finding liberation.

UMS invites its School Day Performance audiences to engage their curiosity, reflect on the complex issues in Brown’s work, and explore the question: “Why do we dance?”

U M S E D U C AT I O N A R T I S T S I C S TAT E M E N T

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Why?

Watch Camille A. Brown perform an excerpt from her new work ink. The movement is an amalgamation of African American social dance, African, tap, jazz, modern, and hip-hop.

O N L I N E : C O N N E C T I N G T O T H E P E R F O R M A N C E

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L E A R N

Artist

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L E A R N

C A M I L L E A . B R O W N & D A N C E R S : 5 T H I N G S T O K N O W

01Brown’s choreography incorporates elements of many different dance styles, including jazz, hip-hop, modern, tap, ballet, and African American social dancing.

02Camille A. Brown & Dancers’ newest dance production ink is the final installation of Brown’s dance theatre trilogy about identity, along with Mr. TOL E. RAncE (2012), and BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play (2015). Using the rhythms and sounds of traditional African and handmade instruments as its center, the work travels through time with elements of blues, hip-hop, jazz, and swing.

03In 2014, Brown developed the Black Girl Spectrum initiative that fosters the artistic and cultural empowerment of young black women through dance, writing, storytelling, and education. Brown and the members of her company work directly with hundreds of young black women in more than 120 schools around New York City, using the arts as a tool to address the specific social, political, and economic challenges of their lives.

04Brown also brings musicality and a passion for storytelling to her choreography for Broadway and Off-Broadway theater productions. She is the choreographer for several theater productions, including the Emmy-nominated special Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert and the Tony-Award winning revival of Once on This Island on Broadway.

05Brown is a four-time Princess Grace Award winner, a Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellow, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award winner, Guggenheim Fellowship recipient, and TED Fellow. In 2016, Ms. Brown’s TED-Ed talk, “A Visual History of Social Dance in 25 Moves,” was chosen as one of the most notable talks of the year by TED Curator Chris Anderson; the video has over 15 million views on Facebook.

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Artist

L E A R N

C A M I L L E A . B R O W N – A R T I S T I C S TAT E M E N T

As a choreographer, I am interested in that space between dance and theater where interdisciplinary work defies category and takes flight. Music and rhythm are the main driving forces of my work. Informed by my music background as a clarinetist, I create choreography that utilizes musical composition as storytelling. I am interested in telling stories – historical and personal – and am fascinated with tying history to my personal experiences and bringing those things to life.

By creating a vocabulary that fuses African, hip-hop, jazz, modern, tap, ballet, theater, original music compositions, and African American social dances, my work often provides a platform to educate people about their origins while also exploring universal themes through movement. My company and I aim to present authentic performances that foster cultural and educational dialogues among audiences and local communities while instilling a sense of curiosity and appreciation for the live arts experience in a social and aesthetic context. We strive to build young and scholarly advocates who will help build appreciation for the field of contemporary dance within communities of color and develop our sphere of influence for cultural dialogue and reflection. Through our work, we seek to speak to people, make them feel good, provoke, engage, and inspire.

Let’s begin!

Artist O N L I N E : G E T T I N G T O K N O W C A M I L L E A . B R O W N & D A N C E R S

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L E A R N

Camille A. Brown chats with GoldDerby editor Daniel Montgomery about her experience choreographing Once on This Island and Jesus Christ Superstar in this video.

Follow Camille A. Brown on Twitter at @CamilleABrown

Art Form

L E A R N

D A N C E

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M OV E M E N T

Choreography is the series or combination of movements that creates these fundamental patterns in time and space. Like words in a sentence, the individual movements are just as important as the product of their combination. In dance, there are many different types of movement. Here are some options to explore as you think about dance.

T Y P E

Sustained

Percussive

Swinging

Suspended

Collapse

Explosive

D E F I N I T I O N

An even release of energy that stays constant, either fast or slow, but not both.

Sudden bursts of energy that start and stop quickly.

A drop of energy into gravity that sustains and follows through.

This is the movement at the end of a swing, before gravity takes over.

A sudden and complete release of energy, like fainting and either of the full body or a single body part.

A gathering of energy that is released as a burst of one huge sudden action, either of the full body or a single body part.

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Art Form

L E A R N

D A N C E

E L E M E N T S

The elements of dance — easily remembered with the use of the acronym BEST: Body, Energy, Space, and Time — can be helpful guides in watching or thinking about dance (Cornett, C., 1999. The Arts as Meaning Makers. Person Education, Inc.)

B O DY

Parts:Head, shoulders, elbows, hands, knees, feet, etc.

Isolation:Movements restricted to one area of the body such as the shoulders, rib cage or hips

Shapes:Curved/angular, small/large, flat/rounded

Actions:(Non-locomotor) Stretch, bend, twist, rise, fall, circle, shake, suspend, sway, swing, collapse or (Locomotor) walk, run, leap, hop, jump, gallop, skip, slide

Locomotor:Movements that occur in general space when a dancer moves place to place

Non-locomotor:Movements that occur in a person’s space with one body part anchored to one spot and that are organized around the spine or axis of the body

E N E R GY

Force:Smooth or sharp

Weight:Heavy or light

Strength:Tight or relaxed

Flow:Sudden or sustained, bound or free

S PA C E

Level:Low, middle, high

Levels:The height of the dancer in relation to the floor. When a dancer is at a low level, a part of his torso might touch the floor; when a dancer is at a high level, he might be in the air or on his toes

Direction:Forward, backward, up, down, sideways

Size:Large or small

Destination:Where a dancer moves

Pathways:Patterns we make with the body on the floor and in the air

Focus:Where a dancer looks

T I M E

Rhythm:Pulse, beat

Speed:Pace, tempo, rate

Accent:Light or strong emphasis

Duration:Fast/slow, short/long

Phrases:Dance sentences, patterns and combinations

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Art Form

L E A R N

D A N C E

African American social dance refers to a number of dances typically done in African American communities without formal training required. Although frequently interrelated, African American social dances involve many unique vocabularies, ranging from juba to swing to the hip-hop and break-dancing of today.

Ballet originated in Europe in the 1400s and is characterized by a fluid, elegant style. Ballets often involve several dozen dancers, who tell stories of love and adventure, accompanied by an orchestra and ornate sets and costumes. Ballet is the technical foundation for many modern forms of dance.

Jazz dance developed closely alongside jazz music in New Orleans during the early 19th and 20th centuries. Jazz’s vocabulary comes from the early dances of African American slaves and also includes heavy Afro-Caribbean influences. In the 19th century, jazz was a key component of the movements featured in racist minstrel shows.

Juba originated on slave plantations as a modification of West African social dancing. Juba involves percussive noises created by the dancer stomping his or her feet and slapping the arms, face, legs, and chest. Juba heavily features body percussion because slaves were often not permitted drums; plantation owners feared they would be used to communicate secret messages.

Modern dance arose in the 19th and 20th centuries in the United States and Europe. Rejecting the ideals of ballet, modern dance incorporates many different types of music and movement to reflect contemporary ideas and issues.

Tap dance is characterized by an emphasis on the sounds of a dancer’s shoes hitting the floor. Tap is performed in shoes with pieces of metal on the heel and toe that emphasize these sounds. Tap is also rooted in early African American vernacular dance and was often featured in minstrel and Vaudeville performances. Today, a form of tap is also often used in Broadway shows.

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Performance

L E A R N

Why do we dance? To move, to let loose, to express. Why do we dance together? To heal, to remember, to say, ‘We speak a common language. We exist, and we are free.’

– C A M I L L E A . B R O W N

C A M I L L E A . B R O W N & D A N C E R S

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L E A R N

inkCamille A. Brown & DancersFriday, January 25 // 11 amPower Center

Known for high theatricality, gutsy moves, and virtuosic musicality, Camille A. Brown & Dancers soar through history like a whirlwind. Making a personal claim on history through the lens of a modern female perspective, Brown leads her dancers through dazzling excavations of ancestral stories. For this performance, she presents ink, the final installation of the company’s trilogy built on the theme of African-American identity. Ink celebrates the rituals, gestural vocabulary, and traditions that remain ingrained within the lineage of the African diaspora, from generation to generation. The work examines the culture of Black life that is often appropriated, rewritten, or silenced. From the Abolitionist movement to the Civil Rights struggle, from the Black Power movement to the emergence of hip-hop, ink explores the link between the heart of the hip-hop cultural phenomenon and our current generation’s political response to socioeconomic injustice.

Performance

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TED Fellow Camille A. Brown explores the history of African American social dance in this TED-Ed video.

O N L I N E : C A M I L L E A . B R O W N

L E A R N

Performance

Being an Audience Member

Arts Online

Writing about Live Performances with Your Students

About UMS

Credit and Sponsors

Connect

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7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S. O R G

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C O N N E C T

Being an audience member A U D I E N C E E T I Q U E T T E 1 0 1

• No talking, unless audience participation is requested by the performers.

• Avoid fidgeting and moving around in your seat during the performance. Slumping sideways blocks the view for audience members behind you, and extra movements can be distracting to your neighbors.

• Do not take flash photography. The flash can be distracting to the performers on stage.

• Turn off and put away cell phones and other electronic devices.

• If you need to cough during the performance, wait for the pause between movements of a piece or try to “bury” your cough in a loud passage of music.

• If you need assistance, please speak to a UMS usher.

• Most importantly, relax and enjoy the performance!

WHEN SHOULD I CLAP?

The audience claps to welcome the performers as they come on stage.

The audience also claps at the conclusion of each piece on the program, but not between movements of a single piece. This can be tricky, because many musical works have several movements with pauses in between. A work’s movements will be listed in the program or announced at the performance. Not sure when the piece is over? Watch the conductor, who will lower their hands at the end of the piece.

When in doubt, it’s always safe to wait and follow what the rest of the audience does.

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E N G A G I N G W I T H T H E P E R F O R M A N C E

C O N N E C T

Encourage your students to engage with and reflect on the performance by asking these questions:

• How did the performance make you feel?

• What does this performance remind you of?

• What was the most memorable part of the performance for you?

• How does this performance relate to where you live?

• During the performance, close your eyes and imagine a “mind movie” using the performance as a soundtrack. What did you see in your mind?

• Did the performance tell a specific story?

• Do you have any questions about the performance?

GLOSSARY: ELEMENTS OF PERFORMANCE

Space – venue/building, stage, distance between objects

Lighting – location of light, use of darkness, color, movement, light in the audience

Sound – sound created by voices or movements of performers and audience members, the location of the sound (behind the stage or offstage), use of musical instruments or recorded music

Movement – movement of performers, images, objects, or audience members; speed, size, or shape of movements

People:

• Dancers

• Actors

• Musicians

• Stage Crew

• Ushers

• Audience Members

Being an audience member

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C O N N E C T I N G T O O T H E R A R T F O R M S

C O N N E C T

Camille A. Brown performs ink, built on the theme of African American identity. The work examines the culture of Black life that is often appropriated, rewritten, or silenced including historical events such as the Abolitionist movement. This small sculpture demonstrates how mainstream history is interpreted, eliding African American contributions. The artist shows Abraham Lincoln and an emancipated slave, presenting Lincoln as the lone author of emancipation without referencing African American abolitionists and their struggles to end slavery.

Thomas BallEmancipation Group, 1865Bronze Bequest of Henry C. Lewis, 1895.13

Being an audience member

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Arts Online: Explore and Discover S I T E S W E S U G G E S T

C O N N E C T

UMSums.org

UMMAumma.umich.edu

THE KENNEDY CENTER, ARTSEDGEArtsEdge.org

ANN ARBOR DISTRICT LIBRARYaadl.org

NEW YORK PHILHARMONICnyphil.org

AMERICAN THEATREamericantheatre.org

DANCEMAGAZINEdancemagazine.com

NPR: NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIOnpr.org

MICHIGAN RADIOmichiganradio.org

PBS: PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICEpbs.org

NEW YORK TIMESnytimes.com

2018-19 SCHOOL DAY PERFORMANCES: ARTIST WEBSITES

JAKE SHIMABUKURO jakeshimabukuro.com

WYNTON MARSALIS wyntonmarsalis.org

JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER www.jazz.org

CAMILLE A. BROWN & DANCERS www.camilleabrown.org

ABIGAIL WASHBURN www.abigailwashburn.com

BÉLA FLECK AND THE FLECKTONES www.flecktones.com

LAS CAFETERAS lascafeteras.com

MARTHA GRAHAM www.marthagraham.org

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The following listing of literature for teens and youth was developed by the Ann Arbor District Library to connect to the 2018-2019 UMS School Day Performance Series. All titles are in circulation at the library. For more information about the Ann Arbor District Library and their programs for youth, teens, teachers and schools, visit their website.

TEEN/ADULT

The Ukulele: A Visual History by Jim BeloffThis unique text offers a history of the ukulele, how it has entered popular culture, and a resource guide for learning the instrument.

Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings (DVD)Follow Shimabukuro on his musical tours and see his hometown on Hawai’i.

Island World: A History of Hawai’i and the United States by Gary Y. Okihiro Okihiro depicts an eclectic cultural history of Hawai’i and its history of interaction with the United States.

A Woman Like Me by Bettye LaVetteBettye LaVette emerged as a talented teen from Detroit who quickly discovered the turbulent world of music, enjoying success one minute and conceding defeat in another.

African American Dance: An Illustrated History by Barbara S. GlassDiscover the various ways that African culture interacted with European influences to mold African American dance in the 20th century, complete with large photographs and illustrations.

Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty CopelandJourney into the daunting world of ballet with Misty Copeland, who began dancing from a humble background in Los Angeles at the age of 13 and emerged as a professional dancer within just one year.

Jazz (DVD)An extensive Ken Burns documentary explores the history of jazz from its beginnings through the 1990s, with narration by Wynton Marsalis and others.

Throw Down Your Heart (DVD)Béla Fleck travels to Uganda, Tanzania, the Gambia, and Mali searching for the roots of the banjo.

The Banjo: America’s African Instrument by Laurent DuboisLaurent Dubois traces the banjo from humble origins, revealing how it became one of the great stars of American musical life.

Chicano Rock!: The Sounds of East Los Angeles (DVD)A look at the generations of young Mexican-Americans who express their heritage through music.

Goddess: Martha Graham’s Dancers RememberFeatures interviews with dancers who worked under Graham, revealing the inner life of a great dance era.

Martha Graham: Dance On Film (DVD)A sampling of the work of one of the great artistic forces of the 20th century, who was a performer, choreographer, and teacher.

Recommended Reading

C O N N E C T

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Continued.

C O N N E C T

KIDS

Ukulele Hayley by Judy CoxWhen the school board decides to stop funding the music program, Haley decides to join together with her band friends to keep it afloat.

Roots and Blues: A Celebration by Arnold AdoffRead about the blues style and its reflection of American history through powerful poetry and paintings.

Musical Instruments by Ade Deane-Pratt (How Things Work Series)This hands-on book introduces main instrument families with a “How does it work?” section for each group and provides instructions for making your own instruments with household objects.

Firebird: Ballerina Misty Copeland Shows a Young Girl How to Dance the Firebird by Misty CopelandAccomplished ballerina Misty Copeland encourages a young dancer to follow her aspirations.

I See the Rhythm: A Story of African American Music by Toyomi IgusAppreciate the history of black music in America with poetic descriptions of musical styles.

Swing Sisters: The Story of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm by Karen DeansTravel back in time to 1939, when the all-female jazz band Sweethearts of Rhythm emerged from a school in Jackson, Missouri, and quickly became internationally recognized.

Jazz A-B-Z by Wynton MarsalisLearn about 26 great jazz musicians through alphabet poetry.

Marsalis on Music by Wynton MarsalisFun analogies memorably teach fundamentals of music.

Banjo Granny by Sarah Martin BusseBaby Owen’s grandmother learns that he is wiggly, jiggly, and all-around giggly for bluegrass music, so with her banjo, she travels by curious means to visit and play for him.

Danza!: Amalia Hernandez and El Ballet Foklorico de MexicoCelebrate Mexico’s rich folk dancing history and the woman who founded El Ballet Folklorico, combining traditional Mexican folk dancing with modern dance and ballet.

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan GreenbergAn introductory look at the work of Martha Graham, Aaron Copland, and Isamu Noguchi’s Appalachian Spring.

Continued.

Recommended Reading

B E P R E S E N T 25

Writing about Live Performance with Your Students

C O N N E C T

A LETTER TO PERFORMERSGrade Level: Elementary School Students (K-5)

Students will compose a personal letter to a performer from the School Day Performance. The student will write about their feelings, observations, and questions from the performance. With a teacher’s assistance, students may send these letters to the performers.

BEFORE THE PERFORMANCEDiscuss the following with your students:

1. Live Performances2. The Art Form3. The Artist4. Origin of the Art Form or Artist

DURING THE PERFORMANCETo help students organize their thoughts during the performance, encourage them to consider the following:

I Notice...I Feel...I Wonder...

Once the performance is done, have students write down their notes, observations, and reflections. They will use these notes to help them write their letters.

AFTER THE PERFORMANCEInstruct students to write a letter to the performers. In completing this exercise, students should:

• Use standard letter-writing conventions (“Dear…,” “Sincerely,”)• Mention when and where the performance took place• Use the notes they took to share their experiences, observations, and

questions with the performers

B E P R E S E N T 26

C O N N E C T

TWO THUMBS UP: WRITING A PERFORMANCE REVIEW Grade Level: Middle and High School Students (6-12)

BEFORE THE PERFORMANCEHave students, in groups or as individuals, conduct background research on the performance they will be attending. Students should research and take notes on the following:• Art Form• History of the Art Form• Terminology• The Artist• Comparisons to similar artists and art form

Some of this information may be found in this Learning Guide. For more information on artists and art forms, follow the sources in the “Sites We Suggest” and “Recommended Reading” sections of this Learning Guide.

Before the performance begins, consider the following questions:• What expectations do I have for the performance?• Do I already have an opinion about what I will experience at the performance?

DURING THE PERFORMANCEAsk students to take mental notes during the performance. As soon as the performance ends, have students write down thoughts and words that come to mind related to the performance.

Encourage students to consider these prompts:• What is striking to me? • Is it vastly different from what I thought it would be? • Has the venue transformed into something else during the performance? How? • Are there images or ideas popping into my head? What are they? • Is there something about the performance I may remember forever? What made

it so? • Is the audience quiet and drawn in to what is happening? Are they loud? Are

they interacting directly with the performers? Are the performers directly interacting with the audience?

AFTER THE PERFORMANCEInstruct students to compare their pre-performance notes to their post-performance observations and write a 2-3-page review.

Things to consider when writing a review: A critic’s job is to:

1. Share an experience – what did it feel, sound, look like? 2. Provide context – a broader frame of reference around what

happened to help the reader understand importance or significance of the experience

3. Evaluate – was it any good?

A strong review answers these three questions:1. What is the artist trying to do?2. How well are they doing it?3. Was it worth doing in the first place?

Critics typically use two modes of thought when writing a review:1. Analytical – describing the grammar of the art, its execution and

interpretation by the performers, and its historical, cultural, and social relevance; using concrete language, terminology, and facts

2. Impressionistic – describing the overall experience; using abstract language, feelings, and emotions

Encourage students to take a strong stance on aspects of the performance, just so long as they can back up their argument with evidence. If a student writes, “I didn’t like…” or “I particularly enjoyed…,” ask them to elaborate.

Writing about Live Performance with Your Students

B E P R E S E N T 27

C O N N E C T

MORE WRITING PROMPTS FOR REFLECTION, EXPLORATION, AND DISCOVERY:

• What was your overall reaction to the performance? Did you find the production compelling? Stimulating? Intriguing? Challenging? Memorable? Confusing? Evocative? Bizarre? Unique? Delightful? Meaningful? Explain your reactions.

• What themes of the play especially stood out in production? What themes were made even more apparent or especially provocative in production/performance? Explain your responses.

• Is there a moment in the performance that specifically resonated with you either intellectually or emotionally? Which moment was it, and why do you think it affected you?

• Describe the pace and tempo of the performance (e.g., slow, fast, varied). Did it feel like the pace of the production maintained your interest throughout? Were there any moments in which you felt bored, rushed, lost, or confused? What elements of the work or interpretation led you to feel this way?

• Was there a moment during the performance that was so compelling, intriguing, or engaging that it remains with you in your mind’s eye? Write a vivid description of that moment. As you write your description, pretend that you are writing about the moment for someone who was unable to experience the performance.

• How did the style and design elements of the production (e.g. sets, costumes, lighting, sound, music, if any) enhance the performance? Did anything in particular stand out to you? Why?

• What was your favorite musical selection from this performance? Why?

• During the performance, imagine a story or movie playing out in your mind, set to the music or action on stage. After the performance, write a story based on the narrative you imagined.

• All of these performances involve one or more performers on stage at any given moment. Which performer did you relate to the most? Why?

Writing about Live Performance with Your Students

B E P R E S E N T 28

About UMS

C O N N E C T

UMS was selected as one of the 2014 recipients of the National Medal of Arts, the nation’s highest public artistic honor, awarded annually by the president of the United States at the White House to those who have “demonstrated a lifetime of creative excellence.” The National Endowment for the Arts oversees the selection process.

One of the leading performing arts presenters in the country, UMS is committed to connecting audiences with performing artists from around the world in uncommon and engaging experiences. With a program steeped in music, dance, and theater, UMS presents approximately 60-75 performances and over 100 free educational activities each season.

At UMS, diversity is embraced as both a powerful educational resource and a guiding value for all our work. Our educational philosophy is dedicated to multidisciplinary artistic and educational experiences that represent a range of cultural traditions and viewpoints. Understanding our similarities and differences informs our culture, our values, and helps us navigate the world. By learning together, we can discover something new and extraordinary about each other. Throughout our K-12 Education Season, we invite educators and students to celebrate diversity in order to inform, strengthen, and unite us as community.

UMS EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT

STAFF

MATTHEW VANBESIENUMS President

JIM LEIJADirector of Education and Community Engagement

SHANNON K. FITZSIMONS MOENCampus Engagement Specialist

TERRI PARKEducation Coordinator

EMILIO RODRIGUEZCommunity Programs Manager

ALLIE TAYLOR Student Staff

LEVANA WANGStudent Staff

B E P R E S E N T 29

Las Cafeteras by Rafa Cardenas

2 0 1 7 - 1 8 S C H O O L D AY P E R F O R M A N C E S

C O N N E C T

Jake Shimabukuro, ukulele Wednesday, November 7, 11 am

Big Band HolidaysJazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis Wednesday, November 28, 11 am

inkCamille A. Brown & DancersFriday, January 25, 11 am

Echo in the ValleyBéla Fleck and Abigail WashburnThursday, February 7, 11 am

Las CafeterasThursday, February 21, 11 am

Martha Graham Dance CompanyFriday, April 26, 11 am

Wynton Marsalis by Joe Martinez

Camille A. Brown & Dancers by Marina Levitskaya

About UMS

B E P R E S E N T 30

UMS YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAM SUPPORTERS: ($5,000 OR MORE)

Reflects donations to UMS education programs recognized at $5,000 or more, made between July 1, 2017 and May 1, 2018

Anonymous

Arts Midwest Touring Fund

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

Jim and Patsy Donahey

DTE Energy Foundation

David and Jo-Anna Featherman

Eugene and Emily Grant Family Foundation

David and Phyllis Herzig Endowment Fund

Richard and Lillian Ives Endowment Fund

Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, PLC

THE MOSAIC FOUNDATION (of R. & P. Heydon)

National Endowment for the Arts

New England Foundation for the Arts

PNC Foundation

Mary R. Romig-deYoung Music Appreciation Fund

Prudence and Amnon Rosenthal K-12 EducationEndowment Fund

Stout Systems

UMS Ambassadors

University of Michigan Credit Union

University of Michigan

Thank You! C R E D I T S A N D S P O N S O R S

C O N N E C T

WRITTEN & RESEARCHED BY Sean Meyers and Terri Park

EDITED BY Terri Park

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PROVIDED BY Pamela Reister (UMMA) & Kayla Coughlin (Ann Arbor District Library)

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

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U M S. O R G