Join us live from the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the campus of University of Missouri St. Louis as MADCO (Modern American Dance Company) demonstrates the creative process at work. Artists regularly use skills such as abstracting, pattern forming, dimensional thinking,
empathizing, modeling, non-verbal communication, group cooperation and hard work. Your students will see how some of these skills are used in dance and will participate in activities that get their creative juices flowing.
The morning program is targeted to students in grades 3-8 and will feature MADCO’s work titled “Disconnect.” “Disconnect” was created in 2011 by choreographer Todd Weeks, composer Matt Henry and sculptor Allen Christian. The dance addresses our growing relationship with technology and our decreasing interest in interpersonal communication.
The afternoon program is targeted to grades 6-12. Choreographer Joseph Mills joins us from New York to discuss the development of his work “Reflections in the Well of Solace” which was inspired by the events of 9/11. This abstract work demonstrates how art can document history,
serve as a memorial and promote emotional healing.
About the Dance Company
Modern American Dance Company, more affectionately known as MADCO, is the Professional Dance Company in Residence at the University of Missouri St. Louis. Founded in 1976, MADCO has a commitment to using dance to entertain and to educate. Dance International Magazine described MADCO as “an army of terrific young dancers with flat-out physicality and exacting discipline, while never forgetting entertainment value.” The company reaches over 30,000 people annually with its concert performances, community outreach and its popular
in-school residencies, “Books in Motion.” For more information go to www.madcodance.com.
Program Objectives:
1. The participant will be introduced to the concept of abstraction
and how choreographers discover simplicity in complexity by eliminating
all but a few essential characteristics.
2. The participant will engage in movement activities and games that
demonstrate the power of creative thinking and group cooperation.
3. The participant will be encouraged to look at things from different
points of view and to express them in their own unique way.
4. The participant will interact with arts professionals to discover
there are many jobs in the arts both on and off stage.
5. The participant will observe professional dancers at work through
viewing excerpts of the featured dances.
6. The participant will gain an enhanced appreciation for dance and
art and for the skills required for success.
Participant Preparation:
1. Participants do not need to have any experience in dance or the
arts.
2. Teachers are encouraged to use some of the pre-program activity
suggestions to get students thinking about how dance, music, art and
literature reflect current events.
3. Participants should think in advance of questions they wish to ask
the artists.
4. Participants should have pencil and paper ready to use during the
program to jot down ideas and additional questions as they come to mind.
5. Teachers should have 3-4 objects available on the day of the event
that can be used in an exercise about creative thinking. They should be
everyday objects that are small enough to hold and examine but big
enough so all the participants can see what you are working with. The
objects should be durable enough that students can move them around in
different ways and use them for unintended purposes.
Pre-Program Activity Suggestions:
For the morning program of students grades 3-8:
1. Have students graph the amount of time per day they are interacting
with any piece of technology (tv, radio, iPod, telephone, gaming
systems, computer) versus the time they are only interacting with other
people. Compare and discuss the data.
2. Discuss the difference between literal and abstract. Show and
discuss pictures of literal and abstract paintings. Ask your students
how a musician or a dancer might express images in the pictures? Have
your students look at the pictures and develop a short story based on
some aspect of the picture.
3. MADCO is a modern dance company. Talk about modern dance and/or
modern art in general. Show video clips of each type of dance form.
Contrast and compare modern dance to other dance forms including ballet,
hip-hop, tap, or ballroom. Ask which style would be most fun to try.
For the afternoon program of students grades 6-12:
1. Review the events that took place on September 11, 2001. Ask your
students where they were, how old they were and what they were doing on
that day? Discuss how there are events in history that affect us so
greatly we can recall exactly what we were doing (Martin Luther King
assassination, Kennedy assassination and 9/11.) Have them ask an adult
what they were doing on September 11, 2001 and share the stories with
the class.
2. Discuss how we often try to build memorials or come up with ways to
honor people who are directly affected by events in history such as
9/11. Ask your students how a painter, musician, sculptor, dancer or
writer might use their skills to depict an event.
3. Discuss the difference between literal and abstract. Ask students if
they were designing a piece of art to honor 9/11 victims, would it be
literal or abstract? What images would they use? What would they make?
How would their work contribute to honoring or helping us remember what
happened that day?
Program Format:
As noted earlier, the morning program is targeted to students in grades
3-8 while the afternoon program is targeted to students in grades 6-12.
The morning program is designed to give students an appreciation for
dance and to witness how an idea becomes a dance. Targeted to an age
group who has never lived without cell phones, computers and video
games, MADCO uses this familiar subject matter to encourage students to
examine the role technology plays in their lives.
The afternoon program focuses on the more mature subject matter of
9/11. On the 10th anniversary of this monumental event, students will
be introduced to the role artists play in honoring and preserving
history. We’ll also explore the concept of “story” to see how it is
created through art, music and dance. The pace of the program, inclusion
of student questions, and level of discussion will be targeted to the
grade levels of each program. In both the morning and afternoon
programs, the following elements will be included:
Welcome and Introduction—Welcome student groups, introduce guests and
give background information on MADCO. The dancers will show a short
dance in its entirety to allow students to see the dancers in full
action executing the final product of a dance.
2. Brief Discussion – We will have a brief discussion about how one
can think of choreographers much like writers. First, you decide what
you want to write about then you get your ideas on paper with a rough
draft. You might be satisfied with your first draft. You may want to
make many drafts where you make changes, additions, corrections and get
feedback from others who read what you have written. Eventually you end
up with a final version. Student questions will be included.
3. Creative Thinking Game – Each group should have available several
everyday objects. We will have 3 volunteers from each classroom who
will hold up their object. The person holding the object has to use
their imagination to come up with something else the object could be or
be used for other than its intended purpose. For example, a student
holding a pencil could demonstrate rotating it like a helicopter blade
and say, “It’s a helicopter blade.” The object is passed to the next
person who comes up with a new imaginary use for the object. This fun
game is exercise in broadening the imagination, a necessary skill for
creativity. Each participating classroom and the live audience will have
a group playing the game. Each group will use a different object.
4. Dance, Discussion and Questions—The program will then proceed
through interaction with the creators of “Disconnect” (AM) and
“Reflections in the Well of Solace” (PM). Discussion, live performance
and taped excerpts will be used to share how MADCO artists use dance as
a tool to comment on current events.
Students will have the opportunity to share their thoughts about what
they saw in each performance and ask questions of the dancers and
choreographers.
5. Closing Segment--Including summary of topics discussed and final
questions from students.
Post-Program Activity Suggestions:
For the morning program of students grades 3-8:
1. Have students compare their previous understanding of and views on
dance to what they think now as a result of participating in the
program. What surprised them the most? What reinforced what they
already believed? What new insights did they gain into the world of
dance? Have students share their thoughts in class discussion, journal
entries, or written reports.
2. If you did not have an opportunity to do all of the pre-program
activities with students, consider having individual students or the
entire class do some of them now.
3. Have students discuss what they noticed about the stories told
through dance. Did they think the dance and music for each story went
together well? Why or why not? What kind of work do they think was
necessary to put such a performance together? What kind of effort did it
take? What kind of teamwork would be necessary to create a successful
performance?
4. Have your students try to go one day without technology and be
specific about what they shouldn’t use.
5. Provide your students with one theme for a source of inspiration.
It could be a season, an event, or a place. Allow them to express the
theme in any way they like including dance, music, drawing, or writing.
Share their creations and discuss the variety and uniqueness of the work
that is all based on one idea!
For the afternoon program of students grades 6-12:
1. Have students compare their previous understanding of and views on
dance to what they think now as a result of participating in the
program. What surprised them the most? What reinforced what they
already believed? What new insights did they gain into the world of
dance? Have students share their thoughts in class discussion, journal
entries, or written reports.
2. If you did not have an opportunity to do all of the pre-program
activities with students, consider having individual students or the
entire class do some of them now.
3. Have your students work in groups to design a tribute to the
victims of 9/11. Encourage them to get creative.
Featured National Standards:
National Dance Standards
1. Content Standard: Identifying and demonstrating movement elements
and skills in performing dance
2. Content Standard: Understanding the choreographic principles,
processes, and structures
3. Content Standard: Understanding dance as a way to create and
communicate meaning
4. Content Standard: Applying and demonstrating critical and creative
thinking skills in dance
7. Content Standard: Making connections between dance and other
disciplines
National Visual Arts Standards
4. Understanding visual arts in relation to history and culture
6. Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
Featured State Standards (Missouri):
Schools from across the country are invited to join in the program.
Missouri state standards are provided for Missouri schools since partial
funding for this program comes from Missouri organizations. Partial
funding for this program comes from Missouri Arts Council.
Communication Arts 5. Comprehending and evaluating the content and
artistic aspects of oral and visual presentations (such as
story-telling, debates, lectures, multimedia productions)
Communication Arts 6. Participating in formal and informal
presentations and discussions of issues and ideas
Social Studies 6. Knowledge of the relationships of the individual and
groups to institutions and cultural traditions
Fine Arts 1. Knowledge of process and techniques for the production,
exhibition or performance of one or more of the visual or performed arts
Fine Arts 3. Knowledge of the vocabulary to explain perceptions about
and evaluations of works in dance, music, theater and visual arts
Fine Arts 4. Knowledge of interrelationships of visual and performing
arts and the relationships of the arts to other disciplines
Fine Arts 5. Knowledge of the visual and performing arts in historical
context
Program Keywords:
Dance, art, fine arts, visual arts, theater, music, ballet, modern
dance
Vocabulary Words:
Abstract
Literal
Supplemental Resources:
For more information about Modern American Dance Company go to
http://www.madcodance.com/.
Cancellation Policy:
Since there may well be a waiting list for interactive participation,
we ask that you let us know of your need to cancel as soon as you know.
Technology Specifications:
This program will be bridged through our state bridging agency,
MOREnet. When you register for the program, please include the IP
address of the VC unit you’ll be using to connect to the program. This
information is needed to send to MOREnet to arrange your test call with
them prior to the program. As part of the confirmation you’ll receive
after we get your registration and IP information, we’ll send you the
details for the test call with MOREnet. Validation test calls must be
completed by September 22 to finalize your participation in the program.
Tim Gore
Interactive Coordinator
HEC-TV
www.hectv.org
live@hectv.org
314.531.4455
empathizing, modeling, non-verbal communication, group cooperation and hard work. Your students will see how some of these skills are used in dance and will participate in activities that get their creative juices flowing.
The morning program is targeted to students in grades 3-8 and will feature MADCO’s work titled “Disconnect.” “Disconnect” was created in 2011 by choreographer Todd Weeks, composer Matt Henry and sculptor Allen Christian. The dance addresses our growing relationship with technology and our decreasing interest in interpersonal communication.
The afternoon program is targeted to grades 6-12. Choreographer Joseph Mills joins us from New York to discuss the development of his work “Reflections in the Well of Solace” which was inspired by the events of 9/11. This abstract work demonstrates how art can document history,
serve as a memorial and promote emotional healing.
About the Dance Company
Modern American Dance Company, more affectionately known as MADCO, is the Professional Dance Company in Residence at the University of Missouri St. Louis. Founded in 1976, MADCO has a commitment to using dance to entertain and to educate. Dance International Magazine described MADCO as “an army of terrific young dancers with flat-out physicality and exacting discipline, while never forgetting entertainment value.” The company reaches over 30,000 people annually with its concert performances, community outreach and its popular
in-school residencies, “Books in Motion.” For more information go to www.madcodance.com.
Program Objectives:
1. The participant will be introduced to the concept of abstraction
and how choreographers discover simplicity in complexity by eliminating
all but a few essential characteristics.
2. The participant will engage in movement activities and games that
demonstrate the power of creative thinking and group cooperation.
3. The participant will be encouraged to look at things from different
points of view and to express them in their own unique way.
4. The participant will interact with arts professionals to discover
there are many jobs in the arts both on and off stage.
5. The participant will observe professional dancers at work through
viewing excerpts of the featured dances.
6. The participant will gain an enhanced appreciation for dance and
art and for the skills required for success.
Participant Preparation:
1. Participants do not need to have any experience in dance or the
arts.
2. Teachers are encouraged to use some of the pre-program activity
suggestions to get students thinking about how dance, music, art and
literature reflect current events.
3. Participants should think in advance of questions they wish to ask
the artists.
4. Participants should have pencil and paper ready to use during the
program to jot down ideas and additional questions as they come to mind.
5. Teachers should have 3-4 objects available on the day of the event
that can be used in an exercise about creative thinking. They should be
everyday objects that are small enough to hold and examine but big
enough so all the participants can see what you are working with. The
objects should be durable enough that students can move them around in
different ways and use them for unintended purposes.
Pre-Program Activity Suggestions:
For the morning program of students grades 3-8:
1. Have students graph the amount of time per day they are interacting
with any piece of technology (tv, radio, iPod, telephone, gaming
systems, computer) versus the time they are only interacting with other
people. Compare and discuss the data.
2. Discuss the difference between literal and abstract. Show and
discuss pictures of literal and abstract paintings. Ask your students
how a musician or a dancer might express images in the pictures? Have
your students look at the pictures and develop a short story based on
some aspect of the picture.
3. MADCO is a modern dance company. Talk about modern dance and/or
modern art in general. Show video clips of each type of dance form.
Contrast and compare modern dance to other dance forms including ballet,
hip-hop, tap, or ballroom. Ask which style would be most fun to try.
For the afternoon program of students grades 6-12:
1. Review the events that took place on September 11, 2001. Ask your
students where they were, how old they were and what they were doing on
that day? Discuss how there are events in history that affect us so
greatly we can recall exactly what we were doing (Martin Luther King
assassination, Kennedy assassination and 9/11.) Have them ask an adult
what they were doing on September 11, 2001 and share the stories with
the class.
2. Discuss how we often try to build memorials or come up with ways to
honor people who are directly affected by events in history such as
9/11. Ask your students how a painter, musician, sculptor, dancer or
writer might use their skills to depict an event.
3. Discuss the difference between literal and abstract. Ask students if
they were designing a piece of art to honor 9/11 victims, would it be
literal or abstract? What images would they use? What would they make?
How would their work contribute to honoring or helping us remember what
happened that day?
Program Format:
As noted earlier, the morning program is targeted to students in grades
3-8 while the afternoon program is targeted to students in grades 6-12.
The morning program is designed to give students an appreciation for
dance and to witness how an idea becomes a dance. Targeted to an age
group who has never lived without cell phones, computers and video
games, MADCO uses this familiar subject matter to encourage students to
examine the role technology plays in their lives.
The afternoon program focuses on the more mature subject matter of
9/11. On the 10th anniversary of this monumental event, students will
be introduced to the role artists play in honoring and preserving
history. We’ll also explore the concept of “story” to see how it is
created through art, music and dance. The pace of the program, inclusion
of student questions, and level of discussion will be targeted to the
grade levels of each program. In both the morning and afternoon
programs, the following elements will be included:
Welcome and Introduction—Welcome student groups, introduce guests and
give background information on MADCO. The dancers will show a short
dance in its entirety to allow students to see the dancers in full
action executing the final product of a dance.
2. Brief Discussion – We will have a brief discussion about how one
can think of choreographers much like writers. First, you decide what
you want to write about then you get your ideas on paper with a rough
draft. You might be satisfied with your first draft. You may want to
make many drafts where you make changes, additions, corrections and get
feedback from others who read what you have written. Eventually you end
up with a final version. Student questions will be included.
3. Creative Thinking Game – Each group should have available several
everyday objects. We will have 3 volunteers from each classroom who
will hold up their object. The person holding the object has to use
their imagination to come up with something else the object could be or
be used for other than its intended purpose. For example, a student
holding a pencil could demonstrate rotating it like a helicopter blade
and say, “It’s a helicopter blade.” The object is passed to the next
person who comes up with a new imaginary use for the object. This fun
game is exercise in broadening the imagination, a necessary skill for
creativity. Each participating classroom and the live audience will have
a group playing the game. Each group will use a different object.
4. Dance, Discussion and Questions—The program will then proceed
through interaction with the creators of “Disconnect” (AM) and
“Reflections in the Well of Solace” (PM). Discussion, live performance
and taped excerpts will be used to share how MADCO artists use dance as
a tool to comment on current events.
Students will have the opportunity to share their thoughts about what
they saw in each performance and ask questions of the dancers and
choreographers.
5. Closing Segment--Including summary of topics discussed and final
questions from students.
Post-Program Activity Suggestions:
For the morning program of students grades 3-8:
1. Have students compare their previous understanding of and views on
dance to what they think now as a result of participating in the
program. What surprised them the most? What reinforced what they
already believed? What new insights did they gain into the world of
dance? Have students share their thoughts in class discussion, journal
entries, or written reports.
2. If you did not have an opportunity to do all of the pre-program
activities with students, consider having individual students or the
entire class do some of them now.
3. Have students discuss what they noticed about the stories told
through dance. Did they think the dance and music for each story went
together well? Why or why not? What kind of work do they think was
necessary to put such a performance together? What kind of effort did it
take? What kind of teamwork would be necessary to create a successful
performance?
4. Have your students try to go one day without technology and be
specific about what they shouldn’t use.
5. Provide your students with one theme for a source of inspiration.
It could be a season, an event, or a place. Allow them to express the
theme in any way they like including dance, music, drawing, or writing.
Share their creations and discuss the variety and uniqueness of the work
that is all based on one idea!
For the afternoon program of students grades 6-12:
1. Have students compare their previous understanding of and views on
dance to what they think now as a result of participating in the
program. What surprised them the most? What reinforced what they
already believed? What new insights did they gain into the world of
dance? Have students share their thoughts in class discussion, journal
entries, or written reports.
2. If you did not have an opportunity to do all of the pre-program
activities with students, consider having individual students or the
entire class do some of them now.
3. Have your students work in groups to design a tribute to the
victims of 9/11. Encourage them to get creative.
Featured National Standards:
National Dance Standards
1. Content Standard: Identifying and demonstrating movement elements
and skills in performing dance
2. Content Standard: Understanding the choreographic principles,
processes, and structures
3. Content Standard: Understanding dance as a way to create and
communicate meaning
4. Content Standard: Applying and demonstrating critical and creative
thinking skills in dance
7. Content Standard: Making connections between dance and other
disciplines
National Visual Arts Standards
4. Understanding visual arts in relation to history and culture
6. Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
Featured State Standards (Missouri):
Schools from across the country are invited to join in the program.
Missouri state standards are provided for Missouri schools since partial
funding for this program comes from Missouri organizations. Partial
funding for this program comes from Missouri Arts Council.
Communication Arts 5. Comprehending and evaluating the content and
artistic aspects of oral and visual presentations (such as
story-telling, debates, lectures, multimedia productions)
Communication Arts 6. Participating in formal and informal
presentations and discussions of issues and ideas
Social Studies 6. Knowledge of the relationships of the individual and
groups to institutions and cultural traditions
Fine Arts 1. Knowledge of process and techniques for the production,
exhibition or performance of one or more of the visual or performed arts
Fine Arts 3. Knowledge of the vocabulary to explain perceptions about
and evaluations of works in dance, music, theater and visual arts
Fine Arts 4. Knowledge of interrelationships of visual and performing
arts and the relationships of the arts to other disciplines
Fine Arts 5. Knowledge of the visual and performing arts in historical
context
Program Keywords:
Dance, art, fine arts, visual arts, theater, music, ballet, modern
dance
Vocabulary Words:
Abstract
Literal
Supplemental Resources:
For more information about Modern American Dance Company go to
http://www.madcodance.com/.
Cancellation Policy:
Since there may well be a waiting list for interactive participation,
we ask that you let us know of your need to cancel as soon as you know.
Technology Specifications:
This program will be bridged through our state bridging agency,
MOREnet. When you register for the program, please include the IP
address of the VC unit you’ll be using to connect to the program. This
information is needed to send to MOREnet to arrange your test call with
them prior to the program. As part of the confirmation you’ll receive
after we get your registration and IP information, we’ll send you the
details for the test call with MOREnet. Validation test calls must be
completed by September 22 to finalize your participation in the program.
Tim Gore
Interactive Coordinator
HEC-TV
www.hectv.org
live@hectv.org
314.531.4455
