Objectives: The body movement of Megan McClellan and Andrew Lester conveys a story, a poem, and emotions. In this activity, think about how motion can, without anyone speaking, tell stories and narratives. You will then choreograph your own dance routine to Emily Brönte’s “Fall, Leaves, Fall” poem.
Tools/Resources: MN Original video clip, Emily Brönte’s “Fall, Leaves, Fall” poem
Activity
- Watch the segment and discuss:
a. How can dance communicate meaning?
b. How do the dancers in “The Gist” communicate meaning? How can you tell?
c. What feelings are you observing, what emotions and nuances? Why?
- Read poem
a. Read Emily Brönte’s poem aloud three times. First time, just read through, second time, discuss the metaphors, language used, meanings and explain why by citing from the poem; third time, brainstorm how you can use dance movements to convey the poem read aloud.
- Create dance
a. Working in groups of two or three if possible, create your dance choreography to the poem. One person must narrate the poem, OR, use a voice recording device to pre-record the poem read aloud.
b. Perform your finalized dance for others!
