The Art and Fundamentals of Choreography - Choreographic Project - Sample - 2012

The Art and Fundamentals of Choreography - Choreographic Project - Sample - 2012

Choreographic Project Proposal
By
Sample

Contents• Introduction
• Proposal
• Projected Cost
• Production
• Story Board
• Open Forum

Colour Me Trini’

Introduction

Independence Day and Republic Day are two national festivals of Trinidad and Tobago that are included as topics to be taught in our schools’ curriculum through Social-Studies History, English Language and most importantly the Arts. For me these topics are vital to nationalistic growth of any citizen of a country. I consider meaningful education experiences in a school setting, as one way of ensuring that the future citizens (our student population) of Trinidad and Tobago acquire the necessary knowledge and life skills to promote and maintain a sense of national pride. This, will inadvertently benefit the country in the long run. Hence the reason why this proposal is targeted towards the form 4 Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) students in our education system.
Its intention through the constructivist approach to learning is to expose them to as many stimulating cultural experiences as possible using the various Art forms as the main tool in the process. The ground work will be laid via field trips, so that they are able to access a content base, from which they can formulate ideas for the creation and implementation of a performance seminar, entitled ‘Colour Me Trini’. Their final product will then be used as a catalyst to educate others about the characteristics and importance of being a valuable citizen/ (Trini’).


Process of learning for this project
My interaction with the nation’s youth on a daily basis has brought me to the realization that, students are not processing their learning outcomes in a meaningful way. Through conversations and personal observation students display a lack of self motivation, a low sense of purpose, a low sense of appreciation ultimately resulting in a low sense of self.
For me this poses a grave cause for concern. In the next 10 years these same students will be integrated into our society. What will be our predicament? A visionless cohort of citizens. Poplin (1991) an education theorist, states that the reasons children do not learn are four fold:

1. Insufficient involvement in learning
2. Insufficient previous experience
3. Insufficient interest
4. Mis-matched previous experience

So how can this be addressed, how can learning be made worthwhile for students?
It is purported that Constructivist practices in the class room help students make deeper more meaningful knowledge constructions. Constructivist believe that certain activities and environmental enrichments can enhance the meaning –making process, such as active learning, using kinesthetic, visual and auditory modalities, creating opportunities for dialogue , fostering creativity and providing a rich safe and engaging learning environment.(Brooks and Brooks 1996). This theory of learning in my opinion is ideal to adopt for the planning process of my project.

Objectives:
The following objectives are hoped to be achieved, by using the constructivist learning approach whereby students will
• Arouse their national consciousness, their cultural identity
• Do collaborative learning and deep personal introspection into their learning process , affording them a greater sense of self
• Through hands on experiences become sensitize to the nation-building contributions they can make as citizens.
• Via the Art forms, creatively use the colours red, white and black to produce a viable product that promotes nationalism
My proposal

The Colour Me Trini’ initiative is broken up into three parts; Field trips, Performance and an Open Forum

Experience through field tripsIt is said that experience is the best teacher… the socio economic background of some of these students affords them little or no interaction with anywhere other than their home and school environment, it is therefore necessary in keeping with the whole constructivist approach and the intent of the project that they are afforded the opportunity to experience.
I propose for the school year 30 VAPA students (i.e. students who chose to do either one of these subjects Visual Arts , Music Dance and Drama at CXC level) in form four will be taken on at least two field trips for the first two terms. Proposed destinations are: The Pan Factory, The National Museum, The Pitch Lake, A Mas Camp and /or any available Cultural Show (Best Village Schools’ Dance or Drama Festivals, Ramleela, Hosay etc.). This will give them a sense of their country’s resources, rich heritage and valuable accomplishments, and also appeal to their sense of national pride. From these experiences, (aided by the teacher) they will, through, journaling/ photography/ video, document their observations and reflections.
At the end of the first and second terms, they will do presentations in groups based on their findings, conceptualizing their presentations based on the psychology of the National Colours, Red White and Black. These presentations along with the stimulus will use any of the Art forms to creatively showcase their interpretation of what they experienced. This will be done within a classroom setting and may extend to other classes in the school upon request by the teacher/s.

Projected costs are all estimated: Transport for the year…$7000.00
Materials for presentation (stationary, pictures, fabric etc.)…$2000.00

Production Seminar: Preparation

Working from the theme /title ‘Colour Me Trini’ they will use ideas from their previous presentations to inform the production. In the third term of the school year, students will work in groups of ten and be assigned various production tasks, facilitated by 6 teachers from the VAPA department; poster and ticket design, set design, costume/make up design, performing (dance, act, sing), musical accompaniment, sourcing guest artistes, and technical crew (audio and lights).The proposed venue: Learning Resource Centre UWI St Augustine
Projected cost for the overall running of the production: $50,000.00
Intended Sponsors: Ministry of Education, PanTrinBago, BP, Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism, Businesses within the catchment area of the school.

Story board for performance

• Blackout: Voices of young persons having a conversation, Topic: What it means to be Trini as a youth of this country.
• Spot light on dancer (Embodying T & T) from upstage right moving backwards on the lowest plane.
• Dancer with arms raised as if holding a ‘bois’ cue for voiceover (Ms. Pearl Eintou Springer reading her poem).
• Dancer upstage centre, stands strong weight on both feet with one arm extended upwards , clenched fist
• 10 dancers in red drape her with red fabric (symbolic of the sacrifices made by our ancestors).
• 10 dancers create different tableaux depicting the struggle…9 in a crouched position huddled together.•
• White fabric falls from a fly upstage, embodiment of Trinidad rolls and escapes
• Washer women and men,7 persons in white with oars in both hands encircle four dancers in red
• 7 other dancers in white with buckets in a kneeling position scrubbing
• 7 pairs of dancers with interlocking arms
• Lone steel pan man centre stage dressed in black (symbolic of our culture which is the power of our identity)
• 12 dancers in red,white and black two groups of five stand on a diagonal line with their legs apart.

Open forum:
Target audience will be Secondary school student forms 1 to 6.
Performers re-enter and sit on the apron of the stage.
The floor is open for the audience to share their thoughts on what was seen.
They are then asked the question, what does it mean to be Trini’? Answers are documented and projected on a screen.
From the list, we collectively (by a raise of hands), separate into what are positives and negatives characteristics of a valuable Trni one who can help in the building and sustaining of a better nation