Teacher Guide
Introducing The Nutcracker with Prima Princessa Nutcracker
Hello Teachers and Parents!
We are about to explore the wonderful world of classical ballet and learn all about one of the most famous ballets ever created, “The Nutcracker”. Through our 60 minute DVD “Prima Princessa Presents The Nutcracker” you will learn the story of “The Nutcracker” ballet and learn some basic ballet steps too. Our show features real professional ballet footage narrated by a cartoon ballerina so children can easily follow the story.
“The Nutcracker” is a famous romantic ballet that celebrates the magic of Christmas. This ballet is set to music written by Peter Tchaikovsky. It’s the story of a young girl named Clara. On Christmas Eve Clara dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and their magical journey to the Land of Sweets.
This Study Guide is designed for use in conjunction with watching “Prima Princessa Presents The Nutcracker,” and also as a great introduction before attending a live ballet performance.
Our goal in creating the Prima Princessa series is to inspire the love of ballet in children and grown-ups alike, and to encourage everyone to get up and dance and then to go see live ballet in the theater.
Objectives of this Guide:
Students will:
• Learn the story of “The Nutcracker” ballet and where it came from
• Learn about the main characters of “The Nutcracker”
• Learn the basic facts about the theater.
• Learn how people become a professional ballet dancers.
• Identify the music composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and his other works
• Understand that classical ballet is a creative way to tell a story through music and movement
• Become familiar with the history of ballet and classical music
• Learn how to develop an appreciation for ballet and classical music
While viewing the DVD, students will be able to do basic dance movements, which will enhance their appreciation of ballet. These moves are demonstrated by a combination of pre-school children and pre-teen ballet students from School of American Ballet, the official academy of the New York City Ballet. Make sure to clear space in the classroom for movement or show program in a gym.
Procedure:
Outline of Lesson Plan for “Prima Princessa Presents The Nutcracker”
Day 1:
Class Discussion: “The History & Story of ‘The Nutcracker’ Ballet”
Watch Feature: (approx. 10 min.) Part 1 of Act 1 & Passé Dance Lesson
Day 2:
Class Discussion: “An Introduction to Classical Ballet” & “Discover the Theater”
Watch Feature: (approx. 10 min.) Part 2 of Act 1 & Glissade Dance Lesson
Day 3:
Class Discussion: “An Intro to Classical Music” & “Becoming a Ballet Dancer”
Watch Feature: (approx. 10 min.) Act 2 and following Sauté Dance Lesson
Optional Day 4:
Nutcracker Theme Holiday Party.
Host a class Holiday Party featuring activities from the Bonus Features
LESSONS
LESSON: “The History & Story of ‘The Nutcracker’ Ballet”
History of “The Nutcracker” Ballet
Creating a ballet takes lots of people working together. A famous Russian composer named Peter Tchaikovsky wrote the music to the “The Nutcracker”. The music in “The Nutcracker” is Romantic style. The Romantic Period of history occurred in Europe during the 1800s. Writers and artists of the Romantic Period of history sought to convey deep emotions and the awe-inspiring beauty of nature in their works. The choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov designed the dances in the ballet. The written story or libretto of this ballet is based on the story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffman.
“The Nutcracker” was first shown in at a theater in Russian in 1892. This ballet has two acts and takes place on Christmas Eve. It is one of the most popular ballets today and is shown across the country and the world during the Christmas holiday season.
The Life of Composer Peter Tchaikovsky
As a boy growing up in Russia during 1800s, Tchaikovsky loved music and excelled at his piano lessons. His parents, however, sent him away to college to study to be a civil servant, thinking it would be a more stable career than a musician. Tchaikovsky graduated and became a civil servant, but eventually and against the wishes of his parents, he decided to pursue his love of music and enrolled in music school. He went on to become very famous composer during his time, and his work is still performed today. “The Nutcracker” as well as his two other ballets “Swan Lake” and “The Sleeping Beauty” are still performed around the world today.
Summary of the Plot of “The Nutcracker” Ballet
The first half of Act I opens with a big festive party on Christmas Eve which is hosted by the parents of a young girl named Clara. At the party Clara’s mysterious Uncle Drosselmeyer gives her a magical nutcracker. Clara is very excited to receive such a wonderful gift. After bedtime when all the guests have gone back home, Clara sneaks back downstairs to visit her nutcracker. She falls asleep by the Christmas tree. Clara dreams her nutcracker comes to life and turns into a handsome prince.
In the second half of Act I, together Clara and the Nutcracker Prince with his army of solders battle and defeat an evil Mouse King and his troops. To celebrate the defeat of the Mouse King, Clara and the Nutcracker Prince head off on a magic journey. Their first stop is to meet the Snow Queen who along with her court, dances for Clara and the Nutcracker Prince.
In Act II Clara and the Nutcracker Prince travel to the Land of Sweets and meet the Sugar Plum Fairy. A big celebration is held in honor of Clara, the girl who helped to defeat the evil Mouse King. Many different types of dancers perform for Clara. The ballet ends with Clara waking up back home on Christmas morning to her loving family.
Questions to ask children after reading lesson:
1. Can you remember the name of the little girl in the ballet? (Clara)
2. Where did the idea for “The Nutcracker” ballet come from?” (a story)
3. What special place do Clara and the Nutcracker Prince go to in Act II?” (Land of Sweets)
LESSON: “An Introduction to Classical Ballet”
Classical ballet is the most formal ballet style and requires years of practice and training. Classical ballet is most known for pointe work, which is when a ballerina goes up on the point of her toes in “toe-shoes.” Dancing on your toes in toe-shoes make the ballerina look like she is floating, and flying, effortlessly almost like magic. So, dancing in toe-shoes is a very special thing that is only found in Classical ballet.
Did you ever wonder why ballet terms are all in French? Well, it’s because classical ballet comes from France, and the original French words are still used to day in dance classes all over the world, no matter what language you speak.
The first official classical ballet school and classical ballet company were formed about 400 years ago, in France by King Louis XIV. Back then there was no cable TV, no movies, no CD players, ipods or Radio stations. People entertained themselves by performing for each other, and the most special place of honor to perform was for the King in his court.
To encourage more dance and better dance, the King of France, created the ballet school Academie Royale de Danse and the Ballet de l”Opera, better know today as the Paris Opera Ballet. He then built the Paris Opera Theater where the Paris Opera Ballet would perform for all the French noble men and visitors.
Did you ever wonder why dancers never speak or sing on stage? Ballet is a way of telling a story through movement. Dancers do not talk on stage. Ballets are often classic storybook tales that are explained through the dancers emotions and movements, and this is called pantomime. Each classical ballet tells a story, often a love story, but instead of words dancers use their entire bodies to express themselves. When they are sad, they move very slowly and sadly to slow and sad music, and when they are happy their entire bodies jump for joy and show happiness to quick moving fun music.
Classical ballet is performed on a stage, in front of an audience, usually with a live orchestra of musicians playing their instruments in the orchestra pit in front of the stage. On the stage, there will be stage sets and lights. By using sets and lighting the stage can look like any place the designer wants; for example sets can make a stage look like a forest in one act and then be changed to like a castle ballroom in another act.
Ballet dancers have special costumes and make-up to help them look like the characters that they are pretending to be. One type of costume that you often see in Classical Ballet is a tutu. Ballerinas wear tutus fluffy skirts that are often sparkly and quite short so the audience can see their leg and footwork easily. Costumes can transform a ballerina to look like a queen, a fairy, a cat, a doll, anything that the imagination can create.
Classical Ballet and the use of toe-shoes spread throughout the world, and became very popular in Russia, Italy, Germany, France, England, and eventually in the United States too.
Questions to ask children after reading lesson:
1. What country was the first classical ballet school created in? (France)
2. What language is used for ballet terms? (French)
3. What is one special thing that classical ballet has that other dance forms do not have? (toe-shoes)
4. What is pantomime? (Pantomime is the art of using your body to tell a story, instead of speaking.)
LESSON: “What Is Theater?”
Basic Overview of the Theater
Theater is when performers perform live in a specific spot, usually on a stage, in front of an audience. An audience is a group of people who watch a performance. Most often actors perform imaginary stories, but sometime these stories can be real. They may tell these stories through dance and music only like in ballet or they may also use words which is then called drama.
Theaters are often indoors, but can also be outdoors. The stage is on one end and the audience generally has chairs in front of the stage. Stages can be very complicated depending on the production. Generally there is a big curtain in front of the stage. When the curtain opens you see all the actors or dancers and the sets. What you don’t see is the space hidden behind the stage and to the left and right of the stages. These areas are called the wings and are where more actors props, costumes, and sets are hidden until it is their turn to go on stage.
Attending a live theater performance is very exciting. Generally, you will buy your tickets ahead of time. Your ticket, unlike in the movies where you sit wherever you like, tells you what seat you are to sit in. During the performance you need to sit still and no talking so that everyone can concentrate and hear the performance. Performances are divided into parts called acts. The curtain closes or the lights are turned off between acts so that sets can be moved around and new actors or dancers come onstage without the audience seeing. When the curtain lifts the actions starts again.
In the middle of a show there is a short break of about 15 minutes called an intermission. During intermission the audience members can get up and stretch, go out to the lobby to purchase a snack or go to the bathroom. When the show is over the cast will come out and take their bows. The audience claps for them. If the audience really loved the show they will often stand up in their seats clapping which is called a standing ovation.
Common Theater Terms:
Director:
A director tells the actors what to do and leads the choice of costumes and sets. In ballet the director is called the Artistic Director. The artistic director tells the dancers how to dance certain dances and how to act out without any words certain actions.
Props: These are items that actors use on stage to make their characters seem more real. A parasol, a fan and the Nutcracker doll are all examples of props in the “The Nutcracker”.
Costumes: These are the clothes that actors or dancers wear on stage. Ballet costumes need to look like certain characters, and they also must be made in such a way that dancers can dance in them. Tutus, short skirts of tulle, with tighter leotard tops, are the main costumes of ballerinas in ballets. In “The Nutcracker” there are all sorts of costumes. Dancers get dressed up like mice, solders, flowers, snow fairies and even a genie.
Sets: Sets help give the audience a sense of where the performance is taking place. These sets can often be very elaborate and takes months to build or sometimes they can be as simple as just one table and chair. There are lots of sets in “The Nutcracker”. Between acts when the curtains have closed everyone has to work really hard to switch to the new sets. In “The Nutcracker” the sets even move while onstage! These type of sets are mechanical.
Rehearsal & Dress Rehearsal
Rehearsals are when the actors and/or dancers practice the show. It takes many rehearsals for them to learn their parts. A dress rehearsal is the last rehearsal done before opening night. For this rehearsal the actor and/or dancers will wear their costumes.
Opening Night
This is the first night that the show opens.
Break a leg
This is a expression in the theater which means “Good Luck!”
Moving around on a stage:
Actors use terms “Stage Left”, “Stage Right”, “House Left”, “House Right”, “Upstage” and “Downstage” to move around the stage. They use these special terms because they are facing a different direction than the audience so their left, right, up and down are different than what the audience’s. Using these terms prevents them from getting mixed up.
Upstage is the part of the stage furthest from the audience.
Downstage is the part of the stage closest to the audience.
Stage Right and Stage Left are an actor’s right and left when he is facing the audience.
House Left and House Right are the sides of the stage an audience sees when sitting in its seats facing a stage.
Questions to ask children after reading lesson:
LESSON: “An Introduction to Classical Music”
Classical music is usually performed with classical ballet, but not always. European “classical music” is different from non-European musical forms because the music is written by a system called staff notation, which the speed and rhythm of the music is written down on paper. They are actually a series of lines, called the staff. The staff has round circles drawn onto it, and these circles s are called notes. Notes represent specific sounds. This is actually a classical music language, like you and I speak English and write with the alphabet to make words, musicians write with notes on a staff.
The actual term “classical music” did not come about until very recently, about 200 years ago, in the year 1836. The Oxford English Dictionary actually invented the term “Classical Music.”
The writers of the Oxford English Dictionary were trying to describe a specific period of time the “golden age of music” during which time some the world’s greatest composers lived and worked, from Johann Sebastian Bach to Ludvig Von Beethoven. Years later, Peter Tchaikovsky, who wrote the music to “The Nutcracker”, was one of the most famous classic music composers ever to come from Russia.
Questions to ask children after reading lesson:
1. Who wrote the music to “The Nutcracker”? (Tchaikovsky)
2. How do you write down classical music so that people can read it? (On paper with a system called staff notation)
3. Where did the term “classical music” come from? ( Oxford English Dictionary)
4. Can you name some other classical music composers that you have heard? (Bach, Beethoven are two examples)
LESSON: “Becoming a Ballet Dancer”
Becoming a ballet dancer is a long process that takes lots of hard work and training. Children usually start training in ballet starting about 6 or 7 years of age. They attend ballet class once or twice a week. The older they get the more they start going to class until they are taking class every day.
In ballet class girls wear tights, leotards and ballet slippers. Boys will wear special dance t-shirts, ballet pants and ballet slippers. Girls need to pull their hair back so it does not get in the way. No dangling jewelry in class either as that can get in the way of dancing as well. Girl dancers eventually progress to dancing in toe-shoes. A dancer’s feet need to be strong enough and their skill advanced enough before they can start dancing in toe-shoes.
Older students will often tryout for more advanced ballet schools which are run out of ballet companies in cities across the countries. Some of these schools are even boarding schools like The School of American Ballet in New York City which is the official academy of the New York City Ballet. SAB was founded in 1934 by the famous choreographer George Balanchine and dance lover Lincoln Kirsten. At the time, all the best ballet schools were in Europe and these two men saw the need to create a great ballet school in America.
After they graduate from these schools, they audition to dance with a ballet company and soon get to dance all sorts of amazing ballets in front of live audiences. A ballet company is an organization that puts on live ballet performances. In a ballet company there are principal dancers who dance the major roles and then there are corps de ballet dancers who generally dance together in groups as a back ups to the principal dancers.
Questions to ask children after reading lesson:
What is the name of the shoe that young dancers start out wearing? (ballet slippers)
Why do girls need to pull their hair back during class? (so it does not get in the way while they dance)
What is one type of dancer in a ballet company? (principal or corps de ballet)
OPTIONAL: “Nutcracker Theme Holiday Party”
Optional: Host a Nutcracker theme holiday party as a way to celebrate the end of this unit. Below are descriptions of each bonus feature and how each can be used in a class setting. We have provided an outline for a party incorporating these bonus features, but feel free to pick and choose, mix and match these bonus features as you see fit for your class.
Bonus Feature: Holiday Party
This 5-minute bonus feature shows children at a holiday party making cookies and decorating a gingerbread house. This feature is a great one to show if you plan to have a class party to cap off the end of watching “Prima Princessa Presents The Nutcracker”. We suggest decorating gingerbread houses at the class party. You can buy pre-made ones at craft and grocery stores.
Bonus Feature: Holiday Crafts
This 5-minute feature shows kids making cut-out paper snowflakes, paper garland chains and paper fans. We recommend you select one craft to do with the class. Watch this feature a few times to become familiar with the techniques.
Bonus Feature: Holiday Freeze Dancing
This 5-minute bonus feature is high energy and should be done in a gym or somewhere with lots of space to move around. This activity is designed to get children up and moving and experiencing dance in creative, inspiring manner.
In this feature children dance around as the music plays and when it stops they must freeze in place. Start by having your students freeze dance to this feature so they can learn how freeze dancing works. After the feature is over we suggest playing your own choice of music and starting and stopping the music manually creating a freeze dance experience.
Bonus Feature: Arm Positions & Port de Bras
This bonus feature is set to the music “Waltz of the Flowers” from “The Nutcracker”. It demonstrates basic ballet arm movement exercise with a flower motif. We recommend that children do the movements as they watch this feature to really absorb the lesson. It can be repeated several times so children start to absorb actual movements.
We are about to explore the wonderful world of classical ballet and learn all about one of the most famous ballets ever created, “The Nutcracker”. Through our 60 minute DVD “Prima Princessa Presents The Nutcracker” you will learn the story of “The Nutcracker” ballet and learn some basic ballet steps too. Our show features real professional ballet footage narrated by a cartoon ballerina so children can easily follow the story.
“The Nutcracker” is a famous romantic ballet that celebrates the magic of Christmas. This ballet is set to music written by Peter Tchaikovsky. It’s the story of a young girl named Clara. On Christmas Eve Clara dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and their magical journey to the Land of Sweets.
This Study Guide is designed for use in conjunction with watching “Prima Princessa Presents The Nutcracker,” and also as a great introduction before attending a live ballet performance.
Our goal in creating the Prima Princessa series is to inspire the love of ballet in children and grown-ups alike, and to encourage everyone to get up and dance and then to go see live ballet in the theater.
Objectives of this Guide:
Students will:
• Learn the story of “The Nutcracker” ballet and where it came from
• Learn about the main characters of “The Nutcracker”
• Learn the basic facts about the theater.
• Learn how people become a professional ballet dancers.
• Identify the music composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and his other works
• Understand that classical ballet is a creative way to tell a story through music and movement
• Become familiar with the history of ballet and classical music
• Learn how to develop an appreciation for ballet and classical music
While viewing the DVD, students will be able to do basic dance movements, which will enhance their appreciation of ballet. These moves are demonstrated by a combination of pre-school children and pre-teen ballet students from School of American Ballet, the official academy of the New York City Ballet. Make sure to clear space in the classroom for movement or show program in a gym.
Procedure:
- It is recommended that this Study Guide be done in 4 parts and done over 4 days in conjunction with viewing the DVD, “Prima Princessa Presents The Nutcrcaker”.
- Lessons “An Introduction to Classical Ballet” & “An Introduction to Classical Music” are also featured in the guide to “Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake”. If you have not shown the “Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake” DVD and used its study guide we suggest you either present these two lessons first before starting this program or incorporate them into days 2 & 3. If you have already covered these lessons simply omit them.
- If possible, clear a space for children to dance along with the show or set up a screen in the school gym.
Outline of Lesson Plan for “Prima Princessa Presents The Nutcracker”
Day 1:
Class Discussion: “The History & Story of ‘The Nutcracker’ Ballet”
Watch Feature: (approx. 10 min.) Part 1 of Act 1 & Passé Dance Lesson
Day 2:
Class Discussion: “An Introduction to Classical Ballet” & “Discover the Theater”
Watch Feature: (approx. 10 min.) Part 2 of Act 1 & Glissade Dance Lesson
Day 3:
Class Discussion: “An Intro to Classical Music” & “Becoming a Ballet Dancer”
Watch Feature: (approx. 10 min.) Act 2 and following Sauté Dance Lesson
Optional Day 4:
Nutcracker Theme Holiday Party.
Host a class Holiday Party featuring activities from the Bonus Features
LESSONS
LESSON: “The History & Story of ‘The Nutcracker’ Ballet”
History of “The Nutcracker” Ballet
Creating a ballet takes lots of people working together. A famous Russian composer named Peter Tchaikovsky wrote the music to the “The Nutcracker”. The music in “The Nutcracker” is Romantic style. The Romantic Period of history occurred in Europe during the 1800s. Writers and artists of the Romantic Period of history sought to convey deep emotions and the awe-inspiring beauty of nature in their works. The choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov designed the dances in the ballet. The written story or libretto of this ballet is based on the story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffman.
“The Nutcracker” was first shown in at a theater in Russian in 1892. This ballet has two acts and takes place on Christmas Eve. It is one of the most popular ballets today and is shown across the country and the world during the Christmas holiday season.
The Life of Composer Peter Tchaikovsky
As a boy growing up in Russia during 1800s, Tchaikovsky loved music and excelled at his piano lessons. His parents, however, sent him away to college to study to be a civil servant, thinking it would be a more stable career than a musician. Tchaikovsky graduated and became a civil servant, but eventually and against the wishes of his parents, he decided to pursue his love of music and enrolled in music school. He went on to become very famous composer during his time, and his work is still performed today. “The Nutcracker” as well as his two other ballets “Swan Lake” and “The Sleeping Beauty” are still performed around the world today.
Summary of the Plot of “The Nutcracker” Ballet
The first half of Act I opens with a big festive party on Christmas Eve which is hosted by the parents of a young girl named Clara. At the party Clara’s mysterious Uncle Drosselmeyer gives her a magical nutcracker. Clara is very excited to receive such a wonderful gift. After bedtime when all the guests have gone back home, Clara sneaks back downstairs to visit her nutcracker. She falls asleep by the Christmas tree. Clara dreams her nutcracker comes to life and turns into a handsome prince.
In the second half of Act I, together Clara and the Nutcracker Prince with his army of solders battle and defeat an evil Mouse King and his troops. To celebrate the defeat of the Mouse King, Clara and the Nutcracker Prince head off on a magic journey. Their first stop is to meet the Snow Queen who along with her court, dances for Clara and the Nutcracker Prince.
In Act II Clara and the Nutcracker Prince travel to the Land of Sweets and meet the Sugar Plum Fairy. A big celebration is held in honor of Clara, the girl who helped to defeat the evil Mouse King. Many different types of dancers perform for Clara. The ballet ends with Clara waking up back home on Christmas morning to her loving family.
Questions to ask children after reading lesson:
1. Can you remember the name of the little girl in the ballet? (Clara)
2. Where did the idea for “The Nutcracker” ballet come from?” (a story)
3. What special place do Clara and the Nutcracker Prince go to in Act II?” (Land of Sweets)
LESSON: “An Introduction to Classical Ballet”
Classical ballet is the most formal ballet style and requires years of practice and training. Classical ballet is most known for pointe work, which is when a ballerina goes up on the point of her toes in “toe-shoes.” Dancing on your toes in toe-shoes make the ballerina look like she is floating, and flying, effortlessly almost like magic. So, dancing in toe-shoes is a very special thing that is only found in Classical ballet.
Did you ever wonder why ballet terms are all in French? Well, it’s because classical ballet comes from France, and the original French words are still used to day in dance classes all over the world, no matter what language you speak.
The first official classical ballet school and classical ballet company were formed about 400 years ago, in France by King Louis XIV. Back then there was no cable TV, no movies, no CD players, ipods or Radio stations. People entertained themselves by performing for each other, and the most special place of honor to perform was for the King in his court.
To encourage more dance and better dance, the King of France, created the ballet school Academie Royale de Danse and the Ballet de l”Opera, better know today as the Paris Opera Ballet. He then built the Paris Opera Theater where the Paris Opera Ballet would perform for all the French noble men and visitors.
Did you ever wonder why dancers never speak or sing on stage? Ballet is a way of telling a story through movement. Dancers do not talk on stage. Ballets are often classic storybook tales that are explained through the dancers emotions and movements, and this is called pantomime. Each classical ballet tells a story, often a love story, but instead of words dancers use their entire bodies to express themselves. When they are sad, they move very slowly and sadly to slow and sad music, and when they are happy their entire bodies jump for joy and show happiness to quick moving fun music.
Classical ballet is performed on a stage, in front of an audience, usually with a live orchestra of musicians playing their instruments in the orchestra pit in front of the stage. On the stage, there will be stage sets and lights. By using sets and lighting the stage can look like any place the designer wants; for example sets can make a stage look like a forest in one act and then be changed to like a castle ballroom in another act.
Ballet dancers have special costumes and make-up to help them look like the characters that they are pretending to be. One type of costume that you often see in Classical Ballet is a tutu. Ballerinas wear tutus fluffy skirts that are often sparkly and quite short so the audience can see their leg and footwork easily. Costumes can transform a ballerina to look like a queen, a fairy, a cat, a doll, anything that the imagination can create.
Classical Ballet and the use of toe-shoes spread throughout the world, and became very popular in Russia, Italy, Germany, France, England, and eventually in the United States too.
Questions to ask children after reading lesson:
1. What country was the first classical ballet school created in? (France)
2. What language is used for ballet terms? (French)
3. What is one special thing that classical ballet has that other dance forms do not have? (toe-shoes)
4. What is pantomime? (Pantomime is the art of using your body to tell a story, instead of speaking.)
LESSON: “What Is Theater?”
Basic Overview of the Theater
Theater is when performers perform live in a specific spot, usually on a stage, in front of an audience. An audience is a group of people who watch a performance. Most often actors perform imaginary stories, but sometime these stories can be real. They may tell these stories through dance and music only like in ballet or they may also use words which is then called drama.
Theaters are often indoors, but can also be outdoors. The stage is on one end and the audience generally has chairs in front of the stage. Stages can be very complicated depending on the production. Generally there is a big curtain in front of the stage. When the curtain opens you see all the actors or dancers and the sets. What you don’t see is the space hidden behind the stage and to the left and right of the stages. These areas are called the wings and are where more actors props, costumes, and sets are hidden until it is their turn to go on stage.
Attending a live theater performance is very exciting. Generally, you will buy your tickets ahead of time. Your ticket, unlike in the movies where you sit wherever you like, tells you what seat you are to sit in. During the performance you need to sit still and no talking so that everyone can concentrate and hear the performance. Performances are divided into parts called acts. The curtain closes or the lights are turned off between acts so that sets can be moved around and new actors or dancers come onstage without the audience seeing. When the curtain lifts the actions starts again.
In the middle of a show there is a short break of about 15 minutes called an intermission. During intermission the audience members can get up and stretch, go out to the lobby to purchase a snack or go to the bathroom. When the show is over the cast will come out and take their bows. The audience claps for them. If the audience really loved the show they will often stand up in their seats clapping which is called a standing ovation.
Common Theater Terms:
Director:
A director tells the actors what to do and leads the choice of costumes and sets. In ballet the director is called the Artistic Director. The artistic director tells the dancers how to dance certain dances and how to act out without any words certain actions.
Props: These are items that actors use on stage to make their characters seem more real. A parasol, a fan and the Nutcracker doll are all examples of props in the “The Nutcracker”.
Costumes: These are the clothes that actors or dancers wear on stage. Ballet costumes need to look like certain characters, and they also must be made in such a way that dancers can dance in them. Tutus, short skirts of tulle, with tighter leotard tops, are the main costumes of ballerinas in ballets. In “The Nutcracker” there are all sorts of costumes. Dancers get dressed up like mice, solders, flowers, snow fairies and even a genie.
Sets: Sets help give the audience a sense of where the performance is taking place. These sets can often be very elaborate and takes months to build or sometimes they can be as simple as just one table and chair. There are lots of sets in “The Nutcracker”. Between acts when the curtains have closed everyone has to work really hard to switch to the new sets. In “The Nutcracker” the sets even move while onstage! These type of sets are mechanical.
Rehearsal & Dress Rehearsal
Rehearsals are when the actors and/or dancers practice the show. It takes many rehearsals for them to learn their parts. A dress rehearsal is the last rehearsal done before opening night. For this rehearsal the actor and/or dancers will wear their costumes.
Opening Night
This is the first night that the show opens.
Break a leg
This is a expression in the theater which means “Good Luck!”
Moving around on a stage:
Actors use terms “Stage Left”, “Stage Right”, “House Left”, “House Right”, “Upstage” and “Downstage” to move around the stage. They use these special terms because they are facing a different direction than the audience so their left, right, up and down are different than what the audience’s. Using these terms prevents them from getting mixed up.
Upstage is the part of the stage furthest from the audience.
Downstage is the part of the stage closest to the audience.
Stage Right and Stage Left are an actor’s right and left when he is facing the audience.
House Left and House Right are the sides of the stage an audience sees when sitting in its seats facing a stage.
Questions to ask children after reading lesson:
- Why do you think curtains are necessary for shows? (Sets can be moved behind a curtain without the audience seeing.)
- What is the difference between sets and costumes? (Actors wear costumes. Sets are structures placed on stage to create a sense of a certain place.)
- What do you call and actors left? What do you call an audience member’s right? (stage left, house right)
LESSON: “An Introduction to Classical Music”
Classical music is usually performed with classical ballet, but not always. European “classical music” is different from non-European musical forms because the music is written by a system called staff notation, which the speed and rhythm of the music is written down on paper. They are actually a series of lines, called the staff. The staff has round circles drawn onto it, and these circles s are called notes. Notes represent specific sounds. This is actually a classical music language, like you and I speak English and write with the alphabet to make words, musicians write with notes on a staff.
The actual term “classical music” did not come about until very recently, about 200 years ago, in the year 1836. The Oxford English Dictionary actually invented the term “Classical Music.”
The writers of the Oxford English Dictionary were trying to describe a specific period of time the “golden age of music” during which time some the world’s greatest composers lived and worked, from Johann Sebastian Bach to Ludvig Von Beethoven. Years later, Peter Tchaikovsky, who wrote the music to “The Nutcracker”, was one of the most famous classic music composers ever to come from Russia.
Questions to ask children after reading lesson:
1. Who wrote the music to “The Nutcracker”? (Tchaikovsky)
2. How do you write down classical music so that people can read it? (On paper with a system called staff notation)
3. Where did the term “classical music” come from? ( Oxford English Dictionary)
4. Can you name some other classical music composers that you have heard? (Bach, Beethoven are two examples)
LESSON: “Becoming a Ballet Dancer”
Becoming a ballet dancer is a long process that takes lots of hard work and training. Children usually start training in ballet starting about 6 or 7 years of age. They attend ballet class once or twice a week. The older they get the more they start going to class until they are taking class every day.
In ballet class girls wear tights, leotards and ballet slippers. Boys will wear special dance t-shirts, ballet pants and ballet slippers. Girls need to pull their hair back so it does not get in the way. No dangling jewelry in class either as that can get in the way of dancing as well. Girl dancers eventually progress to dancing in toe-shoes. A dancer’s feet need to be strong enough and their skill advanced enough before they can start dancing in toe-shoes.
Older students will often tryout for more advanced ballet schools which are run out of ballet companies in cities across the countries. Some of these schools are even boarding schools like The School of American Ballet in New York City which is the official academy of the New York City Ballet. SAB was founded in 1934 by the famous choreographer George Balanchine and dance lover Lincoln Kirsten. At the time, all the best ballet schools were in Europe and these two men saw the need to create a great ballet school in America.
After they graduate from these schools, they audition to dance with a ballet company and soon get to dance all sorts of amazing ballets in front of live audiences. A ballet company is an organization that puts on live ballet performances. In a ballet company there are principal dancers who dance the major roles and then there are corps de ballet dancers who generally dance together in groups as a back ups to the principal dancers.
Questions to ask children after reading lesson:
What is the name of the shoe that young dancers start out wearing? (ballet slippers)
Why do girls need to pull their hair back during class? (so it does not get in the way while they dance)
What is one type of dancer in a ballet company? (principal or corps de ballet)
OPTIONAL: “Nutcracker Theme Holiday Party”
Optional: Host a Nutcracker theme holiday party as a way to celebrate the end of this unit. Below are descriptions of each bonus feature and how each can be used in a class setting. We have provided an outline for a party incorporating these bonus features, but feel free to pick and choose, mix and match these bonus features as you see fit for your class.
- Do a one of the craft activities featured in the bonus features.
- Share special holiday foods.
- Do “Freeze Dancing” bonus feature in a gym as it requires lots of space.
- Do “Arm Positions and Port de Bras” bonus feature at the end of the party. This feature is a good way to slow children down after the high energy “Freeze Dance Feature”. Children stand in place and simply move their arms along to the feature.
Bonus Feature: Holiday Party
This 5-minute bonus feature shows children at a holiday party making cookies and decorating a gingerbread house. This feature is a great one to show if you plan to have a class party to cap off the end of watching “Prima Princessa Presents The Nutcracker”. We suggest decorating gingerbread houses at the class party. You can buy pre-made ones at craft and grocery stores.
Bonus Feature: Holiday Crafts
This 5-minute feature shows kids making cut-out paper snowflakes, paper garland chains and paper fans. We recommend you select one craft to do with the class. Watch this feature a few times to become familiar with the techniques.
Bonus Feature: Holiday Freeze Dancing
This 5-minute bonus feature is high energy and should be done in a gym or somewhere with lots of space to move around. This activity is designed to get children up and moving and experiencing dance in creative, inspiring manner.
In this feature children dance around as the music plays and when it stops they must freeze in place. Start by having your students freeze dance to this feature so they can learn how freeze dancing works. After the feature is over we suggest playing your own choice of music and starting and stopping the music manually creating a freeze dance experience.
Bonus Feature: Arm Positions & Port de Bras
This bonus feature is set to the music “Waltz of the Flowers” from “The Nutcracker”. It demonstrates basic ballet arm movement exercise with a flower motif. We recommend that children do the movements as they watch this feature to really absorb the lesson. It can be repeated several times so children start to absorb actual movements.
Ballet Resources for Kids
Prima Princessa Kids Shows with Real Ballet & Ballet Lessons Available On DVD or Download
Prima Princessa The Nutcracker
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Dance along and enjoy the fun! Prima Princessa's kids shows feature world-class ballet narrated by an animated ballerina. Practice dance steps you just watched performed on stage with ballet students from the School of American Ballet, the official academy of the New York City Ballet. These Kids Shows for ages 3 to 6. Prima Princessa presents The Nutcracker features the England's Birmingham Royal Ballet, Prima Princess presents Sleeping Beauty features the Royal Ballet of London, Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake features the Paris Opera Ballet. Be a Ballerina Now with Prima Princessa!
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