Lesson Two
(Option B): Tracy Pfeiffer, Girl At the Party

In the video Contemporary Traces, Tracy Pfeiffer's dance and choreographic interests include the merging of modern dance and theatre. In the following three dance excerpts, we observe her using music as a starting-point, and working with props and using text as inspiration for her work.

• continue to develop an understanding
of how dancers and choreographers acquire, transform and convey ideas

• continue to use dance terminology when discussing, analysing and interpreting their dance experiences

Discuss the dance elements observed in Just a Body Moving Through Space, in which music is used as a starting-point for the dance. Pfeiffer informs the viewers that she started this piece by working with the musicians, responding to the music, jamming, improvising, and playing off the rhythms and energy of the music. She then developed various dance phrases and continued to rework her ideas. Pfeiffer states that her work has become more abstract over the years. What do the students think that she means by this statement and how might a move towards more abstraction be seen in dance? Encourage the use of dance terminology in this discussion. Use an anecdotal record-keeping form or checklist to record students' contributions.

• examine the relationships between their own ideas and those of other artists

• continue to demonstrate understanding of ways in which the elements of dance and principles of composition are used and organized to affect expression and meaning

• continue to analyse the use of form in the dances they view

Tracy Pfeiffer and Elaine Hanson are working with props in Modern Dancers Lose Their Marbles. Ask students to recall other dances they have seen or created that have involved the use of props. Have they ever used props as the starting-point or central focus of their own work? If so, how did this relationship between dancers and objects affect the dance-making process?

Text/narration and dance are combined in Girl At the Party. Discuss the dance using the "Responding to Arts Expressions" process. Refer to "Checklist for Evaluating Students' Responses to Arts Expressions" in the Evaluation section. Pfeiffer tells the viewers that she thought the story of the car accident was tragic, so she worked for a depth of emotion and desperation. Have students note the use of repetition and gesture in their discussions or in writing. What effect do these have on the piece? What effect does the narration have? Ask the students to analyse the way the dance has been organized. Can they recognize the form of the dance?

Getting Ideas for Dance

• continue to develop an understanding
of how dancers and choreographers acquire, transform and convey ideas

Remind the students that the theme for this module is "Where do we go from here?". Students in Arts Education 30 may be in the process of preparing for their graduation ceremony. This event will mark a significant stage or passage in their lives. Ask students to brainstorm a list of other events that mark significant stages in people's lives.

Suggestions for significant events might include the following: birth, birthday parties, entering kindergarten, learning to ride a bike, losing the front teeth, graduating from grade eight, falling in love for the first time, getting a driver's license, graduating from high school, going to university, getting a job, coping with a serious illness, getting married or divorced, winning a sports event or other competition, changing jobs, giving birth, entering a nursing home, losing a loved one, baptisms, funerals, buying a first house, having grandchildren, retiring, etc. Note that in some traditional Aboriginal cultures, people refer to four stages of life: infancy, childhood, adulthood and old age or the age of wisdom. Many of the traditional symbols incorporated in clothing, objects and images represent these four stages.

Recording Ideas for Dance

• explore, develop and convey their own ideas and intentions through dance

Using the above list and other related ideas, ask students to think of ideas for a dance composition that could reflect one or more important life stages. Ask them to record their dance ideas in their dance journals by jotting down quick sketches, notes or concept maps.

In the video excerpts, both Poitras and Pfeiffer included examples of dances that evolved in some way from the use of text (poem and story) and music. Some dances incorporated props. Suggest that some of the students consider including text or narration, a specific style or piece of music, or props in their dance ideas.

• provide reasons for their answers, ideas, responses or choices (CEL: CCT)

• respect, understand and empathize with the language, thoughts, artistic expressions and viewpoints of others (CEL: C)

Ask students to write down a brief explanation of their initial ideas for their proposed dances.

Following the completion of this task, ask for a few volunteers to describe some dance ideas that could evolve from their sketches or writing. Save these ideas for future dance-making activities.