Dear Teacher,
As Artistic Director of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre I invite you to discover our dance/theatre production of A Story BeforeTime
based on the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Creation Story. This culturally rich story is the first story of the Six Nations’
people and is the foundation of our cultural belief system and practices including song and dance. The Teacher’s
Guide is designed for Primary, Junior, and Intermediate grades and is intended to prepare students to appreciate
the live performance production and to reflect on their dance/theatre experience afterwards.
Lessons plans are organized in two categories to suit various teacher needs and preferences: Pre-Performance Lessons and
Follow-up Lessons. These comprehensive Interdisciplinary/Integrated lesson plans provide teachers with options to incorporate dance and Aboriginal culture in the classroom throughout the school year in an integrated and interdisciplinary way.
The Follow-up lessons are intended for reflecting and enriching students’ post-performance experience and understanding. Our lesson plans are guides and instruments for you to approach dance and Aboriginal culture. All lessons can be utilized in individually desired approaches or mixed and matched. A Story Before Time Teacher’s Guide aims to help students
develop their critical thinking skills and an understanding of song, dance and theatre as well as Aboriginal culture specifically
Iroquoian (Haudenosaunee).
The Teacher’s Guide was developed using Ontario curriculum expectations from Dance, Drama, Music, Visual Arts, and
Language Arts documents. The cultural information will assist in framing Iroquoian cultural concepts and practices that are
presented in communities and in A Story Before Time. The Supplementary DVD for the A Story Before Time Teacher’s
Guide will further inform you and your students about Iroquoian (Haudenosaunee) song and dance. The instructional
format will facilitate the teaching of dances in the classroom or gym. Students will be able to explore the physicality of the
Iroquoian social dances and contemporary Aboriginal dance. The visual component gives a contemporary context for the
Six Nation’s community and the songs and dances we still perform today.
Kaha:wi Dance Theatre places great importance on expanding Arts knowledge, understanding and appreciation while
encouraging cultural sharing especially for the future generation. I am honoured to have students share and learn from our
production of A Story Before Time.
Sincerely,
Santee Smith
Artistic Director, Kaha:wi Dance Theatre
A STORY BEFORE TIME
Created and Produced by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre
Artistic Director, Santee Smith
TEACHERʼS GUIDE
A Curriculum Support Document:
The Arts: Dance and Music, Language and Visual Arts, Social Studies
PROUD PARTNERS IN EDUCATION
Kaha:wi Dance Theatre
www.kahawidance.org
Santee Smith, Artistic Director
Contributing Writers:
Cheryl LaFrance, Lesson Plans
Santee Smith, Cultural Content
Editor:
Michael Pin, Elementary Program Consultant – Arts, Brant Haldimand Norfolk
Catholic District School Board
Educational Consultants:
Pam Krason, Braemar House School
Marc Richard, MA Dance, specialist Arts Education
Graphic Design:
JJ Enriquez
Videography:
Jay Film & Video Production
Sponsors:
Ontario Arts Council:
Canada Council for the Arts:
This document c 2008 Kaha:wi Dance Theatre
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A Story Before Time
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Kaha:wi Dance Theatre – Company History and Profile
5
2. The Iroquoian Creation Story: Interpretation by Santee Smith
10
3. Iroquoian (Haudenosaunee) Culture
13
4. Audience etiquette: Gentle reminders for attending a live Performance
22
5. Lesson Plans
PART ONE - Pre-performance Lesson Plans
23
PART TWO - Follow-up Lesson Plans
36
6. DVD: outline of the content
45
7. Scene Synopsis
46
APPENDICES
I. Templates of stem-sentence prompts for student responses
48
II. Template for mini-review (4-6)
51
III. Template for newspaper-style review (7/8)
53
IV. Resource links
55
A Story Before Time
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1. KAHA:WI DANCE THEATRE
COMPANY HISTORY AND PROFILE
Profile
Kaha:wi Dance Theatre (pronounced Ga-Ha-Wee) is a an artist based company founded by Artistic Director/choreographer Mohawk Santee Smith. KDT creates professional dance productions and is committed to increasing awareness
and understanding of Aboriginal culture through the work of the company. Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director has
become known for her successful blend of traditional and contemporary dance elements. This new style of dance
expression can only be described broadly as contemporary Aboriginal dance.
Statement from the Artistic Director:
Kaha:wi means “she carries” in the Mohawk language. The name Kaha:wi is an ancient traditional name of my family. It is thousands of years old and it was the name of my maternal grandmother and is also the Indian name of my daughter. This name Kaha:wi
will be passed on to other individuals in my family for generations to come. The name is timeless...it spans past, present, future. It
has sacredness attached to it and the connection to indigenous history. In the generic form, Kaha:wi means “to carry”. Therefore,
the name implies a connection to ancient Mohawk family ways and the action of carrying. Creativity and the continuation of cultural knowledge and practice is the foundation of my artistic expression.
Vision
Our vision is to be a dynamic force in Aboriginal dance in Canada and a centre for creativity, innovation, artistry and
Aboriginal expression that reflects, honours and celebrates the integrity of Aboriginal culture.
Mission
Our mission is to create, present and promote Aboriginal artistic expression to diverse audiences through the genre of
dance and its associated disciplines of music, storytelling, theatre and design, drawing inspiration from contemporary and
traditional Aboriginal dance forms.
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A Story Before Time
HISTORY
Kaha:wi Dance Theatre is founded on the artistic leadership of Mohawk artist Santee Smith. Ms. Smith is the Artistic
Director and company choreographer for KDT. She is an innovative Aboriginal artist who is bridging the gap between
contemporary and traditional dance in Canada. Under her leadership, KDT has become one of the most noteworthy Canadian contemporary dance companies. Operating as an artist-run sole proprietorship since 2001, KDT officially incorporated
into a not-for-profit organization in June 2005 with governing Board of Directors: Jamie Hill, Selma Odom and Tom V. Hill.
KDT received charitable status in 2006 and is currently located on Six Nations reserve and the National Ballet School of
Canada in Toronto, Ontario. KDT’s repertoire includes major choreographic works, A Story Before Time, Kaha:wi and Here
On Earth. In July 2006, KDT successfully presented Canada’s inaugural Living Ritual: World Indigenous Dance Festival, an event
which celebrates and promotes Aboriginal dance in Canada. In the past two years, KDT produced several new works:
A Constellation of Bones, The Threshing Floor, Sacred Spring, A Soldier’s Tale (in collaboration with The Hamilton Philharmonic
Orchestra and Theatre Aquarius), Tripped Up Blues (a commissioned work for Aboriginal Youth Dancers), and a retelling of
the Iroquois Creation Story for young audiences, A Story Before Time.
In the same period, the company completed successful tours of Here On Earth, The Threshing Floor (as a part of the
CanDance Network’s Indigenous Dancelands), A Story Before Time, and presented a mixed program at Canada Dance Festival in Ottawa to resounding success—amongst their many other performances. The company continues to provide workshops on Aboriginal movement to dance students and educators. KDT is dedicated to providing arts education through
the development of curriculum based study guides for work for young audiences. KDT is currently creating a major new
work, TransMigration inspired by the work of iconic shaman artist Norval Morrisseau.
Partnering organizations that assist KDT in fulfilling its artistic vision and mission are:The Woodland Cultural Centre, DanceWorks, Indigenous Performance Initiatives, Harbourfront Centre, NetGain Partners, The Banff Centre for the Arts, Langar
Foundation, National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation and the National Ballet School of Canada among others.
KDT would like to acknowledge the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council as well as
the Toronto Arts Council.
KDT has been featured on CBC radio and television, BravoTV, CKPC, APTN, CHTV, CityTV and in major newspapers, The
Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, Calgary Herald, The Washington Post, as well as in magazines, The
Smithsonian Institute, The Dance Current, Say Magazine, Sage, NOW, Dance International, and Native Peoples’ Magazine.
KDT and the work of Ms. Smith have been featured on Freedom” series aired on BravoTV, “The Sharing Circle” on APTN
and on “Big City, Small World” for CBC Radio One. Our current performance market includes: Canada, United States,
South America, and South Pacific.
Artistic Director Smith has been awarded Ontario Arts Council’s K.M. Hunter Award for Dance, Canada Council’s Victor
Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award for most outstanding mid-career artist in the field of dance as well as receiving the first John
Hobday Award for outstanding achievement in the field of arts management. KDT was nominated for two Dora Mavor
Moore Awards for production A Story Before Time for Outstanding Production in the Dance Division and Outstanding Performance (Ensemble) in the Dance Division in 2008. KDT dancer Brian Solomon was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore
Award for Best Performance for Here On Earth 2005. Here On Earth filming for “Dancing with Spirit” was nominated for
Gemini Award in 2008.
A Story Before Time
6
Santee Smith: B.P.E, BA Psychology, MA: Dance Artistic
Director/Choreographer: Kaha:wi Dance Theatre
Performs the Character of Sky Woman
Santee Smith is from the Mohawk Nation, Turtle Clan and lives on Six Nations Reserve, Ontario. Ms. Smith is the founding Artistic Director and choreographer for
Kaha:wi Dance Theatre. She holds a Masters Degree in Dance from York University
and has spent most of her life committed to dance and creative expression. Since
1996 she began creating her own choreography and developing a movement style
that reflects who she is as an indigenous artist. Santee creates, produces and presents her choreographic work nationally and internationally.
Santee is the recipient of the K.M. Hunter Award for Dance administered by the Ontario Arts Council. She received Canada Council’s Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton
Award for the most outstanding mid-career artist in the field of Dance in 2006 and the first-ever John Hobday Award for
Arts Management in 2008.
Santee attended the National Ballet School (1982-88). She expanded her knowledge of movement with a Kinesiology degree from McMaster University. She choreographed for The Gift, a NFB documentary in 1996 and was an integral part of
the Aboriginal Dance Project at The Banff Centre for the Arts from 1997 to 2001. As a guest teacher, Santee has taught at:
Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre, Iroquoian Indian Museum,York University, Red Roots Theatre, George Washington University, Hartwick College, Nipissing University and for numerous youth movement workshops. Santee’s choreography has
been showcased at ImagiNative Media Arts Festival, SooRyu, Iroquois Festival (NY), JakArt 2002 (Indonesia), Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival, Canadian Aboriginal Festival and the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards aired on CBS.
She presented the premiere of Kaha:wi at the Premiere Dance Theatre in Toronto, Ontario in 2004 and the Yoh Ha HeeYoh
International Tour in 2005. She was a featured choreographer for the CanDance Network’s: Indigenous Dancelands I and
II with performances at New Dance Horizons (Regina), University of Lethbridge, Peterborough New Dance,Tangente (Montreal) and Dancing On The Edge Festival (Vancouver) and the Vancouver International Dance Festival.
Under Santee’s Artistic Direction, KDT has created and produced: Here On Earth which premiered at Harbourfront Centre Theatre as a DanceWorks Co-Works event (2005); The Threshing Floor co-created with Michael Greyeyes in partnership
with Indigenous Performance Initiatives (2006), A Constellation of Bones an international indigenous collaboration which premiered at the Enwave Theatre, Harbourfront Centre as a DanceWorks Mainstage Event (2007); Woman In White solo choreography (2007); Sacred Spring presented by the Brantford Symphony Orchestra; Here On Earth tour national and
international (2007); A Story Before Time coproduction with The Banff Centre for the Arts premiere production and tour
(2007); A Soldier's Tale, a reinterpretation of Igor Stravinsky’s "L’histoire du Soldat" in partnership with Theatre Aquarius and
the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra premiered at The Great Hall, Hamilton Place (2008); Fragmented Heart: Mixed Program including Tripped Up Blues (Aboriginal youth commission) at the Canada Dance Festival, National Arts Centre in June
2008. Santee is currently in production for new work TransMigration inspired by the paintings of shaman artist
Norval Morrisseau.
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A Story Before Time
SOME OF OUR CAST MEMBERS FOR A STORY BEFORE TIME INCLUDE:
Alex Meraz
Performs the characters of Sky Being, Goose & Holder of the Heavens
Alex Meraz, of the Purepecha (Tarasco) First Nation of Michoacan, Mexico was born and raised in
Mesa, Arizona. As a graduate of the prestigious New School for the Arts, Alex has since further developed as a multi-faceted performer and artist. For 12 years Alex studied mixed martial arts, winning
numerous tournaments in karate and capoeira, which led him to train with Andy Cheng as a stuntman.
Highly sought after in the indigenous dance world, Alex is also a founding member of Dancing Earth,
directed by Rulan Tangen. His notoriety with Dancing Earth earned him the honor of being hand-picked for a troupe
selected to represent the U.S. in a performance for the Royal Jordanian family in Amman, Jordan.
Emily Law
Performs the characters of Sky Being, Hanging Flower & Raccoon
Born in Toronto, Emily was introduced to dance at the Etobicoke School of the Arts in 2000. She graduated from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre in 2007, where she formed two collectives - one with
Masuyo Higashide and Jennifer Lécuyer called cube3 and another called Octamerous. She is also a
founding member of the Toronto house dance crew Warehouse Jacks and the Toronto street dance
company Gadfly. For the last two years Emily has had the pleasure of working for the contemporary
dance company Kaha:wi Dance Theatre for many projects including a recent tour of southern Ontario, a Bravo Fact! Series,
a residency at the Banff Centre, Ontario Contact, the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival, The Power of Place festival, a
Dancemakers Centre for Creation Residency and Living Ritual World Indigenous Dance Festival. Emily has also worked with
companies such as The Chimera Project, Parahumans Dance Theatre, Piotr Biernat and Event Horizon Dance. Emily was
one of four resident artists at Sound Travels 2006 along with Julia Male.
Semiah Smith
Performs the characters of Young Hanging Flower and Fawn
Semiah Smith is from the Mohawk Nation, Turtle Clan and resides on Six Nations of the Grand River,
Ontario. She attends Independent School: Braemar House School located in Brantford and is currently in grade 5. Semiah is a featured singer on the Kaha:wi soundtrack (2003) and A Story Before Time
(2007) singing the Rabbit Dance song. Semiah is reprising her role as Hanging Flower and the Fawn in
this production of A Story Before Time. At the age of 9 she was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore
Award for Best Performance in the Dance Division (Ensemble). She enjoys playing with her animals, singing, playing piano
and drawing.
A Story Before Time
8
PRODUCTION - A STORY BEFORE TIME
Created by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre
Artistic Director/choreographer: Santee Smith
Co-produced by The Banff Centre for the Arts
Playwright: Drew Hayden Taylor
Composer/Musical Arrangement: Donald Quan
Costume/Set Design: Linda Leon
Original Lighting Design: Harry Frehner
Brief Description
The Iroquois Creation Story comes to life in A Story Before Time. Original music, dance and theatre unite to weave a rich
narrative including characters: Sky Woman, Hanging Flower, West Wind, Twin Brothers and animals. The journey begins as
a wondrous Sky World is revealed and Sky Beings dance like stars in the cosmos. It is when Sky Woman falls through the
roots of the Celestial Tree to the Water World below that Life on Turtle’s back takes shape. Sky Woman sings and dances
her world into existence. Animal characters swim across the stage and trees grow from silk as the powerful cultural story
is explained through the movement and storytelling. The exquisite musical score blends traditional Iroquoian social songs
and contemporary music incorporating both Mohawk and Cayuga languages. Visually stunning, musically rich and theatrically compelling for young audiences A Story Before Time carries metaphors, symbols, dreams and beliefs of a people. The
performance runs 50 minutes in length and is highly suitable for students in grades 1-8. The world premiere of A Story Before Time occurred as a co-production between Kaha:wi Dance Theatre and The Banff Centre for the Arts at The Margaret
Greenham Theatre during the Banff Summer Arts Festival, Banff, Alberta, 2007.
Accolades: A Story Before Time
Amazing, beautiful, balance – the performance is complete, it captures you from the beginning to the end.” - D.C . from Toronto,
ON
"I felt inspired, absorbed, happy and awestruck when I watched the dancers. My two boys (9 and 7 years) seemed quiet and
absorbed! I especially admire the expressiveness of the dancers and the creativity of the set, music, lighting and
choreography." - J.B. (mom) from Peterborough, ON
"Powerful/silent flow of dance/passionate. The essentials of all earth birth stories. My grandchildren are blessed to have
been at this "experience of expression!'" - T.F. (grandmother) from Brooklin, ON
"Polished, seamless, thought-provoking." - D.W from Warsaw, ON
"Historically, culturally and mythologically rich, beautifully danced." - J.P. from Toronto, ON
"Outstanding dance, music, storytelling. I would like to see this offered to Six Nations Schools." - P.L. from Ohsweken, ON
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A Story Before Time
2. THE IROQUOIAN CREATION STORY
INTERPRETATION BY SANTEE SMITH
A
very long time ago there existed a wondrous place called Sky World. In this world high above the clouds lived a
great nation of Sky Beings known as Sky Dwellers. Sky Beings looked exactly like human beings but their bodies
were made of light. They sparkled like stars. Sky World was the most peaceful and beautiful place in the universe. It looked
very similar to the natural world we live in today. There were trees, plants, mountains and valleys and all sorts of animals,
four legged ones and winged ones too. All the creatures lived in harmony and they cared for and loved each other. In the
middle of the Sky World grew a great celestial tree. The sacred tree shone so brightly it lit up the entire Sky World.
Many families lived in peace in the Sky World and no one ever got sick or died. Exploding Flower was a beautiful Sky Being
girl who one day became mysteriously ill. Her family grew concerned for her health and tried to make Exploding Flower well
again with medicines but nothing seemed to work so at last they decided to take her to see the Great Chief. The Great
Chief called upon the forces of Sky World to heal her and to everyone’s delight Exploding Flower became well. The Great
Chief fell in love with Exploding Flower’s beauty and soon after they were married and expecting a child.
One night in a dream, the Great Chief was visited by a Spirit. The Spirit told him of a world that existed far below Sky World.
This under world was covered with a thick blanket of clouds, an endless sea and complete darkness. The spirit explained that
Exploding Flower’s sickness was a sign that she must journey to this Lower World. The Great Chief sadly told his wife that
she must travel to the dark world far below to bring forth new life. Obeying the dream they uprooted the roots of the Celestial Tree and Exploding Flower was placed in the hole of the Sky World’s floor.
As she fell through the hole Exploding Flower grasped onto the roots of the great tree but she continued to fall. She floated
down and down into the darkness of the Water World below where only birds and water creatures lived. The hole in the
sky created a great shaft of light that partially lit up the dark Water World. The animals became alerted when they saw the
sky open up and a bright white beam of light cut through the darkness. As she fell she heard the sounds of rushing air, rattles, waves and the honk of geese. A group of geese became alarmed and flew up to investigate and discovered a beautiful
pregnant Sky Woman falling from above. Thus Exploding Flower became known as Sky Woman because she came from the
sky above. The animals and birds grew worried and wondered where she would land. They formed a great animal council
to decide what they could do to help. The geese volunteered to catch Sky Woman on their wings to soften her fall. Circling
her they joined their wings together, creating a feathery blanket to support her. Still there was nowhere for her to land. Just
in time a giant snapping turtle rose from the depths of the great sea and offered her back for Sky Woman to be placed upon.
The geese carried her gently down and Sky Woman landed safely on the great turtle’s shell.
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A shell was too hard and barren for Sky Woman to survive on. The animals decided that one of them should dive down to
the bottom of the ocean and gather earth to place on the turtle’s back. But it was a very difficult swim to the bottom of the
sea. First a Beaver dove down and the animals waited but he surfaced without the earth. Then the leader of the Otters volunteered and disappeared with a splash. Everyone waited anxiously but he too returned empty handed. Finally, it was a little muskrat that dove down last. The animals waited for a long time. Just when they were about to give up waiting for little
muskrat she surfaced with a piece of earth clutched tightly in her paw. The small amount of earth was placed on the back of
the turtle. To thank the animals Sky Woman began to sing and dance shuffling her feet all the while spreading the earth over
the turtle’s shell. From her hands and clothes and from under her finger nails dropped plants, roots and seeds that she had
carried with her from the Sky World. As she continued to spread the earth the turtle’s shell grew and grew forming an island. The turtle’s back became her home. Her home became known as Turtle Island which is also called North America.
Sky Woman gave birth to a baby daughter she named Hanging Flower. Together the mother and daughter were the only Sky
Dwellers living on Turtle Island. Hanging Flower grew up with all of the animals as her friends and guardians. They watched
over her as she ran and sang happily. Hanging Flower was full of energy, always ready to run and play, exploring far and wide.
She quickly grew into a young woman and was given a gift of a magnificent singing voice. When she sang it caused the stars
to twinkle. However, she often wished for a friend like herself. One day a Thunder Being called West Wind heard a lovely
sound as he was traveling the universe creating gusts of wind. West Wind heard the enchanting voice of Hanging Flower and
rushed to her side. Mesmerized by her voice he approached Hanging Flower. Hanging Flower was surprised and excited to
see someone who looked like her. They visited for a long time singing and dancing together. Hanging Flower was so happy
but grew weary from her adventurous day. West Wind began to sing her to sleep with his favorite lullaby. Hanging Flower
fell fast asleep and West Wind took two arrows from his leggings. One arrow was very sharp and the other one was dull.
He formed a cross with the two arrows and placed them on her stomach. With a swirl and one last gust of air West Wind
was off traveling the earth again creating winds, storms and thunder.
Awaking from a restful sleep Hanging Flower remembered her time with West Wind and then noticed the arrows. The
crossed arrows on her stomach meant that she was going to have a baby. Over the following months, the young mother’s
body changed. Together Hanging Flower and her mother, Sky Woman, eagerly awaited the birth of a child. What they did
not know was that Hanging Flower was going to have twins.
Inside her womb twin boys grew and as they grew they began to argue. There was no peace between them as they pushed
back and forth. They even quarreled about how to be born and who would be the first one. Holder of The Heavens wanted
to do be born the right way as normal children enter the world. He was the first twin to be born peacefully and perfectly.
Hanging Flower cradled him gently in her arms and sang him a loving song. His body and spirit were strong and his skin was
smooth and glowed like his Sky Being ancestors. However his twin brother named The Bent One became furious for being
born last and chose to come out in the opposite direction. Angrily he cut through his mother’s armpit with his sharp combed
head. His body was misshaped and bent over with sharp edges and he had dark flinty scales for skin.
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A Story Before Time
Sadly, Hanging Flower did not survive the birth of The Bent One. As she lay dying, Holder of the Heavens stood close to his
mother’s side watching over her as The Bent One sulked and pouted in the distance. When Sky Woman came upon them
she rushed to her daughter’s broken body. Seeing Holder of the Heavens standing over her lifeless daughter Sky Woman
thought that he was responsible for Hanging Flower’s death. The Bent One quickly pointed to Holder of the Heavens in an
accusing way. Sky Woman was over come with grief and banished Holder of the Heavens from her side. The Bent One and
his grandmother Sky Woman lived on Turtle Island together. She spoiled and cared for only The Bent One while Holder of
the Heavens had to live all alone. Holder of the Heavens buried his mother and from her body grew corns, beans and squash,
strawberries and other medicines and from her head grew sacred tobacco. Hanging Flower became known as Mother Earth.
Alone, Holder of the Heavens grew up to be truthful, creative and a powerful leader. He had a good spirit. Full of wonder
he explored Turtle Island speaking and learning from the animals that cared for and loved him. His Grandfather, the Great
Chief visited him in spirit from the Sky World and taught him how to create life. Holder of the Heavens roamed Mother Earth
creating tall beautiful trees, animals like deer and chipmunks, flowing rivers and healing medicines. Filled with hatred and
jealousy,The Bent One tried to undo all of his brother’s wonderful work and often changed or destroyed Holder of the Heavens creations. The Bent One experimented with his own creative powers and changed some of the tall trees into knotted
bushes and placed thorns and poisonous fruit on them. The Bent One’s evil spirit created dangerous rapids in the smooth
flowing rivers and he even created animals that killed the animals that Holder of the Heavens created.
On Turtle Island Sky Woman grew old and died. It was Holder of the Heavens who decided to place her head up into the
nighttime Sky where she could always watch over her daughter, Mother Earth and her grandchildren. She became known as
Grandmother Moon and she is responsible for the growth of plant life, the cycling of the seasons, the ebb and flow of the
oceans and creation of new life.
The twins continued to disagree. Holder of the Heavens did not like all of his beautiful creations being hurt and changed. He
wanted only love and peace in the world. But The Bent One did not want peace and so began the Great Argument of the
brothers. They decided to have a contest to see who would be the ruler of the earth. They battled back and forth for many
days and nights. As they wrestled, tumbled and ran their bodies created the hills, valleys and mountains on Turtle Island. Desperate to win The Bent One grabbed a spear to kill Holder of the Heavens. Using a deer antler for protection Holder of the
Heavens wounded The Bent One in self-defense. Holder of the Heavens banished his brother The Bent One to live in the
bedrock and darkness of the earth. The two brothers decided to share Mother Earth and divided the world into light and
dark.
Peace was restored and balance on Mother Earth was put into place. Later, Holder of the Heavens became known as Sonkwaiatison, for he created human beings from Mother Earth. Humans were born from a being of light…a star from the Sky World.
A Story Before Time
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3. IROQUOIAN (HAUDENOSAUNEE) CULTURE
Brief Background on the Six Nations
The Six Nations of the Grand River Territory is a First Nations reserve located in south-central Ontario. Coexisting on
the reserve are the six distinct and interdependent nations: Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Tuscarora.
There exist many names for the Six Nations people including, Iroquois, Onkwehonwe and Haudenosaunee.
The name Iroquois itself is not the traditional name for the Six Nations people. The traditional name designation is
Onkwehonwe which translates to “the real” people. Haudenosaunee translates to the People of the Longhouse and refers to the
traditional people belonging to the Iroquois Confederacy or League of Nations.
KEY CULTURAL CONCEPTS AND SYMBOLS
The Thanksgiving Address, “Ohenton Kariwahtekwen” (Mohawk)
The Thanksgiving Address translates to “The Words Before All Else” and is a prayer or speech that is recited before all major
gatherings in the Haudenosaunee community. It is significant since it outlines the ethical, moral, cosmological and spiritual relationships within the Iroquoian worldview. During the address the speaker will gather the thoughts of the people and
direct prayers and acknowledgment to the natural world such as to Mother Earth, the waters and water life,
plant world, medicines, all animals, winds, thunder, sun and moon, stars, elders unborn children, spiritual beings,
people and the Creator. The Haudenosaune people were environmentalists. By acknowledging their place within the
environment the people became the custodians, trustees, stewards and guardians of the natural world. It is our responsibility to maintain harmony and the intricate natural balance of the universe.
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A Story Before Time
The Creation Story
The Creation Story speaks metaphorically about the worldview and philosophy of its people. It is the gateway to understanding Haudenosaunee culture consciousness and perspective. The late John Mohawk articulated his understanding
of the Creation:
In the original stor y the Creator spirit was a celestial being that if you looked up to in the nighttime sky you would see this celestial being... it was a star.
Originally, the sky was where the ceremonies come from and where we come from and where ever ything comes from, according to this there
was a commnity of what they call Sky Dwellers, beings that dwell in the Sky. Some of them had a dream. They sent one here to have the dream
made come to life. We are living the dream of a being from the universe. That is why dreams are so important. So, we are the manifestations
of the universe through dreams and the universe is a manifestation of us through dreams.
The Creation story has been passed on from generation to generation within the Six Nations and Iroquoian communities as
a part of oral history. Each community and storyteller has their own version however several elemental features remain
constant:
• The presence of a Sky World
• A pregnant Sky Woman who falls to the Water World below
• Sky Woman lands safely on a giant turtle’s back
• Water animals who help Sky Woman
• Sky Woman gives birth to a daughter
• The daughter becomes pregnant by the West W ind and gives birth to twin boys.
• Birth of twin boys, Holder of the Heavenes (Teharonhiawako) and The Bent One (Sawiskera)
• Teharonhiawako later called Sonkwaiatison goes on to create man from the land
The twins Holder of the Heavens and The Bent One represent the concept of duality and balance. Learning about opposites,
duality and balance is represented in the Creation Story and in the natural world. The concepts of duality that exist with
in Iroquoian philosophy are:
• Positive (right) and negative (wrong) forces
• Light and dark
• Female and male forces
• Real/earthly world and the other/spirit world
• Life giving and life taking forces
According to the Haudenosaunee the universe is divided into female and male realms. The sun, stars, lightening and thunder a
re considered male while the plants and earth are considered female. The Haudenosaunee personify the living universe like a
family that fosters loving support and nurturing. The moon is called the Grandmother Moon, the earth is called
Mother Earth, the Sun is referred to as the eldest brother, the Stars are the seven brothers and the Thunders and
Lightening are collectively called the Grandfathers.
A Story Before Time
14
SONG AND DANCE:
Social Dances:
Brief Background and context
Embedded within all Iroquoian ceremonies are elements of oration, song and dance. It is believed that song and dance
were gifts given to the people to honour Life. The Haudenosaunee follow a calendar of ceremonial festivals that are
celebrated in the Longhouse. Traditional song and dance typically takes place in the Longhouse, private homes or in an
outdoor setting.
The following list is an example of the yearly cycle of ceremonies:
Spring:
Bush Ceremony
Maple Ceremony
Hadui /False Face Ceremony
Moon and Sun Ceremony
Summer :
Corn Sprouting Ceremony
Strawberr y Ceremony
Raspberr y Ceremony
Green Bean Ceremony
Thunder Ceremony
Corn Testing Ceremony
Fall:
Green Corn Ceremony (Three days)
Life Supporting Ceremony
Har vest Ceremony
Hadui / False face Ceremony
Winter :
Midwinter Ceremony (Nine days)
There is a distinction between sacred and social song and dance. Sacred songs and dances include: curing dances, sacred society dances, sustenance songs and dances. Social dances function as social celebrations and often end a ceremonial cycle. Social song and dances are also referred to as the Earth Songs, meaning they are man-made. Here is a full
listing of all the social dances of the Iroquois:
Standing Quiver dance, Moccassin dance, Old Moccassin dance, Robin dance, Duck dance, Alligator dance, Pigeon dance, Chicken dance, Racco
on dance, Sharpened stick dance, Ferr ying dance, Naked dance/Shake the Bush dance, Gartered dance, New Women’s Shuffle dance, Northern
dance, Scalp dance, Cherokee Stomp dance, Rabbit dance, Round dance, Friendship dance, Fish dance, Delaware Skindance and Smoke dance.
(Earth Songs)
Many of the dances are partner dances. Stylistically, song and dances are simplistic in structure to encourage participation
by all people regardless of age, gender and ability. Most dances follow the elliptical path of the earth and order of the
universe, that of a counterclockwise circle.
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A Story Before Time
DANCES AND SONGS:
Iroquois social dances can be categorized into three basic types of step styles:
• Stomp Dance - a traveling step where the right foot leads and the left foot is brought in to meet the right
• Fish Dance - a dance where each foot hits in two or more consecutive beats
• Shuffle Dance - a side-step shuffle with the right foot and the left foot shuffle oppositely
In all dances the feet “hit” or “stomp” the ground on beat with the music. Energy flow of the steps travels in a circular
pattern through the body. In a rebound quality the foot stomps and the upper body remains loose and bouncy. There
is no tension held in the body including the neck, shoulders, arms and torso. All dancers’ foot stomps should be audible and inunison.
There are specific songs for each dance style and each of the dances. The songs are learned in “Singing Societies” in the
community and are passed down through observation and participation. The song repertoire is maintained in the community
as well as the creation of new songs such as the New Women’s Shuffle. Songs structures usually come in song sets. Song sets
are performed for dances with pauses between sets.
Call and Response:
Call and response is the main song structure within the Haudenosaunee songs. The lead singer leads the song sets and
the group responds in unison to the lead. The leader is responsible for maintaining the song beat and tempo and is usually a
specialist in songs. The style of call and response encourages social cohesion and unity.
‘Vocable’ Sounds:
Most songs in the Haudenosaunee song repertoire are comprised of vocable sounds and not words/lyrics. Vocables
are short syllables that are derived from sounds within the language. Vocables allow sharing of songs regardless of
language or dialect.
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STOMP DANCE OR STANDING QUIVER DANCE (GADA:TRO:T)
The Stomp Dance called the Gada:tro:t is the first dance to be performed at a Social dance. It is also referred to as a
trotting dance because the movement resembles a fast walk. It is said that the men would sing this song as a traveling
song on their way home from hunting.
Stomp Dance Steps:
• “Stomp Dance” style of dance
• Call leader at the start of line, followed by the response call second leader and others
• All dancers follow behind in a line alternating male, female, male, female…
• Step with right foot
• Close or gather the left foot to the right foot position
• Accent the lead foot
• The stepping foot rhythm remains steady and unchanging to a heart beat rhythm of the horn rattles .
Stomp Dance Songs:
• Call leader sings the vocables or short syllables , response vocables by people behind
• Instruments include: hor n rattle
NEW WOMEN’S SHUFFLE DANCE, (EHSGA:NYE: GAE:NASE:):
The Women’s Shuffle dance honours the female connection to Creation and nature. Traveling in a counter-clockwise
circle women gather and shuffle their feet back and forth around the circle swinging their arms and accenting down to the
earth on the heart beat rhythm of the male singers and drummers. It is a joyous dance celebrating the plants, life andcreation.
New Women’s Shuffle Dance Steps:
• “Shuffle Dance” style of dance
• Women form a circle facing inward
• Travel to the right shoulder around the circle
• Keeping feet parallel twist or shuffle the feet starting with the heels accenting down to the right followed by twisting toes to the right
• Keep to the beat of the rattles and singing as tempo may change based upon the song
New Women’s Shuffle Dance Songs:
• 2 or more male singers sit in the middle of the women’s circle and sing
• Instruments include: water drum and horn rattles
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A Story Before Time
RABBIT DANCE:
The Rabbit Dance is a relatively new social dance in the Haudenosaunee communities
Rabbit Dance Steps:
• Usually female seek a male partner to start the dance
• Couples gather to form a large circle
• Partners face toward each other
• Females dance in the outside of the circle while the males stay on the inside of the circle
• Partners join hands with arms crossed (left hand holds the left hand, right hand holds the right hand)
• Each takes 2 steps forward and 1 step back together traveling on a counter-clockwise path
• At the change of beat the partners tur n a complete circle around themselves while keeping the best and the dance step continuous
Rabbit Dance Songs:
• 2 or more male singers (6-10) sit in the middle of the dance circle to sing
• Instruments include: water drum and horn rattle
• Women will sing at a higher pitch
ROUND DANCE:
Round Dance Steps:
• “Stomp Dance” style but steps are side-step only
• Dance is in a sideways motion with the lead foot stepping forward and to the side, then the other foot "catching up" to the lead foot
• At the change in beat, the dancers go in the other direction
• Women will get up and dance first forming an inner circle and the men will form an outer circle moving in the opposite direction
Round Dance Song:
• 2 or more singers, usually about 6-10, in the middle, water drum and hor n rattles
• Women sometimes join in the singing using the higher pitch
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OLD MOCCASIN DANCE (GAYOWAGA:YOH)
Old Moccasin Dance Steps:
• “Fish Dance” style of dance
• Single file, two men lead the dance, other men join in pairs
• Women join the men, two at a time and join the line between the men so that the line eventually ends up as two men, two
women, two men
• Song changes beat and the men and women switch places , so that the women that started on the inside of two men, end up on
the outside of two men
• The song ends and the partners stay where they are until the next song, and they will switch places again, when the beat changes
Old Moccasin Dance Songs:
• 2 or more singers, usually about 6-10, in the middle
• Instruments include: water drum and horn rattles
SMOKE DANCE
The Smoke Dance is a relatively new and evolving dance in the Iroquoian dance repertoire. Recently, Smoke Dance
competitions are witnessed at Inter-tribal Powwow across Turtle Island. It was originally a war dance danced only by men.
Over the past few decades while putting on "Shows" or exhibitions of Iroquoian Singing and Dancing, some singers sped
up the tempo of the old "War Dance "songs to see if the dancers could keep up.
Smoke Dance Steps:
• “Fish Dance” style with individual variations Smoke Dance Songs:
• Sung by a solo singer using only a water drum or skin dr um
MUSIC INSTRUMENTS:
Instruments include
horn rattles, turtle rattles, water drum, sticks, deer toes rattles
Body can produce rhythmic sounds
feet stomping in unison, clapping and feet shuffling
Clothing
deer toe leg bands, beads.
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A Story Before Time
OTHER BELIEFS AND SYMBOLS
Turtle Island:
Turtle Island is recognized as the continent of North America according to the Creation Story.
The Iroquois Clans system:
Social organization of the Haudensaunee people is reflected in the Clan system structure. The clans are as follows:
• Three from the Land: Deer, Wolf and Bear
• Three from the Air : Snipe, Heron and Hawk
• Three from the Water : Eel, Turtle, Beaver
Clans helped to organize family lineage and represent the connection to the animal world again establishing a kinship
relationship with the animals.
The Three Sisters:
Corn, Beans and Squash have recently become known as the main food spirits and “life sustainers” in the Iroquois
communities. In fact all plant life is honoured in ceremonial cycles. Specific ceremonial and social dances honour the
plant life and seeds, such as corn dance, bean dance, seed dance, green corn dance, strawberry dance, etc.
Circle Symbol:
The continuous circle symbol representing the natural cycles of Life is a predominant in all Haudenosaunee teachings.
Traditional dances both ceremonial and social follow the path of a circle, as a way of affirming connection to the Earth and
the natural cycles. Dancers become in sync with the rhythms of the earth.
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REFERENCES:
“Earth Songs & Descriptions.” Ohwêjagehká: Haydegaénage: Online 1999. 10 March 2003 <http://www.ohwejagehka.com/songs.htm>
Fenton, William N. Songs of the Iroquois Longhouse. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institute, 1942.
George-Kanentiio, Doug. Iroquois Culture & Commentary. New Mexico: Clear Light Publishers, 2000.
Kurath, Gertrude. Dance and Song Rituals of Six Nations Reserve, Ontario. National Museum of
Canada: Bulletin 220, 1968.
Mohawk, John. Personal video interview. 22 July 2003.
Morgan, Lewis H. League of the Ho-de-no-sau-nee,or Iroquois 1851. Ed. H. M. Lloyd, e, 2 vols., New
York City (1st ed. Rochester, 1851).
Shimony, Annmarie. Conservatism among the Iroquois at the Six Nations Reserve. Syracuse, New
York: Syracuse University Press, 1994.
Six Nations: Oldest Living Participatory Democracy on Earth. 8 March 2003
<http://www.ratical.com/many_worlds/6Nations/6nations1.html>
Six Nations of the Grand River Culture and History. 24 August 2008<http://www.icmi.ca/culture.html
Thomas, Jake. Knowledge of the Elders, The Iroquois Condolence Cane Tradition. Eds. Jose Barreiro
and Carol Cornelius. Ithaca, New York: Northeast Indian Quarterly, 1991.
Hill, B, Gillen, I, & MacNaughton, G. Six Nations Reserve. Markham, Ontario: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1987.
Woodland Cultural Centre. Reserve Communities, A Six Nation History Unit. Brantford, Ontario:
Woodland Indian Cultural Educational Centre, 1987.
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A Story Before Time
4. AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE:
Teachers need to impress upon students that in a live performance venue the performers and other audience
members are affected by the students’ behaviour (positive and negative). Please ensure that everyone attending is made aware of the following rules of etiquette:
1. Please be in your seat on time. Late arrivals will be asked to wait in the lobby until there is a suitable break
in the performance.
2. No food or drink is permitted in the theatre.
3. Please do not bring electronic devices into the theatre (including cameras, tape recorders, video recorders,
pagers, video games, or cell phones).
4. Please refrain from talking during the performance.
5. Please do not leave your seat during the performance.
Please applaud when appropriate. Performers love to be appreciated and often perform better for ‘good’
audiences. Thank you for your consideration of all performers and audience members. Live performances
work best when everyone works together.
5. LESSON PLANS
This section of the guide consists of two parts – Part One features lessons designed to be taught prior to your theatre visit,
while Part Two if comprised of lessons aimed at the post-theatre experience. All plans offer you, the teacher, the
opportunity to select lessons most relevant to your classroom situation. Note also that the lessons in this guide are linked
to the Ontario Curriculum. It is our hope that your use of the following material will provide your students with a greater
appreciation of A Story Before Time as they journey with us.
A Story Before Time
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PART ONE
PRE-PERFORMANCE LESSONS
PRE-PERFORMANCE LESSONS
PRIMARY DIVISION
Primary
(GRADES 1–3)
DANCE
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for The Arts: Dance
- Apply the phases of the Creative Process to the composition of simple dance phrases using the elements of dance with
emphasis on:
• Body (body shapes , locomotion, non-locomotion, balance, body bases)
• Space (levels , pathways , direction)
LESSON 1:
Introduce the animals from A Story Before Time and explore their specific body shapes and isolated actions.
turtle, beaver, otter, muskrat, chipmunk, deer, raccoon, geese
be sure to have students isolate various parts of the animals and create movements e.g., twitch your whole body like a
chipmunk’s tail
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PRE-PERFORMANCE LESSONS
LESSON 2:
shapes: (bent, twisted, rounded, stretched) and performing them in one spot while changing levels (high medium, low)
and moving through space (shaking, growing, spinning, contracting, expanding)
moving their shapes around the room in different directions (forwards, sideways, backwards) by various actions: jump,
leap, skip, creep, prance, move slow, fast, super slow, wiggle, slide (expect to see the muskrats do great sliding on stage!)
and with different tempi
movement to the rhythms of music: particularly drumming, or Aboriginal flute music
LESSON 3:
Introduce dance phrases.
build a vocabulary of phrases on the ABA model e.g., tall / small / tall or slow / fast / slow, wiggle high/ bend low /
wiggle high etc. emphasize beginnings and endings of a sequence of related movements
LESSON 4:
Introduce Indigenous dances appropriate to your specific grade level, using the accompanying DVD and
Section 3 of Teacher’s Guide.
Stomp Dance (Gada:tro:t): this is the foundation for understanding the Indigenous dance style
Rabbit Dance: partner dance incorporating the side “Stomp Dance” style
Round Dance: partner dance using the side “Stomp Dance” style
Old Moccasin Dance(Gayowaga:yoh): “Fishing Dance” using the 4 count step using upper body and small improvisation
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A Story Before Time
Primary
Introduce controlled movement activities involving.
PRE-PERFORMANCE LESSONS
MUSIC
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for The Arts: Music
Primary
- Apply the phases of the Creative Process to compose and perform music for a variety of purposes, applying the elements
and techniques introduced in grades 1/2/3.
LESSON 1:
Introduce vocal phrasing “vocables” and “call-and-response”, which are both characteristic of all indigenous singing. Vocables are basic language sounds that have no meaning, e.g. “Hay, Yay, Ho.” See DVD for
examples of songs: “Stomp Dance”.
These basic linguistic units as well as “call-and-response” vocal patterning to a specific rhythm, can be used to prepare for
the performance and/or to create their own songs.
present students with a “vocabulary list” of “vocable” phrases: “Hay, Yay, Ho,” and practice singing these on one or two
notes. The emphasis is on the sounds and maintaining a consistent rhythm. Using a strong drumbeat may help.
divide the class in two groups and have one group “call” a vocable phrase and then the other group respond with a
different vocable phrase and repeat
indicate to the students that they will hear vocables and call-and-response singing quite
often in the performance of A Story Before Time
LESSON 2:
Improvise drumming to a steady beat.
a group of students taps a strong drum beat while another group steps to the beat
add ‘vocable’ phrases to the drumming beat
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PRE-PERFORMANCE LESSONS
LANGUAGE AND VISUAL ARTS
- Listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum The Arts: Visual Arts
- Apply the phases of the creative process to the composition of a variety of 2D and 3D art works, using the key artistic
concepts
LESSON 1:
Adapt the “Synopsis of Scenes” provided in this package to the level of your specific class and tell them a
simplified story about the characters and main events of the Iroquoian Creation Story.
LESSON 2:
Extend this into Visual Arts by having the students draw pictures or create plasticene figures representing
some of the important symbols and/or events in the story
the Celestial Tree in Sky World,
Sky Woman falling
Turtle Island resting on the Water World below Sky World
Corn Squash and Beans sprouting from Hanging Flower’s body,
Grandmother Moon, shining on Turtle Island
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A Story Before Time
Primary
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for Language Arts - Oral Communication
PRE-PERFORMANCE LESSONS
SOCIAL STUDIES
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for Social Studies
Primary
- Use a variety of resources and tools to gather, process and communicate information about …First Nations peoples…
- Compare aspects of life in early settler communities and present day communities
LESSON 1:
Explore available resources for information about First Nations peoples in Upper Canada (both before and
after “contact” with Europeans) See the accompanying “Clan System” information in section 4 of the
teachers guide, DVD and Resource List.
LESSON 2:
Create a “T” chart during a class discussion about the differences in life style for First Nations (Iroquois)
peoples living in the Brantford Area in the 1800s versus today.
A Story Before Time
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PRE-PERFORMANCE LESSONS
JUNIOR DIVISION
(GRADES 4-6)
DANCE
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for The Arts: Dance
- Apply the phases of the Creative process to the composition of short dance pieces, using elements of dance with
emphasis on:
• Time (tempo, rhythm, pause, stillness, with or without music, duration)
• Energy (effort, force, quality)
Junior
• Interrelationships (meet, part, follow, lead, groupings)
LESSON 1:
Review the following “Body and Space” concepts from grades 1-3 as necessary
isolated animal movements, controlled shape, tempos, levels and rhythms of movement
ABA dance phrases
LESSON 2:
Introduce/review grade-appropriate principles of “Time, Energy, and Interrelationships” from the curriculum by “brainstorming and “body-storming” how trees and water and other natural elements/animals
move under different conditions
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A Story Before Time
PRE-PERFORMANCE LESSONS
LESSON 3:
In small groups create dance phrases which explore “aesthetic principles”
freeze movements to discover/demonstrate harmonious and contrasting shapes, tempi and actions
have “harmonious” shapes perform together, then “contrasting” shapes perform simultaneously
have groups perform shapes in unison, sequentially and in “canon” (like “rounds” in singing)
review and create ABA sequences
LESSON 4:
Junior
Introduce Indigenous dance pieces appropriate to your specific grade level, using the accompanying DVD
and Section 3 of Teacher’s Guide.
Stomp Dance (Gada:tro:t): this is the foundation for understanding the Indigenous dance style
Rabbit Dance: a partner dance incorporating the side “Stomp Dance” style
Round Dance: partner dance using the side “Stomp Dance” style
Old Moccasin Dance(Gayowaga:yoh): “Fishing Dance” using the 4 count step using upper body and small improvisation
A Story Before Time
30
PRE-PERFORMANCE LESSONS
MUSIC
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for The Arts: Music
- Demonstrate understanding of the socio-cultural and historical context of a variety of music genres, styles and traditions
from the past and present
LESSON 1:
Review the lessons on “vocables” in the grade 1-3 section and adapt as necessary.
LESSON 2:
Develop students’ awareness of the traditions of “vocables” and drumming in Indigenous cultures by
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exploring their use in the performance.
LANGUAGE ARTS
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for Language Arts - Oral Communication
- Listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of
purposes
LESSON 1:
Read the “Synopsis of Scenes” provided. Discuss the students’ responses and inferences regarding the “Iroquoian Creation Story” with an emphasis on:
main characters and their problems, goals, conflicts
settings in the Sky World and Water World
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A Story Before Time
PRE-PERFORMANCE LESSONS
SOCIAL STUDIES
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for Social Studies
- Describe characteristics of pre-contact First Nations cultures across Canada, including their close relationships with the
natural environment
- Identify achievements and contributions of Aboriginal people in present-day Canada (e.g. James Bartleman, Jordin Tootoo,
Douglas Cardinal, Susan Aglukark, Santee Smith, Michael Greyeyes, Norval Morrisseau, Stan Hill,Tomson Highway,Tantoo Cardinal, Drew Hayden Taylor, John Kim Bell, Elijah Harper, Phil Fontaine)
LESSON 1:
In small groups students can research and present findings on the First Nations peoples’ attitude of
Junior
“stewardship” towards the environment. See especially the NFB film “The Gift”.
LESSON 2:
Using the DVD provided, as well as library and internet resources, students can work in pairs or small groups
to research the special achievements and contributions of contemporary Aboriginal Canadians (some
suggestions listed above)
A Story Before Time
32
PRE-PERFORMANCE LESSONS
INTERMEDIATE DIVISION
(GRADES 7-8)
DANCE AND MUSIC
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for The Arts: Dance
- Apply the phases of the creative process to the composition of a variety of dance pieces, using the elements of dance.
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for The Arts: Music
- Demonstrate understanding of the socio-cultural and historical context of a variety of music
genres, styles and traditions from the past and present
LESSON 1:
Introduce Indigenous dance pieces and cultural context as appropriate to your specific grade level, using
the accompanying DVD and Section 3 of Teacher’s Guide.
Stomp Dance (Gada:tro:t): this is the foundation for understanding the Indigenous dance style
Rabbit Dance: a partner dance incorporating the side “Stomp Dance” style
Round Dance: partner dance using the side “Stomp Dance” style
LESSON 2:
Using the stimuli of music and rhythm from contemporary Aboriginal artists such as Carlos Nakai, create
short choreographic pieces emphasizing Body (weight transfer and isolation) and Time (rhythm, tempo) and
the five Aesthetic Principles: Contrast, Repetition, Variety, Unity, and Balance. (e.g. Tanya Tagaq, Derek
Miller, Ulali, Asani, Leela Gilday, powwow drum groups and contemporary Aboriginal Rap music as a
stimulus).
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A Story Before Time
Intermediate
Old Moccasin Dance(Gayowaga:yoh): “Fishing Dance” using the 4 count step using upper body and small improvisation
PRE-PERFORMANCE LESSONS
LESSON 3:
Create dance pieces that promote awareness for socio-cultural issues such as land claims or the recent Canadian government apology to Residential School survivors. Students might research news articles regarding
the federal government’s 2008 Apology or recent events around the land claims disputes in Caledonia and
Deseronto Ontario.
LESSON 4:
Explore how lighting can create dramatic effects by using an overhead projector, or other light sources readily obtainable, and “lighting” students from different directions and angles (e.g., “shin busters” from side at
low angle, and “tips” from high angle, front vs. back lighting, sample movie scenes - viewed with sound off
- which effectively use dramatic lighting).
Intermediate
A Story Before Time
34
PRE-PERFORMANCE LESSONS
LANGUAGE ARTS
Meeting expectations the Ontario Curriculum for Language Arts - Oral Communication and Writing
- Listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes
- Generate, gather and organize ideas and information to write for and intended purpose and audience
LESSON 5:
Read the “Synopsis of Scenes” provided. Discuss students’ responses and inferences regarding the “Iroquoian Creation Story” with an emphasis on:
main characters and their problems, goals, conflicts
theme of achieving balance and harmony in the world
the importance of women in this creation story
connections to other cultures’ Creation mythology
LESSON 6:
Research and analyze the structure of newspaper reviews of recent dance works with an emphasis on the
reviewer’s use of dance-element criteria for forming judgments about a performance. Review the template
in the Appendix for writing a review of a performance so that students are aware of what is required for the
Intermediate
assignment following the performance of A Story Before Time.
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A Story Before Time
PART TWO
FOLLOW-UP LESSONS
FOLLOW-UP LESSONS
PRIMARY DIVISION
Primary
(GRADES 1 – 3)
DANCE
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for The Arts: Dance
- Communicate their feelings, ideas and understandings in response to a variety of dance pieces and experiences, using the
Critical Thinking Process
TASK 1:
Students reflect on and discuss their experiences at the performance using the stem-sentences provided in
the Appendix, followed by In-class Discussions, Think-Pair-Share, Four Corners activities.
DRAMA
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for The Arts: Drama
- Apply the Critical thinking Process to communicate feelings, ideas and understandings in response to a variety of dramatic
works and experiences
TASK 1:
Students retell the story from the different points of view of various characters (e.g. Sky Woman, her daughter Hanging Flower, the twins Holder of the Heavens, The Bent One, various animal “characters”
reflecting on these interactions)
TASK 2:
Students create a dramatic role-play of a key moment in the production of A Story Before Time to help a character solve a problem, or give a character advice (e.g. the twin brothers negotiate rather than fight).
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A Story Before Time
FOLLOW-UP LESSONS
VISUAL ARTS AND LANGUAGE ARTS
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for The Arts: Visual Arts
Primary
- Apply the phases of the Creative Process to the composition of a variety of 2D and 3D art works using the key artistic
concepts (e.g., elements, principles, tools, and techniques)
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for Language Arts
- Generate, gather and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience
TASK 1:
Students draw a picture or create a 3-D figure of a favorite character from the stage production of A Story
Before Time.
TASK 2:
Students use an 11X17 page divided into 3 sections for “beginning-middle-end” to draw pictures with
appropriate text, which reinforce their sense of the narrative storyline.
A Story Before Time
38
FOLLOW-UP LESSONS
JUNIOR DIVISION
(GRADES 4–6)
DANCE AND DRAMA
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for The Arts: Dance; Drama
- Apply the phases of the Creative Process to dramatic play and process drama, and development of dramatic works, using
elements and conventions to communicate feelings, ideas, and understanding
- Communicate their feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of dance pieces and/or dramatic works and
experiences, using the Critical Thinking Process
Junior
- Demonstrate understanding of the socio-cultural and historical context of a variety of dance forms and/or drama and
theatre forms, traditions and styles, both past and present
TASK 1:
Students use dramatic play and role-play to explore the characters, conflicts and main ideas presented in the
performance of A Story Before Time (e.g. role play Sky Woman’s feelings about leaving Sky World, improvise
a scene illustrating other possible solutions to the twins’ conflict, role play the animal council to save Sky
Woman, improvise a scene of the animals playing with Hanging Flower).
TASK 2:
Students express personal responses to the performance and explain their preference for a scene using
dance and drama terminology. See Stem sentence suggestions for prompting personal reflection and
critical response in the Appendix.
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A Story Before Time
FOLLOW-UP LESSONS
TASK 3:
Students use Think-Pair-Share and class discussion to reflect on their experience of a live performance and
contrast it to movie theatre or watching videos/DVDs at home. Students explore their recollections of the
performance to discover how audience reaction and behaviour affected their experience of the performance.
TASK 4:
Students research and present their findings about the culture of Iroquoian and other Canadian Indigenous
peoples to discover more information about the past and present socio-cultural and historical contexts of
life in these communities.
Focus especially on an awareness of how dance reflects Indigenous beliefs and cultures , and is important in maintaining
cultural identity. See the Resource Links in the Appendix and supplementar y DVD.
Junior
VISUAL ARTS
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for The Arts: Visual Arts
- Apply the phases of the Creative Process to the composition of a variety of 2D and 3-D art works using the key artistic
concepts (e.g. elements, principles, tools, and techniques)
TASK 1:
Students look at Norval Morrisseau’s paintings and draw their own stylized representations of animals from
A Story Before Time, trying to simplify details and emphasize special features.
TASK 2:
Students create a collaborative mural of Turtle Island or Sky World.
TASK 3:
Students create a 3D figure of a character from A Story Before Time, which depicts the character’s
emotional response (e.g. joy, anger) with a focus on using positive and negative space.
A Story Before Time
40
FOLLOW-UP LESSONS
DANCE, DRAMA, AND LANGUAGE ARTS
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for each of The Arts: Dance; Drama
- Communicate their feelings, ideas and understandings in response to a variety of dance pieces/dramatic works and experiences, using the Critical Thinking Process
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for Language Arts
- Generate, gather and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience
TASK 1:
Write a mini-review of the performance using the suggested pre-writing process and template in the
Appendix.
Junior
Place Emphasis on:
overall opinion in headline
essential information identifying choreographer and main performers,
personal opinion of at least one specific aspect of dance and/or drama elements, backed up by details from the
performance.
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A Story Before Time
FOLLOW-UP LESSONS
INTERMEDIATE DIVISION
(GRADES 7-8)
DANCE AND DRAMA
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for each of The Arts: Dance; Drama
- Communicate their feelings, ideas and understandings in response to a variety of dance pieces/dramatic works and
experiences, using the Critical Thinking Process
- Demonstrate understanding of the socio-cultural and historical context of a variety of dance forms/dramatic and theatre
forms and traditions, past and present
TASK 1:
Students use Think-Pair-Share and class discussion to reflect on their experience of a live performance and
contrast it to movie theatre or watching videos/DVDs at home. Students explore their recollections of the
performance to discover how audience reaction and behaviour affected their experience of the performance.
TASK 2:
Students express personal and critical responses to the performance and explain their preference for a scene
using dance and drama terminology. See stem-sentence suggestions for prompting personal reflection and
critical response in the Appendix.
TASK 3:
Students research and present their findings about the culture of Iroquoian and other Canadian Indigenous
peoples to discover more information about the past and present socio-cultural and historical contexts of
Intermediate
life in these communities.
Focus especially on an awareness of the evolution of dance and performance in Indigenous cultures. Investigate the different purposes
and audiences for Social Dances and Sacred Dances . See the Resource Links in the Appendix, section 3 of Teacher’s Guide and
supplementar y DVD.
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FOLLOW-UP LESSONS
VISUAL ARTS
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for The Arts: Visual Arts
- Apply the phases of the Creative Process to the composition in various traditional (2D and 3D) and emerging art forms
(multimedia, conceptual art, installations)
TASK 1:
Students create a multimedia or installation artwork inspired by their understanding of “balance” (in nature
and human society) as represented in A Story Before Time, which itself reflects the Iroquoian
(Haudenosaunee) worldview. See section 3 in the Teacher’s Guide and supplementary DVD.
DANCE, DRAMA, AND LANGUAGE ARTS
Meeting expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for each of The Arts: Dance; Drama
- Communicate their feelings, ideas and understandings in response to a variety of dance pieces/ drama works and experiences, using the Critical Thinking Process
Meeting the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for Language Arts
- Generate, gather and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience
TASK 1:
treaty rights
current land claims disputes in the province and across Canada
past and present challenges in maintaining cultural identity (e.g., the effect of the Residential Schools policy)
differing views of creation: First Nations, Indigenous, scientific and other mythologies from around the world
differing cultural attitudes toward environmental protection and relationship to nature
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A Story Before Time
Intermediate
Students engage in drama and role-play giving voice to different perspectives on:
FOLLOW-UP LESSONS
TASK 2:
Students present their personal point of view about the effectiveness of several dance/drama elements
used in A Story Before Time and share their opinions and specific observations through Think-Pair-Share and
class discussion.
TASK 3:
Students write a critique/review of the performance using the suggested pre-writing process
and template in the Appendix.
Emphasis is on replicating a newspaper-style format including:
opinion in headline
essential details of performers, choreographer, venue, and synopsis
analysis of several dance/drama elements with specific observations about how effectively they are used in the
performance
concluding remarks
Intermediate
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DVD CONTENT OUTLINE
6. DVD CONTENT OUTLINE
MENU LISTING:
1. People, Places and Culture: Six Nations Ontario
2. Traditional Iroquois Social Dances
Stomp Dance (Gada:tro:t)
New Women’s Shuffle Dance (Ehsga:nye: gae:nase:)
Rabbit Dance
Round Dance
Old Moccasin Dance (Gayowaga:yoh)
Smoke Dance
3. Dance Instruction
Stomp Dance (Gada:tro:t)
Rabbit Dance
Round Dance
Old Moccasin Dance (Gayowaga:yoh)
A Story Before Time: Sky World Scene
4. Contact and Credits
Participants on DVD:
Artistic Director of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre: Santee Smith
Ol’Mush Singers: Tom V. Hill, Floyd Harris, Sakoieta’ Widrick, Jerry Burning
Dancers: Vaughn Harris, Brian General, Stevie Harris, Sharon Vyse, Kyah Green, Christina Hill-Harris, Trystin Harris,
Danny Vyse, Semiah Smith
Interviews: Steve Smith, Shelley Niro, Tehahenteh, Brian General, Roy Henry
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A Story Before Time
SCENE SYNOPSIS
7. SCENE SYNOPSIS
SCENES ONE AND TWO
Setting: Sky World
Characters: Sky Woman, Great Chief, Sky Beings
Plot: Sky Woman becomes ill and the Great Chief cures her. They fall in love and marry. She becomes pregnant. The Great
Chief is told in a dream that Sky Woman must leave Sky World. He is told to place her beneath the roots of the Celestial
Tree.
SCENES THREE AND FOUR
Settings: Sky World, the world below called Water World
Characters: Sky Woman, animals from Water World: Geese, Turtle, Beaver, Otter, Muskrat
Plot: The Celestial Tree at the centre of Sky World is uprooted and Sky Woman falls down through the hole into Water
World. The water animals below are amazed to see a Sky Being falling toward them on a beam of light. They form a council and decide to send the geese to catch her and carry her down. A giant snapping turtle volunteers her back for Sky
Woman to land upon.
Three animals dive deep in the sea to gather mud for Sky Woman to spread on the hard shell of Turtle. Only Muskrat
succeeds. Sky Woman dances a “Woman’s Shuffle Dance”, spreading the mud across Turtle’s back. As she sings and dances,
Turtle’s shell expands and becomes Turtle Island.
SCENES FIVE TO NINE
Setting: Turtle Island
Characters: Sky Woman, her daughter Hanging Flower, West Wind, animals
Plot: Sky Woman gives birth to a daughter, Hanging Flower, and they enjoy their life on Turtle Island. Hanging Flower plays
with all the animals, especially enjoying the otters. However she is lonely, and sits singing, longing for someone to befriend
her. A Thunder Being called West Wind hears her songs and falls in love with her. He sings her a lullaby and she falls to
sleep.
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SCENE SYNOPSIS
SCENES TEN TO THIRTEEN
Setting: Turtle Island
Characters: Sky Woman, Hanging Flower, The Bent One, and Holder of the Heavens
Plot: Sky Woman finds two arrows (one dull and one sharp) that are a sign her daughter, Hanging Flower is pregnant, and
they happily prepare for the birth of twin boys. The twins are quarrelsome even in the womb and when it comes time for
their birth, the second twin, The Bent One, cuts through his mother’s arm pit and she dies. Sky Woman arrives to find the
other twin, Holder of the Heavens standing beside his lifeless mother. The Bent One is pointing accusingly at his brother.
Sky Woman banishes Holder of the Heavens to the wilderness. Squash, Corn and Beans (the Three Sisters) plants grow out
of Hanging Flower’s body as a symbol of her nurturing spirit.
SCENES FOURTEEN TO SEVENTEEN
Setting: Turtle Island
Characters: Sky Woman (Grandmother Moon), Holder of the Heavens, The Bent One
Plot: Sky Woman raises The Bent One, but neglects Holder of the Heavens, who must live alone with only the animals for
friends. Holder of the Heaven learns the powers of creation and creates many beautiful creatures such as raccoons,
chipmunks, and deer. Sky Woman grows old and dies. Holder of the Heavens places her head in the sky where she becomes
Grandmother Moon. Jealous of his brother’s beautiful creations, The Bent One creates dangerous rapids, poisonous fruit,
and such animals as the skunk.
Eventually the brothers meet and have a series of contests to see who will rule Turtle Island. As they run, tumble and
wrestle, the skies thunder and their actions create the valleys, mountains and rivers we know today. Holder of the
Heavens is victorious and the two agree to stop fighting and share Turtle Island with all its creatures.
Holder of the Heavens and The Bent One live in harmony on Turtle Island and therefore, the first world here on earth, our
world today has a balance of light and dark, good and bad, right and wrong.
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TEMPLATES FOR STEM-SENTENCE PROMPTS/RESPONSES
1. PRIMARY (GRADES 1-3)
Following the performance of A Story Before Time teachers can guide students in a class discussion of their experience at the
performance using the stem sentence prompts provided. Suggestion: record some responses on chart paper for use in
composing a “class letter” to the choreographer Santee Smith.
Reactions to the experience:
- My overall reaction to the performance is that I…
- I really liked/disliked the part when…
- It was really scary/funny/sad…when …
- The character/dancer I most liked was… because…
Questions and Puzzling:
- I didn’t understand why/how…
- I wonder why/what…
- I would like to ask the character…why…
Connections to my life:
- The fighting brothers remind me of the time when…
Critical/Creative thinking prompts:
- I saw interesting shapes when…
- I want to try moving like a squirrel /deer /raccoon /otter …because I liked how…
- I remember the dancers moving high and low when…
- I could make up a dance phrase for the part when…
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APPENDIX 1
2. JUNIOR (GRADES 4-6)
Following the performance of A Story Before Time teachers can use the stem sentence prompts provided to guide
students in a class discussion of their experience at the performance OR to stimulate written responses, followed by
sharing ideas. Written responses response will also aid students in other followup tasks, such as writing a minireview
of the performance (Appendix II).
Reactions to the experience:
- My overall reaction to the performance is that I…
- I really liked/disliked the part when…
- It was really…when…
- The character/dancer I most liked was…because…
Questions and Puzzling:
- I didn’t understand why/how…
- I wonder why/what…
- I would like to ask the choreographer why she…
- I would like to ask the character…why…
Connections to my life:
- This reminded me of another story/myth/dance/movie…because…
- If I were (character name) …I would…
Predictions:
- I think that the brothers will…
Critical/Creative thinking prompts:
- I have/have not been to a live performance before and I think this one was really…because…
- I think that the best interpretation of animal body movements was for the..(squirrel, deer, raccoon, otter) because of how
the dancer…
- I think the lighting was effective when …because it…
- I think the most creative costume was …because…
- I think use of the stage and props was most effective when…because
- I noticed there was variety in the dancing when… and unity when…
- I noticed there was contrast/harmony in the dancing when…
- I think that the whole performance was intended to get the audience to think about / realize / feel /understand / enjoy / try to…
- Now I would like to try to…
- I think I could create a dance for another story called…because…
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APPENDIX 1
3. INTERMEDIATE (GRADES 7-8)
Following the performance of A Story Before Time teachers can use the stemsentence prompts provided to
stimulate written responses, followed by sharing ideas in a class discussion of their experience at the performance.
Written responses will also aid students in other followup tasks, such as writing a newspaperstyle review of the performance (Appendix III).
Reactions to the experience:
- My overall reaction to the performance is that I…
- Watching a live performance was a different/familiar experience for me because….
- I liked/disliked the part when…
- It was really… when…
- The scene I liked most was when …because…
Questions and Puzzling:
- I didn’t understand why/how…
- I wonder why/what…
- I would like to ask the choreographer, Santee Smith, why she…
- I would like to ask the dancer who was playing the role of …why he/she…
Connections to my life:
This reminded me of another performance/ story/ myth/ dance/ movie… because … I sympathized with the character…
when he/she…because I …
Predictions
I think I would/would not go to a dance performance again because…
Critical/Creative thinking prompts:
- I have/have not been to a live performance before and I think this one was really…because…
- The technical aspects of lighting and sound impressed me in the scene when…because…
- I could see patterns in the choreography when…
- If I could dance that well I would like to dance the role of… because…
- The choreography really worked well when…because…
- The use of props (e.g., the Celestial Tree) was really effective because…
- The costume that impressed me most was…because…
- If I worked in this production the job I would want would be…because…
- I think that the whole performance was intended to get the audience to think about/ realize feel/ understand/ enjoy/…
If I was going to create dance piece about land claims/ residential school survivors I would need to know…
Now I would like to try to…
I would like to find out more about…
Seeing this production has inspired me to see how I can create…
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TEMPLATE FOR A MINI-REVIEW (GRADES 4-6)
Task: Write a 100-150 word review of the performance you saw
Audience: another student in your grade
Purpose: to give another student your opinion about how well the choreographer and
dancers of A Story Before Time created a memorable dance/drama performance
Before you start to write:
brainstorm your personal and critical responses to the performance using the “stem-sentences”, with special
attention to elements of dance/drama such as variety and unity, balance, contrast and harmony, costuming, sets/props,
lighting, music
brainstorm a 4-5 word headline that tells the reader your main reaction to the performance
Draf ting:
make a rough draft of each of the following sections, in order, to organize your review.
Headline:
In four to five words sum up your strongest overall reaction to the performance. Be sure to include a verb/action word.
Title of the performance/show:
Rating:
number of “stars” **** (out of ?)
List of essential details:
creator/ choreographer, director, main performers, future dates when reader might see performance, location/theatre name.
Byline:
your name
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APPENDIX 11
Introductory paragraph:
Only 2 sentences, including:
- the full title of the show (what you saw), and the name of most important person performing or creating the work (who),
- a short “overall opinion” of the performance you saw (why the reader should/should not go to see it)
Body paragraph:
Remember that this is where you will show how well you understand the elements that make for a successful
dance/drama work. Your teacher will pay particular attention to your ideas and examples in this
paragraph, for evaluating your mini review.
Pick a scene you remember really well and describe the most important dance/drama
element from the list below:
the choreography (variety, unity, harmony, balance, groupings)
the quality of the dancing (shapes, levels, energy, tempo, stillness)
the “acting”/ in role actions of the characters/dancers (facial expressions, energy)
Concluding paragraph:
Wrap up your review by restating your overall impression/reaction in a new way
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TEMPLATE FOR A NEWSPAPER-STYLE REVIEW (GRADES 7-8)
Task: Write a 200-250 word review of the performance you saw
Audience: another student in your grade
Purpose: to give another student your opinion about how well the choreographer and
dancers of A Story Before Time created a memorable dance/drama performance
Before you start to write:
brainstorm your personal and critical responses to the performance using the “stem-sentences”, with special
attention to elements of dance/drama such as variety and unity, balance, contrast and harmony, costuming, sets / props,
lighting, music
look at some sample reviews of theatre, dance and musical
theatre performances to see how the review is set up. What information is given in each paragraph?
Draf ting:
make a rough draft of each of the following sections, in order, to organize your review.
Headline:
In four to five words sum up your strongest overall impression of the performance. Be sure to include a verb/action
word. Be sure to reflect on how well it matches your critical responses.
Your headline will help you focus on what you want to “prove” to the reader about why they should/should not go to see
the performance.
Title of the performance/show:
Rating:
number of “stars” **** (# out of?)
List of essential details:
creator/ choreographer, director, (main performers), future dates when reader might see performance, location where
you saw the performance.
Byline:
your name
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A Story Before Time
APPENDIX 111
Introductory paragraph:
Only 2 sentences, including:
• your overall impression/opinion/reaction to indicate why the reader should/should not go to see the performance,
• the full title (what you saw),
• name of most noteworthy person(s) performing or creating the work (who) and why you were impressed/not impressed by
their work
Short synopsis:
Give a short summary of the storyline (assuming readers would not generally be familiar with it).
Body Paragraphs:
Remember that this is where you will show how well you understand the elements that make for a successful
dance/drama work. Your teacher will pay particular attention to your comments, and references to the perform
ance, when evaluating your review.
Paragraph #1
Look at the list below and choose the ONE most outstanding element that contributed to the success of this performance:
the choreography (variety, unity, harmony, balance, groupings)
the quality of the dancing (shapes, levels, energy, tempo, stillness, any outstanding individual performances)
the “acting”/ in role actions of the characters/dancers (facial expressions, energy, outstanding performers)
the technical aspects: lighting, sound, music, scrims/sets/props
Paragraphs #2-4
Return to the list above and comment on 2-3 other aspects of the performance that were successful/unsuccessful in
your opinion.
Concluding paragraph:
Wrap up your review by restating your overall impression/reaction in a new way OR comment on how successful you
think the choreographer/director has been in getting an enthusiastic audience response.
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ESOURCE LINKS
NATIVE DANCE:
1) http://nativedance.ca
Direct link to Haudenosaunee content:
http://nativedance.ca/index.php/Haudenosaunee/Traditional_Dances
2) Earth Songs:
http://www.ohwejagehka.com
3) YouTube – Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Indian Dance & Songs Part I:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnR1bKTF3jg
4) YouTube - Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Indian Dance & Song Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5uCUZC2YBs&feature=related
5) Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy Stomp Dance Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq8We0FS4nU&feature=related
6) Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy Stomp Dance Part 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7xCwlLs8Oo&feature=related
7) Here On Earth by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, series “Dancing with Spirit” by Soaring Heart
Pictures
www.soaringheartpictures.com
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A Story Before Time
APPENDIX 1V
DANCE IN EDUCATION:
1) http://www.artsalive.ca/en/
a) Be sure to explore the section on the Choreographer’s Toolbox
http://www.artsalive.ca/en/dan/make/toolbox/chtoolbox.asp
b) See also the section on creating your own animated choreography:
http://www.artsalive.ca/en/dan/yourturn/virtualdance/
c) Get more ideas on writing reviews of dance performances
http://www.artsalive.ca/en/dan/yourturn/write/review.asp
CULTURAL CONTENT:
1) Six Nations: Oldest Living Participatory Democracy on Earth
www.ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/
2) Six Nations of the Grand River Culture and History
www.icmi.ca/culture.html
3) Six Nations Tourism
www.sntourism.com
4) Native American Home Page – Nations
Lists numerous Nations from across North America
www.nativeculturelinks.com/nations.htm
5) The Contributions of the Iroquois
www.capitalrep.org/pdfs/IroquoisSGP2.pdf
6) The Woodland Cultural Centre
www.woodland-centre.on.ca
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